Comments on: CarbonNeutral Road http://www.1.net.my/2009/09/197/ Where Concrete Experts Meet Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:36:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: ashmann http://www.1.net.my/2009/09/197/comment-page-1/#comment-739 ashmann Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:24:34 +0000 http://www.1.net.my/?p=197#comment-739 SINGAPORE'S building industry is taking steps to green itself, with the opening on Wednesday of a new plant which will recycle used copper slag to make concrete. The plant by Geocycle Singapore can process 360,000 tonnes of collected copper slag from local shipyards, which will be a substitute for sand in making ready-mixed concrete. The Sungei Kadut facility will also function as a research and development centre for alternative and eco-friendly building materials. It is a joint venture firm by cement maker Holcim Singapore and local recycling firm ecoWise, which have equal stakes. By Jessica Cheam SINGAPORE’S building industry is taking steps to green itself, with the opening on Wednesday of a new plant which will recycle used copper slag to make concrete.

The plant by Geocycle Singapore can process 360,000 tonnes of collected copper slag from local shipyards, which will be a substitute for sand in making ready-mixed concrete.

The Sungei Kadut facility will also function as a research and development centre for alternative and eco-friendly building materials.

It is a joint venture firm by cement maker Holcim Singapore and local recycling firm ecoWise, which have equal stakes.

By Jessica Cheam

]]> By: ashmann http://www.1.net.my/2009/09/197/comment-page-1/#comment-738 ashmann Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:57:53 +0000 http://www.1.net.my/?p=197#comment-738 there has been much discussion regarding the carbon footprint of different pavement types, namely concrete vs. asphalt. Judging by the various opinions expressed, it appears that there are strongly opposing views. As such, it was refreshing to hear Dr Helen Murphy, director, Environmental Services for VicRoads, present her paper – “The Carbon Footprint of Road Construction,” at the 2008 Roading New Zealand Conference held in Wellington recently. Dr Murphy stressed that the main reason for the dissimilar carbon footprint estimates cited by the concrete and asphalt industries, stems from the different methods of calculation each adopts to present its case. The asphalt industry has traditionally restricted its method of carbon footprint calculation to the embodied energy approach, while the concrete industry has taken a more comprehensive life cycle assessment approach. In discussing potential future actions for greenhouse gas abatement, Dr Murphy examined vehicle and fuel technologies, travel behaviour and urban planning, as well as road design and construction. She emphasised that to gain an understanding of a roading project’s true carbon footprint, it is essential to perform a life cycle assessment. Nicholas Stern, in his groundbreaking report – “The Economics of Climate Change: The Stern Review,” also chose to follow the life cycle assessment path, and it has become standard for many government departments here in New Zealand. The term ‘life cycle’ refers to the notion that a fair, holistic assessment requires the consideration of raw material production, manufacture, distribution, use and disposal (or reuse/recycling), including all intervening transportation steps necessary or caused by the product’s existence. The sum of all those steps – or phases – is the life cycle of the product. The procedures of life cycle assessment are part of the ISO 14000 environmental management standards: in ISO 14040:2006 and 14044:2006. As the appropriate means to investigate and value the environmental impacts of a product, caused or necessitated by its existence, a life cycle assessment fully accounts for the durability, low maintenance, and reduced fuel consumption benefits of concrete roads. This approach has recently been adopted by the Athena Institute, a non-profit organisation specialising in the science of life cycle assessment, who were commissioned by the Cement Association of Canada to produce a comprehensive report comparing the carbon footprint of concrete and asphalt roads. The report – “A Life Cycle Perspective on Concrete and Asphalt Roadways: Embodied Primary Energy and Global Warming Potential,” is available at www.cement.ca/index.php/en/Life_Cycle_Perspective_.html The report presents estimates of embodied primary energy usage and global warming potential over a 50-year life cycle for the construction and maintenance of a range of comparable rigid concrete and flexible asphalt pavements for highly trafficked roads. In all cases, the embodied primary energy use is lower for the rigid concrete pavement. The report also demonstrates that if concrete shoulders and concrete restoration with no overlay are implemented as part of the maintenance and rehabilitation schedule, the primary embodied energy requirements will be 5.6 times higher for the asphalt option. In order to measure direct global warming potential, the report also converts all greenhouse gas emission estimates (CO2, CH4 and N2O), using the well-accepted CO2 equivalence method developed by the International Panel on Climate Change. The results vary depending on pavement structure, but in some instances are up to 11 per cent higher for the asphalt design compared to the concrete alternative. As illustrated by the Canadian report, if the true carbon footprint of a pavement type is to be calculated, then the inclusive methodology of life cycle assessment must be adopted. This requires that a service life of at least 50-years (not a mere 30-years) be the norm, and that all resources consumed in relation to maintenance and fuel consumption during the service life, be considered. The ability to accurately gauge the superior long-term maintenance and user benefits of concrete roads through life cycle assessment methodology, must inevitably lead to their uptake for highly trafficked roads in New Zealand. This requirement is more pressing if the New Zealand Transport Agency is to contribute to an affordable, integrated, safe, responsive and sustainable transport system, and even more so if the Prime Minister’s vision for New Zealand becoming the world’s first carbon neutral country is to be realised. By Patrick McGuire, Cement & Concrete Association of New Zealand (CCANZ) there has been much discussion regarding the carbon footprint of different pavement types, namely concrete vs. asphalt. Judging by the various opinions expressed, it appears that there are strongly opposing views.

As such, it was refreshing to hear Dr Helen Murphy, director, Environmental Services for VicRoads, present her paper – “The Carbon Footprint of Road Construction,” at the 2008 Roading New Zealand Conference held in Wellington recently.

Dr Murphy stressed that the main reason for the dissimilar carbon footprint estimates cited by the concrete and asphalt industries, stems from the different methods of calculation each adopts to present its case.

The asphalt industry has traditionally restricted its method of carbon footprint calculation to the embodied energy approach, while the concrete industry has taken a more comprehensive life cycle assessment approach.

In discussing potential future actions for greenhouse gas abatement, Dr Murphy examined vehicle and fuel technologies, travel behaviour and urban planning, as well as road design and construction. She emphasised that to gain an understanding of a roading project’s true carbon footprint, it is essential to perform a life cycle assessment.

Nicholas Stern, in his groundbreaking report – “The Economics of Climate Change: The Stern Review,” also chose to follow the life cycle assessment path, and it has become standard for many government departments here in New Zealand.

The term ‘life cycle’ refers to the notion that a fair, holistic assessment requires the consideration of raw material production, manufacture, distribution, use and disposal (or reuse/recycling), including all intervening transportation steps necessary or caused by the product’s existence. The sum of all those steps – or phases – is the life cycle of the product. The procedures of life cycle assessment are part of the ISO 14000 environmental management standards: in ISO 14040:2006 and 14044:2006.

As the appropriate means to investigate and value the environmental impacts of a product, caused or necessitated by its existence, a life cycle assessment fully accounts for the durability, low maintenance, and reduced fuel consumption benefits of concrete roads. This approach has recently been adopted by the Athena Institute, a non-profit organisation specialising in the science of life cycle assessment, who were commissioned by the Cement Association of Canada to produce a comprehensive report comparing the carbon footprint of concrete and asphalt roads.

The report – “A Life Cycle Perspective on Concrete and Asphalt Roadways: Embodied Primary Energy and Global Warming Potential,” is available at http://www.cement.ca/index.php/en/Life_Cycle_Perspective_.html

The report presents estimates of embodied primary energy usage and global warming potential over a 50-year life cycle for the construction and maintenance of a range of comparable rigid concrete and flexible asphalt pavements for highly trafficked roads.

In all cases, the embodied primary energy use is lower for the rigid concrete pavement. The report also demonstrates that if concrete shoulders and concrete restoration with no overlay are implemented as part of the maintenance and rehabilitation schedule, the primary embodied energy requirements will be 5.6 times higher for the asphalt option.

In order to measure direct global warming potential, the report also converts all greenhouse gas emission estimates (CO2, CH4 and N2O), using the well-accepted CO2 equivalence method developed by the International Panel on Climate Change. The results vary depending on pavement structure, but in some instances are up to 11 per cent higher for the asphalt design compared to the concrete alternative.

As illustrated by the Canadian report, if the true carbon footprint of a pavement type is to be calculated, then the inclusive methodology of life cycle assessment must be adopted. This requires that a service life of at least 50-years (not a mere 30-years) be the norm, and that all resources consumed in relation to maintenance and fuel consumption during the service life, be considered.

The ability to accurately gauge the superior long-term maintenance and user benefits of concrete roads through life cycle assessment methodology, must inevitably lead to their uptake for highly trafficked roads in New Zealand. This requirement is more pressing if the New Zealand Transport Agency is to contribute to an affordable, integrated, safe, responsive and sustainable transport system, and even more so if the Prime Minister’s vision for New Zealand becoming the world’s first carbon neutral country is to be realised.

