A Scoping Review of Digital Technologies used for Automating Onsite Construction Inspection: Applications and Future Direction

Abstract

Construction inspection is an important aspect of project delivery in the Built Environment. However, on construction sites, the process of compliance checking is largely conducted manually. In person inspections have been found to have error rates of 20-30%. These inefficiencies have resulted in significant quality impacts, cost overruns and schedule delays. In the context of these challenges, coupled with the demand for remote inspections during the pandemic, there has been increasing research into digital technologies for the automation of construction compliance. However, to date, many developments happened in isolation focusing on narrow areas. There has been no overarching review available to consolidate the gamut of digital solutions that can be used in construction inspection, evaluate their practical applications and consider how they fit within the wider compliance workflow.

To fill this gap, this paper conducted a scoping review to identify the key digital technologies with the potential to automate inspection tasks on construction sites. The study analysed 136 papers published in the last five years to identify the development trajectories of digital solutions in construction compliance and to suggest possible directions in which certain technologies can be further applied to enhance construction compliance.

The findings reveal key inspection themes where technology can enhance construction compliance namely defect detection, dimension measurement, and alignment. Additionally, technology stack i.e. combination of hardware and software most compatible to serve each inspection purpose was analysed. The study proposes a roadmap through technology-inspection matrices to guide commercial deployment and future research in underutilised tech combinations.