Computing power for the digital construction site

The “Q-tainer” from Rhomberg Sersa and Datwyler

A classic container as a source of 5G and WLAN and hence as a foundation for a digital network on construction sites: that is the idea underlying the “Q-tainer”. Datwyler IT Infra, the Rhomberg Sersa Rail Group (RSRG) and its affiliate RKsafetec are currently carrying out practical trials on an initial specimen.

The companies are using the Rhomberg Group’s Resource Centre Rheintal (RCR) for the Q-tainer test phase. The site, on which are located a recycling centre and a quarry, provides the perfect environment. This is where hundreds of thousands of tonnes of material such as sand and gravel are moved every year.

The aim of the test phase is a system which optimises construction site management by continually collecting and interlinking data in real time. Among other things it automatically detects the routes mostly travelled by construction vehicles and where there are collision risks, and even whether the people on site are complying with safety regulations. Digital construction site management also benefits from AI-based procedures for automatic inventory management and monitoring of materials currently in stock, as well as their usage.

The implementation of such use cases requires a great deal of computing power, fast response times and high bandwidths in on-site data transmission. Datwyler installs the requisite solution in the Q-tainer: a Mini Data Centre which ensures the collection and analysis of data on construction sites – including the power supply, cooling, monitoring and management software.

A second Q-tainer is already being developed in parallel for a tunnel construction site. There the experience gained at the RCR will be augmented by other use cases, so that the system can continually grow and learn.

You can find more information in this video on YouTube and in our upcoming Panorama No. 2/2022.