By Patrick McGuire, Cement & Concrete Association of New Zealand (CCANZ)

]]> By: ashmann http://www.1.net.my/2009/09/197/comment-page-1/#comment-737 ashmann Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:23:28 +0000 http://www.1.net.my/?p=197#comment-737 Some suggest concrete may be cheaper than asphalt for roadwork (Florida) -- Asphalt often wins out over concrete when transportation authorities select materials to build roads. But experts debate whether that might change, as funding for road construction goes down and the price of asphalt, which is petroleum-based, goes up. Motorists won't see much of a switch of asphalt roads being replaced with concrete, said Bob Burleson, president of Florida Transportation Builders Association. But, "in some new construction, there might be an opportunity to look at concrete," he said. Asphalt is becoming scarce, as U.S. refiners overhaul their equipment to maximize output of highly profitable fuels, such as diesel and gasoline, using inexpensive -- and hard-to- process -- crude oil. The dearth of asphalt compounds the challenges states, counties and cities already face in fixing bridges, highways, local streets and other critical infrastructure at a time when budgets are squeezed by falling income, sales tax revenues and real estate tax revenues. There also are higher costs for fuel, steel and other raw materials. While it hasn't experienced the shortages like other states and communities across the country, Florida has seen a spike in the price of liquid asphalt, Florida Department of Transportation spokesman Dick Kane said. Liquid asphalt makes up only about 6 percent of the asphalt mixture, but adds 40 percent to the cost, he said. The shift in refinery technology that led to the decline in asphalt production was spurred by increased oil prices earlier this year. Oil refineries around the country are installing billion-dollar machines called "cokers" that are able to refine the chunkiest, low-grade and least expensive crude oil into highly profitable fuels, such as gasoline and diesel. Asphalt is cheaper than concrete upfront, but concrete lasts longer before it needs repairs. When deciding between the two materials, the Florida Department of Transportation compares the life of the road with the cost of using both materials, said Roger Schmitt, materials and research engineer for DOT District 5, which includes Brevard County. That amount includes not just the initial construction costs and the price of maintaining it, but the costs to drivers in terms of their time spent delayed in construction traffic and the cost of running their cars. An analysis for a section of Interstate 95 being widened from State Road 528 to Fiske Boulevard pointed to concrete as the more cost-effective option. Generally, road project analyses have to show the project done with concrete will last three times longer than if it's done with asphalt before the transportation agency picks concrete, Schmitt said. But that could shift somewhat as asphalt prices rise. "If asphalt increases more, concrete will become more and more viable," he said. Building roads with asphalt can end up costing more when upkeep costs are considered, said Jamshid Armaghani, director of concrete paving with the Florida Concrete & Products Association. "The reason this cost is becoming a drain on the counties and cities is because asphalt more often needs repair and resurfacing," he said. Meanwhile, concrete pavement should last for 40 years before it needs maintenance, he said. State Road A1A, which he said was built with concrete, has been in place for 60 to 70 years. "It's like buying a car that's going to cost you a little bit more, but doesn't require maintenance over the long time," he said. Asphalt advocates, however, dispute that. Asphalt is easier to repair than concrete, said Margaret Cervarich, vice president for marketing and public affairs with the National Asphalt Pavement Association. To rehab asphalt roads, crews only have to mill off the top inch or two, and replace it with a new overlay, Cervarich said. In some cases, that milled material can be reused at the site. "Regardless of the initial cost, the life cycle of asphalt is always going to be lower," she said. BY SUSANNE CERVENKA Some suggest concrete may be cheaper than asphalt for roadwork

(Florida) — Asphalt often wins out over concrete when transportation authorities select materials to build roads. But experts debate whether that might change, as funding for road construction goes down and the price of asphalt, which is petroleum-based, goes up.

Motorists won’t see much of a switch of asphalt roads being replaced with concrete, said Bob Burleson, president of Florida Transportation Builders Association.

But, “in some new construction, there might be an opportunity to look at concrete,” he said.

Asphalt is becoming scarce, as U.S. refiners overhaul their equipment to maximize output of highly profitable fuels, such as diesel and gasoline, using inexpensive — and hard-to- process — crude oil.

The dearth of asphalt compounds the challenges states, counties and cities already face in fixing bridges, highways, local streets and other critical infrastructure at a time when budgets are squeezed by falling income, sales tax revenues and real estate tax revenues. There also are higher costs for fuel, steel and other raw materials.

While it hasn’t experienced the shortages like other states and communities across the country, Florida has seen a spike in the price of liquid asphalt, Florida Department of Transportation spokesman Dick Kane said.

Liquid asphalt makes up only about 6 percent of the asphalt mixture, but adds 40 percent to the cost, he said.

The shift in refinery technology that led to the decline in asphalt production was spurred by increased oil prices earlier this year.

Oil refineries around the country are installing billion-dollar machines called “cokers” that are able to refine the chunkiest, low-grade and least expensive crude oil into highly profitable fuels, such as gasoline and diesel.

Asphalt is cheaper than concrete upfront, but concrete lasts longer before it needs repairs.

When deciding between the two materials, the Florida Department of Transportation compares the life of the road with the cost of using both materials, said Roger Schmitt, materials and research engineer for DOT District 5, which includes Brevard County.

That amount includes not just the initial construction costs and the price of maintaining it, but the costs to drivers in terms of their time spent delayed in construction traffic and the cost of running their cars.

An analysis for a section of Interstate 95 being widened from State Road 528 to Fiske Boulevard pointed to concrete as the more cost-effective option.

Generally, road project analyses have to show the project done with concrete will last three times longer than if it’s done with asphalt before the transportation agency picks concrete, Schmitt said.

But that could shift somewhat as asphalt prices rise.

“If asphalt increases more, concrete will become more and more viable,” he said.

Building roads with asphalt can end up costing more when upkeep costs are considered, said Jamshid Armaghani, director of concrete paving with the Florida Concrete & Products Association.

“The reason this cost is becoming a drain on the counties and cities is because asphalt more often needs repair and resurfacing,” he said.

Meanwhile, concrete pavement should last for 40 years before it needs maintenance, he said.

State Road A1A, which he said was built with concrete, has been in place for 60 to 70 years.

“It’s like buying a car that’s going to cost you a little bit more, but doesn’t require maintenance over the long time,” he said.

Asphalt advocates, however, dispute that.

Asphalt is easier to repair than concrete, said Margaret Cervarich, vice president for marketing and public affairs with the National Asphalt Pavement Association.

To rehab asphalt roads, crews only have to mill off the top inch or two, and replace it with a new overlay, Cervarich said. In some cases, that milled material can be reused at the site.

“Regardless of the initial cost, the life cycle of asphalt is always going to be lower,” she said.

