3D Grade Control Puts Designers Right in the Operator’s Seat
More jobsites are using global positioning systems to pinpoint survey stations and guide machinery with millimeter accuracy. But automation is putting everyone to the test. "The attention to detail needs to be a lot higher than what some firms are used to," says Jeff Schug, COO of McClure Engineering, Ankeny, Iowa. Until the industry gets used to automation, the cost-savings wont be seen, probably for several years, adds Mike Coleman, project manager for Minnesota Dept. of Transportation.
GPS, which guides automatic grade controls on earthmoving machines, is well on its way to becoming an industry standard for survey, design and construction. But there are many hoops to jump through before that happens. Automation is closing the precipitous gap between the drawing board and the field. It is changing the way engineers design infrastructure, just as much as it is changing the way operators drive dozers.