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Improving landfill compact rates with Carlson Machine Guidance

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The Summerhill Waste Management Centre (SWMC) has available air space in excess of 14,000,000 m3, an approved tonnage limit of 364,000 tonnes per annum and no time limit on existing development consent.  SWMC will be able to operate until all available air space is exhausted.

Located in Wallsend, west of Newcastle, New South Wales, Summerhill Landfill has operated since 1996. The 264-hectare site, located on the site of an old colliery, receives around 190,000 tonnes of waste of which 60,000 tonnes per annum of general solid waste is from Commercial & Industrial (C&I) sources. In 2011, the City of Newcastle endorsed a Development Application for the Stage Two Development of the Summerhill Landfill Waste Management site. This application extends the life of the current landfill operations well into the future. In order to improve compaction rates and extend the life of the landfill, Brad Wood, Operations Manager at Summerhill, began looking to use machine guidance technology onsite. During his market research, Brad came across the specialist Carlson range of landfill machine guidance products, a competitive tender for the Supply and Installation of a GPS Based Landfill Management System was advertised in November 2013 and awarded to Position Partners in March 2014

In July 2014, Position Partners installed Carlson Landfill Grade Software onto a Dozer and Compactor as well as installing Carlson Fleet Manager Office into the site office.

Implementing the technology

According to Brad, the initial installation and commissioning, managed by Position Partners, was simple and straightforward.

“Because the site had been checked prior to our investment, the set up was simple, and our machines were working in next to no time,” he said.

“Position Partners were on hand to provide my team with all of the training we then needed to be able to get to work with the new software,” Brad added.

The benefits of using Carlson

Experience on landfill sites around the world has shown the benefits of implementing Carlson Landfill Grade and Fleet Manager Office are vast. In the case of Summerhill Landfill, Carlson products have saved time and costs, and improved production levels.

“The benefits of using Carlson were visible from the start; I would definitely recommend Carlson products to all landfill sites across Australia,” said Brad.

 “For the guys out in the field, Carlson Grade has proven to be an important tool that helps them to understand what they need to achieve by the end of the day.

“Through the in-cab screens the guys can see when they have reached grade and can then progress to the next section of garbage; this improves our compaction rate and really does save a lot of time” he said. 

Given the lack of additional landfill space within the region, maximising the existing landfill space through high compaction rates is vital to the longevity of the Summerhill site.

“Using Carlson will without doubt prolong the life of Summerhill Landfill, meaning we will be able to compact more waste in the same space,” said Brad.

“By using Carlson you know that you are fully compacted at the end of each day, which means we are maximising airspace and prolonging the life of the landfill.”  

 

Cost reductions also play an important role in the implementation of this technology. Carlson Grade enables workers and office staff to see when the machine has hit grade.

“The screen in-cab provides real time data which highlights when a machine has reached maximum compaction.

“In the past, a compactor may have continued to make passes over an area to ensure maximum compaction was reached, but with Carlson Landfill Grade this information is provided in real time, meaning fewer passes,” Brad said.

“Reducing the number of passes required to reach grade has also resulted in a significant reduction in fuel consumption, which is proving a highly effective cost saving measure.

“We would have to re-visit the cost-benefit analysis before we could put a monetary figure on the savings from using Carlson – but there are definite savings to our bottom line,” he said.

“In addition, I would say that this system gives us a better trafficable surface; we now get improved preparation and a more even consistent finish to the compacted garbage, allowing us to apply an even rate of cover.”

“In the office, I use Carlson Fleet Manager to monitor what is going out in the field; it is a brilliant tool to check site progress and make sure that the machines are on grade, the cut fills are on track – so this is a really good tool.”

However, Brad did say he faced some challenges in getting to grips with the new system.

 “From my perspective, with no survey background, I found learning to understand this software was a fairly challenging process, and required me to put the time aside to learn it,” he said.

“Position Partners were always on hand to provide training to help guide me through the new landfill system, and within no time at all I was up to speed” Brad added. 

Teething Issues

After the initial set up Brad experienced some teething issues with Fleet Manager Office software.

“We had a few teething issues when we first started to use the new technology, as you would with any new technology,” he said.

“However, Wayne was on hand to help troubleshoot and resolve any issues.

“They were resolved quickly and didn’t impact on our production.”

Recommendations
 
Certainly the challenges in implementing and learning the Carlson Landfill system haven’t deterred Brad from recommending Carlson products to other sites.

“Since installing Carlson Machine control, I have received several calls from other landfill sites who are keen to see how we are progressing with the new technology” Brad said

“Given our experiences, I would recommend Carlson Landfill Grade and Fleet Manager Office products he said. 