BY SUSANNE CERVENKA

]]> By: ashmann http://www.1.net.my/2009/09/197/comment-page-1/#comment-736 ashmann Thu, 19 Jan 2012 02:56:17 +0000 http://www.1.net.my/?p=197#comment-736 Construction technology is an interesting term that can mean anything that relates to the industry. In this instance it is being used to reference the growing application of electronics and wireless communication to the earthmoving world. The application electronic technology goes back at least 40 years when the big controversy for equipment manufacturers was, "Do we use gauges or lights on the instrument panel?" On much of today's equipment you can select what you want on the instrument cluster monitor and in the language of choice. It was only a few years ago that GPS was first used to guide a dozer's finishing touches on a project. Today a number of manufacturers have pre-wired their equipment so that machine controls and GPS systems can be added after the initial purchase. "A term you will be hearing used more frequently is telemetrics. It's not new. Telemetrics is a technology that involves the automatic measurement and transmission of data from remote sources. The process of measuring data at the source and transmitting them automatically is called telemetry. The two terms, telemetry and telemetrics, are often used interchangeably. In general, telemetrics works in the following way: Sensors at the source measure either electrical data (such as voltage or current) or physical data (such as temperature or pressure). These are converted to specific electrical voltages. A multiplexer combines the voltages, along with timing data, into a single data stream for transmission to the distant receiver. Upon reception, the data stream is separated into its original components and the data are displayed and processed according to user specifications. "In 1912, the first telemetric application in Chicago used telephone lines to transmit operational data from a power plant to a central office. Because telemetry was originally used in projects like this, the first telemetry systems were called supervisory systems. In 1960, the interrogation-reply principle was developed, which allowed a more selective transmission of data upon request. "Modern-day telemetrics frequently uses wireless communication. Telemetric applications include measuring and transmitting data from space flights, meteorological events, wildlife tracking, camera control robotics, and oceanography studies. Videoconferenceing and the Global Positioning System (GPS) are also considered to be telemetric technology." (Source: Whatis.com) Qualcomm has developed several telemetric products. The one most interesting to our industry is GlobalTRACS. GlobalTRACS is an equipment management system that automatically collects, wirelessly transmits and manages critical operational data — giving the contractor the ability to manage the equipment, not just track it. The system tracks engine hours; GPS location; user-defined management and maintenance reports; multiple maintenance profiles and notifications; virtual fences and after-hours security alerts; driver directions and instructions; critical machine-health monitoring; easy back-office software integration; message delivery; and ruggedized construction. Zonar Systems is another telemetric company but it specializes in over-the-road truck operations. Zonar Systems is in verified visual inspection technologies, helping companies capture, communicate and analyze information about the condition of their vehicles and other assets. Its products use radio frequency identification (RFID), wireless communication, web-based applications, and Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to enhance fleet utilization, safety, compliance, and employee satisfaction. Zonar's High-Definition GPS system (HD-GPS) captures data every time in four dimensions, instead of the traditional three, and at a sample rate of one second. This can be integrated with other company systems. HCSS has launched an integrated GPS feature that significantly expands the capabilities of its resource management software, The Dispatcher ™. Managers can now make better decisions based on accurate information from the field, helping them utilize equipment more efficiently, lower fuel costs, reduce cycle times, minimize theft, and identify underused rentals. In addition to cycle-time analysis, the integrated GPS feature shows where equipment is currently located, where it has been, how fast it's been going, and meter readings of how long the equipment has been running. The meter readings, coupled with The Dispatcher's maintenance scheduling ability, help improve preventive maintenance on equipment. It can integrate with other company software. Gomaco and Lieca — Stringless curb and gutter paving have become a reality. Gomaco and Lieca use a 3-D machine control system to simplify concrete jobsite logistics, reduce costs and improve quality. The system puts the owner's 3-D designs directly on the machine and controls height and steer, slope and draft of the paver automatically. It allows operators to be self-directing and eliminates the need for layout and staking personnel. Using this approach, pre-production planning is kept to a minimum. PaveSmart, as the system is called, uses Leica's TPS and GPS; is compatible with data from a wide range of design and CAD systems; and is also compatible with major GPS base station systems. Some of the obvious advantages are that the system makes sense of digital data, directly from the designer's survey equipment. A definite big plus is that it eliminates staking out and stringline setup errors since no stakes and stringlines are required. Truck site access is a lot easier since drivers don't have to watch for the stakes. It allows for jobs in narrower work corridors and eliminates waiting for the surveyor to check grade and make certain stakes have been moved. The system is ideal for highway work as it improves safety. The system is designed for curb and gutter, barrier, and monolithic and sidewalk paving projects. Curb and Gutter: parking lots, residential subdivisions and commercial developments. PaveSmart 3D takes the owner's CAD plans directly onto the job site. Your operator simply sets up the position sensors, picks the required task, enters any working offsets if needed, and you're ready to go to work. The system even brings the machine automatically onto line and grade, ready to start paving — a faster and smarter way to work. Barrier: restricted access, "live" highway possessions, urban and narrow-corridor or zero-clearance projects. Project logistics are made much simpler when you can throw away the stringlines. Get your concrete trucks in and out faster, with no risk of damaging the stringlines and stopping production. Site safety and setup time for stringlines are also big concerns for projects surrounded by live traffic. Monolithic and Sidewalk: Pave any shape in any configuration. The system is as flexible and reconfigurable as your machine. Simply attach your new mold, set the new machine information into Leica PaveSmart 3D and you're ready to go back to work. Some of the PaveSmart's features include improved accuracy. According to Leica PaveSmart 3D delivers grade and steer accuracy to millimeters with All-Trac Steer and All-Trac Grade. It uses a combination of slope sensors, total station and/or GPS data to continuously calculate the position, height, orientation, cross-slope, and draft of the mold as it is working. It automatically regulates all points of the mold relative to the 3-D design, and allows offsets to be adjusted "on the fly" by the operator. The Gomaco GT3200 single-track-steer, the Gomaco GT3600 with front steer, the GT3600 all-track-steer, and the Commander III are all designed and progammed to use the PaveSmart system. Caterpillar's Accugrade — Most new models of excavating/dozing machines are being offered with an AccuGrade Ready Option (ARO). A machine equipped with ARO has all of the wiring and mounting brackets installed where they are protected and will perform reliably. The ARO fully integrates the automated blade control with the machine. Part of that integration enables a lockout system that keeps the blade from moving when the operator isn't at the controls. As part of that integration, new models of machines that often are assigned finish grading tasks are designed to perform precisely when controlled by AccuGrade. For example, the M-Series motor graders have electro-hydraulic blade control that enables the system to react quickly and precisely to automated control inputs. Similarly, the new D6K tractor has electro-hydraulic blade controls and electronically controlled hydrostatic drive. Other machines, too, are now available with AROs. Many of the Cat tractors now have AROs, and the new Cat excavators and most of the backhoe loaders also have AROs. The second major thrust that Caterpillar is taking to implement GPS-based machine control and guidance is training. Cat has identified the distribution of GPS-based systems and training of customers as a bottleneck in applying this productivity-enhancing technology. As a result, Cat has put a great deal of effort into training dealer personnel to sell and support machine guidance systems. In North America, Cat has trained 1,500 salespeople, 300 product support people and 120-plus technology specialists. More than 200 hours of curriculum have been developed for web-based training and instructor-led training. John Deere and QUALCOMM announced an alliance to create an equipment and machine monitoring and information delivery system that will be sold across North America by certified John Deere construction and forestry dealers. JDLink automatically collects, transmits and manages information about where and how construction and forestry equipment is being used, as well as critical machine health data for superior equipment utilization, improved productivity and increased revenue. The system leverages QUALCOMM's GlobalTRACS® equipment management system to provide customers with vital information about equipment location, machine health and service status. Additionally, it issues special alerts to notify customers if equipment moves outside pre-set boundaries. Four levels of service will be offered with JDLink. The Standard level will provide owners with machine location status, machine service hours and location monitoring capabilities. The Advanced levels of service provide customers with the Standard level, plus dash indicators and fuel and equipment utilization information via engine load monitoring. The Ultimate level of service expands upon these offerings by adding current and stored monitoring of component pressures and temperatures, and fuel consumption, as well as transmission gear selection and full-featured diagnostic information retrieval. The Direct level enables customers to download machine operating history and diagnostics directly to a laptop. The Advanced, Ultimate and Direct levels of service will be available in 2007 on select models of John Deere construction and forestry equipment. Topcon's new 3-D steep slope add-on kit gives control on more job sites. The new 3-D steep slope add-on kits for motorgraders from Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS) gives contractors a wide-range sensor that allows 3-D use of these machines even in steep applications. The slope sensor allows for precise measurement of up to 100-percent cross slope whenever needed by a Topcon System Five 2-D or 3-D application. "We've found that this type of technology is needed as more and more contractors are using 3D-GPS+ motograders in applications with steeper slopes," said Jason Killpack, Topcon senior product marketing manager. "Topcon created the new kits, which have a wider range slope sensor than the standard add-on kits, to provide superior accuracy and response on more job sites and applications." The new kit is compatible with all System Four, System Five and 9168 control boxes and features a temperature-compensated sensing element to enhance its use in any weather condition. Interesting application Grant Garrett with Garrett Excavation, Inc., of Hot Springs, Ark., bought a Topcon 3D-GPS+ system to put on a single bulldozer six years ago. Today the company has a full complement of 3-D and 2-D machine control systems, GPS rovers and base stations, total stations, and all types of laser instruments. He firmly believes that "Without GPS capabilities, we wouldn't even be in business. Satellite technology provides us the competitive edge we need to continue to grow out business every year." Since last fall, a 15- to 20-man Garrett crew has been "attacking" a 122.5-acre plat in West Little Rock, moving massive amounts of dirt for a multipurpose development. The largest and hardest part of the job was a 50-acre section in the middle of the development dedicated to a 200,000-square-foot church. Garrett's crews relied on two CAT D-11 dozers and a D-9 to do the major earthmoving chores. "We slapped GPS+ on the D-9 and one of the D-11s and got to work." The initial church pad portion of the job was located on a former dairy farm. The hilly site presented its own special problems: Some areas required more than 30-foot cuts; others needed fills of more than 25 feet. Garrett solved the problem of moving more than 170,000 yards of dirt in a short time span. The crew finished the work in less than 30 days. (The total job will entail moving more than 800,000 yards of dirt.) In the rough grading phase, crew members ran the three bulldozers side by side using the two Topcon-equipped GPS-controlled dozers to set the angle and depth of the cuts; the third dozer shadowed the movement of the other two with amazing results. The result was a 57-foot-wide, 9-foot-high "wall of dirt" moving across the pad site. "I've been around dirt work all my life," Garrett said, "and that even impressed me." Due to the contour of the site, the "shadow" dozer operator "eye-balled" the blade position in relationship to the position of the other blades of the GPS+-equipped dozers. When the machines were close to final grade, the two GPS+ dozers were used and "we were within 0.10-foot consistently," Garrett said. The church pad was finished three days early. "Without using GPS technology, the 30-day limit to finish the pad would have been impossible," he said. "But using satellite positioning, ingenuity and the right people on the crew gave us a big productivity edge." Komatsu's KOMTRAX provides not only location and hour meter updates, but additional invaluable information regarding machine health and productivity. The system was designed to give owners the information they need to make strategic business decisions regarding machines and their operations. KOMTRAX relays basic and critical performance data from a machine to the owners' computer as well as to the local distributor. Owners receive detailed information in easy-to-read daily, monthly and annual reports about both basic and more advanced aspects of machine performance. Lists and charts are great, but they don't mean much unless owners can easily adapt that information to more efficiently use their equipment. Because one key way to lower costs is to reduce machine idle time, the KOMTRAX system has a feature that differentiates between idle hours and actual working hours. KOMTRAX has been standard on most Tier 3-compliant Komatsu machines since early 2006 which have provided revealing analysis of machine idle time statistics for thousands of machines. According to those data, 20 percent of 20-ton class excavators idle more than 50 percent of their service meter hours, and the average idle time for this machine class is 36 percent of the time. But some operators idle far less. By using the data provided from the remote monitoring system, 20 percent of the operators have reduced idle time to fewer than 20 percent of operating hours. Over a machine's life, idle time typically accounts for nearly 20 percent of the machine's total fuel burn. By eliminating 50 percent of non-productive idle time, fuel costs can be reduced by 10 percent. And, in today's environment of rising fuel costs and increased concern about global warming and diesel engine emissions, this kind of reduction is significant. Reducing idle time saves on fuel costs, but one of the main hidden costs of excessive idle time is reduced residual value of a machine. For example, if two machines actually work 600 hours per year doing identical work, but one idles 40 percent of the time and the other idles 20 percent of the time, these machines will accumulate service meter hours at a different rate. After five years the machine that idles 40 percent of the time will register 5,000 hours, while the one idling 20 percent will have less than 4,000 hours. All other things being equal, the machine with fewer hours is obviously worth more. In addition, the lower hour machine likely will have avoided two maintenance intervals, translating into less downtime for maintenance and more time to move dirt. Reduced idle time translates into greater operator productivity. Measuring idle time, observing operator behavior, goal setting, and regular operator feedback are keys to reducing excessive idle time. Because KOMTRAX measures idle time, users with multiple machines doing similar work can compare machine-to-machine idle times for insight into how much improvement is possible. Observations of operator behavior and noting when machines are idled are critical pieces of information to set meaningful idle reduction goals. A monitoring system that provides monthly idle time reports can be an effective way to reinforce and reward good operator behavior as well as identify training opportunities for those operators who are slower to change excessive idle habits. Glacier Computer, a designer, developer and supplier of rugged industrial PC-compatible devices, introduces its Magnum series of computers. Specifically designed for use in the construction industry, the Magnum can be mounted in a variety of work environments and applications. Engineered to withstand shock, vibration, dust, and moisture, the Magnum can be mounted into cranes, dump trucks, backhoes, graders, and onboard forklifts. Additionally, the Magnum can be mounted outside in a fixed location and used as a time clock at a temporary work location. The Magnum is an Intel-based PC traditionally configured with either XP Pro or XP Embedded. An array of standard I/O allows for attaching numerous peripherals, including portable printers for producing work orders and employee ID card readers. Wide area network cards and GPS accessories provide easy data transfer from the work site and constant vehicle mapping and location data. Unlike traditional laptop solutions, the Glacier Magnum is a sealed unit with no fans or vents. The unit can operate in the most intense environments, including extremes of temperature, shock, vibration, and moisture. Each unit has a touchscreen and high-bright display for ease of use with even a gloved hand. All units accept and easily run traditional Windows software applications. There are a variety of processor, DRAM, and both rotating and solid-state hard drive options. Glacier's Magnum series of computers are HALT tested, have passed thermal and reliability testing, and have an MTBF of nearly 40,000 hours. Built to Mil-Spec standards, these computers have an IP 64 environmental rating. Trimble's The Eagle Eye Obstacle Detection System alerts drivers to objects hidden in vehicle blind spots up to 20 feet away. The system features a series of sensors mounted around the truck and an alert module that provides visual and audible warnings of hidden obstacles. The DriveSafe system automatically records speed on turns, starts and stops in relation to vehicle's status. In addition, GPS positioning monitors average road speeds, and scores are assigned for each maneuver so driver behavior can be compared to the fleet average. As a result, early adopters such as Maricopa (see Trucking for Construction Special Section) aren't just working to prevent accidents, they are taking steps to actually improve the quality of their driver's decisions. By Greg Sitek -- Associated Construction Publications Construction technology is an interesting term that can mean anything that relates to the industry. In this instance it is being used to reference the growing application of electronics and wireless communication to the earthmoving world.

