The question of how digitalization can contribute to making the construction process more efficient is one that Xella is intensively concerned with. In this context, the Xella Group participated in a research project at the reference construction site of the Center Construction Robotics (CCR) at RWTH Aachen University in Germany.

In cooperation with the company Schulte Transportsysteme GmbH, it was investigated how a digital laying aid could look and function. As part of two master's theses, a mini crane, named the Steinrex 2.0, was equipped with a sensor system. The goal was to display the laying process of building materials in the digital twin on the computer. In mid-September 2023, the work was presented at the Open Campus Week in Aachen: the crane was equipped with various sensors to establish a connection to its digital twin. Now, it is possible to follow in real time on the computer how not only the crane's arms move: All movements are registered and recorded.

More efficient building with digital assistance systems

"The use of digital assistance systems on construction sites helps make construction with large formats in both new buildings and renovation projects user-friendly and safe to work with," says Andreas Radischewski, Digital Building Solutions and Transformation Manager at Xella.

Document construction progress and improve efficiency

Sebastian Völsen, BIM manager at Xella Germany and project manager in the Digital Transformation team, already sees concrete potential applications: "I see potential for optimizing the construction process and also potential savings in energy consumption due to fewer trips. This can make construction more sustainable. There is also the potential to automate certain processes on the construction site and to determine the optimal location for installation aids. This could further increase efficiency and make the job easier."

Future developments and projects

Further steps are already being considered. "We have had a very good exchange with the other people involved in the project, and we can imagine that new projects could arise from this," says Sebastian Völsen. The next steps in this direction would be to find a reference construction site to deepen the analysis of the crane's movement patterns during the various construction phases. This data can then be used to optimize the construction process, especially during bricklaying.