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Use of Automated Machine Guidance within the Transportation Industry (2018)

Chapter: Chapter 3: AMG Information and Lexicon

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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 3: AMG Information and Lexicon." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Use of Automated Machine Guidance within the Transportation Industry. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25084.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 3: AMG Information and Lexicon." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Use of Automated Machine Guidance within the Transportation Industry. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25084.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 3: AMG Information and Lexicon." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Use of Automated Machine Guidance within the Transportation Industry. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25084.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 3: AMG Information and Lexicon." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Use of Automated Machine Guidance within the Transportation Industry. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25084.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 3: AMG Information and Lexicon." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Use of Automated Machine Guidance within the Transportation Industry. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25084.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 3: AMG Information and Lexicon." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Use of Automated Machine Guidance within the Transportation Industry. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25084.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 3: AMG Information and Lexicon." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Use of Automated Machine Guidance within the Transportation Industry. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25084.
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NCHRP Project 10-77 17 CHAPTER 3: AMG INFORMATION AND LEXICON The research team constructed a searchable electronic library of information related to AMG and supporting technologies. The project’s bibliography currently contains more than 370 documents that range from peer-reviewed academic papers to specifications to transportation agency directives to manufacturer specific videos and others. The use of AMG technology is relatively new, and our study confirmed that the AMG literature base is not as mature as that of more-established technologies and procedures. As such, academic papers accounted for only 28% of the information sources in the AMG project bibliography. Documents collected by the team range in date from 2000 to 2014. We determined that the first academic proceedings were from the 1st International Conference on Machine Control and Guidance that took place in 2008, while the TRB Annual Conference proceedings contain AMG-related papers since 2009. Even though information on AMG does not appear to have a large base of formally published papers, significant information was garnered through AMG-specific and -related websites and from slides from presentations at meetings held by transportation agencies, software and hardware vendors, and contractors. A detailed annotated bibliography and list of AMG specifications was generated from the information and literature review. In addition, a lexicon of terms used in AMG was developed and is reported in this chapter and is used through the remainder of this report. One of the key outcomes from the information and literature review was that there is very limited independently studied information that quantifies AMG machine-level performance or site-level construction efficiency gains for AMG projects. These areas require more research to fully understand the benefits of using AMG and related technologies in construction processes. AMG PROJECT BIBLIOGRAPHY TOOL The AMG information and literature that the team collected were initially organized in an electronic EndNote® database as a searchable and shareable annotated bibliographic record for the research team. As a result, the most important outcome of this portion of the project may be the ability to widely share this bibliography. EndNote® groups can be assigned access and levels of privileges (i.e., add, delete, or edit bibliographic records). In effect, the AMG project bibliography can be accessed by anyone using EndNote®. Should NCHRP decide to do so, access rights can be opened so that people with interest in AMG (e.g., experts at universities and research centers worldwide) can all contribute to the growth and maintenance of the AMG bibliographic body of knowledge. INFORMATION AND LITERATURE SOURCES Literature for the AMG project bibliography was obtained primarily through search engines and conferences and workshops. Search Engines The following search engines were utilized to discover AMG-related information and literature: • American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) library • Copernic Agent Basic, a software application that aggregates following search engines: AltaVista, AOL Search, Ask.com, Bing, CompuServe, Copernic, Cuil, Enhanced Interactive, alltheweb.com, Lycos, Netscape Netcenter, Open Directory Project, and Yahoo! • Engineering Village • Google • Google Custom Search: State DOT Search Engine

