Machine, system and method for road construction
A machine is disclosed for use building a road. The machine may include a vehicle, and a distribution arrangement mounted to the vehicle and configured to distribute a material on to a surface as the vehicle moves over the surface. The machine may also include at least one sensor mounted to the vehicle and configured to generate a signal indicative of a texture of the surface during movement of the vehicle over the surface, a locating device configured to detect a location of the texture, and a controller. The controller may be specially programmed to determine an amount of the material to be applied to the location of the texture based on the signal, and to automatically cause the distribution arrangement to distribute the amount of the material on to the surface at the location of the texture as the vehicle moves over the surface.
1 . A road building machine, comprising:
a vehicle;
a distribution arrangement mounted to the vehicle and configured to distribute a material on to a surface as the vehicle moves over the surface;
at least one sensor mounted to the vehicle and configured to generate a signal indicative of a texture of the surface during movement of the vehicle over the surface;
a locating device configured to detect a location of the texture; and
a controller in communication with the distribution arrangement, the at least one sensor, and the locating device, the controller being specially programmed to:
determine an amount of the material to be applied to the location of the texture based on the signal; and
automatically cause the distribution arrangement to distribute the amount of the material on to the surface at the location of the texture as the vehicle moves over the surface.
2 . The road building machine of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to determine a time required for an application area of the distribution arrangement to pass from a current location to the location of the texture, wherein to automatically cause the distribution arrangement to distribute the amount of the material to the surface includes selectively activating an application component of the distribution arrangement after the time required for the location of the texture to pass into the application area has expired.
3 . The road building machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one sensor is mounted at a leading end of the vehicle; and
the distribution arrangement is located at a trailing end of the vehicle.
4 . The road building machine of claim 3 , wherein:
the material is an asphalt material; and
the distribution arrangement includes a plurality of nozzles arranged across a width of the vehicle and configured to spray the spray the asphalt material.
5 . The road building machine of claim 4 , wherein:
the plurality of nozzles are grouped into a plurality of groupings that are independently controllable; and
a number of the at least one sensor is equal to a number of the plurality of groupings of the plurality of nozzles that are independently controllable.
6 . The road building machine of claim 5 , wherein:
the at least one sensor is configured to generate a plurality of signals indicative of the texture and at least one additional texture detected at different location of the surface;
the amount of the material is a volumetric amount per area of the surface over which the vehicle is moving; and
the controller is programmed to determine the amount of the material to be applied by each of the groupings of the plurality of nozzles based on the texture and the at least one additional texture of the surface detected at a plurality of different locations by the at least one sensor.
7 . The road building machine of claim 6 , wherein the controller is further programmed to:
group different locations of the surface into a plurality of groups based on different textures detected at the different locations; and
determine a different base application rate of the volumetric amount per area for each of the plurality of groups.
8 . The road building machine of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further programmed to:
receive at least one of environmental data and historical data for the different locations; and
selectively adjust the different base application rates according to at least one of environmental data and historical data.
9 . The road building machine of claim 8 , wherein the controller is programmed to cause the distribution arrangement to automatically apply the selectively adjusted different base application rates to the different locations based on the grouping.
10 . The road building machine of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further programmed to generate a virtual map of the surface based on the different locations, the textures and the plurality of groups.
11 . The road building machine of claim 8 , further including at least one additional sensor mounted on the vehicle and configured to generate the at least one of environmental data and historical data in real or near-real time as the distribution arrangement is caused to distribute the amount of the material.
12 . The road building machine of claim 8 , wherein the controller is programmed to receive the at least one of environmental data and historical data from a database.
13 . The road building machine of claim 8 , wherein environmental data includes at least one of geographical information, climate information, weather information, or traffic information.
14 . The road building machine of claim 13 , wherein the geographical information includes an exposure of the surface to at least one of the sun, a wind, a body of water, or a heat sink.
15 . The road building machine of claim 13 , wherein the climate information includes at least one of a historical temperature, a humidity, or precipitation parameter experienced at the surface.
16 . The road building machine of claim 13 , wherein the weather information includes environmental conditions at least one of anticipated or experienced at a time that the distribution arrangement is caused to automatically apply the amounts of the material.
17 . The road building machine of claim 8 , wherein the historical data includes information regarding historical performance of an existing road previously built at the location of the surface.
18 . The road building machine of claim 8 , wherein the historical data includes at least one of an application rate used to build the existing road, a recorded failure of the existing road, recorded vehicular damage caused during travel on the existing road, or maintenance records for the existing road.
19 . The road building machine of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further programmed to selectively cause the distribution arrangement to automatically apply at least one of a primer or a hardener to the surface based on the at least one of environmental data or historical data.
20 . The road building machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the material is an asphalt material;
the amount of the material is selected at least in part based on a specified parameter of aggregate to be subsequently applied on top of the material;
the distribution arrangement further includes at least one additional sensor configured to detect an actual parameter of the aggregate during application of the aggregate onto the material; and
the controller is further configured to selectively adjust the amount of the material being applied based on the actual parameter of the aggregate.
21 . The road building machine of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to:
monitor the amount of the material being applied by the distribution arrangement; and
selectively coordinate a rendezvous with a supply machine based on the monitoring.
22 . A road building machine, comprising:
a vehicle;
a distribution arrangement mounted at a trailing end of the vehicle and configured to spray an asphalt material through a plurality of nozzles onto a surface as the vehicle moves over the surface;
a plurality of sensors mounted across a leading end of the vehicle and configured to generate signals indicative of textures of the surface during movement of the vehicle over the surface, wherein a number of the plurality of sensors is equal to a number of independently controllable groups of the plurality of nozzles;
a locating device mounted to the vehicle and configured to detect locations of the textures; and
a controller in communication with the distribution arrangement, the plurality of sensors, and the locating device, the controller being specially programmed to:
determine amounts of the material to be applied to the locations of the textures based on the signals; and
automatically cause the distribution arrangement to distribute the amounts of the material onto the surface at the locations of the textures as the vehicle moves over the surface.
23 . The road building machine of claim 22 , wherein the distribution arrangement includes:
at least one spray bar in fluid communication with the plurality of nozzles; and
at least one pump associated with the at least one spray bar,
wherein the controller is programmed to adjust operation of the at least one pump based on a velocity of the vehicle.
24 . A distribution arrangement for a road building machine, comprising:
a vessel mountable to the road building machine and configured to hold an asphalt material;
a spray bar configured to extend across a trailing end of the road building machine;
a pump configured to press the asphalt material from the vessel through the spray bar;
a plurality of nozzles in fluid communication with the spray bar and configured to spray the asphalt material onto a surface as the road building machine moves over the surface;
a plurality of valves configured to regulate flows of the asphalt material through the plurality of nozzles;
a plurality of sensors configured to mount across a leading end of the road building machine and to generate signals indicative of textures of the surface during movement of the road building machine over the surface, wherein a number of the plurality of sensors is equal to a number of independently controllable groups of the plurality of nozzles;
a locating device configured to mount to the road building machine and to detect locations of the textures; and
a controller in communication with the plurality of valves, the plurality of sensors, and the locating device, the controller being specially programmed to:
determine amounts of the asphalt material to be applied to the locations of the textures based on the signals; and
automatically cause the plurality of valves to pass the amounts of the asphalt material through the plurality of valves and on to the surface at the locations of the textures as the road building machine moves over the surface.
25 . The distribution arrangement of claim 24 , wherein the controller is further programmed to:
receive at least one of environmental data and historical data for the locations of the textures; and
selectively adjust the amounts of the asphalt material according to at least one of environmental data and historical data.