Topcon system delivers millimetre precision to stringless slipform kerbing

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Pioneering the use of Topcon millimetre GPS technology on a slipform kerbing machine has really paid off for Sydney-based Statewide Kerbing in terms of significantly increased productivity, improved site safety, labour savings and accuracy to within 2-3 mm.

Statewide Kerbing specialises in offering slipform paving and kerbing services throughout NSW. The company has 25 employees and operates a fleet of six slipform pavers, including four Power Curbers, one Miller M1000 and an Arrow 750XL.

With more than 40 years of industry experience, company co-owner Brian Scattergood has seen dramatic changes in the use of technology in recent years. And he attributes the company’s adoption of new technology to his son and business partner, Warren. 

“I am more traditional I suppose and I find it harder to get my head around the technology than my son does,” Brian Scattergood said.

“From encouraging me to purchase our first slipform paver in 2000, through to adopting machine control technology this year, Warren continues to push the latest techniques to improve efficiency and productivity.

“Our business has grown and won more work as a result.”

Choosing the right solution

Statewide Kerbing’s latest technology recruit is a Topcon mmGPS machine control system fitted to a Power Curber 5700C.

Having seen a live demonstration of this system configuration in Queensland, hosted by Power Curber’s Oceania distributor, Aran Australia, the Scattergoods decided to purchase a Topcon-fitted machine.  

“This is our first venture into machine control and so far I am very impressed with its performance and accuracy,” Brian Scattergood said.

“I went out on site to see it in action and was amazed to see it produce 2-3mm accuracy on chicanes. They were shaped to perfection and it was like watching a CAD design come to life – I couldn’t have hoped for better,” he said.

The Topcon-fitted Power Curber is currently on its first job for civil contractor TRN, completing subdivision work at Oran Park in Sydney’s south west.

“Like any new technology, it was daunting to begin with,” said Warren Scattergood.

“But we have had excellent training and support from Position Partners, Topcon’s Australian distributors, and I am sure we will get faster and more efficient using it as time goes on.

“Our client TRN has also been very helpful, offering to give us a hand if we need it ­– as they have a lot of experience with Topcon systems, which they have fitted to many of their own machines,” he said.

“In fact, TRN originally suggested the idea of machine control to us and have been very supportive of our move into this technology.”  

Eliminating stringlines

Using the Topcon system eliminates the need to set out stringlines, as the machine automatically runs to the design loaded into a control box, mounted next to the control panel. This alone will save Statewide Kerbing huge amounts of time and labour.

“You don’t get paid for setting out, managing and packing up stringlines,” Warren Scattergood said.

“With this stringless system from Topcon, if we’re aiming to complete 500 m in a day we get to pour concrete two and a half hours earlier, because we don’t need to spend three hours setting out pegs in the morning.

“And instead of having more guys out the front of the machine setting out pegs, we now need more behind it doing the finishing, because the machine can pour out concrete that much faster,” he said.

In addition to saving time, stringless technology enables the crew to keep working if they are running ahead of schedule.

“Without this system, we would be limited by the stringlines we’d set out in the morning,” Brian Scattergood said.

“If you’re getting good concrete service and you complete the section you’d pegged out for the day, you’d traditionally stop there. With this new setup, we can keep going and make the most of those good days to stay ahead of schedule.”

Employee health and safety is also high on the company’s priorities.

“Staking pegs in the ground over a long period of time can result in repetitive strain injuries (RSIs),” he said.

“By eliminating stringlines with machine control, we can help to keep our employees safe and free from injury.”

Staying ahead of the game

Machine control is becoming increasingly commonplace on construction sites for machines such as dozers, graders and excavators.

However, for slipform paving, take-up of the technology is still in its infancy.

Most machine control systems for slipform and asphalt pavers require a complex total station setup to achieve the tight tolerances; in contrast, Topcon is the only company in the world to offer a mmGPS solution.

“Topcon’s mmGPS system delivers unprecedented accuracy without the need to complete resections every day like a total station setup requires,” said Gary Campbell, Position Partners’ NSW Field Services Supervisor.

The Topcon system uses a high precision, Lazer Zone™ transmitter in addition to GPS positioning to achieve millimetre accuracy for paving applications.

“It takes just a few minutes at the start of the day to setup the laser and you can begin pouring concrete straight away, without any further adjustments required,” Campbell said.

“By adding a millimetre GPS rover such as the Topcon HiPer V to the setup, all the set-out and levels can be checked days in advance across areas that are being prepared for the paver.

“As soon as the machine has completed one section, it can move straight onto the next without delay.”

Aran Australia’s Shane Dunstan sees mmGPS technology as the future for the industry.

