As Americans, we all remember 9/11 too well.  The great thing is that the Freedom Tower is now being built where the Twin Towers once stood.  And, did you know that RFID is an integral part of that building process?

Active RFID tags are being placed in the concrete foundation so that the builders can monitor the concrete’s complicated curing process. Different grades of concrete are being used in the Tower and each cures differently.  And, the concrete must be cured before it can bear a load.  For some types of concrete and curing process can take weeks.

Prior to the use of RFID tags being placed in the concrete, mathematical models were used and they unfortunately had a high error margin so builders would err on the side of caution and let the concrete sit longer to make sure it was definitely cured.  Now, a handheld reader is used to read the tags and make sure the concrete is ready.

Another cool use of RFID!  So, now when you visit the Freedom Tower in NYC you’ll know that RFID was an integral part of its construction.  God Bless America!