RFID technology assists embankment engineering to realize concrete block management

Recently, the Dutch government adopted UHF RFID technology to realize the intelligent management of 75,000 embankment blocks. This is an Infrastructure and Water Resources Administration (Rijkswaterstaat) project. After the blocks are manufactured and Stored, they will be installed on a road with 90 Years of history in the embankment. The renovation of the embankment, called the Afsluitdijk, included a new layer of block walls along the length of the embankment 20 miles, while the operation and long-term maintenance of these blocks was managed by Blocks are uniquely identified by RFID, from manufacture to block installation.

The Afsludijk Embankment is an iconic dam and causeway built in 1932 with a length of 32 kilometers to protect parts of the Netherlands from flooding in the Wadden Sea and the IJsselmeer. After nearly 90 years of use, the levee needs renovation, including strengthening its structure as water levels rise, to meet the challenges of climate change, such as rising sea levels and more frequent extreme weather. In addition, it manages excess water flowing into the Ijsselmeer from inland waterways.

In order to drain excess water into the Wadden Sea to prevent flooding in the area, the government needs to increase the capacity of the dikes. To achieve this goal, the water conservancy project will add a layer of protection to 20 miles of existing dikes. The Engineering team will strengthen the locks, install large water pumps and build new wind and wave barriers.

To ensure the strength and sustainability of the blocks, the blocks were designed using less concrete than conventional blocks. The blocks are produced in a temporary factory in the city of Harlingen in a fully automated process, producing 100 blocks per day. The blocks contain an outer layer of concrete, so they produce lower CO2 emissions. The blocks are huge, weighing 6,500 kilograms (14,330 pounds) each, and they have a rough surface that allows saline plants to grow on them. Once fabricated, each piece is stored until needed on site, transported by barge, and installed by crane.

The solution is used to monitor each block manufactured for the embankment, using UHF RFID Readers, deployed at the production site, in the concrete block drying area and on the cranes used to lower the blocks to the proper position on the embankment .

The project employs RFID middleware to store the data in the cloud, which can be accessed for updates on the status of the levee, which can also be used in the future to locate blocks that may need repair or replacement. According to account manager and business consultant Lauran D'hanis, by tracking these blocks, crews can both manage the manufacture of blocks to ensure that the production required for the embankment is met, and monitor how the blocks are located. When to cure to be ready for installation, when to leave the site, when to install where on the embankment.

The aim of the four-year project is to strengthen the levee in a sustainable, efficient and attractive way, improve its safety and drainage capacity, and prevent damage before it happens. Project planners claim the renovated levees will be able to withstand the high water levels and high winds of a storm that occurs every 10,000 years.

RFID tags were also a challenge in this project. Not only must passive UHF tags be embedded in the blocks, but they must also be waterproof and readable. During the manufacture of the blocks, passive UHF tags are embedded at the point of manufacture. A unique ID number encoded on each tag is stored with a specific block ID in the system, associated with the material data in the block. The blocks are inspected by RFID fixed readers as they are manufactured, and once cured and ready for installation, they are inspected in the storage area before they are loaded onto barges and transported to the construction site.

At the embankment, the engineering team installed the blocks using pontoon cranes, adding approximately 35 meters of blocks per day. The crane is equipped with a GPS unit for location information. The crane RFID interrogator interrogates the tag ID as each block is installed, which not only identifies the specific block, but also the crane's GPS location when that operation occurred. The middleware links its unique ID number to that location, so the system can permanently store data indicating where each block is installed.

The data collected in this way not only provides visibility into the production and installation of dike wall blocks during construction, but also facilitates future maintenance. "If something goes wrong in the future, with GPS coordinates, you will be able to know exactly where to find which blocks. The value of RFID is to digitally capture the location of each block in the embankment and its composition," De Hanis explained. It provides them with a complete list of where each block is located, including all the specific information and parameters collected during the production process.” This information facilitates subsequent maintenance. If a particular type of block is found to need replacement, the operator can replace all such blocks.