The application electronic technology goes back at least 40 years when the big controversy for equipment manufacturers was, “Do we use gauges or lights on the instrument panel?” On much of today’s equipment you can select what you want on the instrument cluster monitor and in the language of choice.

It was only a few years ago that GPS was first used to guide a dozer’s finishing touches on a project. Today a number of manufacturers have pre-wired their equipment so that machine controls and GPS systems can be added after the initial purchase.

“A term you will be hearing used more frequently is telemetrics. It’s not new. Telemetrics is a technology that involves the automatic measurement and transmission of data from remote sources. The process of measuring data at the source and transmitting them automatically is called telemetry. The two terms, telemetry and telemetrics, are often used interchangeably. In general, telemetrics works in the following way: Sensors at the source measure either electrical data (such as voltage or current) or physical data (such as temperature or pressure). These are converted to specific electrical voltages. A multiplexer combines the voltages, along with timing data, into a single data stream for transmission to the distant receiver. Upon reception, the data stream is separated into its original components and the data are displayed and processed according to user specifications.

“In 1912, the first telemetric application in Chicago used telephone lines to transmit operational data from a power plant to a central office. Because telemetry was originally used in projects like this, the first telemetry systems were called supervisory systems. In 1960, the interrogation-reply principle was developed, which allowed a more selective transmission of data upon request.

“Modern-day telemetrics frequently uses wireless communication. Telemetric applications include measuring and transmitting data from space flights, meteorological events, wildlife tracking, camera control robotics, and oceanography studies. Videoconferenceing and the Global Positioning System (GPS) are also considered to be telemetric technology.” (Source: Whatis.com)

Qualcomm has developed several telemetric products. The one most interesting to our industry is GlobalTRACS. GlobalTRACS is an equipment management system that automatically collects, wirelessly transmits and manages critical operational data — giving the contractor the ability to manage the equipment, not just track it.

The system tracks engine hours; GPS location; user-defined management and maintenance reports; multiple maintenance profiles and notifications; virtual fences and after-hours security alerts; driver directions and instructions; critical machine-health monitoring; easy back-office software integration; message delivery; and ruggedized construction.

Zonar Systems is another telemetric company but it specializes in over-the-road truck operations. Zonar Systems is in verified visual inspection technologies, helping companies capture, communicate and analyze information about the condition of their vehicles and other assets. Its products use radio frequency identification (RFID), wireless communication, web-based applications, and Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to enhance fleet utilization, safety, compliance, and employee satisfaction.

Zonar’s High-Definition GPS system (HD-GPS) captures data every time in four dimensions, instead of the traditional three, and at a sample rate of one second. This can be integrated with other company systems.

HCSS has launched an integrated GPS feature that significantly expands the capabilities of its resource management software, The Dispatcher ™. Managers can now make better decisions based on accurate information from the field, helping them utilize equipment more efficiently, lower fuel costs, reduce cycle times, minimize theft, and identify underused rentals.

In addition to cycle-time analysis, the integrated GPS feature shows where equipment is currently located, where it has been, how fast it’s been going, and meter readings of how long the equipment has been running. The meter readings, coupled with The Dispatcher’s maintenance scheduling ability, help improve preventive maintenance on equipment. It can integrate with other company software.

Gomaco and Lieca — Stringless curb and gutter paving have become a reality. Gomaco and Lieca use a 3-D machine control system to simplify concrete jobsite logistics, reduce costs and improve quality. The system puts the owner’s 3-D designs directly on the machine and controls height and steer, slope and draft of the paver automatically.

It allows operators to be self-directing and eliminates the need for layout and staking personnel. Using this approach, pre-production planning is kept to a minimum.

PaveSmart, as the system is called, uses Leica’s TPS and GPS; is compatible with data from a wide range of design and CAD systems; and is also compatible with major GPS base station systems.

Some of the obvious advantages are that the system makes sense of digital data, directly from the designer’s survey equipment. A definite big plus is that it eliminates staking out and stringline setup errors since no stakes and stringlines are required.

Truck site access is a lot easier since drivers don’t have to watch for the stakes. It allows for jobs in narrower work corridors and eliminates waiting for the surveyor to check grade and make certain stakes have been moved. The system is ideal for highway work as it improves safety.

The system is designed for curb and gutter, barrier, and monolithic and sidewalk paving projects.

Curb and Gutter: parking lots, residential subdivisions and commercial developments.

PaveSmart 3D takes the owner’s CAD plans directly onto the job site. Your operator simply sets up the position sensors, picks the required task, enters any working offsets if needed, and you’re ready to go to work. The system even brings the machine automatically onto line and grade, ready to start paving — a faster and smarter way to work.

Barrier: restricted access, “live” highway possessions, urban and narrow-corridor or zero-clearance projects.

Project logistics are made much simpler when you can throw away the stringlines. Get your concrete trucks in and out faster, with no risk of damaging the stringlines and stopping production. Site safety and setup time for stringlines are also big concerns for projects surrounded by live traffic.

