Digital by Default Group- Digitalisation of Reinforcing Steel (Rebar)

Join the CE Digital By Default group on Thursday 8th May for a session on Digitalisation of Reinforcing Steel (Rebar).

The group will hear from Ladin Camci BSc MSc, Chief Technology & Sustainability Officer (CTSO) & Executive Board Member of CARES, and Andrew Woolnough CEO of CARES’ digital partner Digital Construction Solutions.

Session Overview

Checking the truth of a product’s provenance has never been more important or needed than now – and reinforcing steel (rebar) is one of the most safety-critical elements in any project. Structural engineers and contractors increasingly need to understand the environmental impact of their designs, particularly the carbon footprint of the materials they specify and use. Obtaining provenance and accurate embodied carbon footprint data from Environmental Product Declarations for materials like steel has historically been a challenge.

The existing rebar steel supply chain workflows were still inherently labour intensive, paper-based and not capable of connecting the full product supply chain, which made the process susceptible to impairment or malicious alteration potentially leaving significant gaps in the assurance trails. Further to this, with the existing paper-based solutions, documents are stored in a way that makes locating them more complex increasing search time for information stored across paper, inboxes and network folders. In addition to this, visually mapping and reviewing different stages of the supply chain are rendered extremely challenging due to poor recording and traceability. To enhance the existing paper-based workflows through the advancement of a digitalised process that required the development of bespoke data collection methodologies and integrating with advanced levels of verification and quality assurance capabilities. 

The CARES Cloud (https://cares.cloud/) has been developed to address and solve these urgent issues, bringing simplicity to a complex supply chain while restoring trust where it’s missing. The solution is a digital traceability and assurance platform consisting of the Upstream Cloud, Downstream Cloud and complementary Apps. The solution enables:

• • real-time analysis of the production origin of the rebar;
  • an accurate carbon footprint value for each tonne of rebar delivered;
  • reliable, easily-accessible evidence of assurance for inclusion in project BIM models;
  • sophisticated API architecture for seamless connectivity to other systems;
  • full digitalisation of the rebar supply chain by connecting with products like Rebar Cloud (https://rebar.cloud/).

About the Speakers

Ladin Camci BSc MSc is ‘Chief Technology & Sustainability Officer (CTSO)’ and ‘Executive Board Member’ of CARES, an international product certification body that focuses on the production, processing, supply and installation of steel products used in the construction industry. Ladin has contributed for the development of sustainability and responsible sourcing schemes and digital transformation of CARES internal and external processes to compliment his considerable experience. Ladin is the convener of the International Federation for Structural Concrete (fib) TG 5.2, deputy convener of fib TG 7.5, member of fib Special Activity Group on Sustainability and member of BSI committee IST/47/-/3 Digital Product Passport.

Andrew Woolnough ‘CEO’ of CARES digital partner Digital Construction Solutions. He is a software development and business process architect who leverages his extensive knowledge of technology, construction and supply chain management to create digital solutions that improve the efficiency, safety, and sustainability of the built environment. His mission is to foster a collaborative multi-stakeholder approach to delivering and managing supply chains using digital services and technology to provide his clients and partners with the control, innovation, and transparency they need to achieve their goals and commitments at the highest level. Andrew has designed and implemented a range of digital tools and services that have been adopted by leading stakeholders from all parts of the supply chain, these tools and services have generated significant value and impact for the industry.

This event provides Constructing Excellence National members with CPD in partnership with BRE Academy.