NCHRP Project 10-77 18 • Google Scholar • Google U.S. Government Search • Iowa DOT library and other state DOT search engines • Transportation Research Information Services Database (TRID) • Web of Knowledge • WorldCat Conferences and Workshops • Use of AMG Workshop: At the Workshop on the Use of Automated Machine Guidance (AMG) within the Transportation Industry, which was hosted by the project team on October 1-2, 2009, workshop participants were provided a list of literature and specifications that had been obtained by the research team as of that date. The 36 participants were asked to review the list and provide feedback on missing documents and, in particular, any existing specifications. A form with the following questions was provided to the participants during breakfast on the second day and they were asked to provide hand-written answers: - Dear Workshop Participant: Are you aware of any U.S. or International Agencies which have specifications, directives, special provisions, etc. regarding AMG? - Other Notes to NCHRP 10-77 Investigators: • Transportation Research Board: The team members attended TRB Annual Conferences and conducted two AMG workshops. The purpose of holding the workshops and attending the conferences was to disseminate awareness of the project and to obtain information and literature related to the project. TRB Committees that contributed information were: - AFH30 Application of Emerging Technologies for Design and Construction - ABJ95 Visualization in Transportation - AFB10 Geometric Design Committee - AL030 Contract Law - AL040 Emerging Technology Law • Mississippi Department of Transportation State Study No. 214: This project involves the creation of an AMG Special Provision for the agency and involved several workshops attended by more than 50 people from the agency and industry. Unpublished sources of literature were obtained by referral from participants in workshops and TRB committee meetings. AMG PROJECT BIBLIOGRAPHY ORGANIZATION AND TOPICS The annotated AMG project bibliography is organized into 9 topical categories and 25 subcategories. The primary and sub categories and associated numbers of references are provided in Table 3-1. Note that EndNote® allows a given reference to be counted in more than one category. As team members added references to the bibliography they documented the type and topic(s) of the documents. Table 3-2 lists the types of information and literature in the bibliography.

NCHRP Project 10-77 19 Table 3-1. Categories and Subcategories of References in the AMG Project Bibliography Category and Subcategories Number of Reference s Surveying Technology (Pre-Construction) 80 Satellite Systems (e.g., GPS, GNSS) 32 Stationary Laser Scanning 3 Mobile Laser Scanning 6 Ultrasonic Sensing 0 Infra-Red Sensing 1 Other 13 Low Distortion Coordinate System 6 Geodetic/Map Projection 7 Survey control for AMG 12 Design 57 Electronic Data, Geometrical Drafting 55 Mechanistic Analysis 2 Construction 105 Earthworks (e.g., excavation, placement) 58 Paving (e.g., PCC, HMA, milling) 47 Automation 89 Remote Sensing Based 26 Response Analysis Based 3 Other 60 Specifications/Standards 84 U.S. DOT 82 International 2 As-Built Geometric, Productivity, and QA/QC Documentation 12 Geometrical Mapping 11 Mechanistic Property Mapping (e.g., Intelligent Compaction) 1 Cost 24 Construction 12 Equipment 5 Life-Cycle 7 Education/Training 31 On-line 23 Classroom-based 8 Real Project Sample 30 Table 3-2. Types of Information and Literature in the AMG Project Bibliography Literature Type Number Percentage Technical paper 104 28% Technical report 54 14% Specifications/Guidance 58 15% Software 1 1% Video 22 6% Website 24 6% Animation 0 0% Photos/ Illustrations 26 7% Posters 6 2% Blogs, Frequently asked questions, and Online technical support 41 11% Presentation 39 10%