Monolithic and Sidewalk: Pave any shape in any configuration.

The system is as flexible and reconfigurable as your machine. Simply attach your new mold, set the new machine information into Leica PaveSmart 3D and you’re ready to go back to work.

Some of the PaveSmart’s features include improved accuracy. According to Leica PaveSmart 3D delivers grade and steer accuracy to millimeters with All-Trac Steer and All-Trac Grade.

It uses a combination of slope sensors, total station and/or GPS data to continuously calculate the position, height, orientation, cross-slope, and draft of the mold as it is working. It automatically regulates all points of the mold relative to the 3-D design, and allows offsets to be adjusted “on the fly” by the operator.

The Gomaco GT3200 single-track-steer, the Gomaco GT3600 with front steer, the GT3600 all-track-steer, and the Commander III are all designed and progammed to use the PaveSmart system.

Caterpillar’s Accugrade — Most new models of excavating/dozing machines are being offered with an AccuGrade Ready Option (ARO). A machine equipped with ARO has all of the wiring and mounting brackets installed where they are protected and will perform reliably. The ARO fully integrates the automated blade control with the machine. Part of that integration enables a lockout system that keeps the blade from moving when the operator isn’t at the controls.

As part of that integration, new models of machines that often are assigned finish grading tasks are designed to perform precisely when controlled by AccuGrade. For example, the M-Series motor graders have electro-hydraulic blade control that enables the system to react quickly and precisely to automated control inputs. Similarly, the new D6K tractor has electro-hydraulic blade controls and electronically controlled hydrostatic drive.

Other machines, too, are now available with AROs. Many of the Cat tractors now have AROs, and the new Cat excavators and most of the backhoe loaders also have AROs.

The second major thrust that Caterpillar is taking to implement GPS-based machine control and guidance is training. Cat has identified the distribution of GPS-based systems and training of customers as a bottleneck in applying this productivity-enhancing technology. As a result, Cat has put a great deal of effort into training dealer personnel to sell and support machine guidance systems. In North America, Cat has trained 1,500 salespeople, 300 product support people and 120-plus technology specialists. More than 200 hours of curriculum have been developed for web-based training and instructor-led training.

John Deere and QUALCOMM announced an alliance to create an equipment and machine monitoring and information delivery system that will be sold across North America by certified John Deere construction and forestry dealers.

JDLink automatically collects, transmits and manages information about where and how construction and forestry equipment is being used, as well as critical machine health data for superior equipment utilization, improved productivity and increased revenue. The system leverages QUALCOMM’s GlobalTRACS® equipment management system to provide customers with vital information about equipment location, machine health and service status. Additionally, it issues special alerts to notify customers if equipment moves outside pre-set boundaries.

Four levels of service will be offered with JDLink. The Standard level will provide owners with machine location status, machine service hours and location monitoring capabilities. The Advanced levels of service provide customers with the Standard level, plus dash indicators and fuel and equipment utilization information via engine load monitoring. The Ultimate level of service expands upon these offerings by adding current and stored monitoring of component pressures and temperatures, and fuel consumption, as well as transmission gear selection and full-featured diagnostic information retrieval. The Direct level enables customers to download machine operating history and diagnostics directly to a laptop. The Advanced, Ultimate and Direct levels of service will be available in 2007 on select models of John Deere construction and forestry equipment.

Topcon’s new 3-D steep slope add-on kit gives control on more job sites. The new 3-D steep slope add-on kits for motorgraders from Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS) gives contractors a wide-range sensor that allows 3-D use of these machines even in steep applications.

The slope sensor allows for precise measurement of up to 100-percent cross slope whenever needed by a Topcon System Five 2-D or 3-D application.

“We’ve found that this type of technology is needed as more and more contractors are using 3D-GPS+ motograders in applications with steeper slopes,” said Jason Killpack, Topcon senior product marketing manager. “Topcon created the new kits, which have a wider range slope sensor than the standard add-on kits, to provide superior accuracy and response on more job sites and applications.”

The new kit is compatible with all System Four, System Five and 9168 control boxes and features a temperature-compensated sensing element to enhance its use in any weather condition.
Interesting application

Grant Garrett with Garrett Excavation, Inc., of Hot Springs, Ark., bought a Topcon 3D-GPS+ system to put on a single bulldozer six years ago. Today the company has a full complement of 3-D and 2-D machine control systems, GPS rovers and base stations, total stations, and all types of laser instruments. He firmly believes that “Without GPS capabilities, we wouldn’t even be in business. Satellite technology provides us the competitive edge we need to continue to grow out business every year.”

Since last fall, a 15- to 20-man Garrett crew has been “attacking” a 122.5-acre plat in West Little Rock, moving massive amounts of dirt for a multipurpose development. The largest and hardest part of the job was a 50-acre section in the middle of the development dedicated to a 200,000-square-foot church.

Garrett’s crews relied on two CAT D-11 dozers and a D-9 to do the major earthmoving chores. “We slapped GPS+ on the D-9 and one of the D-11s and got to work.”

The initial church pad portion of the job was located on a former dairy farm. The hilly site presented its own special problems: Some areas required more than 30-foot cuts; others needed fills of more than 25 feet.

Garrett solved the problem of moving more than 170,000 yards of dirt in a short time span. The crew finished the work in less than 30 days. (The total job will entail moving more than 800,000 yards of dirt.) In the rough grading phase, crew members ran the three bulldozers side by side using the two Topcon-equipped GPS-controlled dozers to set the angle and depth of the cuts; the third dozer shadowed the movement of the other two with amazing results.

The result was a 57-foot-wide, 9-foot-high “wall of dirt” moving across the pad site. “I’ve been around dirt work all my life,” Garrett said, “and that even impressed me.”

Due to the contour of the site, the “shadow” dozer operator “eye-balled” the blade position in relationship to the position of the other blades of the GPS+-equipped dozers. When the machines were close to final grade, the two GPS+ dozers were used and “we were within 0.10-foot consistently,” Garrett said.

The church pad was finished three days early. “Without using GPS technology, the 30-day limit to finish the pad would have been impossible,” he said. “But using satellite positioning, ingenuity and the right people on the crew gave us a big productivity edge.”

Komatsu’s KOMTRAX provides not only location and hour meter updates, but additional invaluable information regarding machine health and productivity.

The system was designed to give owners the information they need to make strategic business decisions regarding machines and their operations.

KOMTRAX relays basic and critical performance data from a machine to the owners’ computer as well as to the local distributor. Owners receive detailed information in easy-to-read daily, monthly and annual reports about both basic and more advanced aspects of machine performance.

Lists and charts are great, but they don’t mean much unless owners can easily adapt that information to more efficiently use their equipment. Because one key way to lower costs is to reduce machine idle time, the KOMTRAX system has a feature that differentiates between idle hours and actual working hours.

KOMTRAX has been standard on most Tier 3-compliant Komatsu machines since early 2006 which have provided revealing analysis of machine idle time statistics for thousands of machines. According to those data, 20 percent of 20-ton class excavators idle more than 50 percent of their service meter hours, and the average idle time for this machine class is 36 percent of the time. But some operators idle far less. By using the data provided from the remote monitoring system, 20 percent of the operators have reduced idle time to fewer than 20 percent of operating hours.

Over a machine’s life, idle time typically accounts for nearly 20 percent of the machine’s total fuel burn. By eliminating 50 percent of non-productive idle time, fuel costs can be reduced by 10 percent. And, in today’s environment of rising fuel costs and increased concern about global warming and diesel engine emissions, this kind of reduction is significant.

Reducing idle time saves on fuel costs, but one of the main hidden costs of excessive idle time is reduced residual value of a machine. For example, if two machines actually work 600 hours per year doing identical work, but one idles 40 percent of the time and the other idles 20 percent of the time, these machines will accumulate service meter hours at a different rate. After five years the machine that idles 40 percent of the time will register 5,000 hours, while the one idling 20 percent will have less than 4,000 hours. All other things being equal, the machine with fewer hours is obviously worth more. In addition, the lower hour machine likely will have avoided two maintenance intervals, translating into less downtime for maintenance and more time to move dirt.

Reduced idle time translates into greater operator productivity. Measuring idle time, observing operator behavior, goal setting, and regular operator feedback are keys to reducing excessive idle time. Because KOMTRAX measures idle time, users with multiple machines doing similar work can compare machine-to-machine idle times for insight into how much improvement is possible. Observations of operator behavior and noting when machines are idled are critical pieces of information to set meaningful idle reduction goals. A monitoring system that provides monthly idle time reports can be an effective way to reinforce and reward good operator behavior as well as identify training opportunities for those operators who are slower to change excessive idle habits.

Glacier Computer, a designer, developer and supplier of rugged industrial PC-compatible devices, introduces its Magnum series of computers. Specifically designed for use in the construction industry, the Magnum can be mounted in a variety of work environments and applications. Engineered to withstand shock, vibration, dust, and moisture, the Magnum can be mounted into cranes, dump trucks, backhoes, graders, and onboard forklifts. Additionally, the Magnum can be mounted outside in a fixed location and used as a time clock at a temporary work location.

