SMART HEAVY EQUIPMENT
OVERVIEW
Background:
Emerging technologies within the building and construction industry are
changing how new building projects are selected and reviewed on both the
state and local level, as well as how those projects are designed and
construction implemented. Many states have already put guidelines in
place to help plan and implement strategies for addressing concerns on
the environmental impact of certain federally or state funded
construction projects. For example, the U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT) has established what it calls the “Vital Few Goals
(VFG) for the Environment” for new highway construction, as a way of
identifying and addressing environmental concerns. These VFG’s aid the
planning and decision-making process and help in decreasing the
timeframe in which many highway projects are implemented. Highway
construction will account for a large portion of new projects
implemented by the DOT over the next 10-15 years.
Emerging Technologies: Highway
and building construction projects in the U.S. are on the rise, and many
of the new technologies now in use and being developed, will help
improve the timely completion of these projects. These new converging
technologies include:
Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) using analysis software capable of producing
3D models of an excavated construction site, permitting the design
engineer to analyze the results of any engineering change almost
instantly.
Global
Positioning System (GPS) technologies for heavy equipment in reducing
the amount of time it takes to translate the engineer’s design plan
(i.e. at the engineering firm) to the excavation site where the operator
of a bulldozer may be cutting and filling the construction site to
finished grade. Rudolph Libbe Inc. an innovator in the construction
field was one of the first contractors in northwest Ohio and one of only
two Ohio contractors to use GPS for its excavators.
Ground-Penetrating
Radar using data acquisition and analysis technologies to inspect and
evaluate the structural integrity of concrete and metal structures in
improving safety concerns on our nations highways and bridges and
maintaining the systems infrastructure.
Benefits: Use
of these converging technologies significantly reduces duplication of
results; eliminate waste due to error, while improving the
decisions-making process and increases productivity. Consequently,
projects can be approved in a timelier manner, while addressing any
environmental concerns.
References:
http://environment.fhwa.dot.gov/strmlng/vfovervw.htm
http://www.gis.fhwa.dot.gov/fhwaEfforts.asp
http://www.new-technologies.org/ECT/Other/gps.htm
