Toward Autonomous and Robotic Infrastructure Construction: A Workshop and Field Studies of Productivity, Quality, and Safety Impacts

Constructing long-lasting roadway infrastructure requires careful process control. It is well known in industry that an in situ manufacturing process governed solely by human operators introduces inefficiencies, variable quality results, and site safety risks (e.g., Bouvet et al. 2001, Miller et al. 2011, Scherocman and Walker 2008). Autonomous and robotic controls of the road building process have great potential to reduce these problems (e.g., Kim et al. 2012). Unfortunately, roadway construction has virtually no theory established for process control. What is called for is an academic-industry partnership to study and analyze the impacts of productivity, quality and safety for roadway construction that can quantify and prioritize the formulation of a process control theory to address this need. This proposal will fund three important efforts: (1) an nation-wide stakeholder workshop to identify gaps and opportunities for autonomous and robotics roadway construction technologies; (2) selected field studies focused on earthwork and excavation technologies; (3) and a technology transfer program to improve understanding and beneficial implementation. The results of this study are directly related to the "State of Good Repair," a key program under Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), and the Midwest Transportation Center (MTC) focus area of project construction because autonomous and robotic systems impact productivity, quality, and safety of roadway infrastructure. Funding for this project is proposed as $270k over two years ($135k MTC + $110k Caterpillar +$25k CEER/ISU).

• Record URL:
  http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/mtc/index.cfm/research/project/project/-1186207191
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Caterpillar ($60,000.00) Iowa State University ($15,000.00) USDOT/OST-R ($75,000.00) Total: $150,000.00

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $150000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  DTRT13-G-UTC37

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Midwest Transportation Center

  Iowa State University
  2711 S Loop Drive, Suite 4700
  Ames, IA  United States  50010-8664

  Caterpillar

  ,   United States 

  Iowa State University, Ames

  Center for Earthworks Engineering Research
  2711 South Loop Drive, Suite 4600
  Ames, IA  United States  50010

  Department of Transportation

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Performing Organizations:

  Iowa State University, Ames

  Center for Earthworks Engineering Research
  2711 South Loop Drive, Suite 4600
  Ames, IA  United States  50010

  Midwest Transportation Center

  Iowa State University
  2711 S Loop Drive, Suite 4700
  Ames, IA  United States  50010-8664
• Principal Investigators:

  White, David

• Start Date: 20140701
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 20151231
• Source Data: RiP Project 39367

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Earthwork; Excavation; Field studies; Productivity; Quality control; Road construction; Robotics; Safety; Technology transfer; Workshops
• Identifier Terms: Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21)
• Subject Areas: Construction; Highways; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01560541
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Midwest Transportation Center
• Contract Numbers: DTRT13-G-UTC37
• Files: UTC, RiP
• Created Date: Apr 16 2015 1:01AM