The Magnum is an Intel-based PC traditionally configured with either XP Pro or XP Embedded. An array of standard I/O allows for attaching numerous peripherals, including portable printers for producing work orders and employee ID card readers. Wide area network cards and GPS accessories provide easy data transfer from the work site and constant vehicle mapping and location data.

Unlike traditional laptop solutions, the Glacier Magnum is a sealed unit with no fans or vents. The unit can operate in the most intense environments, including extremes of temperature, shock, vibration, and moisture. Each unit has a touchscreen and high-bright display for ease of use with even a gloved hand. All units accept and easily run traditional Windows software applications. There are a variety of processor, DRAM, and both rotating and solid-state hard drive options.

Glacier’s Magnum series of computers are HALT tested, have passed thermal and reliability testing, and have an MTBF of nearly 40,000 hours. Built to Mil-Spec standards, these computers have an IP 64 environmental rating.

Trimble’s The Eagle Eye Obstacle Detection System alerts drivers to objects hidden in vehicle blind spots up to 20 feet away. The system features a series of sensors mounted around the truck and an alert module that provides visual and audible warnings of hidden obstacles.

The DriveSafe system automatically records speed on turns, starts and stops in relation to vehicle’s status. In addition, GPS positioning monitors average road speeds, and scores are assigned for each maneuver so driver behavior can be compared to the fleet average. As a result, early adopters such as Maricopa (see Trucking for Construction Special Section) aren’t just working to prevent accidents, they are taking steps to actually improve the quality of their driver’s decisions.

By Greg Sitek — Associated Construction Publications

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]]> By: ashmann http://www.1.net.my/2009/09/197/comment-page-1/#comment-493 ashmann Sun, 07 Nov 2010 20:16:37 +0000 http://www.1.net.my/?p=197#comment-493 SCHEDULE B DESCRIPTION OF THE IDEA Title : Industrialised Construction System for Road on Peat Category : Others ( Specialised construction product ) Description The idea is to pre-commercialise and value-add to a patented (MY-139642-A) precast lightweight composite wall and several award winning novel materials and method for road construction on problematic soft soil and peat. The business model is to supply production system, raw materials and chemicals to customers and resellers with technical and consultancy services. The benefits of the system include cost reduction in construction and maintenance. Productivity and safety will be enhanced. The mobile system is designed for use in road construction on peat. DESCRIPTION OF MENTOR 1. Description(s) of Mentor required: A successful businessman in structural and geotechnical engineering 2. Details of the proposed mentor (if any): Ir. Dr. Lam Kai Yang, MIEM, P.Eng. Managing Director, Reliacon Sdn Bhd 5A, Jalan Molek 2/4, Taman Molek, 81100 Johor Bahru SCHEDULE B

DESCRIPTION OF THE IDEA

Title : Industrialised Construction System for Road on Peat

Category : Others ( Specialised construction product )

Description

The idea is to pre-commercialise and value-add to a patented (MY-139642-A) precast lightweight composite wall and several award winning novel materials and method for road construction on problematic soft soil and peat. The business model is to supply production system, raw materials and chemicals to customers and resellers with technical and consultancy services.

The benefits of the system include cost reduction in construction and maintenance. Productivity and safety will be enhanced. The mobile system is designed for use in road construction on peat.

DESCRIPTION OF MENTOR

1. Description(s) of Mentor required:

A successful businessman in structural and geotechnical engineering

2. Details of the proposed mentor (if any):

Ir. Dr. Lam Kai Yang, MIEM, P.Eng.
Managing Director,
Reliacon Sdn Bhd
5A, Jalan Molek 2/4,
Taman Molek,
81100 Johor Bahru

]]> By: ashmann http://www.1.net.my/2009/09/197/comment-page-1/#comment-372 ashmann Sat, 13 Mar 2010 08:19:11 +0000 http://www.1.net.my/?p=197#comment-372 A case study of a pervious concrete quality assurance program Mar, 12 2010 RSS email print Research and experience have shown that pervious concrete mixtures proportioned to have 15 to 25% air void contents should have sufficient infiltration rates to limit storm water surface runoff and adequate strength to avoid raveling.1 Until recently, however, there were no U.S. standards for the verification of air void content in fresh concrete or infiltration rates for in-place concrete. To help producers, contractors, and owners verify that their pavement projects will perform as needed, ASTM Committee C09.49, Pervious Concrete, has recently introduced Standard C1688, "Standard Test Method for Density and Void Content of Pervious Concrete"2 and Standard C1701, "Standard Test Method for Infiltration Rate of Pervious Concrete."3 These standards were used as part of the quality assurance program for the construction of a parking lot at the Metropolitan Community College (MCC) in Omaha, NE. Using test placements to develop a compaction-density relationship, appropriate mixture properties could be defined without guesswork. Workability tests and unit weight tests per ASTM C1688 were used to screen loads to ensure that we placed only workable concrete that could be consolidated to achieve a target air void content. UNIT WEIGHT AND AIR VOID CONTENT Pervious concrete typically comprises a zero slump mixture with little to no fine aggregate and uniformly graded coarse aggregate. The workability of such mixtures can be highly sensitive to variations in moisture content and compaction effort, leading to large variations in the final void contents for a given pavement project. By mixing trial batches for the contractor to use in test placements of pavement, the producer can obtain unit weight data per ASTM C1688 and air void content Vair (in %) from cylindrical samples according to the procedure in Reference 4. Vair is given by V^sub air^ = [1 - (W^sub D^ - W^sub S^)/(gamma^sub W^ . V^sub T^)] x 100 (1) where WD is the weight of the oven-dried sample, WS is the submerged weight of the sample (after tapping to release trapped air), gW is the unit weight of water, and VT is the calculated volume of the sample using its measured diameter and length. For the MCC project, six mixtures were prepared and samples were produced per ASTM C1688 during placement of the preliminary test panels (Fig. 1). Unit weight and air void content for each mixture were measured and plotted, and a linear regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between air void content and unit weight (Fig. 2). As one might expect, there is a linear relationship between void content and unit weight of pervious concrete mixtures, with a maximum unit weight (about 150 lb/ft3 [2400 kg/m3]) associated with zero air void content. It must be noted that the ASTM C1688 procedure (filling a 0.25 ft3 [7 L] cylindrical container in two lifts, with each lift consolidated using 20 blows from a standard Proctor hammer) will not produce the same air void content as would be produced in pavement. Our preliminary field determination for cores removed from the test panels indicated that a mixture with an air void content of 12% and unit weight of 133.5 lb/ft3 (2140 kg/m3) when tested per ASTM C1688 would have an in-place air void content (found per Eq. (1) using core sample data) of 17.5%. This in-place value was specified for the project. QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM The owner recognized pervious concrete as a new product and thus made it very clear that, regardless if the product was successful or not, "we need to know why." The team was therefore expected to implement procedures within a set quality control program, including: * Aggregate moisture tests conducted by the concrete producer before batching operations; * Unit weight tests per ASTM C1688 conducted at the batch plant by the producer and at the job site on every load of concrete; * Inverted slump cone tests (described in the following section) conducted at the job site by the owner's testing agency; * Estimated unit weight test (described in the following section) conducted on site by the owner's testing agency; * Unit weight tests (five total) using 4 in. (100 mm) diameter cores taken from the hardened pavement and tested using the procedure described in Reference 4 by the owner's testing agency; and * Permeability tests (six total) per ASTM C1701, taken at the core locations (prior to coring) by the owner's testing agency (Fig. 3). UNIQUE TEST PROCEDURES Inverted slump cone test The inverted slump cone test is qualitative, but it allows a rapid evaluation of workability. The procedure involves resting the small opening of a slump cone against a smooth, hard surface. The cone is then filled with fresh concrete in one lift, with no consolidation. Excess concrete is struck off, level with the large end of the cone, and the cone is then lifted. The fresh concrete is observed as it flows out of the cone. If the bulk of the concrete remains in the cone and can only be discharged by vigorous shaking of the cone, the mixture will be unworkable. Figure 4 shows two different mixtures after discharge. The concrete in Fig. 4(a) was discharged after tapping of the cone-the batch was remediated by increasing the water content. The concrete in Fig. 4(b) flowed freely from the cone and was approved for placement. Estimated in-place unit weight In this procedure, a 0.25 ft3 (7 L) cylindrical container is filled with fresh concrete in one lift, with no consolidation. Excess concrete is struck off, level with the top of the container. The net weight of the concrete is determined and the unit weight of the test sample is calculated. The resulting value is multiplied by a compaction factor, which is based on observations that typical consolidation methods lead to a 1 in. (25 mm) reduction in thickness relative to the initial placement depth. Thus, for the 6 in. (150 mm) thick pavement required on this project, the compaction factor was 7 in./6 in. = 1.17. Estimated unit weight values were correlated with specific regions of the in-place pavement. APPLICATION Placement The pervious concrete pavement was placed by directly discharging the concrete from mixer trucks onto an aggregate base. Concrete was raked into place and consolidated and finished using a hydraulic roller-screed operating directly on top of side forms. As per ACI 522.1-08, the concrete was covered with a polyethylene sheet immediately after finishing.5 The 5650 ft2 (525 m2) paved area required 110 yd3 (84 m3) of concrete, which was delivered in 14 truckloads. Most of the placement was completed in 2 days, during which the average ambient temperature was 65[degrees]F (18.5[degrees]C) and the relative humidity was 70%. Inverted slump testing showed that the first truck was not workable and additional water was added until the concrete had about 12% air void content as measured per ASTM C1688. The second truck had too much water added at the concrete plant and was held until the concrete had about 12% air void content per ASTM C1688. The water content for the third truck was acceptable, so concrete from this truck was placed while the second load was being held. Tests of subsequent loads indicated they also had acceptable water contents. Pavement sections were installed with no reports of consolidation or finishing problems. Workers with previous experience with pervious concrete pavements reported, however, that the mixtures would have been considered too "wet" if evaluated by visual inspection only. Fresh and hardened properties ACI 522.1-08 Section 1.6.2.1 requires that the unit weight of fresh concrete is within +-5 lb/ft3 (+-80 kg/m3) of the specified fresh unit weight. ACI 522.1-08 Section 1.6.5.2.1.b requires that the unit weight of the hardened concrete is within +-5% of the approved hardened unit weight measured in test panels. As indicated previously, the specified in-place air void content was 17.5%. Extending ACI 522.1-08 in-place density requirements to air void content, the allowable range would be from 12.5 to 22.5%. Air void contents measured using cores ranged from 13.4 to 21.6%- well within the allowable range. A comparison between estimated and in-place void contents is shown in Table 1. Even though the estimated in-place unit weight test is highly operator dependant, the mean of the test results was within 3% of the mean of the values measured using cores (Fig. 5). Table 2 compares the air void contents of the fresh concrete (measured using ASTM C1688) and hardened concrete (measured using core samples). For all five cores, the void contents measured per ASTM C1688 were lower than the void contents found using the core samples. Figure 6 shows the general relationship between void contents, as determined per ASTM C1688, and permeability, as determined per ASTM C1701. Permeability tests were not performed directly on the cores, as that ASTM standard is under development. Because the same equipment and methods were used to consolidate all pavement sections, Fig. 6 implies that initial workability, which influences compaction, also influences hardened permeability. The largest infiltration rate measured per ASTM C1701 was 2016 in./hour (51,200 mm/hour) and the lowest was only 62 in./hour (1600 mm/hour). While our observation of an exponential increase in permeability with increased void content is consistent with observations made by others, the multi-operator reproducibility of the test method is under evaluation.1,6 INDICATIONS Our work for the MCC pavement project (Fig. 7) indicates that: * Air void and unit weight tests per ASTM C1688 can be used to predict in-place air void content; * The inverted slump cone test is a good predictor of mixture workability and provides a rapid method for culling mixtures that will have unacceptably low unit weights; and * A requirement that the in-place unit weight is within +-5% of the specified unit weight (as per ACI 522.1-08) is appropriate and achievable. For workable mixtures that passed the inverted slump cone test, estimated in-place unit weights correlated well with measured in- place air void contents. Mixtures that met the specified unit weight of 133.5 lb/ft3 (2140 kg/m3) were very workable, although they might have been considered too "wet" if evaluated by visual inspection only. Source: http://www.waterworld.com/index/display/news_display/142290922.html A case study of a pervious concrete quality assurance program

