Hybrid RFID reader infrastructure

Get total site coverage with mobile reader stations to track the positions of tens of thousands of RFID tags without having to install fixed reader stations around project site laydown yards and construction areas. Fixed gate stations can also be deployed to allow for automated material receiving as truckloads pass through the main entrance gates.

Rugged RFID tracking tags and readers

SiteSense® RFID tags can withstand outdoor environments as well as high impacts from other materials. Reduce the cost of the RFID tag by re-using them over and over again. The SiteSense® RFID reader infrastructure can withstand extremely cold, wet and dusty environments, making it suitable for all types of industrial project sites from icy conditions in Northern Canada to the desert climate in the Middle East.

Easy to use

Touch screen handheld computers and web-based software are the tools used in a SiteSense® tracking system. All levels of workers can be trained to use SiteSense® in a matter of minutes from tracking and locating RFID tags to reporting on RFID tag movements.

Secure Web-based software

With SSL encrypted web-based software there’s no software to load onto desktop and laptop computers. This helps keeps deployment and support costs low and allows for secure access from anywhere there’s an Internet connection. The software for mobile devices is embedded into the handheld computer, which becomes an invaluable tool for anyone on the project site who needs to find a piece of material.

Integrated tracking with remote control cameras

With the addition of SiteSense® remote control cameras, visual verification of tracked materials allows users to automatically zoom directly into the material, from anywhere in the world. Ask to add SiteSense® Visual Assurance to your project and enjoy the benefits of monitoring your project without having to be onsite.

Reporting tools

Pivot table reports are available for download from the SiteSense® Website to allow for maximum versatility of reporting on received materials, material positions, coverage reports and more.

Integration tools

SiteSense® data can easily be integrated with other material management systems by using one of many integration tools available from SiteSense® .

Find materials 8 times faster

Third party studies have demonstrated using active RFID tags to track the location of materials for large industrial construction projects, that on average, the time to find materials was reduced from 31 minutes to 4 minutes per piece, which included materials that could be found immediately and others that took hours or days to find.

Predict construction schedule with better accuracy

Third party studies have demonstrated that for all materials going into a laydown or storage area, about 20% of the materials will move to a second laydown location. With current practices using manual update methods to record movement of material, it becomes impossible to record all the subsequent material movement due to the nature of the fast paced work environment of the construction site. With SiteSense® when material moves anywhere on the project site, the new location will be recorded automatically, allowing for immediate location of all materials which reduces the wait time for materials at the workface and allows the contractor to hit original milestones in the project schedule.

Reduce material management costs

With the use of streamlined receiving via RFID gate readers, materials tagged with active RFID tags are read and time stamped immediately as they pass through the gate and are flagged as “Received on Site”. This allows material handlers to spend less time checking off received quantities. Material handlers spend will spend less time recording storage positions and will spend less time “looking” for materials when they are required to be sent to the work face for installation.

Reduce re-fabrication cost for lost materials

By using SiteSense to automate receiving of materials and tracking locations of materials around the project site, not knowing if material is onsite and its location onsite is a thing of the past. Construction projects can save extra costs by not having to pay to re-fabricate items that were thought to be lost, and they can decrease delays in the project schedule by finding the material when its needed for installation to keep the project on schedule and on budget.

Construction Material Tracking Product Brochure (PDF)

What’s the benefit of active RFID over passive RFID for construction material tracking?

For industrial construction job sites with multiple acres of laydown yards stretched over large project sites, using the SiteSense® active RFID system the overall system cost is lower due to lower infrastructure costs, better tag readability, further read range and a longer lasting rugged system designed specifically for industrial construction and maintenance projects.

How do I attach the active RFID tag to the different types of materials?

Intelliwave has a complete guide on how to attach SiteSense® RFID tags to different types of materials. Ask Intelliwave for a sample of the tag attachment guide to learn more.

Can I re-use the active RFID tag?

Yes, after the tag has been decommissioned from a tag assignment it can be re-used multiple times throughout the project life cycle.

How long will the active RFID tag last?

For 2 second beacon rate settings the tag will last for 4 years at room temperature. Intelliwave has tested the life of tags in northern Alberta over many years and 3 years is a typical life expectancy for cold weather climates. The active RFID tags have battery monitors in them and the SiteSense® battery-life report will let you know when RFID tags need to be replaced with new tags.

Can I put new batteries in the active RFID tags?

Unfortunately, no. Because the tags are sonically welded together during manufacturing, the tags casing will be damaged if taken apart to get at the battery.

How do you provide accurate GPS positions for RFID tags?

We’d love to tell you the details, but this is company confidential!