Geolocation, an effective means against theft on construction sites

Construction site thefts are increasing, but there are solutions to protect yourself

The theft of machinery on construction sites exploded during the health crisis and in particular during the lockdowns which forced work to be stopped.

Theft and vandalism on construction sites are problems that can affect productivity and drain profits.

Big money losses

In France, 22 cases were recorded in 2020 with thefts of equipment worth up to €800,000 for a single piece of equipment. Over a year, it is estimated that the damage amounts to €1 billion.

In Britain, thefts from construction sites increased by 50% in the first two weeks of lockdown in spring 2020.

In the United States, the National Equipment Register estimates that the average value of construction equipment stolen each year is between $300 million and $1 billion (for large equipment only). On average, less than 20% of stolen equipment is recovered.

For construction companies, it is not only the cost of losing the machine that must be taken into account, but also the costs caused by delays on construction sites.

How can construction companies protect themselves?

Traditional methods

Lighting
Using good lighting can be a deterrent, but unfortunately during periods of confinement, many thefts were committed in broad daylight while the population was confined.

CCTV and alarms
CCTV is of course a classic but you should opt for an active system that sends alerts in real time. There is nothing worse than viewing in the morning the video of a theft that took place during the night.

A security guard
Definitely one of the best solutions but expensive for small businesses.

Geolocation

Geolocation can be used for two applications aimed at protecting equipment:

1. Geo-fencing

Based on geolocation software, this “virtual guarding” makes it possible to remotely monitor the position of an object (machines, cars, containers) and to be alerted if it leaves its assigned zone or enters a prohibited zone.

Geofencing uses data received by an onboard GPS receiver and transmitted via mobile phone.

In fact, "authorized" or "prohibited" zones are defined in the system which then sends alerts by email or SMS when, for example, the object enters a prohibited zone, when the vehicle has traveled too far or has exceeded a certain speed.

2. Remote monitoring – Tracking

GPS tracking is the most well-known geolocation system, but there are other IoT solutions using device-based collection like cell phone triangulation or on a specific network like Sigfox beacons.

Whatever the solution chosen, the recommended elements for tracking equipment are:

• A stand-alone box on the equipment or vehicle with the longest possible autonomy
• A SIGFOX type network connection to locate the box
• A cloud platform to receive data and visualize the object's position on a map

In addition to combating theft, geolocation is also an effective way to track equipment (asset tracking) to eliminate the time wasted looking for tools on a construction site and to analyze and optimize their use.

TICATAG offers solutions for this!

More information about our standalone beacons here .