Mar, 12 2010

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Research and experience have shown that pervious concrete mixtures proportioned to have 15 to 25% air void contents should have sufficient infiltration rates to limit storm water surface runoff and adequate strength to avoid raveling.1 Until recently, however, there were no U.S. standards for the verification of air void content in fresh concrete or infiltration rates for in-place concrete. To help producers, contractors, and owners verify that their pavement projects will perform as needed, ASTM Committee C09.49, Pervious Concrete, has recently introduced Standard C1688, “Standard Test Method for Density and Void Content of Pervious Concrete”2 and Standard C1701, “Standard Test Method for Infiltration Rate of Pervious Concrete.”3 These standards were used as part of the quality assurance program for the construction of a parking lot at the Metropolitan Community College (MCC) in Omaha, NE. Using test placements to develop a compaction-density relationship, appropriate mixture properties could be defined without guesswork. Workability tests and unit weight tests per ASTM C1688 were used to screen loads to ensure that we placed only workable concrete that could be consolidated to achieve a target air void content.

UNIT WEIGHT AND AIR VOID CONTENT

Pervious concrete typically comprises a zero slump mixture with little to no fine aggregate and uniformly graded coarse aggregate. The workability of such mixtures can be highly sensitive to variations in moisture content and compaction effort, leading to large variations in the final void contents for a given pavement project. By mixing trial batches for the contractor to use in test placements of pavement, the producer can obtain unit weight data per ASTM C1688 and air void content Vair (in %) from cylindrical samples according to the procedure in Reference 4. Vair is given by

V^sub air^ = [1 - (W^sub D^ - W^sub S^)/(gamma^sub W^ . V^sub T^)] x 100 (1)

where WD is the weight of the oven-dried sample, WS is the submerged weight of the sample (after tapping to release trapped air), gW is the unit weight of water, and VT is the calculated volume of the sample using its measured diameter and length.

For the MCC project, six mixtures were prepared and samples were produced per ASTM C1688 during placement of the preliminary test panels (Fig. 1). Unit weight and air void content for each mixture were measured and plotted, and a linear regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between air void content and unit weight (Fig. 2). As one might expect, there is a linear relationship between void content and unit weight of pervious concrete mixtures, with a maximum unit weight (about 150 lb/ft3 [2400 kg/m3]) associated with zero air void content.

It must be noted that the ASTM C1688 procedure (filling a 0.25 ft3 [7 L] cylindrical container in two lifts, with each lift consolidated using 20 blows from a standard Proctor hammer) will not produce the same air void content as would be produced in pavement. Our preliminary field determination for cores removed from the test panels indicated that a mixture with an air void content of 12% and unit weight of 133.5 lb/ft3 (2140 kg/m3) when tested per ASTM C1688 would have an in-place air void content (found per Eq. (1) using core sample data) of 17.5%. This in-place value was specified for the project.

QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM

The owner recognized pervious concrete as a new product and thus made it very clear that, regardless if the product was successful or not, “we need to know why.” The team was therefore expected to implement procedures within a set quality control program, including:

* Aggregate moisture tests conducted by the concrete producer before batching operations;

* Unit weight tests per ASTM C1688 conducted at the batch plant by the producer and at the job site on every load of concrete;

* Inverted slump cone tests (described in the following section) conducted at the job site by the owner’s testing agency;

* Estimated unit weight test (described in the following section) conducted on site by the owner’s testing agency;

* Unit weight tests (five total) using 4 in. (100 mm) diameter cores taken from the hardened pavement and tested using the procedure described in Reference 4 by the owner’s testing agency; and

* Permeability tests (six total) per ASTM C1701, taken at the core locations (prior to coring) by the owner’s testing agency (Fig. 3).

UNIQUE TEST PROCEDURES

Inverted slump cone test

The inverted slump cone test is qualitative, but it allows a rapid evaluation of workability. The procedure involves resting the small opening of a slump cone against a smooth, hard surface. The cone is then filled with fresh concrete in one lift, with no consolidation. Excess concrete is struck off, level with the large end of the cone, and the cone is then lifted. The fresh concrete is observed as it flows out of the cone. If the bulk of the concrete remains in the cone and can only be discharged by vigorous shaking of the cone, the mixture will be unworkable. Figure 4 shows two different mixtures after discharge. The concrete in Fig. 4(a) was discharged after tapping of the cone-the batch was remediated by increasing the water content. The concrete in Fig. 4(b) flowed freely from the cone and was approved for placement.

Estimated in-place unit weight

In this procedure, a 0.25 ft3 (7 L) cylindrical container is filled with fresh concrete in one lift, with no consolidation. Excess concrete is struck off, level with the top of the container. The net weight of the concrete is determined and the unit weight of the test sample is calculated. The resulting value is multiplied by a compaction factor, which is based on observations that typical consolidation methods lead to a 1 in. (25 mm) reduction in thickness relative to the initial placement depth. Thus, for the 6 in. (150 mm) thick pavement required on this project, the compaction factor was 7 in./6 in. = 1.17. Estimated unit weight values were correlated with specific regions of the in-place pavement.

APPLICATION

Placement

The pervious concrete pavement was placed by directly discharging the concrete from mixer trucks onto an aggregate base. Concrete was raked into place and consolidated and finished using a hydraulic roller-screed operating directly on top of side forms. As per ACI 522.1-08, the concrete was covered with a polyethylene sheet immediately after finishing.5

The 5650 ft2 (525 m2) paved area required 110 yd3 (84 m3) of concrete, which was delivered in 14 truckloads. Most of the placement was completed in 2 days, during which the average ambient temperature was 65[degrees]F (18.5[degrees]C) and the relative humidity was 70%.