“In the United States and Canada this technology is used a lot more than it is in our region,” he said.

“Power Curber and Topcon first worked together on an integrated solution in Canada, as a result, Aran has been working closely with Topcon’s Australian distributors, Position Partners, to deliver the same technology to our mutual customers.”

Warren Scattergood believes Statewide Kerrbing is setting a new standard for slipform paving with the Topcon-fitted Power Curber.

“Now that the technology has been proved to us, it’s time to prove its capabilities to our clients,” he said.

“We are now looking forward to using it on major projects and barrier walls, where we think we’ll also see significant time savings and cost benefits.

“On some of our recent barrier wall jobs it has been challenging to complete the work as the tight spaces left little room for stringlines.

“I’m very much looking forward to the next job being stringless!” he said.

 

Site management telematics set new safety and production standards on dam upgrade

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Australia’s largest-yet application of the latest site management telematics systems, combined with Topcon GPS-based precision machine guidance, has been setting new safety and productivity standards in a major upgrade to a key water supply reservoir for Melbourne’s western and northwestern suburbs.

Thiess is carrying out an upgrade of the dam wall for Melbourne Water’s Greenvale Reservoir to ensure a secure water supply for the city’s western suburbs.

It is using a fleet of earthmoving equipment – including around 15 excavators fitted with Topcon’s X63 indicate system – supplied by national plant hirer, EA Hire Equipment, and all integrated with Topcon’s SiteLink 3D system and Position Partners’ Tokara Service system.

The Greenvale Reservoir, with a storage capacity of 27,500 million litres, was completed in 1971 and is Melbourne’s most urbanised large dam, being located just 20 km from the city’s CBD.

The work involves strengthening the reservoir by installing new filter zones and earthfill on the downstream embankment, to ensure a continued secure water supply and to maintain public safety.

This involves cutting back around two-thirds of the 2.8 km long dam wall, installing these fine and coarse filter zones, then reinstating the embankment, said Garry Plautz, Thiess’s superintendent on the project.

“The total project entails removing 300,000 cubic metres of material to stockpiles, then importing 160,000 tonnes of sand to build the filters that are placed up the excavated batters, then compacting all the earth fill back in layers,” he said.

With the dam walls up to 17.5 m high, and with 3:1 batters, plus a tight construction schedule, Plautz said that for safety and productivity reasons, Thiess wanted to eliminate people on the ground around the multiple pieces of earthmoving equipment – mainly excavators and scrapers – working on the embankment.

“We didn’t want surveyors or other workers walking in and around the equipment while it was working – whether they were checking levels and as-builts, or delivering construction plans to the equipment,” he said.

“Basically we wanted to eliminate people on the ground, which is why we approached Position Partners about their Tokara system. It allows us to remotely transfer data between the survey office and the machines on the ground, taking away the interface between plant and people.

“It’s really about safety and production; if people are on the ground near machinery, the machine has got to stop. For example, every time the surveyor goes into an excavator’s slew zone, or within 15 metres, the machine has to stop,” said Plautz.

In addition to conventional buckets, EA Hire’s excavators on this project were fitted with 4.9 m stick-mounted blades for shaping the filters, and 1.5 m by 2.5 m plate compactors to compact and stabilise the sand.

Digital models for the initial embankment removal, filter placement – there are up to 12 different filter designs – and embankment reinstatement are built up by Thiess’s team of on-site surveyors, then delivered remotely to the excavators using Tokara Service.

These digital models are then used with Topcon’s X63 indicate system for excavation, filter and material placement.

“Once the excavators have finished cutting to the design levels, whether it be on a batter or on the floor of the dam, the operators are able to save that data and send it to the survey office, again using Tokara,” said Plautz.

“That means we get real-time survey data back at the office and we’re able then to put that information into a report for the project to be signed off by the client.

“That data is accepted as as-built by the client, as it’s no different to what we’d get from a conventional survey,” he said.

Likewise placement of the filters and reinstatement of the embankment is all done using the X63 system from the digital models supplied.

“We don’t actually have to survey those; that’s all done and visually inspected in the field.

“And once the filters are shaped up by the excavators then scrapers come in and place the 1A embankment materials, and then up goes the dam wall. And it’s just a matter of repeating the process,” said Plautz.

The fine filters are constructed of specially selected imported sand, brought in from a quarry around 150 km away from the site, and moistened with water to allow the sand to be compacted.

Filter construction techniques vary, depending on their location and design; some are loaded by the excavators out the back of a tipper, others are dumped from side-tipping semis then graded and shaped into place using the blade-mounted excavators before being compacted.

