Aerial photos of the project site could be taken before the construction starts, and before and after each day’s activities. In addition, the entire construction process (not only the overall site but also areas of specific tasks) can be recorded on video. These tasks include excavation, filling or embankment construction in layers, concrete pouring, asphalt laying, assembly of steel or precast concrete members, and so on. Using artificial intelligence techniques, the construction images can be processed to ascertain the quantities of materials used, the dimensions of the constructed product, and in certain cases, the quality of the material used in the constructed product, such as the level of soil compaction, moisture content of fresh concrete, and so on. The aerial photos can be used in conjunction with photogrammetric techniques to ascertain the dimensions and positions (heights, depths, angles) of constructed elements. Ground Penetration Radar (GPR) can help verify the quality of materials used in the construction including asphalt and concrete. Remote sensors installed in the crane buckets and trucks, used with GPS can measure the exact amount of soil that is hauled from one site to another. Intelligent compactors can help ascertain if the appropriate compaction levels have been achieved.

Concrete and asphalt mixer trucks equipped with GPS systems can alert the engineer at the laying site if they encounter undue delays between the batching plant and the site. Sensors installed inside their rotating drums report to the central monitoring office, the amount of concrete they are carrying, any changes in the concrete properties along their haul trip, and the mixture design of their load. Connectivity features also enable the comparison of material specifications and in-situ properties of the materials after construction, and any deviations can be addressed.

Smart sensors implemented in workers’ vests can capture the number of times they have moved objects during the day and show the calories burnt in that day, thereby monitoring workers’ overall health and performance. Finally, in such an integrated autonomous and connected system for construction inspection, the collected and analyzed data can be stored in a data cloud, processed according to established standards and guidelines that are consistent with a secure cyber environment, and given access to all relevant stakeholders including corruption mitigation personnel.