/
Infrastructure/
Specialized fields/
Construction sitesConstruction sites, measured at the boundary.
A building site is judged by its neighbours on dust, noise and vibration, and its lifts stop in the wind. Monitors on the hoarding, a wind sensor on the crane and site cameras report to one record that the contractor, the client and the local authority all read, with alerts before limits are crossed.
Plan a deploymentHow it worksStation Builder- Industry
- Infrastructure
- Measurements
- 5
- Sources cited
- 5
Infrastructure · Construction sites
The neighbours are watching
A construction site lives beside homes, schools and old buildings that feel its dust, noise and vibration every working day. Planning conditions set limits, and complaints arrive after the event. Measuring at the boundary, with alerts before limits are reached, lets the contractor change the work in time and answer every complaint with evidence.
What is measured
Dust, noise, vibration and wind
Monitors on the hoarding measure dust facing the nearest homes, meters measure noise at the boundary and sensitive façades, and geophones on neighbouring foundations record vibration. Wind sensors on crane jibs stop lifts in time, and site cameras show what work was under way when a reading rose.
- Instruments
- Dust monitors · Noise meters · Geophones · Crane wind sensors · Site cameras
The base node
Triggers before limits
The site node checks every reading against the agreed trigger and limit levels, alerts the site manager before a limit is reached and records full waveforms for vibration events. Crane wind alarms go out within seconds, and every value is signed for the monthly report.
Radio and links
Cellular that moves with the site
Sites move from phase to phase and from one project to the next, so boundary points report over the public cellular network with no infrastructure. Battery points on neighbouring buildings reach a gateway on the site office over LoRaWAN, and cameras use the office network where it reaches.
- Links
- Public cellular · LoRaWAN · Wi-Fi
How it works
From a dust plume to damped work
A breaker starts on a dry, windy afternoon and dust at the boundary rises toward the trigger. The site node signs the reading and alerts the site manager with the wind direction and a camera image. Water is brought in, dust falls, and the record keeps the reading and the response.
From order to operation · Order
Scope the site and its conditions
The scope reads the planning conditions, the permit limits, the nearest homes and sensitive buildings, the phases of work and the cranes. Nexus Observatory Inc. returns the point plan by phase, trigger and limit levels to agree, the integration with the contractor’s systems and a price per point and per month of works.
Plan a deploymentFrom order to operation · Survey
Walk the boundary and the neighbours
Crews walk the hoarding with the site manager to place monitors between the works and the nearest receptors, visit neighbouring buildings to choose vibration points and take a baseline of background dust, noise and vibration before the works begin. They record power and cellular coverage at each point.
From order to operation · Permits
Neighbours, authority and limits
Owners of neighbouring buildings agree to vibration points, and the local authority agrees the monitoring plan and the trigger and limit levels. Who sees the data, including residents, is written into the plan. Every agreement is kept with the site’s record.
From order to operation · Build
Build for the hoarding
Dust, noise and vibration monitors, wind sensors, cameras and nodes are built, calibrated, tested together and enrolled with their identities. Each point is configured with the agreed trigger and limit levels and alert contacts, and labelled with its position on the site plan.
Open the Station BuilderFrom order to operation · Install
Install before the first dig
Crews mount boundary monitors on the hoarding at the agreed heights, fix geophones to neighbouring foundations, fit wind sensors to crane jibs and mast cameras over the site. Every point is photographed and located, and the baseline period completes before works start.
From order to operation · Commission
Test triggers and alarms
Each node proves its identity. Dust monitors are checked against a reference, noise meters with a calibrator, geophones with a test impact and wind sensors against a reference. Trigger and limit alerts are tested to the site manager, and crane alarms to the crane operators.
From order to operation · Operate
Build within the limits
The site manager sees dust, noise and vibration against triggers, with wind direction to show the source. Dusty work is damped or paused, noisy work rescheduled, and lifts stop in the wind. Monthly reports go to the authority and complaints are answered from the record.
From order to operation · Maintain
Move with the phases
As the site moves from demolition to frame to fit-out, points are moved to face the work, recalibrated on schedule and serviced after storms. At handover the monitors are removed and the record is archived with the project. Every change is kept on the record.
Book field servicesData products
For site managers, authorities and clients
Site managers and environmental officers receive boundary readings against limits and trigger alerts; crane operators receive wind alarms; local authorities and clients receive monthly compliance reports and, where agreed, live views. Each product carries the calibration and position of every monitor.
See the data productsEvidence
Compliance a council accepts
Every reading, alert, response and calibration is signed and kept. Noise and vibration follow the construction code of practice and the building vibration standard, dust monitoring follows the recognised guidance, and records are kept with the project information, so the authority and the client can check them.
