When it comes to construction projects, it can be challenging for investors and contractors to keep up with everything happening on the job. As construction progresses, job sites become quite complex, and it’s challenging to have everything under control. This is why there is a need for a construction superintendent on site. A superintendent is responsible for overseeing staff on site and for handling the project’s schedule. They oversee the operations of a job site, through to completion. The duties of a superintendent vary, but generally, they are expected to be responsible for scheduling, supervising all site activity to maintain the quality of work, and ensuring the safety and compliance of the site. 

In summary, here are some of the key roles and responsibilities of a superintendent:

• Monitoring and ensuring on-site safety compliance, cleanliness, and orderliness.
• Leading and managing the on-site construction team.
• Coordinating and overseeing all subcontractor work on site.
• Attending production meetings.
• Reviewing and becoming familiar with the project budget, and ensuring adherence.
• Ensuring quality standards are met.
• Responsible for equipment and materials on site.
• Generating and adhering to the project schedule to ensure deadlines are met.
• Maintaining records for site personnel/on going work such as daily field reports, change orders, and RFIs.
• Liaising with inspection authorities regarding approvals.

Here are some ways in which a site superintendent can benefit from construction cameras on the job site;

1. Health and Safety 

Nothing supersedes workers’ health and safety on site. Ineffective construction site monitoring can lead to gaps in on-site safety standards. Mistakes like these could endanger the lives of employees and future users of the building. To minimise risks and maximise safety, a lead Superintendent needs to establish effective communications channels and reporting systems. They alone won’t be able to monitor the safety of an entire site. That’s why they need systems in place to deliver safety updates, risk assessments, and hazard detection as quickly as possible.

2. Quality and Productivity

Following safety, quality and productivity are the priority when it comes to job site monitoring for a superintendent. A superintendent inspects every stage of production to ensure the quality of work is sufficient and efficient. Quality and productivity often combat one another. Creating superior buildings in a short amount of time is a corporate expectation that is very difficult to execute and the only way you can satisfy both demands is through fully-implemented monitoring. For example, Evercam’s X-Ray tool used with construction cameras is a game-changer for superintendents because it is such an accurate image referencing tool that helps to compare separate stages of the construction phase. The presence of cameras on site can prevent a lot of untruthful information from being communicated between teams, which in turn leads to enhanced productivity from the site staff to subcontractors. With visibility, it helps to ensure that quality standards are met.

3. Security

According to a report by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the construction industry suffers more than $1 billion in losses each year in heavy equipment alone, and those numbers continue to rise. Construction cameras can help secure the job site against these thefts and, in the worst-case scenario, provide vital evidence for law enforcement authorities in the case of a crime.

Although trust in employees is the basis of any business, no construction company is immune to theft from the inside when part-time employees and subcontractors are accessing the site throughout the project. Visual monitoring can deter would-be thieves if they know they are under observation. Vigilance is key.

4. Troubleshoot potential issues. 

Construction cameras help uncover potential problems early. Allowing site teams to be proactive, instead of reactive. They can track, capture and document any violations. Footage of a specific event can be reviewed to determine what went wrong and what actions are necessary to prevent similar problems from happening again during the project. In a past project, we would have to ensure that all MEP work had been appropriately fire stopped, inspections passed, and photographs taken before walls/ceilings were closed. With construction cameras on-site, it eases the process of manually taking photographs as everything is captured and stored on cloud.

5. Transparency

The use of cameras on construction sites keeps all stakeholders of the project in the loop throughout the construction project. The superintendent can keep accurate records of site activities to distribute amongst other teams. It also cuts time and travel costs and can accelerate approval processes for additional funding.

6. Justify delays

Delays are almost inevitable in any construction project. Construction cameras are crucial when it comes to explaining and justifying these delays. Using Evercam’s  weather feature can help superintendents to justify time added in the schedule if a delay occurs due to weather-related issues. Weather changes can cause you to halt certain aspects of construction for a day or more. With time-lapse photography, you have a documented visual history to pinpoint the date and time the delay occurred, and ready justification if you need to delay other phases of your project.

Construction cameras have almost become a standard tool to have in any project. Many projects now have cameras required in the specs. So it’s not a matter of whether or not you want cameras, its which cameras to choose. 

With construction cameras, developers give themselves a competitive edge by avoiding expensive mistakes, keeping projects on schedule, protecting themselves against losses, and building clientele bases that can span across industries.

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About the author:

“Darah Callan works as a part of Evercam’s business development & Customer Support team from Barcelona, Spain. While he has not always worked in the Camera/AI world, he is passionate about construction and has spent 5 years in the industry. After graduating from University College Dublin with a degree in mechanical engineering, Darah ventured into the world of construction, mainly based in the USA working as a Field Engineer and assistant superintendent with Ryan Companies in Texas.“