Abstract:
Research is going on in the field of intelligent compaction (IC), a construction method that could save billions of dollars a year in potholed roads, cracked bridges, broken dams and blownout tires. IC is an onboard measuring device that allows roller operators to see whether they are overcompacting, undercompacting or right on target in soil, aggregate and asphalt. One major problem in implementing IC is the lack of three-dimensional data files needed to plug into the smart machines. Soil is a huge challenge because it is the most varying as well as the most abundant building material in nature. Bomag's parent company in Germany began instrumenting rollers in 1983 and claims to be the first to have introduced intelligence with its first automatic drum-control mechanism. Caterpillar is trying to measure the effect of rolling resistance on engine stress for IC method. More work needs to be done to determine if any benefit automatic drum controls could have on compaction quality.