Load-bearing safety system trialled at Fira de Barcelona

A new IoT-based system for checking and monitoring the safety of suspension points used to bear loads in the events sector has undergone its first major test at Fira de Barcelona.

Loadwatch, which has been developed by German companies Neumann&Müller Veranstaltungstechnik and Go-Development, has been designed to monitor a large number of suspension points in parallel, in a cost-effective manner.

The planning and implementation of suspension points is currently mainly reliant on empirical values. These provide the basis for dimensioning load-bearing capacity and assessing the distribution of loads to the load-bearing structure. The technical systems previously available for the mass determination of measured values for such applications have been neither efficient nor economical.

At Fira de Barcelona, Loadwatch demonstrated how it can be seamlessly integrated into trade fair and event processes. The information needed for assigning parameters to the individual load cells is transmitted digitally and wirelessly. Feedback on the approved load case is given visually by LEDs on the device itself, with a traffic light-style system signalling the degree of utilisation. Further information is transferred via an IoT interface to a centralised web server, where the acquired data is analysed and visualised in a transparent manner.

This information is available at any time via various communication interfaces, such as cloud-based web applications. The loads can be monitored by Neumann&Müller in its role of technical services provider for trade fairs and venues, as well as by booth builders and exhibitors, to check whether the load distribution agreed in the planning phase has been complied with.

Matthias Rupieper, the head of Neumann&Müller’s trade fair division, said: “It adds a substantial extra layer of safety. Planning can be validated with actual measured values, especially when dealing with small point loads and demanding project requirements.

He added that this is particularly important when there are many loads for a load-bearing structure or if secondary components are affected by load distribution – which are major aspects for trade fair companies and venue operators. “This new type of permanent monitoring allows us to push the limits when designing trade fair presences and executing a great number of other projects,” said Rupieper.

For more information about Loadwatch, click here.