What is a Site Diary?
A site diary also known as a construction log, daily diary or site journal is a formal, timestamped record of daily activities on a construction site. It serves as a critical tool for documenting progress, managing resources, and maintaining accountability across all phases of a project.
Whether you’re overseeing a high-rise development, a civil infrastructure project, or a remote mining operation, the site diary is your daily source of truth. It captures the who, what, when, and where of site operations, helping teams stay aligned and projects stay on track.
What Does a Site Diary Include?
A well-maintained site diary typically captures:
- Date and weather conditions – Weather can significantly impact construction activities. Recording conditions helps explain delays or changes in productivity.
- Work location and shift type – Identifies where work occurred and under what schedule (e.g. day shift, night shift).
- Labour details – Names, roles, hours worked, and the companies or subcontractors involved.
- Plant and equipment usage – Which machines were used, their operating hours, and any breakdowns or maintenance.
- Materials delivered and used – Tracks inventory flow and helps reconcile procurement with actual usage.
- Work completed – Descriptions of tasks performed, quantities installed, and progress against schedule.
- Incidents or safety observations – Notes on near misses, injuries, or safety interventions.
- Instructions issued or received – Verbal or written directions from supervisors, engineers, or clients.
- Delays, disruptions, or variations – Any deviations from the plan, including reasons and impacts.
Real-World Example: Imagine a civil contractor working on a highway upgrade. On a rainy Tuesday, the site diary might include:
- Weather – Heavy rain from 10am to 3pm
- Labour – 12 workers on site, including 2 electricians and 3 machine operators
- Equipment – Excavator #4 idle due to hydraulic fault
- Materials – 20m³ of crushed rock delivered and spread on Lot 12
- Work – Completed trenching for stormwater pipe along Chainage 180–240
- Safety – One slip incident reported, no injury
- Delay – Concrete pour postponed due to weather
This entry becomes a permanent record that explains why productivity dipped that day and supports any claims for time extensions or cost adjustments.
Why Are Site Diaries Important?
Site diaries are essential for:
- Project tracking – They provide a clear, chronological record of what happened, when, and by whom.
- Dispute resolution – In the event of a claim or contractual disagreement, a detailed diary can serve as legal evidence.
- Compliance and audits – Diaries help demonstrate adherence to safety, environmental, and quality standards.
- Team communication – They ensure continuity when team members rotate or are replaced.
- Performance analysis – Over time, diary data can reveal trends in productivity, delays, or recurring issues.
Digital Site Diaries: The Modern Standard
While paper diaries were once the norm, they’re increasingly being replaced by digital site diaries. These offer significant advantages:
- Real-time data entry and access – Supervisors can log updates from the field using mobile devices.
- Standardised templates – Ensures consistency across teams and projects.
- Search and filtering – Quickly retrieve entries by date, location, or keyword.
- Photo and document attachments – Add visual evidence or supporting files directly to entries.
- Integration with analytics tools – Turn diary data into dashboards for tracking productivity, safety, and compliance.
Digital diaries also reduce the risk of lost paperwork and make it easier to share updates with clients, auditors, or head office.
How Site Diaries are Used in Glaass
At Glaass, the Diary module is purpose-built to simplify and standardise how construction teams record site activity. It allows supervisors and engineers to:
- Log daily activities using structured, customisable templates
- Track labour, plant, and materials with metadata fields
- Attach photos, documents, and safety observations
- Generate analytics for production tracking and compliance
- Export entries for reporting, audits, or client communication
For example, a project manager using Glaass can filter diary entries by subcontractor, date range, or location to quickly identify trends or investigate issues. This level of visibility helps teams make faster, more informed decisions.
By digitising the site diary process, Glaass helps teams reduce admin time, improve data accuracy, and ensure that critical site information is captured consistently and securely, no matter the size or complexity of the project.
