We evaluate the technical feasibility of applying emerging wireless network technologies for resources tracking at building construction sites. We first identify practical constraints in solving resource-tracking problems in an enclosed or partially covered environment. We then compare pros and cons of available localization principles and examine the latest wireless communication technologies, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ultra-Wideband (UWB) and ZigBee. We find that the ZigBee-based wireless sensor network and the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) localization method are most promising to tackle on-site tracking of construction resources. Finally, we anticipate some application challenges associated with deploying wireless sensor networks for resources tracking in the practical context.
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