3D Machine Control and Guidance

Unfortunately I don’t have any hands on experience with machine control and guidance. I have spent a lot of time on “dirt” projects, but I have been out of the field too long to have worked with this increasingly important 3D AEC technology.

That’s not the case for Randy Nolan, Editor of Machine Control Online. I recently connected with Randy and we agreed that although there could be some competitive issues down the road, that it was more important to focus on growing the overall pie.

In his most  recent column Randy starts out by confirming a recent position of mine – most design firms are still producing 2D paper drawings as their deliverable, or in some cases 2D CAD files. At present it appears to be an extra step in the workflow to have the 3D digital terrain model (DTM) created for the project, which I assume has to include all of the grades for the various materials – from the subgrade to the finished surface. I hope the CAD vendors are listening.

The disappointing, but expected news is that once the DTM is created there are no standards for transferring the data between the office and the earth moving equipment – ouch. I will leave the subject of standards for another time, but suffice it to say this can lead to lost productivity and in the worst case errors in the field.

A little more research on Randy’s site reveals that the introduction of machine control technology is producing a number of firms that specialize in data preparation and training. One of these is Harken-Reider, based in Front Royal, VA. They actually see the need for a “Construction Site Data Manager” position, someone who is responsible for insuring that the data is correct and available in the right format, at the right time.

The equipment manufacturers, such as Trimble and Topcon have important roles to play in this technology adoption process. This to me is “low hanging fruit” in terms of the AEC industry working together to make the adoption of this technology a much simpler and less painful process. This has to be on the 3D for AEC agenda.