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    Automated grade checking

    Grade checking is a crucial part of any road or highway infrastructure construction project. The shift to digital construction and 3D models opens up a new world of quality control automation. In the past, surveyors had to go out and manually measure road and surface elements to ensure that roads were being built safely and according to plan. Those surveyors can now use digitalization and build high-quality reports to survey-grade accuracy in a single click.

    While construction may be slightly behind the times when it comes to digital transformation, it is time to start playing catch-up. Beginning with the automation of one of the most critical, yet time-consuming and costly actions – grade checking.

    A brief history of grade checking

    In constructing roads and highways, different materials must be layered on top of each other. The typical road has three to five layers, with the height of each defined in the design specifications. In order to ensure that the finished road is of the correct height, a Caterpillar truck – called a “grader” – is used to flatten the asphalt or concrete according to the height specifications. The term “grade checking” is derived from the name of the “grader” truck and refers to the job – “grade checking” – performed by a surveyor to ensure that each layer has been filled and flattened to the exact dimensions specified in the design.

    While usually most of the component parts will have been built properly, grade checking is a critical quality assurance step necessary to catch any flaws and ensure the structural integrity and safety of the finished road.

    For years, grade checking was performed manually, with a surveyor using a measuring tool to physically measure location and elevation. The process was lengthy, costly, and subject to human error. It also had to be repeated multiple times throughout the duration of a project.

    The advent of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) made it possible to use satellite data to increase accuracy and ease the burden on surveyors. However, even with this technology, there still remains a significant manual aspect to grade checking.

    Fully automated grade checking is the new frontier, transforming this tedious manual task into an easy, fast, and precise process.

    Automation is the name of the game

    Automated grade checking is the game changer and it has arrived here at Datumate. Using drone surveying instead of a human surveyor on the ground provides survey-grade accuracy alongside significant cost and time savings. It also eliminates the chances of human error.

    In a very simple process, it starts with importing design files into Datumate’s DatuBIM platform, according to the country and use case. It is possible to upload polygon design files or surface design files. For example, a set of design files can include the horizontal alignment (dxf), vertical profile (dxf) and cross section (dxf) or top surface (LandXML), bottom surface (LandXML), and horizontal alignment (dxf). As the project progresses, a human surveyor or a drone can be used to collect current accurate measurement data. Those measured points are then uploaded to the system and the result is an accurate report of any height or other spatial differences throughout the project.

    One drone flight and a few minutes of technical activity replaces hours of time and manpower that would have otherwise been spent on grade checking. Already used by Datumate customers in building state highways, feedback from users of Automated Grade Checking is that it is a game changer, enabling them to transition from ‘wheeling’ and ‘walking’ it in the past to ‘flying’ it today. In other words, what was once done using a measuring wheel was then supplemented with information from a GNSS receiver, and is now fully automated using drones.

    The digital transformation is all about taking tedious, manual legacy processes and enhancing or replacing them with technology that makes them easier, less labor-intensive, and more cost-effective, while providing significant business value. In the case of automated grade checking, construction companies and owners can ensure the quality of their projects at a fraction of the cost and manpower.

    The result: Datumate’s grade-checking reports

    At the end of the day (or drone flight), it is the grade-checking report that is most important. This is the quality assurance “proof” needed to show that the project is proceeding as planned and that the actual results are in line with the design.

    Even more importantly, the grade checking report must show any discrepancies – where height differences exist between the design and the actual. This determines whether there are gaps between layers that need to be filled or conversely, whether sections need to be cut owing to too much of a particular layer in a certain spot.

    Datumate’s grade-checking report provides all of this information at a glance. It includes all of the general information about the site as well as a color-coded, easy-to-read list of measured points. A simple scan of the report will immediately draw the eye to any problem areas so that the site manager will know what needs to be addressed.

    Join the road warriors

    Datumate is proud to be at the cutting edge of infrastructure construction technology, changing the way roads and highways are being built. As competition heats up in the construction industry, now is the time to get ahead by integrating technology into your operations and creating more efficient, time- and money-saving processes.