There is a lot of talk about "smart" things, infrastructure included. But what does that really mean? We have recently released a new web report entitled The Promise of Smart Infrastructure. In it we answer this question and present the opportunity that smart infrastructure provides for addressing the investment gap that exists between current spending on global infrastructure and the (much greater) need for new investment over the next 20+ years. During the next few weeks we will offer a series of blog posts presenting sections of the report.
Smart Infrastructure Defined
In our view, what makes infrastructure "smart" is its ability to provide information dynamically. So, we define it as:
Infrastructure that conveys information about its manufacture, construction, depreciation and use to its stakeholders.
Why is it imperative to build smart infrastructure? Because it will reshape the utility of infrastructure and eliminate billions of dollars from the cost of manufacture, construction and maintenance.
How will smart infrastructure work?
Smart infrastructure will include products and feature sets that will produce the utilities described in our definition, such as information about:
Product manufacture
- RFID tags and/or barcode identification
- Product tracking
- Timeline history of manufacturing process
- Digital quality assurance records
Construction process
- Digital quality assurance records
- As-built information ported back to BIM model
Depreciation
- Strain gauges, corrosion sensors, accelerometers, etc, to record structural health
- Communication of structural health data to web hosted 'Management Portal' used by asset manager
- Predictive analytics about expected depreciation and future maintenance needs
Use
- Sensor-generated safety warnings
- Automatic communication with first-responders
- Communication with public; i.e., optimal travel routes
- APIs for use by app developers creating new solutions
As we demonstrate in the full report, the processes of manufacturing and constructing smart infrastructure will require practices that address the most pressing challenge standing in the way of fulfilling the world's $94 trillion infrastructure need: Inefficiency in the construction industry.
If you would like to discuss how smart infrastructure will help your business, we hope you will get in touch.
About Idencia
Our mission at Idencia is to elevate the productivity of infrastructure. We offer RFID tracking solutions that improve productivity and offer value throughout the value chain. As a cloud-hosted product tracking system that is seamless between manufacturers, contractors and asset managers, Idencia adds information value to all, eliminates redundancy and saves time.