- Drawn against
- BS 5228 · DIN 4150-3 · IAQM construction dust guidance · ISO 19650
What you get
Environmental and permit monitoring
Emissions, water quality, noise and dust monitoring for permit conditions, with traceable calibration and evidence bundles. Delivered as managed service and data licence, for industrial operators, municipalities, regulators. Scale: Site to portfolio. Service levels are written as numbers you can measure on your own dashboard.
Talk to salesNext step
Plan construction sites with us
Tell us the site, the measurements and the rules it answers to. We reply with a survey proposal, a design and a scope for construction sites. An engineer replies with a survey proposal and a scope, and the plan grows from one site to the network you need, at your pace.
Plan a deploymentOpen the Station BuilderOpen the Studio
01The place and its hazards
Where it runs, and what can go wrong.
Operating contextContractors build under planning conditions and permits that limit dust, noise and vibration at nearby homes and buildings, and they must stop crane lifts in high wind. Local authorities enforce the limits and answer complaints. Codes of practice set how noise and vibration are controlled and measured, and dust guidance sets how monitoring is done near sites.
Hazards
- Dust drifting onto homes, schools and roads
- Noise beyond permitted hours or levels
- Vibration damaging nearby buildings
- Crane lifts in high wind
- Complaints that cannot be answered with evidence
02What must be measured
What, where, how often, and under which rules.
Each measurement names where it is taken, how often, and the public standard or regulation behind it. Numbers in the sources column open the cited source below.
| Measurement | Where | Cadence | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dust (particulate matter) | Monitors on the boundary facing the nearest receptors | Continuous, alerts on short-term thresholds | 12 |
| Construction noise | Meters at the boundary and at sensitive façades | Continuous, with periods set by the permit | 3 |
| Ground and building vibration | Geophones on nearby foundations and sensitive buildings | Continuous, events recorded in full | 43 |
| Wind speed and gusts | Crane jibs and a site mast | Continuous, alarms within seconds | 5 |
| Site images | Cameras over the site and gates | Time-lapse and on alarm | 1 |
03The observation stack
From one base unit to a network.
The same blocks at every scale: instruments and a base node, a site with its radio, a fleet run as one, and a network federated on the open protocol.
- 01
Base unit
A boundary point: dust, noise and vibration monitors with a small node that signs every value, on the hoarding.
Build a station → - 02
Site
A site: boundary points, crane wind sensors and cameras on one cellular link to the contractor and the client.
Plan a site → - 03
Fleet
Every site of a contractor run as one fleet, with one record and one calibration process.
Managed offers → - 04
Network
Contractors, clients and local authorities share boundary data through open standards.
The open protocol →
- 01Air quality monitor
- 02Acoustic sensor
- 03Vibration and condition monitor
- 04Compact weather station
- 05Fixed camera
- 06Micro node (Nano)
- 07Cellular modem/router
- 08Battery case
Radio and links
Public cellular
Sites move often; cellular needs no infrastructure and follows the site from phase to phase.
Radio and links
LoRaWAN
Battery vibration and noise points on neighbouring buildings reach a gateway on the site office.
Radio and links
Wi-Fi
The site office network carries cameras where it reaches.
Edge computeThe site node checks dust, noise and vibration against the permit’s trigger and limit levels, sends alerts to the site manager before a limit is reached, records full waveforms for vibration events and raises crane wind alarms at once.
PowerPoints run on site power from the hoarding with a battery for gaps; neighbour points run on batteries.
04How it works
From the instrument to the product.
One observation’s path, tier by tier, with the interface on every link and a bill of materials below; then how the one node grows to a site, a fleet and federated networks.
