Hilti, a global specialist in tools, technology, and services for the commercial construction industry, announced that it has acquired substantially all of the assets of Concrete Sensors, a provider of connected (i.e., "smart") devices and software that helps enable improved decision making and accelerated construction schedules through better understanding of the concrete curing process.
The agreement extends Hilti's digital (IoT) portfolio into new applications and "strengthens the brand's leadership as a provider of productivity solutions in the construction industry," the company said in a press release.
As explained by Hilti's statement of the acquistition: "One of the most critical and time-consuming phases in the construction process is waiting on the poured concrete to develop strength, also known as the curing phase. Traditionally, monitoring this phase required the use of cumbersome laboratory equipment and involved considerable time delays. However, in recent years, new technology has emerged to help optimize this process. In 2015, Brendan Dowdall and Ryan Twomey founded Concrete Sensors to tackle this problem. The Boston-based company offers general contractors, concrete contractors and engineers a solution to help accurately measure and predict the performance of concrete."
A wireless sensor embedded into concrete works with the easy-to-use software to provide real-time data on the concrete as it cures and dries. The Concrete Sensors mobile app can quickly share the status of the concrete's estimated strength, temperature and relative humidity. Additionally, via Concrete Sensors' state-of-the-art in-house lab, the exact concrete mix can be more accurately tested to better predict outcomes, therefore potentially saving days, possibly even weeks on construction projects, the start-up contends.
"This acquisition directly aligns with our strategic priorities to put a greater focus on IoT," said Martina McIsaac, President and CEO of Hilti North America. "Hilti is committed to supporting our customers' digital transformations. Beyond the strategic rationale and product offering, this is an ideal cultural fit. Hilti and the Concrete Sensors team share a customer-first approach, which is essential. We are impressed by Concrete Sensors' commitment to innovation and look forward to its continued growth under Hilti."
In recent years, Hilti notes that it has made major investments to digitize the construction industry and simplify workflows for construction contractors and engineers with innovations including: easier tracking assets (ON!Track); improved methods for designing baseplates (PROFIS Engineering); fast and accurate solutions for taking BIM designs to the field (PLT 300) and recently launched solutions to provide traceable fastenings (TraceFast). Hilti believes Concrete Sensors will be an excellent addition to its growing digital construction portfolio.
"We are excited and proud to join the Hilti family," Concrete Sensors' Dowdall said. "Hilti gives us limitless potential for growth given its high-quality products, exceptional service, brand power and industry reputation. This integration will only enhance our capability in the customer engagement space and offers significant value to our ever-growing customer base."
The entire Concrete Sensors team will join Hilti and will remain in its office in Boston. Pricing, product and support procedures will remain unchanged for the foreseeable future. Learn more at https://www.hilti.com.