According to EA Hire’s managing director Laurence Eales, the combination of the Topcon’s X63 excavator system, Position Partner’s Tokara Service and SiteLink 3D system enabled his company to deliver a solution for the Greenvale project that was essentially labour-free out on site.

“The whole way this project has been set up has generated huge savings in time and increased productivity,” he said.

“Having Tokara on all our excavators has meant Position Partners was able to develop a database so that the excavators can all deliver as-built data and images of the work they’ve done – and that’s meant huge savings all round.

“This is one of the first projects in Australia where we’ve actually utilised all these systems on the machines to eliminate the need for surveyors out in the field,” said Eales.

“And with SiteLink 3D, our client Thiess has the option to see on a single computer screen all the machines on site, what everyone’s working on, and if there’s any areas where they need more resources.

“It means they can check progress of each machine, and download files and information remotely.

“When Thiess came to us about this project, they had a pretty firm idea of what they wanted to achieve,” he said.

“We put in a lot of work with Position Partners to ensure we could bring Thiess the solutions they were after – and it was good to see that we have been able to deliver them.

“We’ve now got all these machines out there that are remotely feeding all this information back to Thiess’s head office.

“It’s all been a great success,” said Eales. “The way we’ve done this project has saved our client a lot of money and a lot of time.

“This project really is a bit of a white paper on what can be done with this technology; I think a lot of other projects out there will be very interested in what we’ve achieved – and there will be major advantages for others applying the lessons we’ve learnt.”

Josh Allan, Position Partners’ machine systems sales manager for Victoria and Tasmania said that the Greenvale Reservoir project had been a three-way partnership between Thiess, EA Hire Equipment and Position Partners to come up with site management and machine control solutions that met the project’s requirements.

“We all worked very closely together to come up with site management telematics solutions that would allow the Thiess surveyors to instantly transfer updated DTMs to the machines on the ground,” he said.

“Our aim was to optimise dataflow, and eliminate the need for surveyors to be on the ground physically delivering the revised designs to machine operators.

“In a major project such as Greenvale, there are always design changes required while the project proceeds, with the engineers feeding back to the surveyors their changing requirements – which then need to be transferred to the machines on the ground.

“Tokara Service really simplifies and streamlines this dataflow process, ensuring constant communication as required between the surveyors in the design office and the onsite machines,” said Allan.

“We also geared up significantly through our Project Service Team in Victoria, to ensure we had the resources in place to meet the demands of this project.

“This gives us the ability to provide the service, support and expertise to manage contractors’ requirements in complex major projects, and ensure maximum uptime for the site management systems and the machines carrying out the work,” he said.

Position Partners offers a network of Project Service Teams around Australia, providing the specialised services to assist in delivering on a range of major projects.

Allan said that in the case of Greenvale, Position Partners wanted to ensure it had the right tech support staff available at the right times.

“With the implementation of Tokara Service and Sitelink 3D being new for many of the people on this project we had to make sure the right training was delivered,” he said.

“In addition, we had a rapid ramp up of machines, combined with operators having varying levels of experience with machine-guided systems.

“For this reason, we created and delivered a custom ‘verification of competency’ (VOC) program.

“This involved working with Thiess and EA Hire to ensure the whole site was running with a common understanding of the systems and procedures that were being implemented.

“We really feel that this whole process has helped significantly with increasing productivity on the project,” Allan said.

Project superintendent Garry Plautz said that as a result of this process, the implementation of the site management telematics elements of the Greenvale project went very smoothly.

“It was a very fast ramp up. It took about four hours to set each machine up to be able to remotely receive and send the files from and to our surveyors, then they went to work straight away,” he said.

“In terms of eliminating people on site, it worked really well; you don’t see people on the ground at all.

“The impact of having surveyors out there doing pickups all the time would have been massive; it would have been hours and hours of lost production,” said Plautz.

“It will definitely allow us to finish this job a lot sooner than with conventional methods.

“And the other thing is, you couldn’t actually do this project without GPS; we couldn’t have pegged any of it, so GPS was the only way it was going to get done,” he said.

“We did a lot of work with Position Partners and EA Hire to get the systems in place we needed to do this job.

“And the client had never used GPS on a site like this before, so they were very interested to see how it would work.

“We believe this is the first time this technology has been used on such a large scale – and it’s all worked very well for us,” Plautz said.

Omniscan, Australia’s provider of UAV asset inspections

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First company in Australia to provide specialist commercial asset solutions using the Ascending Technologies Falcon 8

Omniscan, a newly established asset inspection, analysis and reporting company, has chosen the Ascending Technologies Falcon 8 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) from Position Partners to provide drone specialist services in Australia.

