Mace implements Smart Hoist at Peterborough Court
The iconic Peterborough Court, former office of Daily Telegraph and Goldman Sachs, is currently being transformed into a BREEAM-proof workplace and retail centre. The job to remodel the interior was awarded to Mace Interiors. To do so, efficient use of available materials and power is of the utmost importance. Mace is therefor looking for new methods to improve on-site efficiency. By upgrading the hoists to smart hoists with our AI software Mace was able to optimise vertical transport, reducing both wait time and power useage.
Optimising construction efficiency with AI
To improve on-site logistics Mace is especially interested in the posibilities AI technology has to offer. Mace has been working with AI in recent years, looking for more ways to optimise construction. To introduce our Smart Hoist AI-Software we offered a free trial to explore its features. We upgraded the hoists at Peterborough Court with the AI-system by installing the required hardware and software features.
To show the Mace team new actionable insights to improve hoist efficiency, Cara, Smart Hoist’s digital operator, evaluated the weekly performances each week in a video report. These reports often show simple yet important examples of situations that could be improved. Thanks to the newly gained insights, Mace achieved a reduction of 30% in wait times within the first 5 weeks.
quick response time and efficient path planning
How to win so much time? Firstly by keeping an eye on response time and secondly by carefully planning efficient paths for each hoist. Keeping response time down to a minimum might sound simple, but there are many factors that could increase the time before the operator responds. For instance, he could be helping out loading the hoist next to his or having a toilet break. However, in many construction sites we see the operator waiting in front of the hoist where he can’t notice the call. This could be low hanging fruit for any construction site to win time.
Optimising path efficiency: gather and distribute data to each operator
Path efficiency is important to look into when managing multiple hoists. Keeping the paths of each hoist as short as possible allows you to save both time and power. This might however require the operators to choose different paths than they normally would or different floors to wait when idle. By adding a display to the hoists for the operator, information about the best floor to go to is distribute directly to the operator.
The AI software gathers information about all the calls and the activities on each floor. Based on this information it plans the most efficient action for the operator to take. The operator will only have to follow the instructions. Unless of course, when the operator is required to make to a different decision due to a specific situation.
Averages can be misleading: insight into amount of calls with long response time
At Peterborough Court the average response time decreased over the weeks of Mace’s free trial. Eventually it seemed the average response and wait times couldn’t be reduced anymore. Cara then suggested that averages can be misleading. As it turns out about half of the calls made we’re around or below average. However about 20% was far above average.
By looking into the calls that take the longest, new causes of longer wait times can be identified. Examining these specific situations provides insights into potential factors contributing to extended delays in lift arrivals. This helped Mace to reduce the wait times even further, increasing efficiency around the entire site.
Smart Hoists: the perfect place to measure safety awareness
The hoists in a construction site are a vital transportation artery and a great place to judge the safety of workers on site. While gathering data about efficiency in each hoist, our software also keeps an eye on safety as well. For example, the AI-camera can recognise whether people are wearing their PPE’s correctly and if daily checks in the hoist are done properly.
Alerts about Visitors not wearing PPE
At Peterborough Court we had a unique situation. The fourth and the ninth floor were part of the green route due to the offices being still in use. This caused many visitors to enter the personnel hoist with no PPE’s. To prevent our alerts from overclouding the alerts about construction personnel not wearing PPE’s, we excluded calls from and towards these floors from our weekly reports and daily alerts.
Curious how much time you can save by implementing Smart Hoist AI Software? Request a free trial or contact us for more information on how Smart Hoist AI Software can elevate your project efficiency to new heights.