Method and system of forecasting compaction performance

• US 20050158129A1
• Filed: 12/20/2004
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Grandone, Susan B., Corcoran, Paul T., Chi, Liqun
• Granted Patent: US 7,191,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 405/271
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 3/00 Improving or preserving soil or rock, e.g. preserving permafrost soil securing of slopes or inclines E02D17/20; damming or interrupting passage of underground water E02D19/12; improving soil for agricultural purposes A01; soil stabilisation for road building or like purposes E01C21/00, E01C23/10; setting rock anchoring bolts E21D

Abstract

The present invention is associated with a system and method of managing a compaction process. The method may include establishing a soil characteristic and establishing a machine performance characteristic in response to the soil characteristic. The machine performance characteristic may include a predictive compaction characteristic associated with a particular machine.

Claims

1. A method of managing soil compaction comprising the steps of:

determining a site specific soil characteristic; and

determining a machine performance characteristic based on said site-specific soil characteristic.

2. A method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of managing said soil compaction in response to said machine selection.

3. A method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of recommending a machine to compact said soil in response to said machine performance characteristics.

4. A method, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said machine performance characteristic includes a predictive compaction performance characteristic.

5. A method, as set forth in claim 4, wherein said compaction performance characteristic includes at least one of a number of passes with said recommended machine an amount of time using said selected machine.

6. A method, as set forth in claim 3, wherein the step of predicting said compaction performance includes the steps of predicting said compaction performance in response to said soil characteristic and a machine compaction energy characteristic.

7. A method, as set forth in claim 6, wherein said machine compaction energy characteristic includes at least one of a weight of said selected machine, a roller size of said selected machine, and a vibratory capability of said selected machine.

8. A method, as set forth in claim 6, wherein the step of predicting said compaction performance includes the steps of predicting said compaction performance in response to said soil characteristic, a machine compaction energy characteristic, and a lift characteristic.

9. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of selecting said machine further comprises the step of recommending a machine based on said soil characteristic.

10. A method, as set forth in claim 9, wherein the step of recommending said machine further comprises the steps of:

selecting a potential machine from a plurality of machines;

predicting a compaction performance characteristic in response to said soil characteristic and said potential machine; and

recommending said potential machine in response to said prediction.

11. A method, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the step of predicting said compaction performance includes the steps of predicting said compaction performance in response to said soil characteristic and a machine compaction energy characteristic.

12. A method, as set forth in claim 11, wherein said machine compaction energy characteristic includes at least one of a weight of said potential machine, a roller size of said potential machine, and a vibratory capability of said potential machine.

13. A method, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the step of predicting said compaction performance includes the steps of predicting said compaction performance in response to said soil characteristic a machine compaction energy characteristic and a lift characteristic.

14. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of selecting said machine further comprises the step of selecting said machine from a plurality of different types of machines.

15. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of selecting said machine further comprises the step of selecting a plurality of machines to perform said soil compaction.

16. A method, as set forth in claim 15, wherein at least two of said plurality of machines are different types of machines.

17. A method, as set forth in claim 14, wherein the step of managing said compaction further comprises the step of assigning a compaction area to each of said plurality of machines.

18. A method, as set forth in claim 14, wherein the step of managing said compaction further comprises the step of determining a compaction route for each of said plurality of machines.

19. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of managing said compaction further comprises the step of dynamically determining when at least a portion of a desired compaction is achieved in response to a machine characteristic.

20. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of managing said compaction further comprises the step of determining when a desired compaction is not being achieved.

21. A method, as set forth in claim 20, further comprising the step of determining a cause of said desired compaction not being achieved.

22. A method, as set forth in claim 20, further comprising the step of assigning a second machine to compact a region previously compacted by a first machine.

23. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of managing said compaction further comprises the step of modifying a predicted compaction performance characteristic in response to a current moisture level of said soil.

24. A method, as set forth in claim 23, wherein the step of determining a predicted performance characteristic includes making the determination in response to a predicted rainfall.