The innovative company, based in Brighton, Victoria, offers a variety of services using drone technology including structural analysis, thermal imaging, multispectral imaging, 3D modelling and surveying with the analysis carried out by qualified engineers.

“We provide a one-stop shop for customers who require survey work; providing not only the survey flight operated by CASA certified pilots, but also accurate analysis and timely reporting by our team of qualified engineers. ” said Gabriel Cohen, the founder of Omniscan.

“We’re really excited about introducing the Falcon 8 for asset inspection and surveying projects in Australia.” Mr Cohen  
 
Choosing the right solution

Because it was critical that Omniscan select the right UAS for the job, Ryan Kent, Business Development Manager at Position Partners, guided the company through the options available.

“At Position Partners, we offer a range of UAS technology options for a variety of applications,” Mr Kent said.

“We worked closely with Omniscan to fully understand the company’s needs so we could recommend the most suitable UAS to suit their operations and their clients’ requirements.

Omniscan opted for the Falcon 8, a high-tech micro UAS which is ideal for detailed inspection work and aerial surveying, as well as being safe, reliable, portable and easy to use.

“The Falcon 8 is a great size; we can transport it fully assembled so when we arrive on site, we just open the box, insert the battery, and start work,” said Mr Cohen.

In order to maximise the range of applications for its Falcon 8, Omniscan can provide services using additional payload options: a near-infrared camera, a Sony A7R 36 megapixel camera and a FLIR thermal camera.

Benefits of using UAS

UAS offers a number of significant advantages in asset inspection and survey work compared with traditional methods.

Traditional survey and inspection work generally involves a field survey crew moving between survey points using a standard GPS device. In some surveying and asset inspection situations, accessing locations that need to be surveyed can prove challenging, for example in potentially hazardous conditions, or in difficult terrain.

The use of the latest UAS technology allows Omniscan to put safety first by replacing manual inspections with its detailed aerial inspections.

“Using UAS for surveying work ultimately saves the client thousands of dollars in man hours and can safely inspect assets that might otherwise pose a safety risk to manually inspect” said Mr Cohen.

UAS technology also provides higher quality and quantity of data.

For example, when using UAS technology for surveying, the flight can be reviewed and extra information abstracted without having to return to site. In addition, if the site is surveyed regularly, a historical database can be complied, allowing visual changes to be readily compared.

Workflow improvements

The AscTec Falcon 8 comes with a fully integrated software solution, which enables aerial images to be tagged, and flight data to be georeferenced during the flight.

The Falcon 8 also streamlines the workflow, enabling the pilot to plan the mission before take-off, define the survey zone, ground resolution and photo overlap, and the number of waypoint and positions to include.

It even provides the ability to export the flight data while still in the field.

 “Using the Falcon 8 for our asset maintenance and inspection work means we can provide real time data to our clients and show them clearly and quickly which areas need to be attended to immediately,” Mr Cohen said.

The Falcon 8 flight system sends all flight data to a mobile ground station in real time, so that all visual and acoustic signals are available during the flight.

Local support and service from Position Partners

Learning and adapting to this new UAS technology was not a challenge for Omniscan.

“The level of support and service we have received from Position Partners has been excellent; they are always on hand to help if we have any issues, which is an important feature for a new business such as ours,” said Mr Cohen.

The company’s CASA-certified pilot was provided with training specific to the Falcon 8 by Position Partners to familiarise him with its operations. 

One-man bathymetric surveys

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Shane Watson is a Senior Mine Surveyor for Newmont Mining Corporation, based at Boddington Gold Mine in Western Australia.

The recent downturn across the Australian resources sector has resulted in many companies exploring the latest technology to improve efficiency and lower operating costs.

In response to a callout by Newmont to reduce operating costs across the mine, Mr Watson undertook a cost/benefit analysis of purchasing an unmanned survey boat to conduct bathymetric surveys and manage water usage across the site.

Mr Watson and his team are responsible for conducting monthly Residue Displacement Area (RDA) surveys, in addition to regular volumetric surveys of dams and water storage facilities throughout the mine site. The team monitors sediment build-up and is also conducting resurveys across all dams on site, due to inaccurate historic data.

“Previously, we contracted out our bathymetric survey work each month,” Mr Watson explained. “When I heard about the new remotely operated survey boats appearing on the market, I thought it would be worthwhile to explore our options to see if the technology could save us time and money.”

Mr Watson explained that local support was a key factor in the decision making process. “We narrowed it down to two systems, but chose the PosiCraft by Position Partners because they have an office in Perth and a team that would be able to assist us with training, support and any repairs when required,” he said.