Construction sites: data path
– of 06
01 Instruments Measurement with sensor identity andcalibration 02 Node – Wrap in an observation envelope with timequality– Measure quality and uncertainty, attachquality flags– Buffer locally (store-and-forward when thelink drops) 03 Backhaul Commit with transactional outbox andpublish, delivered at least once 04 Site Consumer inbox deduplicates and applieseach record once into governed data 05 Data store Governed product through API, map orexport, correction-aware 06 Products OGC SensorThings APIBS 5228ISO 19650 07 Power and structure Supplies 12 V DC to the field equipment 01 Air quality monitor SDI-12 · RS-485 · Ethernet 02 Acoustic sensor SDI-12 · RS-485 · Ethernet 03 Vibration and conditionmonitor Analogue I/O · RS-485 ·Ethernet 04 Compact weather station SDI-12 · RS-485 · Ethernet 05 Fixed camera Ethernet 06 Micro node (Nano) Ethernet · USB · Analogue I/O ·RS-485 · CAN 07 Cellular modem/router Ethernet · USB · RS-232 Site MQTT 5 with Sparkplug B Governed data store Versioned, correction-aware Boundary dust, noise and vibrationagainst limits Trigger alerts Crane wind alarms Monthly compliance reports 08 Battery case USB RS-485 Ethernet RS-485 RS-485 Ethernet Ethernet LTE/NR| Item | Equipment | Data ports | Protocols | Power in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Air quality monitorParticulate and gas monitor (PM, NO2, O3, CO, SO2) for outdoor or indoor air. | SDI-12RS-485Ethernet | SDI-12, Modbus, MQTT 5, OGC SensorThings API | 12 V DC |
| 02 | Acoustic sensorSound level meter, acoustic event detector or infrasound array element. | SDI-12RS-485Ethernet | SDI-12, Modbus, MQTT 5, OGC SensorThings API | 12 V DC |
| 03 | Vibration and condition monitorAccelerometer-based vibration and temperature sensor for rotating machinery and structural condition monitoring. | Analogue I/ORS-485Ethernet | Modbus, OPC UA, MQTT 5 | 12 V DC |
| 04 | Compact weather stationAll-in-one or compact station for temperature, humidity, pressure, wind and rain at a site. | SDI-12RS-485Ethernet | SDI-12, Modbus, MQTT 5, OGC SensorThings API | 12 V DC |
| 05 | Fixed cameraFixed visible-light camera for site security, scene monitoring and machine vision. | Ethernet | RTSP with ONVIF profiles, MQTT 5 | PoE |
| 06 | Micro node (Nano)Single-board or module-class node for sensor sites, gateways and low-power deployments. | EthernetUSBAnalogue I/ORS-485CAN | MQTT 5, OMA LwM2M, CoAP | PoE, 12 V DC, USB PD |
| 07 | Cellular modem/routerLTE or NR modem or router that uses a public carrier or private network as backhaul. | EthernetUSBRS-232 | 3GPP E-UTRA air interface, 3GPP NR air interface, OMA LwM2M | 12 V DC, PoE |
| 08 | Battery casePortable battery pack with DC outputs for field kits. | USB | Modbus | AC mains, HV DC, USB PD |
How it scales
01 Instruments Arbitrary qualified sensors and instruments whosemeasurements are ingested with calibration, units,geometry, time, custody and uncertainty. ×n 02 Node The minimum useful deployable unit: server, ruggedappliance, radio node, sensor gateway, satelliteterminal, AI, scientific, vehicle or virtual node. Node Node agent 03 Site The minimum independently operable localgovernance and failure domain: one or more nodesplus local network, identity, policy, evidence,storage, products and operator surfaces.SITE
Node Node Node ×n 04 Cluster An optional scale or specialisation domain forscheduling, shared storage, accelerators or datalocality.CLUSTER
×n 05 Fleet Coordinates plans, acknowledgements,convergence evidence, update campaigns andcorrection propagation across nodes and sites.FLEET
Fleet controller ×n 06 Federation An exchange of products, capabilities, events orwork across approved, independently administeredtrust domains, using explicit trust, policy,data-locality, version and correction contracts.TRUST DOMAIN
TRUST DOMAIN
TRUST DOMAIN
×n Verifier Applications Data in the field Telemetry Control Data upstream Control Data upstream Control Exchange Evidence Events Exchange- Data in the field
- MQTT 5 with Sparkplug B; connectors for LoRaWAN, OPC UA and instrument buses.
- Telemetry
- OpenTelemetry OTLP.
- Control
- TLS 1.3 with mutual authentication; protobuf messages over gRPC or HTTP/2.
- Data upstream
- At-least-once publication with repeat-safe keys over the control channel or NATS JetStream; QUIC MAY be used on lossy links.
- Evidence
- DSSE-signed in-toto statements; SLSA provenance; SCITT transparency receipts.
- Events
- Event envelopes mapped to CloudEvents 1.0; channels described in AsyncAPI 3.
- Exchange
- OpenAPI 3.1; the OGC API family; SensorThings; STAC; WIS 2.0.
05From order to operation
Every step, from the first call to a running site.
The same crew and the same record carry the work from scope to maintenance.
- 01 Order
Scope the site and its conditions
The scope reads the planning conditions, the permit limits, the nearest homes and sensitive buildings, the phases of work and the cranes. Nexus Observatory Inc. returns the point plan by phase, trigger and limit levels to agree, the integration with the contractor’s systems and a price per point and per month of works. 31
- 02 Survey
Walk the boundary and the neighbours
Crews walk the hoarding with the site manager to place monitors between the works and the nearest receptors, visit neighbouring buildings to choose vibration points and take a baseline of background dust, noise and vibration before the works begin. They record power and cellular coverage at each point.
