By Ashley Karen
A successful trial of a digital measuring system for concrete has led to a roll-out across HS2’s West Midlands sites, cutting carbon and driving efficiencies on the high-speed rail project.
VERIFI uses GPS tracking to deliver real-time monitoring, measurement, and management of fresh concrete properties during transport.
VERIFI is the first digital solution to replace manual consistency (e.g., slump) and temperature testing of fresh concrete by using on-truck sensors connected to proprietary patented algorithms. The concrete truck mixer tracks itself to the point of delivery, tests itself before discharge, and auto-generates pour records for quality assurance objectives.
During the past two years, Balfour Beatty Vinci (BBV), HS2 primary works contractor, has worked with supply chain partner Saint-Gobain Construction Chemicals, which generated VERIFI, and its concrete supply partners Tarmac and Aggregate Industries, to test and validate the system.
Following a full-scale site trial concerning over 20,000m3 of concrete, HS2 Ltd. has approved the roll-out on the West Midlands section of HS2’s Phase One route.
One of the key benefits of this system is the elimination of concrete waste that would have been produced from manual sampling and testing. Once the solution is rolled out across BBV’s section of the route, it could cut 1,500 tons of carbon.
Investigating the entire volume in the truck instead of spot samples enhances quality control and delivers more accurate readings. In addition, reducing plant-person interface and manual handling on site improves safety.
HS2 claims that the clear digital readouts eliminate delays associated with sampling and testing, which enables better scheduling and decreases potential bottlenecks in the construction timeline.
Jon Knights, HS2 materials and durability lead, expressed that it was an example of how HS2, working collaboratively with supply chain partners, could deliver a test bed for cutting-edge technologies.
He declared: “We have set big ambitions to drastically cut carbon as we build HS2, and digital surveillance solutions support us on this journey, not only bringing multiple benefits to the project, but also paving the way for a new era in the construction industry.”
Moreover, Frederic Guimbal, EVP at Saint Gobain Construction Chemicals, pointed out that VERIFI demonstrated “the power of collaboration and paved the way for the integration of digital methods in future concrete standards across the construction industry.”
HS2 technical manager at Aggregate Industries, Joseph Hartley, defined VERIFI as a “monumental step change in supplying quality assured concrete.”
He continued: “The visibility it gives to ourselves and our clients is unprecedented. The ability to monitor, maintain our product, and track vehicle movements allows significant environmental and cost benefits for us and HS2.”
Hartley also claimed: “Having worked in the ready-mixed concrete business for 36 years, VERIFI is one of the most significant upgrades to our operational capability I’ve seen.”
