AUTOMATIC CONTROLS ON CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT: STATE OF THE ART

THE USE OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES FOR AUTOMATIC CONTROL OF CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT HAS INCREASED STEADILY SINCE THE INCEPTION IN 1958. SEVENTY PERCENT OF THE STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENTS IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE REQUIRED AUTOMATIC CONTROL AT SOME TIME OR ANOTHER, AND 65 PERCENT REGULARLY SPECIFY AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLED EQUIPMENT. HIGHWAY DEPARTMENTS IN CANADA HAVE BEEN LEADERS IN THE USE OF THIS AUTOMATIC EQUIPMENT, AND UNITED STATES AND EUROPEAN PLANT MANUFACTURERS ARE EXPERIENCING AN INCREASING DEMAND FOR ELECTRONIC GUIDANCE SYSTEMS ON ROAD CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY. A DESCRIPTION OF TYPICAL ELECTRONIC CONTROL DEVICES NOW ON THE MARKET IS INCLUDED IN THIS EVALUATION. EXAMPLES ARE GIVEN OF THE SMOOTHNESS THAT MAY BE EXPECTED WITH ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED PAVERS WHEN CONDITIONS ARE FAVORED BY GOOD WORKMANSHIP AND GOOD EQUIPMENT. ALTHOUGH AUTOMATIC CONTROLS REDUCE THE DEPENDENCE ON OPERATING PERSONNEL, THERE IS INJECTED THE ADDED PROBLEM OF SETTING AND MAINTAINING THE CONTROLS. PERSONNEL PROPERLY TRAINED IN AUTOMATIC CONTROLS MUST BE AVAILABLE ON THE JOB. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1970/316/316-001.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Paper sponsored by Special Committee on Highway Equipment and presented at the 49th Annual Meeting. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Bower, Laurence C
  • Gerhardt, Burrell B
• Publication Date: 1970

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 1-14
• Monograph Title: Construction and construction equipment
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 316
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automatic control; Construction equipment; Electronic equipment; Pavers; Paving; State highways; Training
• Old TRIS Terms: Electronic devices
• Subject Areas: Education and Training; Highways; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00219404
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Nov 9 1970 12:00AM