IoT meter monitors plastering conditions

Rentan Group Oy's Regional Sales Manager Marko Heinonen.

Rental also played a role in the development of our IoT condition sensor.

The blank had already progressed in our product development, but Rentan's desire to also provide condition data directly from the target to the terminal accelerated product development in November 2017. Rentan Group Oy's Regional Sales Manager Marko Heinonen recalls the time.

- Since the concrete IoT sensor is easy to throw into the concrete pour, and it works in concrete, I wondered if the same could be done for measuring air temperature and humidity. We talked about this with Wiiste, and it didn't take long before Wiiste delivered the "IoT condition jar" to us, he says.

The current significant area of use of the condition meter has come as a surprise to Marko Heinonen as well.

– We also initially assumed that the condition meter would be used to measure indoor temperatures, but it quickly proved its usefulness in monitoring outdoor temperature and humidity during plastering work, Heinonen says.

Plastering work is one area of construction for which Rental rents equipment such as scaffolding, weather protection, heaters and machinery.

Verification of plastering conditions has many uses

Most plastering is done using scaffolding. In addition to scaffolding, lighting, heating and tarpaulins are often rented from rental companies for this work, as the building is usually covered during the work.

Sometimes Renta also supplies elevators to the project in connection with the scaffolding.

Previously, Renta's customers monitored the conditions of plastering work in a rather traditional way using thermometers and Excel spreadsheets.

– Now we can receive unadulterated data every hour on the terminal. The transparency of operations increases, and possible human recording errors are eliminated, Heinonen says.

There are other uses for data besides monitoring.

– The contractor can show the client that the work was done under the conditions required by the mortar manufacturer. If problems arise later during the plastering process, the data is very helpful.

– For example, if the environmental data shows that the working conditions have been in accordance with the requirements, and it has also been determined that the quality of the work is in order, we can investigate whether there was an error in the composition of the mortar, says Marko Heinonen.

The image shows the installation of the Wiiste IoT sensor.

Initiative for IoT monitoring from contractors

The data from the IoT condition sensor is transferred to Wiiste's Relia software, where the condition documentation required for the work is easily created.

If desired, they can also be attached to reports and the property's handover materials in paper or PDF format. The information is also stored in Relia.

Marko Heinonen emphasizes that the initiative for condition monitoring came from the contractors – not from the clients or supervisors.

– It is admirable that contractors want to show facts about the work that the customer doesn't even know how to demand. Of course, data also provides security in case of a possible complaint.

Wiiste stood out from the start

The collaboration between Renta and Wiiste began with concrete sensors, which have been used to schedule the operating periods of structural dryers rented from Renta with even greater accuracy.

But why did Renta initially end up with Wiiste's solutions?

– Even then, Wiistee had clear added value in its products compared to other solutions on the market. Today, it is clear that Wiistee's offering supports our portfolio well. At the time of the interview, Wiistee sensors supplied by Renta were in use on construction sites all over Finland.

– At least in Helsinki, Vantaa, Lahti, Espoo, Jyväskylä, Kajaani, Tampere, Rauma and Pori, Marko Heinonen lists from memory.

“The benefits of IoT sensors are clear – their use is increasing”

Marko Heinonen believes that the need for IoT sensors will increase throughout the construction industry.

– IoT solutions significantly reduce manual work and eliminate human forgetfulness.

According to Heinonen, Renta will also use Wiistee's solutions more in the future. He praises the solutions' ease of use, the long battery life of the IoT sensors, and Wiistee's attitude towards changes requested by the customer, for example in the user interface of the cloud service Relia.

– The most important thing for us is that data from different sensors can be easily accessed in the Relia software. Data from all sensors can be clearly seen in one user interface.

– Wiiste has also been easy and pleasant to work with, says Heinonen.

The temporary downturn in the event industry due to the coronavirus has also affected Renta's operations, as the industry has been a significant user of the company's supply. There has been sufficient demand for everything from electrification of the festival area to sheds and containers. However, the strong pull of renovation and new construction has filled the "vacuum" created by the cancellation of events. Renta had a good year in 2020.

Renta Group Oy is a Finnish construction machinery and equipment rental company that started operations in 2016. Renta operates in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Poland with over 700 employees and a network of 75 locations. The rental equipment offered covers a wide range of machinery and equipment used on construction sites and related services. In addition to construction machinery, the company offers construction site facilities, scaffolding and weather protection services, and construction-related construction site services.