Virtual Construction Equipment Sensor for Determining Soil Stiffness during Compaction

Processes on construction sites are characterized by a high proportion of manual work, rapid variability and harsh working conditions. As a result, the level of digitalization and automation as well as productivity is low. In the near future, digital assistance and documentation systems will be used to counteract these shortcomings. To achieve this, machines must be able to learn more about their work processes and pass this information on to information systems. Innovative sensor systems for recording machine performance are in demand. Digital (BIM) models of the objects to be built offer the possibility of providing target quality data for machine operation and storing the achieved quality data after construction. In soil compaction using vibratory plates, soil stiffness is still recorded manually today, although automated recording would be conceivable. Relevant input and output variables for the compaction process are to be collected for the soil compaction application. On this basis, a sensor system for determining soil stiffness during compaction is designed and built as a prototype. This will result in a multivariable system with influencing, measured and target variables (virtual sensor), which can be used for the structured development of statistically meaningful test series to determine the correlation between measured values and the quality of the compaction process (soil stiffness). Robust algorithms for recording and transferring the degree of soil compaction during compaction were derived from the tests on the chair's own test site and demonstrate that measuring the absolute soil stiffness during compaction with vibratory plates is possible. This conclusion provides the basis for increased quality, automation and digital continuity of future earthworks.