A4CSEL for
Earthworks
Deepening A4CSEL
to adapt to the unique conditions and constraints of construction work
A4CSEL has a proven track record at multiple, various types of dam sites,
and during the construction of the CSG (cemented sand and gravel) embankment of Naruse Dam,
we used A4CSEL to operate more than ten automated construction machines day and night.
Furthermore, in completing “A4CSEL for Tunnel”,
we successfully automated and remotely controlled six operations at the tunnel face during construction of a mountain tunnel.
In fiscal 2024, we applied A4CSEL to construction sites for land development.
We will further develop A4CSEL to handle the conditions and constraints unique to land-development construction.
Illustration of A4CSEL in operation during construction work
From dam construction to land development
We first applied A4CSEL to dam construction because a lot of repetitive work is involved and the quality of the materials used is consistent. Having thereby gained a track record in dam construction, we next aimed at applying A4CSEL to work involved in land development, which involves moving large amounts of earth. However, as for land-development work, site conditions to be moved change from work task to task; accordingly, even for work similar to dam construction, it was challenging to deal with the complex topography and materials, ground-elevation differences that change in accordance with construction progress and location.
The first application of A4CSEL to construction work was the Okazaki City Achiwa District Industrial Park Development Project, where we operated two automated vibrating rollers. Even though the construction area in this project has a complex shape, we developed a construction-planning system that allocates roller-operating lanes according to the shape. The system automatically creates an optimal construction plan—according to the daily changing site conditions—while accommodating ground-elevation differences.
Automatic vibrating rollers spreading and leveling the ground at the Achiwa District Industrial Park Development Project in Okazaki City
Start of full-scale application of A4CSEL to construction work (video: 3min43s)
(in Japanese)
Developing new types of construction equipment
that adapt to the unique constraints and conditions
of construction work and coordinating four types
As part of construction work, earthwork consists of four tasks: loading, transporting, leveling, and compaction. To improve productivity, it is important to increase the number of these tasks that can be automated.
The automated-construction technologies cultivated through application of A4CSEL for dam construction, such as leveling with an automated bulldozer and compaction with an automated vibrating roller, can also be utilized in land-development work. In addition to utilizing these two technologies, we have added loading with an automated backhoe and transportation with an automated articulated dump truck* that can run on temporary roads used in land-development work. As a result, we have successfully automated the entire series of tasks that make up embankment work. In other words, we have successfully coordinated these four types of automated construction machinery in land-development work, and we are currently working on introducing them to construction sites.
* Compared to the rigid dump trucks that A4CSEL uses at dams, dump truck with a center-bending mechanism can to run on rougher roads and turn in a smaller turning circle.
Automatic backhoe loading into an automatic articulated dump truck
Two types of A4CSEL-automated construction equipment: backhoe and articulated dump truck
(video: 4min2s)
(in Japanese)