- 03 Permits
Neighbours, authority and limits
Owners of neighbouring buildings agree to vibration points, and the local authority agrees the monitoring plan and the trigger and limit levels. Who sees the data, including residents, is written into the plan. Every agreement is kept with the site’s record.
- 04 Build
Build for the hoarding
Dust, noise and vibration monitors, wind sensors, cameras and nodes are built, calibrated, tested together and enrolled with their identities. Each point is configured with the agreed trigger and limit levels and alert contacts, and labelled with its position on the site plan.
- 05 Install
Install before the first dig
Crews mount boundary monitors on the hoarding at the agreed heights, fix geophones to neighbouring foundations, fit wind sensors to crane jibs and mast cameras over the site. Every point is photographed and located, and the baseline period completes before works start.
- 06 Commission
Test triggers and alarms
Each node proves its identity. Dust monitors are checked against a reference, noise meters with a calibrator, geophones with a test impact and wind sensors against a reference. Trigger and limit alerts are tested to the site manager, and crane alarms to the crane operators.
- 07 Operate
Build within the limits
The site manager sees dust, noise and vibration against triggers, with wind direction to show the source. Dusty work is damped or paused, noisy work rescheduled, and lifts stop in the wind. Monthly reports go to the authority and complaints are answered from the record. 34
- 08 Maintain
Move with the phases
As the site moves from demolition to frame to fit-out, points are moved to face the work, recalibrated on schedule and serviced after storms. At handover the monitors are removed and the record is archived with the project. Every change is kept on the record.
06Data products and integration
What it delivers, to whom, and into which systems.
Data products
- Boundary dust, noise and vibration against limitsSite managers and environmental officers
- Trigger alertsSite managers and supervisors
- Crane wind alarmsCrane operators and lift supervisors
- Monthly compliance reportsLocal authorities and clients
Integration
- Contractor site systemsAlerts and reports join the contractor’s site management and permit-to-work systems.
- Local authorityMonthly reports and live views are shared as agreed in the monitoring plan.
- Project information modelRecords are kept with the project information under ISO 19650 practice.
Exchanged through OGC SensorThings API, BS 5228, ISO 19650.
07Questions buyers ask
Before you scope it.
Who sets the limits?
The local authority and the permit; triggers below them are agreed in the monitoring plan.
Can residents see the data?
Where the monitoring plan says so, through a live view or reports.
What happens when a trigger is reached?
The site manager is alerted at once, so work can change before a limit is crossed.
Do monitors move with the site?
Yes. Points move as phases change, and the record keeps every position.
08Resources
The sources behind this page.
Public standards, regulations and guidance, cited where they apply. Each applies only where its jurisdiction or scope does.
- 1Guidance on Monitoring in the Vicinity of Demolition and Construction SitesInstitute of Air Quality Management · 2018
- 2Directive (EU) 2024/2881 on ambient air quality and cleaner air for EuropeEuropean Union · 2024
- 3BS 5228: Code of practice for noise and vibration control on construction and open sitesBritish Standards Institution
- 4DIN 4150-3: Vibrations in buildings, effects on structuresDeutsches Institut für Normung
- 5Guide to Instruments and Methods of Observation (WMO-No. 8)World Meteorological Organization
09Related
Use cases and solutions.
SolutionEnvironmental and permit monitoring
Emissions, water quality, noise and dust monitoring for permit conditions, with traceable calibration and evidence bundles.Solutions for infrastructure →SolutionStructural and ground-movement monitoring
GNSS, InSAR, tilt, strain and fibre sensing on bridges, dams, slopes, tailings and pipelines, with alert thresholds set by the owner.Solutions for infrastructure →10Infrastructure: specialized fields
Other fields of this industry.
Specialized fieldExcavations and tunnelling
Settlement and movement of the ground and nearby buildings, pore pressure, wall deflection and vibration during deep excavations and tunnel drives, with automatic total stations and GNSS, under the observational method.The full field →Specialized fieldStructural health of major structures
Vibration, strain, movement and wind on long-span bridges, towers, stadium roofs and tall buildings in service, on fibre and an industrial network, so engineers see how a structure behaves between inspections.The full field →Specialized fieldLevees and coastal defences
Pore pressure and seepage, settlement, water levels, waves and overtopping on levees, dikes and sea walls, on LoRaWAN and microwave, so defence managers see weak sections before the flood finds them.The full field →Specialized fieldHeritage buildings
Crack and tilt movement, vibration from traffic and works, and indoor climate for collections in historic buildings in use, on LoRaWAN with nothing drilled that does not have to be, so conservation decisions rest on evidence.The full field →Bring us the site.
Plan a deployment, configure a station, model it in the Studio or talk to sales. The form names who receives your details.
Plan a deploymentStation BuilderOpen the StudioTalk to salesRequest a quote