Trends in the construction sector go for a larger internationalization of construction works, volume increase, and their economic impact. Nevertheless, they facilitate existing barriers that impede a technical and efficient solution at the right time. On the other hand, we are seeing an increase in requirements in regards to standards and demand of a full digitalization of the entire process. The lack of digitalized data and flexibility of the current tools imply a thorough and inefficient verification of all measurements… this process increases the costs for the time spent in data procurement and entails a lack of traceability of the transmitted data, which can provoke mistakes. How can we improve the measurements in lineal works? How can we know the status of progress of the work units through real measurements?

During the construction phase of a tunnel, the excavated area tends to “shrink” (convergence) during the hours/days after the digging. If the convergence is excessive, this implies an elevated risk to the stability of the construction work.

Currently, in order to verify the inexistence of convergence issues, two manual methods are used. However, both systems require a large number of staff and the measurements to be done daily. On top of this, the excavated section of the tunnel must be circular but with irregular finishing, thus an added difficulty.

Since its conception, its implementation and through its completion, a constructive process generates a vast amount of information from an administrative, economic, labor, and technical viewpoint. All of this data is generated from several distinct sources and is treated at different levels by people with diverse technical expertise. The process creates an internal know-how which on occasions the firm cannot capture and exploit due to the intrinsic nature of the information generated.

 

For that reason we must find solutions that allow us to extract value from all the documentation and the knowledge generated having in mind that it is semi-structured data we are talking about. How can we make ACCIONA’s internal knowledge more accessible? How can we improve the knowledge of the client’s requirements? How can we obtain information on the applied solutions of our processes in the face of usual problems that arise in the day-to-day of work? How can we find relevant points in the contracts? How can we obtain information on real-time of all the active bids? How can we get updated information on the constructive works of ACCIONA from around the world?

ACCIONA, in all of its operations in Construction, has the obligation of ensuring at least 100 years of the material life that they use.

 

We seek a solution that offers a certifying system and/or warranty of the durability, in order to show enough and sufficient solvency.

In infrastructure construction projects where earthworks predominate, soil occasionally needs to be moved and/or treated and then compacted to specific density/moisture conditions. Drying soil increases overall project cost due to delays and materials (additives) and/or machinery costs.

Can you bring an innovative and cost-efficient way to dry wet soil in this civil engineering innovation challenge?

The following additional properties should also be considered:

• Enhance the workability of soil Preserve or improve the mechanical performance of the original soil
• Maintain or increase the usage of in situ soil (reducing cost of hauling, dumping and soils from borrow pits)

The size and extension of photovoltaic planta difficult their inspection and maintenance.

 

Many tasks, performed manually or semi-manually to this day, must be digitalized or supported by technology with the goal of automatizing and reducing costs, both in the maintenance and in the data and information compiling of the plants.

In order to analyze the viability of a road project and for its posterior operation, it is key to know in great detail the portential user market.

New technologies allow the anonymous tracking of mobile phone signals, both from the telephone network as through Bluetooth and Wifi. This allows to identify routes, road tolls if there’d be, and also the trip frequency.

This allows to make better market research, improving the limitations of traditional user polls, whilst also improving the operation: better knowledge of travel patterns allows to anticipate traffic control necessities in real time.

In the future, highway operations, specially in the metropolitan area, will include intelligent traffic management (within the intelligent transport systems), with complex prioritization of information and control measures (such as the ‘managed lanes’ from the USA). It is only possible with deep knowledge of user travel patterns.

The execution of a contruction work project is a very complex procedure involving many agents which include clients, contractors, suppliers, subcontractors… the necessary information for the execution of a project is vast, highly complex, contrasting, is registered in different ways, and on many ocassions is found fragmented. The lack of coordination, due to this information being unavailable or difficult to obtain means there are greater costs that the clients are not willing to assume and echo on the accepted budget, thus reducing the margins for engineering and construction firms.

In ACCIONA we are looking for solutions that facilitate the recollection of data in order to make just-in-time decisions, having in mind the execution process of a contruction work project. How can we get the project manager, the arquitect, and the owner the necessary information, in real-time, of the current state of the project? How can we manage the reception and dispatch of orders to external suppliers (i.e. suppliers of concrete) or adjust the reception of orders to the project’s situation? How can we predict and adapt accordingly to emerging issues without compromising efficiency and quality?  How can we control the work’s quality across all steps of the project’s lifecycle until its completion? How can we create a history of work performed by contractor/subcontractor/supplier/employee to support performance evaluation? How can we create traceable information?

Maintaining roads in good condition to ensure safety is one of ACCIONA’s lines of activity. The extreme conditions that occur in the cold winter months mean that special care is taken so that roads can be used under the best possible conditions.

 

The use of salt and brine to prevent the formation of ice is the most common treatment, although it is very harmful to the environment in the places where it is deposited, and it leads to later deterioration of the road surface.

 

In this respect, we sense a lack of awareness among both ordinary citizens and professionals about the indiscriminate use of salt to melt ice. We offer our services to find solutions that create awareness, optimise the distribution of salt, or replace it as the only way to deal with the hazardous road conditions in  winter.

Salt is the main element used to avoid ice and snow on roads. However, the conditions for spreading it are stipulated on the basis of ambient temperature, to avoid any risk to drivers. This means that it is essential to calculate the quantity of salt or brine applied, and where it is necessary, as well as calculating the amount that remains on the road surface after the last application to optimise its distribution and avoid unnecessary deposits.

 

Progress in sensors and portable meteorological stations leads us to apply improvements in the area of winter road maintenance, both in economic and environmental terms.

In ACCIONA we are open to suggestions, from the replacement of salt and brine to the detection of the presence of melting liquids on the roadway and the optimization of their distribution, with the aim of setting up a pilot project to co-create a product or service.

Energy communities allow the sharing of the operation of energy and thermal infrastructures on a specific site. The operation of plants within a residents’ community, a neighbourhood or industrial estate means a paradigm change in the energy sector, in terms of the combination of sustainable energy with the grid and a reduction in energy transmission.

 

This opens the door to self-sufficiency, which fosters more sustainable systems in economic and environmental terms and aims to activate citizens’ participation in the energy transition.

 

Bearing in mind that the trend is for cities to continue growing, with a higher population and a greater role in world GDP, it is important that the intensive use of resources and energy should be as efficient as possible.

ACCIONA is moving towards a sustainable future, with decarbonization playing a major role. The real estate unit of the company is working to incorporate it from a variety of perspectives. To comply with sustainable certification, we build smart housing units that include the control of consumption levels and temperature.

 

The problem to be solved is the lack of coordination and management of consumption, particularly in organised communities. Through this project, our aim is to contribute to less use of non-renewable primary energy, create smart housing and manage consumption in an efficient manner. We set out to promote a diversity of stakeholders and the existence of participate projects, both in green energy generation and in the energy system as a whole.

Is it possible to plan a community of buildings that can be energy self-sufficient and also store energy, thereby optimising its use?  Is it possible to make cost savings through the efficient use of energy?

 

ACCIONA needs to incorporate new tools for the management of costs and consumption in these communities. To do this, it puts its know-how and experience in the sector at your disposal to help bring about the transformation.