NCHRP Project 10-77 20 DISSEMINATION The documents in the AMG Project Bibliography are annotated in Appendix B and are organized by category and sub-category. Appendix B also includes a complete alphabetical list of references. The EndNote® database can be shared upon request. Appendix C contains existing AMG specifications from transportation agencies in the U.S. AMG LEXICON One outcome of this aspect of the project is a lexicon of AMG related terms that also serves the basis for terminology used in this report. A complete list of abbreviations, acronyms, initialisms, and symbols can be found after the list of works cited at the end of this document. AMG – The use of computers, positioning technology and geospatial models to provide horizontal and vertical guidance to the operators of construction equipment. (after NYS DOT revision to Std. Spec. Sec.625 revision 08-03X) Asynchronous vs. synchronous – Asynchronous training or education allows each student to maintain his or her own schedule, usually using streaming video that is delivered by the Internet or another type of media. Synchronous training requires all students to meet at the same time and possibly at the same location. Baseline – A horizontal line measured with special accuracy to provide a base for survey by triangulation. In GPS surveying, this is the position of the ground point below one receiver’s antenna relative to the position of the ground point below another receiver’s antenna. When data from the two receivers are processed together, the result is a baseline comprising a 3D vector between the two ground stations. (http://onlinemanuals.txdot.gov/txdotmanuals/ess/glossary.htm) (http://www.yourdictionary.com/baseline) Break Line – A set of consecutive line segments in a 3D geospatial model that represents an important change in slope of the terrain. Examples are V ditch flow lines, ridge lines and the line that defines the interface between the road shoulder and the foreslope. Information Model (IM) – A spatial database that holds most of the valuable information necessary for design, construction and operation of an asset. Location, dimensions, testing and quality requirements, cost, scheduled installation, maintenance requirements, and maintenance history could be included for each building component. A transportation information model (TIM) would hold equivalent data and information for a transportation facility. (US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, 3D Modeling for Construction 2013) Cartesian Coordinates – A location reference system that uses two perpendicular lines (for 2D), or the intersections of three mutually perpendicular planes (for 3D), as coordinate axes (after WordNet 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University). Cartesian systems do not recognize the curvature of the earth or the irregularities of the geoid. Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) – A network of reference stations that provides GNSS data consisting of carrier phase and code range measurements in support of three- dimensional positioning, meteorology, space weather, and geophysical applications throughout the United States. (http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/CORS/, Dec. 29, 2011)

NCHRP Project 10-77 21 Clash Detection – Identification, inspection and reporting of entities occupying the same space (hard clash) or are so close (soft clash) that there is insufficient space for access, installation, safety, etc. (BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers and Contractors) Data Preparation – Adding detail and resolving irregularities to the extent necessary to prepare a 2D or 3D model for conversion into a machine control file. Horizontal Geodetic Datum – A mathematical model of the earth designed to fit part or all of the geoid. It is defined by the relationship between an ellipsoid and a point or points on the topographic surface of the earth. The size and shape of an ellipsoid, and the location of the center of the ellipsoid with respect to the center of mass of the earth usually define world geodetic datum. Design vs Detailing – The research team proposes demarcation between 1) communication of design intent which requires the supervision of a licensed professional and 2) completing a model within the design intent which may not require the supervision of a licensed professional. A similar demarcation exists between contract documents which are sealed by a licensed professional and shop drawings which are not necessarily sealed in every case. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) – A digital representation of a topographic surface. DEM can be presented as a triangulated irregular network (TIN) which is a vector data structure that partitions geographic space into contiguous, non-overlapping triangles. (GIS Dictionary, http://support.esri.com/en/knowledgebase/GISDictionary/search) Digital Surface Model (DSM) – A DEM that includes the bare earth terrain and other features such as vegetation, buildings and other man-made (artificial) features. DTM – A DEM that includes the bare earth terrain and can include other features such as vegetation, buildings and other man-made (artificial) features from the Digital Surface Model. NOTE: See the American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing “Manual of Photogrammetry” that makes distinctions between DTMs, DEMS, and TINS, particularly the latter as TINS are kinds of DTMs. Dilution of Precision (DOP) – An indicator of the quality of a GPS position based on relative positions of satellites. DOPs account for each satellite's location relative to the other satellites in the constellation and their geometry in relation to the GPS receiver. A low DOP value indicates a higher probability of accuracy. (http://onlinemanuals.txdot.gov/txdotmanuals/ess/glossary.htm) Standard DOPs for GPS applications are: • PDOP Position (three coordinates) • HDOP Horizontal (two horizontal coordinates) • VDOP Vertical (height only) • TDOP Time (clock offset only). EDD – Includes horizontal alignments, profiles, cross-sections, slope stakes notes, two- dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) design files, digital design models (DDM), and DTM. EED – Project-related engineering data which are used for defining, designing, spatially locating, constructing, and documenting a project. This might include documents, publications, geospatial