Other key factors were safety and the ability to conduct one-man surveys. “The PosiCraft has a unique trailer launch system that allows the surveyor to stand at a safe distance from any hazardous water while launching the boat,” he added. “Also, it is a lot lighter than other systems on the market, enabling a one-man lift that reduces manual handling.”

The PosiCraft is a purpose-built remote control survey boat that has been designed for the survey and mining industries. It uses on-board GNSS positioning and/or a total station, combined with a survey-grade eco-sounder to create highly accurate models of the ground and volume of water. 

Return on investment has been excellent, Mr Watson said. “The payback period for the system was very short and the survey process is a lot more efficient with our own remote control boat.

“Using the system is very easy, I like the fact that the ground control station is an all-in-one unit so you don’t have to connect up a separate laptop, power source and radios,” he added. “It gives me the freedom to move around while conducting a survey, so I’m not restricted to a small area.”

The all-in-one ground control station enables Mr Watson to begin a survey in under 10 minutes. “I simply take the system out of the car, power it up and get ready to launch – the PosiCraft is extremely easy to setup and use,” he said.

“Once I’ve finished the survey, I return to the office and use the Hydromagic software to post process the data. I’ll have an exportable file ready within half an hour, so the workflow is very quick and efficient.”

Mr Watson explained that they had a few teething problems with the PosiCraft at first, but these were quickly resolved by the support team at Position Partners. “As with any new technology, we had a few problems initially before it worked perfectly, however the team at Position Partners came on site to troubleshoot and make sure we were up and running again in the shortest possible time.

“The handover and training process was great, we’re now using the PosiCraft regularly with no problems and it is a very simple all-round solution that fits our needs perfectly,” he added.

Having reduced a two-man operation with an external contractor down to a one-man, in-house operation, Mr Watson said they have saved both time and money, whilst increasing flexibility for conducting bathymetric surveys.

“Owning our own system enables us to conduct surveys at a moment’s notice, without being dependent on the weather or availability of a contractor. So far, the venture has been a resounding success,” he said.  

 

 

Yielding results in agriculture with aerial mapping

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Cohen & Associates is a Tasmanian survey company with a core business of land surveying, including cadastral and engineering projects. Recently, the company has invested in state-of-the-art Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) technology and is pushing the boundaries in near infrared and aerial mapping for the agriculture industry.

Adrian Fairfield is a Director of the company and a registered land surveyor. He explains that his team’s prior experience with remote sensing applications using satellite-based and manned aircraft led them to explore the possibilities of saving time and increasing efficiency with an unmanned solution.

“Over the years, we’ve developed unique processes for remote sensing applications using satellite-based and manned aircraft,” he said. “These had their limitations, however, as you needed to wait for the satellite to be in the correct position and manned flights were both weather-dependent and had to be scheduled in advance.

“I could see the advantages a UAV system would have over these methods, as they enable rapid data capture with the ability to launch a project immediately and deliver high quality results,” he added.

The right solution

After some online research and product comparisons, Mr Fairfield attended a demonstration of the SIRIUS Pro UAV in Adelaide, hosted by Australasian distributor, Position Partners.

“I was impressed with the in-flight stability of the SIRIUS Pro, its long flight time capability and the unique ability to achieve five centimetre accuracy without the need to set out extensive ground control points,” he explained.

The SIRIUS Pro UAV by MAVinci is a fixed-wing remotely piloted aircraft that utilises high precision GNSS positioning to achieve five centimetre accuracy without the need to set out ground control points. Through a combination of an on-board GNSS receiver and ground-based GNSS antenna, the SIRIUS Pro effectively puts the ground control points in the air automatically, eliminating the need to physically set them out on the ground. 

“Another key factor in our decision-making process was having local support from the supplier, which we receive from Position Partners,” Mr Fairfield added.

“We like to push new technology to its limits, really delve into it and customise it to our needs and unique applications, so having the support of Position Partners along with the research and development team at MAVinci in Germany has been terrific. They are always quick to respond and assist us, MAVinci has also been helping to customise some of its software to accommodate our needs.”

Going through the regulatory process to become a certified UAS pilot was a challenge, Mr Fairfield says, but an important one. “Gaining our certification was a lengthy and detailed process, but as you go through it you realise how critical it is to be able to deploy these systems safely and proficiently,” he said.

“I understand that now the process is becoming more straightforward, but when we did it CASA (Civil Aviation Safety Authority) was still finalising a lot of the regulations, so it took a little longer. We had great support from both Position Partners and CASA to help us with our certification and training, and we have two accredited pilots now in our team,” he added.

