Labor Tracking System Using BIM for Construction Progress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Construction projects face inaccuracies in tracking labor progress due to subjective and reactive methods, leading to financial losses when actual hours exceed estimated hours, often discovered too late for corrective action.
Innovation Solution
A labor management system using mobile devices to track labor hours by comparing installed equipment units to estimated labor hours, providing real-time graphs to project trends and allowing proactive adjustments in manpower, and calculating expected hours at completion based on units installed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional subjective methods are used to track labor progress, then ease of operation is maintained, but measurement precision deteriorates leading to inaccurate project status assessment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a digital copy of the construction project by mapping physical components to a BIM (Building Information Model) or digital representation. This digital twin allows for automated tracking of labor progress by comparing actual work completed against the digital model, eliminating subjective assessment while maintaining manageable complexity through software-based solutions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual, mechanical tracking methods (paper timesheets, visual inspections) with automated electronic systems. Mobile devices, sensors, and software automatically capture and process labor data, transforming the tracking mechanism from subjective human judgment to objective digital measurement without significantly increasing operational complexity for users.
2Loss of time
If reactive labor tracking methods are used, then device complexity is minimized, but loss of time increases as corrective actions are delayed until project completion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous feedback loops where labor progress data is automatically collected, analyzed, and compared against the project schedule and budget in real-time. The system provides immediate feedback to project managers about deviations from the plan, enabling timely corrective actions. This automated feedback mechanism reduces the time to detect issues while managing complexity through algorithmic processing rather than manual analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary analysis and forecasting by comparing current labor progress trends against the baseline plan to predict future project outcomes. The system proactively identifies potential overruns before they occur by analyzing rate of progress data, allowing preventive actions to be taken early in the project lifecycle rather than waiting for problems to manifest at completion.
3Measurement precision
If detailed real-time tracking is implemented, then measurement precision improves, but ease of operation deteriorates due to increased data collection requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the tracking system to automatically collect and process data without requiring manual intervention from workers. Sensors, mobile device applications, and integrated project management software automatically capture labor hours, progress milestones, and completion data. The system serves itself by automating data collection, validation, and analysis, thereby maintaining high measurement precision while eliminating the data entry burden that would otherwise reduce ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
An improved way of managing the labor expended on a construction project, whether a small-scale or large-scale, includes a system, program and method that will use the estimate of labor for a project as an input to the labor management system. The percent complete of the project will be a calculation of installed equipment as opposed to a perceived percent complete of the project. The calculation will be compared to the percent of labor hours used to then determine the state of the construction project. The labor management calculation will be facilitated through a user interface where the user can highlight one or more portions of the virtual project, where the one or more portions represent one or more installed units of the project, such as installed equipment.