IoT sensor data for better drainage maintenance
The Internet of Things, or IoT, has huge benefits for organisations, allowing data to be collected from networked objects and providing actionable insights to drive efficiency. KaarbonTech Asset Management has been using IoT sensors across a range of highway assets to facilitate proactive maintenance and reduce unnecessary inspection visits.
Identifying a data blockage
Sensors in drainage gullies monitor blockages and give real-time updates to allow proactive maintenance, saving time and money on visiting gullies unnecessarily. However, with a range of sensor providers serving different local authorities, all using their own portals to view data, information is not being shared with other operational elements. In addition, councils are often tied to one provider, to limit the number of portals used. Having seen this situation occur many times, KaarbonTech has realised there is an opportunity to use the data to improve service delivery.
Finding a solution
Seeing their customers not getting the true benefit from their data has led KaarbonTech to find a solution. They work with a number of partners to offer a range of sensors, specific to different areas of the network, as well as providing a management service with their SMART software to collect and analyse the data from all sensors, offering insights to improve proactive maintenance and forward planning across the network. Their software creates a single place to view, report and act on IoT sensor data in drainage, to strengthen the maintenance programme of the entire highway network.
Sharing IoT data across all operations provides a broad overview of the highway asset network, allowing maximum efficiency. Using data from a range of sensors can transform operations, ensuring a joined-up approach, with work carried out proactively and without wastage. Analysing a range of data in one place allows a correlation of weather and drainage demand with geospatial and historic information, for better lifecycle modelling.
Widening the view
KaarbonTech has also brought together data from a combination of open-source sensors so that all local authorities can benefit. Every gully captured with their Gully SMART sensors offers some form of IoT data free of charge so that a national picture can begin to be built. With an overview of many local authorities’ data, KaarbonTech can offer advice on best practice, with a range of experience across the country.
Doug Maxted, KaarbonTech’s Technical Strategy Manager said, “We want to become a hub for knowledge, collecting, analysing and sharing data to boost efficiency across the country. We’re looking to our customers with existing sensors to join us in this collaborative approach by using our SMART software. We are also looking to sensor providers to work with us to help local authorities, combining our expertise with their sensors to offer a top quality and impactful service”.