Pushing the boundaries

Cohen & Associates has completed many projects and testing with the SIRIUS Pro UAV. The company has experienced great success with precision farming applications, having undertaken a number of projects that involve the use of near infrared technology for crop monitoring and yield mapping.

“We have been experimenting with a number of unique applications, including breakthroughs with weed and crop health mapping to support better management practices,” he said.

“Unlike manned flyovers, UAS technology offers access to highly detailed data in a very short time period, which is important in precision farming as you need to take action quickly based on the results. If you have to wait for weeks or even days for the outputs to come through, it’s already too late to make critical management decisions.”

Mr Fairfield explains that the use of near infrared technology and aerial mapping enables agriculture specialists and farmers to accurately analyse their crops and link this data in with yield mapping information.

“Farmers can compare their yields with the mapping information we provide and prove there has been an improvement,” he said.

“We feel there is a lot of potential in this area and we’ve been working with MAVinci to establish procedures that deliver early results from a flight before you even leave the paddock. That is very powerful information for an agriculture specialist to have, they can take action based on initial results right away and fine tune it when the more detailed data analysis has been completed,” he added.

Realising the potential

In addition to precision farming applications, Cohen & Associates has also deployed UAS technology for stockpile, quarry, landfill and coastal projects. “The safety and efficiency benefits in applications like these are enormous – UAS enables us to survey areas that are too hazardous or inaccessible to survey using traditional methods,” Mr Fairfield said.

“There are so many applications that UAS technology is well suited to, and we can adjust the accuracy of the results depending on the job,” he added. “We can easily achieve 2-5 centimetre accuracy when we need to with the SIRIUS Pro, but not every application calls for that level.”

Mr Fairfield said that he’s impressed with the turnaround time they are able to offer to clients on projects. “Being able to provide such a detailed data set in a single day as opposed to weeks is a fantastic benefit of this technology. We are also pleased to have a system that enables us to customise solutions and push the boundaries, with the support we receive from Position Partners and MAVinci,” he said. 

Eagle-Eye for Modern Surveying

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Jared Reeves has worked as a Surveyor for more than 10 years. When Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) technology came across his radar, he saw the huge potential to save time, improve data quality and increase efficiency for a wide range of surveying tasks in numerous industries.

“Having spent many years working in the field collecting data manually using GPS, I understood the impact UAS technology could have on the surveying industry from an efficiency perspective,” Mr Reeves explained.

“I also think that many survey firms will find it hard to justify the costs of investing in a drone themselves, so I saw the opportunity to start my own aerial survey contracting business to provide specialist services,” he added.

Mr Reeves said that one of the biggest advantages UAS has over traditional survey methods is the quantity and quality of the data generated. “Drones provide a complete historical record of the site with aerial imagery, enabling you to go back and survey different areas or check details at any point, without having to go back out on site,” he said. “If you are conducting regular monthly surveys, it also enables you to ‘go back in time’ to check the progress at each stage of project development” he added.

Choosing a system

Mr Reeves spent a great deal of time and effort to ensure he picked the right UAS for his needs. “I did a lot of research online and came up with a master chart that listed all the different makes and models,” he said.

“I narrowed it down to two systems, based on a combination of accuracy, price, user friendliness, launch and landing options and maintenance requirements.”

Ultimately Mr Reeves chose the Sirius Pro UAV by MAVinci, purchased through local reseller, Position Partners. The Sirius Pro is a fixed-wing UAS with the unique ability to deliver +/- 5cm accuracy without the need to set out ground control points.

“I was keen to adopt the RTK technology that the Sirius Pro offers, as not having to set out ground control saves so much time,” he added. “In addition, it increases safety as I don’t have to walk around the site near heavy machinery to set out ground control points, as well as enabling me to survey areas that are completely inaccessible.”

Proven success

So far, Mr Reeves has successfully completed work for a couple of motorway development projects, along with stock pile volumes for a few quarries.

“I’ve had great success so far with the jobs I’ve done, the clients have been very happy with the level of accuracy as well as the additional data that my services are able to provide,” Mr Reeves said. “Not only do they receive the volumes they required, but they also get a complete digital terrain model of their site as well as comprehensive up to date aerial imagery of the site.  They can also store this data as a historical record and refer back to if need be.”

One motorway project included surveying a causeway across the end of a harbour, an area that would have been very difficult to survey using traditional methods. “The terrain was almost completely inaccessible by foot, so the Sirius really proved its worth in that instance as it would be hard to get accurate data without it,” he added.

Mr Reeves reports accuracies of +/- 50 millimetres or less with the Sirius Pro UAV, but says that proving the reliability of new technology at the start of a project is sometimes a challenge. “I had one client that was concerned about the accuracy I would be able to achieve as they needed it to be +/- 10 centimetres, but because I have full confidence in the system I was happy to guarantee that I would meet their requirements or my services would be free of charge,” he said.