25. A method, as set forth in claim 24, further comprising the step of modifying said predicted performance characteristic in response to a previous rainfall.

26. A method of predicting a compaction characteristic needed to achieve a desired soil compaction of a soil, comprising the steps of:

establishing a soil characteristic of said soil;

comparing said soil characteristic with a soil characteristic of a previously compacted soil;

determining said predicted compaction characteristic of said soil in response to said comparison.

27. A method, as set forth in claim 26, wherein said predicted compaction characteristic includes at least one of a number of passes needed to achieve said desired soil compaction, a lift thickness, a number of lifts, and a machine type to perform said desired soil compaction.

28. A method, as set forth in claim 27, wherein said comparison further comprises the step of selecting a previously compacted soil from a plurality of previously compacted soils, said previously compacted soil having an actual compaction characteristic.

29. A method, as set forth in claim 28, wherein the step of establishing said predicted compaction performance characteristic further comprises the step of establishing said predicted compaction performance characteristic in response to said previously compacted soil characteristic and said previously compacted actual compaction characteristic.

30. A method, as set forth in claim 29, wherein the step of establishing said predicted compaction performance characteristic further comprises the step of establishing said predicted compaction performance characteristic in response to said previously compacted soil characteristic, said previously compacted actual compaction characteristic, and at least one of a lift thickness, number of lifts, lift measurement, depth of lift measurement, location of said soil characteristic, predicted rainfall, and a standard of compaction.

31. A method, as set forth in claim 26, wherein said predicted compaction performance characteristic includes at least one of a recommended number of lifts, a recommended number of mats, a recommended lift thickness, a mat thickness, a recommended lift material type, and a recommended additive material.

32. A method, as set forth in claim 26, wherein said predicted compaction performance characteristic includes a productivity characteristic.

33. A method, as set forth in claim 26, wherein said productivity characteristic includes at least one of a number of machines to perform said compaction, a type of machines to perform said compaction, a route of a machine performing said compaction, a time characteristic of said compaction, a predicted compaction yards per hour, a cost characteristic associated with said compaction, a compaction profile based on a number and a type of machines.

34. A method, as set forth in claim 28, further comprising the step of modifying said predicted compaction performance characteristic in response to a recent rainfall.

35. A method, as set forth in claim 28, further comprising the step of modifying said machine selection in response to a recent rainfall.

36. A method of compacting a soil comprising the steps of:

traversing a compaction region in response to an initial compaction plan;

determining a soil characteristic during said traversal; and

modifying said compaction plan in response to said soil characteristic.

37. A method, as set forth in claim 36, further comprising the step of identifying a compaction anomaly in response to said characteristic.

38. A method, as set forth in claim 37, wherein the step of identifying a compaction anomaly includes the steps of:

determining a first soil characteristic in a first traversed region, said first traversed region being a subset of said compaction region;

determining a second soil characteristic in a second traversed region, said second traversed region being a subset of said compaction region;

comparing said first soil characteristic, said second soil characteristic and a predicted soil characteristic;

and determining said anomaly in response to said comparison.

39. A method, as set forth in claim 38, wherein the step of determining said anomaly further comprises the step of determining said anomaly when said first soil characteristic is within a threshold of said predicted soil characteristic, and said second soil characteristic is not within a compaction threshold value of said first soil characteristic.

40. A method, as set forth in claim 39, wherein the step of modifying said compaction plan further comprises the step of recommending at least one of a different machine for compacting said anomaly, recommending an excavation of said anomaly, and recommending an additive for said anomaly.

41. A method, as set forth in claim 36, wherein said soil characteristic is determined in response to at least one of a machine rolling resistance, a machine internal loss, a machine fluid pressure, a machine fluid flow rate, an orientation sensor, a ground speed, and a location indicator.

42. A method of compacting a soil comprising the steps of:

traversing a compaction region;

determining a soil characteristic during said traversal; and

creating a compaction plan in response to said soil characteristic.