European Space Agency: Space For Construction Monitoring

Construction progress monitoring involves tracking and assessing the development of a construction project over time to ensure that it aligns with planned schedules, quality standards, and budgetary constraints. However, current methods fall short in providing sufficient visibility across large, disparate sites. Satellite technology and data, combined with advanced analytical techniques, have the capability to offer better visibility, reduced costs, and broader coverage, especially for multinational projects.

The main objective of this call for proposals is to assess the feasibility of, and/or demonstrate, high resolution (temporal and spatial) monitoring of construction sites using satellite data and technology, at an affordable price point. The solicited activities will enable improved monitoring of construction sites and earth-moving activities.

Key areas of interest include:

• Progress Monitoring: Tracking project advancement from commencement through completion for comparisons between design, pre-construction and as-built conditions.
• Safety Monitoring: Early hazard identification and mitigation on construction sites.
• Structural Monitoring: Assessment and tracking of the condition of infrastructure over time.
• Documentation and Reporting: Automated extraction of insights from digital resources produced and transacted throughout construction projects, for efficiency, compliance and accountability.
• Environmental Reporting: Systematic observation, measurement and analysis of environmental conditions on and around construction sites to ensure compliance with regulations and positive reputational standing with local communities.
• Logistics and supply chain monitoring: Improved tracking of sourcing, procurement and delivery processes to negate the impact of supply chain difficulties on project implementation and quality.
• Cross-sector applications: Services that consider not only the construction sites but its interactions with nearby infrastructure and ecosystems.

Value of space

Satellite data and technology is expected to play a critical role in the proposed solutions to this challenge.

Satellite Earth Observation data can offer extensive coverage, frequent revisit rates,  consistent data quality across construction sites, tracking of highway works, vegetation information, presence of land equipment, detection of vehicles, like-for-like comparisons over time, identification of metallic objects on-site, area occupation, and otherwise, also enabling monitoring under any weather conditions. Earth observation can measure heat signatures, provide topographical measurements, air quality analysis and detect changes in land use.

Satellite Positioning: Remote sensing solutions may benefit from calibration and/or validation through periodic (though less frequent than current) site inspections utilising drones and similar technologies, utilising satellite positioning to geo-/time-stamp information collected. Positioning data derived from equipment on-site is crucial to enabling comprehensive monitoring of activities on construction sites. GNSS receivers are a key component of structural integrity monitoring systems as well.

Satellite Communications: Satellite communications may also support drone operations in remote regions, when used to gather data to calibrate and/or validate remote sensing solutions used for the primary monitoring of construction site progress. Likewise, it may be used to enable IoT-based (Internet of Things) monitoring. More generally, satellite communication is able to provide connectivity for remote sites that lack alternative communications means.

Who should apply?

ESA are looking for teams who have identified an attractive market opportunity with real potential to engage customers. Motivation, business experience and domain expertise are all important features. We want to hear about your ideas that involve the utilisation of either space technology or space data.

For this call, companies residing in ESA Member States will be eligible to apply: this includes the UK.

The initiative is open to the submission of proposals for Feasibility Studies and Demonstration Projects:

• Feasibility Studies – which provide the preparatory framework to identify, analyse and define new potentially sustainable services (max €500,000 per project, this can cover up to 80% of costs depending on business size)
• Demonstration Projects – dedicated to the implementation and demonstration of pre-operational services (case by case assessment, can cover up to 80% of costs depending on business size)

Benefits and funding

ESA’s offer includes:

• zero-equity funding (50-80% depending on SME Status and Member State Approval)
• technical and commercial guidance
• access to our network and partners
• ESA brand credibility

Support

If you would like help to find a collaboration partner, contact Innovate UK Business Connect’s Space team or our Infrastructure team.