Smart construction connectivity - Shimizu Corporation achieved full Wi-Fi coverage at a major high-rise site with PicoCELA's multi-hop wireless access points
| Customer: | Shimizu Corporation, Japan |
|---|---|
| Industry: | Construction |
| Product: | PCWL-0400, PCWL-0500 |
| Highlights: | Dead Zone Elimination / Flexible Deployment / Minimized Cabling / High-density & high-traffic support / Centralized Management |
Background
About the customer: Shimizu Corporation is one of Japan's leading general contractors, engaged in large-scale construction, engineering, and smart infrastructure projects worldwide. The company is at the forefront of digital transformation in construction, utilizing robotics, IoT, and real-time data visualization to enhance safety and productivity across its projects.
At a major high-rise construction site (64 floors above ground and 5 basement levels), Shimizu required a highly reliable and flexible wireless network capable of adapting to the constantly evolving structure as construction progressed. Their goal was to provide stable, wide-area Wi-Fi coverage for a vast number of devices--including mobile terminals, surveillance cameras, robots, and IoT sensors--while drastically minimizing the workload associated with traditional cable wiring and subsequent maintenance.
Challenges (Before)
The project faced significant hurdles common to complex construction environments:
- Eliminating Dead Zones: To enable digital operations, it was critical to eliminate communication dead zones, especially in high-rise and underground sections where conventional 4G/5G signals could not penetrate.
- Logistical Complexity: The constantly shifting floor layouts made the frequent re-placement of physical cable infrastructure unfeasible, presenting significant challenges in terms of project cost and re-installation time for traditional Wi-Fi Access Points (APs).
- Strict Performance Requirements: The introduction of 360-degree cameras, web conferencing, and robotic control demanded strict requirements for low latency and high throughput. Standard Wi-Fi 5 bandwidth proved insufficient in many scenarios.
Why PicoCELA / Key Factors for Implementation
Shimizu Corporation selected the PicoCELA PCWL series based on its unique ability to solve these critical construction-specific challenges:
- Rapid, Flexible Deployment: The solution eliminates the need for LAN wiring during AP installation, enabling construction in a short timeframe and with maximum flexibility.
- Minimal Performance Degradation: PicoCELA's mesh technology minimizes the degradation of throughput and latency even when multiple hops are utilized, outperforming conventional enterprise APs in maintaining network speed and responsiveness.
- Reliable Control Communication: The system provides stable communication capable of supporting demanding operations, such as the control of robots, even under dynamic construction conditions and despite being a multi-hop environment.
- Centralized Operational Efficiency: The platform offers a Centralized Network Management Service for simplified configuration, monitoring, and remote firmware updates.
- Industrial-Grade Reliability: The PCWL series is certified with an IP67 rating, ensuring proven, robust reliability suitable for the harsh demands of the construction environment.
Results (After)
The PicoCELA solution enabled Shimizu Corporation to achieve true digital transformation at the site:
- Achieved Complete coverage: Full Wi-Fi coverage was achieved across the entire large, multi-level construction site, encompassing both basement and high-rise floors.
- Flexible Operations: The system provided reduced installation time and simplified relocation, adapting easily as the building structure progressed.
- Real-Time Data Transmission: Secured real-time data transmission from all mobile devices, cameras, and IoT sensors.
- Improved Management: Centralized management dramatically enhanced network visibility and operational efficiency.
- Smart Construction: Continuous monitoring and control capabilities successfully supported advanced smart construction workflows.
