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Imagine if there was a digital system that allowed construction contractors complete oversight of all the material and waste flows for a specific construction project. Imagine if it was possible to view these flows in real time, or compiled in periods and over longer time intervals. If a system like this existed, it would provide good conditions to aim for circular flows in the construction sector. KEDJA, the winning entry in Smart Built Environment’s Circular Digital Construction Site innovation contest, is a project that has developed a solution that manages material flows digitally to enable the above.

The purpose of the Circular Digital Construction Site innovation contest was to develop innovative concepts for sustainable built environment. During the contest, colleagues from different parts of the sector gathered to devise solutions to complex problems, and the participants worked in teams to contribute business solutions that generate real benefits.

KEDJA means “chain” in Swedish, and the aim of the winning entry in the innovation contest is to provide an unbroken chain for material flows in the construction and civil engineering sector. KEDJA’s solution is a platform that automatically collects, digitises and presents data on how materials flow in and out of a construction site. At present, this data is mostly available in analogue form, for example delivery notes etc., or it is compiled as waste statistics at a later stage. Instead, the new proposed solution creates a digital information chain that provides considerable business benefits for construction contractors on construction sites.

The information is presented continuously to users in real time and compiled for comparison and follow-up. The system enables better oversight and follow-up of both material flows and financial flows. It provides knowledge and a basis for increased resource efficiency. It ensures better cost control for construction contractors. This basic overview of material and waste flows is necessary in order to create circular digital construction sites.

KEDJA will be a digital platform that automatically collects, digitises and presents data on material flows in and out of specific construction sites. The solution can integrate digital systems from several different stakeholders (delivery notes, weight receipts, invoicing systems, inventory management, geofencing, GPS, digital information-bearing systems in transport vehicles, etc). It provides an overall picture of material and waste flows despite the considerable fragmentation of the different stakeholders in the construction industry. One major advantage is that an international standard for a digital bill of lading system already exists, which means that scalability is significantly increased as the existing system facilitates global implementation of the product.

The solution presents data to users at different levels of aggregation (e.g. per shipment/delivery or combined, or per product type, per supplier, per waste type, etc.).

The compilations can be used, for example, to:

  • Confirm that materials have been delivered as contracted
  • Carry out checks prior to invoice certification
  • Crosscheck deliveries against order lists
  • Follow up traffic impact
  • Provide a basis for logistics planning
  • Compare with planned quantities
  • Benchmark with other similar projects
  • Provide a basis for climate calculations
  • Ensure legal compliance
  • Determine whether customer requirements have been fulfilled
  • Reduce the scope for fraud
  • Provide a basis for managing materials, waste flows and costs

The product has the potential to reduce material usage and increase legal compliance. In addition, it is linked to numerous The Global Goals for 2030. In particular, Goal 12 “Responsible Consumption and Production”, Goal 13 “Climate Action” and Goal 15 “Life on Land” can be highlighted as goals that the product upholds.

If construction clients are aiming for increased circularity on their construction sites, this solution enables construction contractors to meet their requirements while reducing costs for materials and waste management. The solution also allows construction clients to set clearer requirements, to follow these up, and to link bonuses to circularity requirements.