From Reactive reporting to regenerative control: rethinking construction progress monitoring in Sri Lanka through IoT enabled real-time practices

Abstract

Construction progress monitoring remains a critical yet underperforming function in the Sri Lankan construction industry, where continued reliance on manual and semi-digital methods results in reactive reporting systems that do not align with the continuous feedback mechanisms required for regenerative construction. This study examines current progress monitoring practices in Sri Lanka and explores how IoT-enabled real-time monitoring can support a transition from reactive reporting toward regenerative control. A qualitative research approach was adopted, using semi-structured interviews with sixteen experts from the construction and information technology sectors. The collected data were analysed using qualitative content analysis based on predefined thematic categories derived from the literature. The findings indicate that progress monitoring remains largely manual, while IoT adoption is limited to fragmented applications including drone photogrammetry, RFID-based labour tracking, and barcode-based material monitoring. Major barriers include high investment costs, unreliable connectivity, limited digital literacy, and the absence of clear regulatory frameworks. The findings further reveal that these barriers are closely connected to broader structural realities within the Sri Lankan construction industry, particularly government-dominated procurement systems, economic instability, and limited institutional readiness for digital transformation. Nevertheless, considerable opportunities exist for IoT to support proactive resource management, reduce rework, and enable continuous optimisation in line with regenerative construction principles. The study contributes empirical evidence from a developing country context and reframes IoT-enabled monitoring as a socio-technical mechanism for regenerative control rather than merely automated reporting.