NCHRP Project 10-77 22 data, 3D models, and graphical information (after New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) revision to Std. Spec. Sec.625 revision 08-03X) Fast Static –A method of GPS surveying using occupation times of up to 20 minutes to collect raw GPS data, then post-processing to achieve sub-centimeter precisions. Typically, the occupation times vary based on the number of satellites (SVs) in view. Fast Static is also referred to as Rapid Static. Geodesy – The branch of applied mathematics that deals with geospatial positioning and considers the shape of the earth and changes in its gravitational field (after Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2011). Geospatial Data – The geometry and spatial positioning of existing or proposed surfaces or features that are related to a specific coordinate system and elevation datum. (after NYS DOT revision to Std. Spec. Sec.625 revision 08-03X) LIDAR – is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to a target object. These light pulses generate precise, three- dimensional information about the shape of the object. Map projection – A mean for transforming the curved surface of an ellipsoid, representing the Earth’s surface, into a flat two-dimensional plane. Map projections allow features on the Earth’s surface to be represented horizontally in a plane. They are the basis for not only computer- generated and paper maps but also the horizontal Cartesian component of the reference system for DTMs. Multipath – Interference (similar to ghosts on a television screen) that occurs when GPS signals arrive at an antenna after traveling different paths. The signal traveling the longer path yields a larger pseudo range estimate and increases the error. Multiple paths might arise from reflections off hard surfaces near the antenna. (http://onlinemanuals.txdot.gov/txdotmanuals/ess/glossary.htm Observation –An uninterrupted collection of GPS data at a particular point in the field. Several observations are made simultaneously in a session to support computation of baselines from the data. (http://onlinemanuals.txdot.gov/txdotmanuals/ess/glossary.htm) Real Time Kinematic (RTK) –A technique that differences GPS carrier phase measurements using a single stationary reference station, or network of them, and radio or cellular links to provide real-time centimeter-level accuracy corrections to other mobile GPS antennas. Rover – A mobile GPS receiver that when used in conjunction with a stationary receiver can obtain differentially corrected ground coordinates. Any receiver used in a dynamic mode is called a rover. (http://onlinemanuals.txdot.gov/txdotmanuals/ess/glossary.htm Pattern lines – The equivalent of cross section lines on a 3D proposed surface. The surface is resolved as facets between neighboring pattern lines. Static (surveying) –A method of GPS surveying using long occupation times (hours in some cases) to collect raw GPS data, then post processing to achieve sub-centimeter precisions. (http://onlinemanuals.txdot.gov/txdotmanuals/ess/glossary.htm)

NCHRP Project 10-77 23 Site Calibration –A process of computing parameters that establish the relationship between WGS-84 positions (latitude, longitude and ellipsoid height) determined by GPS observations and local known coordinates defined by a map projection and elevations above a vertical datum. The parameters are used to generate local grid coordinates from WGS-84 (and vice-versa) real-time in the field when using RTK surveying methods. (http://onlinemanuals.txdot.gov/txdotmanuals/ess/glossary.htm) Spearin Doctrine – A precedent Supreme Court case that defined the legal principle of “Implied Warranty of Adequate Design Documents Furnished by the Owner.” (United States v. Spearin, 248 U.S. 132 (1918)) Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) –A satellite-based system that broadcasts GPS correction information. WAAS–enabled GPS receivers receive signals from WAAS satellites. WAAS is the US equivalent of the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay (EGNOS) and Japan’s Multifunctional Transport Satellite Space-based Augmentation System (MSAS). (http://onlinemanuals.txdot.gov/txdotmanuals/ess/glossary.htm) Work Plan – Discusses how AMG technology will be integrated into other technologies and methodologies employed on a construction project.

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TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Web-Only Document 250: Use of Automated Machine Guidance within the Transportation Industry studies automated machine guidance (AMG) implementation barriers and develop strategies for effective implementation of AMG technology in construction operations. AMG links design software with construction equipment to direct the operations of construction machinery with a high level of precision, and improve the speed and accuracy of the construction process. AMG technology may improve the overall quality, safety, and efficiency of transportation project construction.

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