Inverted slump testing showed that the first truck was not workable and additional water was added until the concrete had about 12% air void content as measured per ASTM C1688. The second truck had too much water added at the concrete plant and was held until the concrete had about 12% air void content per ASTM C1688. The water content for the third truck was acceptable, so concrete from this truck was placed while the second load was being held. Tests of subsequent loads indicated they also had acceptable water contents.

Pavement sections were installed with no reports of consolidation or finishing problems. Workers with previous experience with pervious concrete pavements reported, however, that the mixtures would have been considered too “wet” if evaluated by visual inspection only.

Fresh and hardened properties

ACI 522.1-08 Section 1.6.2.1 requires that the unit weight of fresh concrete is within +-5 lb/ft3 (+-80 kg/m3) of the specified fresh unit weight. ACI 522.1-08 Section 1.6.5.2.1.b requires that the unit weight of the hardened concrete is within +-5% of the approved hardened unit weight measured in test panels.

As indicated previously, the specified in-place air void content was 17.5%. Extending ACI 522.1-08 in-place density requirements to air void content, the allowable range would be from 12.5 to 22.5%. Air void contents measured using cores ranged from 13.4 to 21.6%- well within the allowable range. A comparison between estimated and in-place void contents is shown in Table 1. Even though the estimated in-place unit weight test is highly operator dependant, the mean of the test results was within 3% of the mean of the values measured using cores (Fig. 5).

Table 2 compares the air void contents of the fresh concrete (measured using ASTM C1688) and hardened concrete (measured using core samples). For all five cores, the void contents measured per ASTM C1688 were lower than the void contents found using the core samples.

Figure 6 shows the general relationship between void contents, as determined per ASTM C1688, and permeability, as determined per ASTM C1701. Permeability tests were not performed directly on the cores, as that ASTM standard is under development. Because the same equipment and methods were used to consolidate all pavement sections, Fig. 6 implies that initial workability, which influences compaction, also influences hardened permeability. The largest infiltration rate measured per ASTM C1701 was 2016 in./hour (51,200 mm/hour) and the lowest was only 62 in./hour (1600 mm/hour). While our observation of an exponential increase in permeability with increased void content is consistent with observations made by others, the multi-operator reproducibility of the test method is under evaluation.1,6 INDICATIONS

Our work for the MCC pavement project (Fig. 7) indicates that:

* Air void and unit weight tests per ASTM C1688 can be used to predict in-place air void content;

* The inverted slump cone test is a good predictor of mixture workability and provides a rapid method for culling mixtures that will have unacceptably low unit weights; and

* A requirement that the in-place unit weight is within +-5% of the specified unit weight (as per ACI 522.1-08) is appropriate and achievable.

For workable mixtures that passed the inverted slump cone test, estimated in-place unit weights correlated well with measured in- place air void contents. Mixtures that met the specified unit weight of 133.5 lb/ft3 (2140 kg/m3) were very workable, although they might have been considered too “wet” if evaluated by visual inspection only.

Source: http://www.waterworld.com/index/display/news_display/142290922.html

]]> By: ashmann http://www.1.net.my/2009/09/197/comment-page-1/#comment-370 ashmann Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:44:26 +0000 http://www.1.net.my/?p=197#comment-370 Apparently thicker is better — at least when it comes to paving roads — according to an MTO expert. The critical thing is good design, Chris Raymond, acting head of the Ministry of Transportation Ontario bituminous section recently told an industry audience. “If you can’t afford a good design, I tell agencies and municipalities, you can’t afford to waste your money on a poor design — you’ll just be throwing your money away,” A strong advocate of the MTO’s Superpave standard, Raymond also said lift is important and urged opting for more thickness to ensure better roads and longevity. “Unfortunately, costs drive agencies to go for minimum thickness,” he said, “Pavement wears from the top but falls apart from the bottom.” With limited dollars and a growing number of kilometres to pave, owners cut back but will pay for it in the long run because those installations will fail long before they should and start to pothole and crack. “A higher lift, say going from 40 mm to 50 mm, isn’t a 25 per cent increase in cost because while you are using more asphalt cement and materials your equipment and labour costs are the same,” Sandy Brown, technical director of the Ontario Hot Mix Producers Association told a seminar during an association convention. Brown said the optimum lift depends on the type of traffic the road faces and accordingly which aggregate has been specified. Thinner lifts stretch the asphalt and budget further, but add to later maintenance and rehabilitation costs. “Most of the problems we find in forensic engineering analysis is that something simple was done wrong in the beginning of the process,” said Dale Decker, president of Dale S Decker LLC, a U.S. expert consultant who outlined five steps to better pavement. In the end, it comes down to best practices, said Decker, whose recommended steps start with a design that addresses quality and function required of the road, specifications that clearly define the work, inspection to ensure proper construction according to the design, construction combing technology, workmanship and maintenance. He said road designers must for consistently look to state-of-the-art design standards — not just what’s always been used before. “Perpetual pavements, for example, have been used around the world for years and we’re just getting to use them in the U.S.” Making sure the job is being done correctly is also critical. “Who are the inspectors? Are they certified? We’re they working as a Wal-Mart greeter yesterday and working as a road inspector today?” There’s a continuing shift by owners to an “end result contract” in which the contractor is given free reign to determine the construction of the road as long as it meets specifications. But contractors must shoulder more responsibility and partner with owners to realize value engineering rather than take the old adversarial stance, he added. He said the last step is the one which fails more often. “Maintenance and rehabilitation is my major pet peeve,” he says. “We built one of the top 10 transportation systems in the world, but now three-quarters of our bridges are structurally unsound and our highways are in the same situation because we didn’t maintain the system.” Vince Aurilo, manager of pavement engineering services at DBA Engineering, who also spoke on the specification and inspection process at the seminar, said partnerships between owner and contractors will be increasingly important. Reducing variations from specification in aggregate mix, careful inspection and sampling, using the right equipment in the right way with trained, skilled workers is the surest way to meet the standards and get smooth, long-lasting pavement, he said. “Stopping and starting the paver or bumping the screed because you are not using a shuttle buggy, for example, leads to bumps and affects the thickness. We’re going for smooth because smooth lasts longer.” Apparently thicker is better — at least when it comes to paving roads — according to an MTO expert.

The critical thing is good design, Chris Raymond, acting head of the Ministry of Transportation Ontario bituminous section recently told an industry audience.

“If you can’t afford a good design, I tell agencies and municipalities, you can’t afford to waste your money on a poor design — you’ll just be throwing your money away,”

A strong advocate of the MTO’s Superpave standard, Raymond also said lift is important and urged opting for more thickness to ensure better roads and longevity.

“Unfortunately, costs drive agencies to go for minimum thickness,” he said, “Pavement wears from the top but falls apart from the bottom.”

With limited dollars and a growing number of kilometres to pave, owners cut back but will pay for it in the long run because those installations will fail long before they should and start to pothole and crack.

“A higher lift, say going from 40 mm to 50 mm, isn’t a 25 per cent increase in cost because while you are using more asphalt cement and materials your equipment and labour costs are the same,” Sandy Brown, technical director of the Ontario Hot Mix Producers Association told a seminar during an association convention.

Brown said the optimum lift depends on the type of traffic the road faces and accordingly which aggregate has been specified. Thinner lifts stretch the asphalt and budget further, but add to later maintenance and rehabilitation costs.

“Most of the problems we find in forensic engineering analysis is that something simple was done wrong in the beginning of the process,” said Dale Decker, president of Dale S Decker LLC, a U.S. expert consultant who outlined five steps to better pavement.

In the end, it comes down to best practices, said Decker, whose recommended steps start with a design that addresses quality and function required of the road, specifications that clearly define the work, inspection to ensure proper construction according to the design, construction combing technology, workmanship and maintenance.

He said road designers must for consistently look to state-of-the-art design standards — not just what’s always been used before.

“Perpetual pavements, for example, have been used around the world for years and we’re just getting to use them in the U.S.”

Making sure the job is being done correctly is also critical.

“Who are the inspectors? Are they certified? We’re they working as a Wal-Mart greeter yesterday and working as a road inspector today?”

There’s a continuing shift by owners to an “end result contract” in which the contractor is given free reign to determine the construction of the road as long as it meets specifications.

But contractors must shoulder more responsibility and partner with owners to realize value engineering rather than take the old adversarial stance, he added.

He said the last step is the one which fails more often.

“Maintenance and rehabilitation is my major pet peeve,” he says. “We built one of the top 10 transportation systems in the world, but now three-quarters of our bridges are structurally unsound and our highways are in the same situation because we didn’t maintain the system.”

Vince Aurilo, manager of pavement engineering services at DBA Engineering, who also spoke on the specification and inspection process at the seminar, said partnerships between owner and contractors will be increasingly important.

Reducing variations from specification in aggregate mix, careful inspection and sampling, using the right equipment in the right way with trained, skilled workers is the surest way to meet the standards and get smooth, long-lasting pavement, he said.

“Stopping and starting the paver or bumping the screed because you are not using a shuttle buggy, for example, leads to bumps and affects the thickness. We’re going for smooth because smooth lasts longer.”

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