CAPREMIB is deploying QR code traceability on its prefabricated buildings.
Summary for decision-makers
CAPREMIB is deploying a digital traceability system using QR codes on its precast concrete products, developed in partnership with the startup CollabTrace. Each equipped piece undergoes thirteen real-time control checks, corresponding to hold points validated during production and then by the quality control department. The code provides access to the concrete's conformity criteria and the piece's history. The system also populates delivery notes and invoices. It is deployed on a portion of the product range.
A prefabricated concrete piece leaves the factory without the construction site knowing its story. CAPREMIB now puts a QR code label on its products, and behind this black square are thirteen stopping points, a file of completed works and three years of development with a start-up.
A QR code affixed to the part, from the power plant to the construction site
The code is integrated into the plate and the label of the part. Read on site, it opens three uses announced by the prefabricator: real-time monitoring of production and deliveries, location of the product on the construction site, and access for the customer to the conformity criteria of the concrete as well as the quality history of each part.
Operators and inspectors work with handheld scanners and smartphones. Workshop managers Sébastien Tellier and Christophe Bondon and their teams have been trained on these tools. The prefabricator, whose blocks and voussoirs are regularly used in engineering structures such as a tunnel in Nîmes , applies the process to the components produced at its plants.
| Benchmark | Advertised value |
|---|---|
| Technical Partner | CollabTrace |
| Part-by-part inspection steps | 13 stopping points |
| Development time | 3 years |
| First product tested | voussoirs |
| Current scope | Part of the offer |
Thirteen stopping points validated in real time
Each part equipped with the device undergoes thirteen control steps , which correspond to manufacturing stop points. Five of these are named: reinforcement validation, mold control, concrete conformity, defect analysis, and release of stop points by quality control inspectors.
Validation is a two-step process, first in production and then during quality control. The laboratory's involvement extends all the way to the batch: Elliot Quencez, product quality manager, assisted by Chloé Furst, validates the production stages, and Baptiste Millancourt performs daily tests on the concrete. "This system allows us not only to monitor quality at any given moment, but also to precisely locate each piece on the construction site," explains Marie-Christine Guillemont, director of the performance and quality department.
Three years of development, a first test on the voussoirs
The performance and quality department has been working on this traceability system for three years. The initiative began under the supervision of Paul Montagut, project manager, with an initial test on voussoirs that only tracked basic data: weight and manufacturing date. Current developments are being led by Stéphane Rocchietti, product quality manager.
This upgrade in monitoring accompanies that of the industrial tool, which the prefabricator has strengthened by expanding its Cormicy site , and that of its materials, with blocks made of recycled aggregates.
From production to invoicing, a seamless chain without re-entry.
The system goes beyond mere control. It simplifies production management, automatically generates delivery notes via a dedicated driver application, and directly feeds into the invoicing system. Simultaneously, the quality department creates a record of completed work for the client, tracking each component until it reaches its final position on the finished product.
This is the second advantage of the process, less visible than quality control but just as structuring for the Reims prefabricator : the data entered once in the workshop is not re-entered afterwards.
A still partial deployment
The press release announces a system deployed on part of the product range, with the aim of eventually covering all prefabricated products, including posts, beams, and panels. It does not specify the proportion of production already equipped, the rollout schedule, or which product lines will be included first.
Frequently Asked Questions about CAPREMIB QR Code Traceability
What is digital traceability applied to prefabricated concrete?
A time-stamped record of the manufacturing stages of a part, accessible after delivery. At CAPREMIB, this is carried by a QR code label integrated into the part and linked to a system developed with the start-up CollabTrace, which tracks production, delivery and location on site.
How is the code written and read?
The QR code is integrated into the part's label and packaging in the workshop. Operators and inspectors scan and read it using handheld scanners and smartphones. Workshop managers and their teams have been trained on these tools.
What does the customer see when scanning the code?
The concrete conformity criteria and the quality history of the component in question are provided. The prefabricator offers instant access to this data, as well as the product's location on the construction site. The quality department also maintains a record of the completed work.
How many control steps does the device require?
Thirteen per equipped part, corresponding to manufacturing hold points. Five are named in the press release: reinforcement validation, mold control, concrete conformity, defect analysis, and lifting of hold points after verification by the controllers.
Who approves these stopping points?
Validation is twofold, first in production and then in quality control. Quality control inspectors lift hold points after verification, and the laboratory goes down to the daily tests on the concrete, batch by batch, in the prefabricator's concrete plants.
On which products is the system deployed?
This applies to a portion of their current product range. The initial test focused on voussoirs (prefabricated concrete blocks), including their weight and manufacturing date. The company has announced its intention to eventually cover all of its prefabricated products, including posts, beams, and panels, though no specific timeline has been given.
Glossary of prefabricated concrete
Prefabricated concrete
Factory production of concrete elements, cast in molds and then delivered finished to the construction site, where they are assembled. This contrasts with in-situ casting, which is carried out directly on the structure.
Off-site construction
A construction method consisting of producing all or part of the components of a structure in a workshop before assembly on site. It shifts a portion of the quality control usually carried out on the construction site to the factory.
Voussoir
A prefabricated concrete element which, assembled with others of its kind, forms the ring of a tunnel or collector. Its position within the ring is predetermined, making individual identification necessary.
Breakpoint
A manufacturing stage where production is halted until a control has been validated. Its resolution by an authorized inspector is a prerequisite for proceeding to the next stage and leaves a written record.
Spoiled
Quantity of concrete produced in a single mixing operation at a batching plant. Checking batch by batch is equivalent to verifying each batch rather than a sample taken throughout the day.
Record of completed works
A collection of documents describing a project as it was completed, submitted to the client upon acceptance. It includes plans, instructions, and proof of conformity for the installed elements.
Other publications from the brand
Route Nationale 44 B.P.1
51220 Cormicy
France
Courriel : contact@capremib.com
Site internet : https://www.capremib.com/