“With a new technology that is still proving itself in the industry, you have to be able to reassure clients and remove the risk for them. When they see not only the accuracy the Sirius Pro delivers, but also the comprehensive data set they receive at the end, clients seem to be very happy indeed,” he added.

More productive workflow

Mr Reeves says the time it takes to deliver a stockpile volume survey on a quarry, for example, is just a fraction of the time that a traditional survey would take. “I spend about an hour coordinating the MAVinci GPS Base station with local coordinates, installing some check points, and conducting the flight on-site, as opposed to a whole day’s data capture using GPS,” he said. “The processing time depends on the size of the site, but on average it’s about four hours, which can be done overnight so it doesn’t impact my work day.

 “The volume calculations take the same amount of time, however the accuracy is a lot better as I have a complete model of the stockpile, not just a series of points like I’d have with GPS. Plus there’s the complete site model and orthophoto for the client that I wouldn’t be able to provide from a traditional survey,” he added.

Mr Reeves invested in a high powered computer to enable fast post-processing of the data. “Instead of outsourcing the post processing we invested in the software and considerable hardware required so that we could maintain complete control over the entire process from start to finish.

Local support

Learning a new technology is a challenge, but Mr Reeves said he has received excellent training and support from Position Partners. “Having local training and local support here in New Zealand has been great, the team at Position Partners has helped to make sure I was up and running as soon as possible,” he said.

“Their UAS experts in Australia and even the research and development team at MAVinci in Germany have been very helpful if I ever have a question or experience any problems. I’ve been very impressed with the level of support I’ve received, it’s an important factor when you’re starting your own business to have suppliers you can rely on.”

Mr Reeves says that although it is still early days for his new company, Overview Surveying, he is confident that a number of New Zealand industries have much to be gained from aerial mapping technology. “There are so many applications that can benefit from UAS technology, we’re really only beginning to make use of its potential,” he said.

“For example, I’m looking to extend my services to the landfill industry this year, as landfill sites are a lot safer and more pleasant to survey from the air rather than the ground!”

 

Making the transition to MAGNET was easy

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Brian Rogers is a Senior Surveyor with RPS Group, based on the Gold Coast, Queensland. He recently made the transition to Civilcad MAGNET Office from an old version of Civilcad, and found that with a little training from Position Partners he was up to speed in no time.

“I’d used Civilcad from its very early days, back when I was working in local government,” Brian explained. In 2002, Brian’s team moved many of its projects to Carlson software, as at the time it worked better with AutoCAD.

“We never upgraded our Civilcad licences past version 5,” he said. “We still have a number of projects that are running on version 5.”

It was only when taking on a project across the border in New South Wales – which required online lodgement of plans using NSW’s ePlan service – that Brian began to look afresh at the options available 

“We looked at our options from all of the major software suppliers and their distributors and decided that the best route for us was to upgrade to Civilcad MAGNET Office with Position Partners and attend some relevant Campus training courses to get me up to speed,” he said.

Brian first attended a Civilcad MAGNET Office Introduction course at Position Partners’ Brisbane office. “The course was extremely helpful and practical, considering I hadn’t used Civilcad for such a long time I was surprised at how easy I found it to pick up,” he added.

A week after completing the Introduction course, Brian attended a Civilcad MAGNET ePlan Preparation Course to receive training on how to submit plans using NSW’s ePlan online lodgement service. These courses are run in conjunction with NSW’s Land and Property Information (LPI) department to ensure attendees are provided with the most relevant and up to date information about not only the software, but also the ePlan service.

“I found that having done the introductory course I was well prepared for the ePlan training – some of the other attendees went straight to the ePlan course without having upgraded to the latest Civilcad MAGNET version and learnt the new features beforehand,” Brian said.

“I think we’re all guilty of using these software platforms just enough to get us through our daily work, without ever learning about the new developments and features that are introduced,” he continued. “I certainly benefited from some refresher training to learn about the ribbons, features and shortcuts available and I’d encourage other users to do the same.”

After completing his training, Brian went onto successfully lodge his first plan online using the ePlan service. “I’m very happy with the Campus training I did and now feel completely comfortable using Civilcad MAGNET Office and lodging plans online using ePlan,” he added.  

Accurate by design – combining UAS and scanning for 3D modelling

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How a combination of Autodesk 3D modelling software, FARO laser scanning and the SIRIUS Pro UAV enables smarter infrastructure decisions.

Most large infrastructure projects go to tender without accurate information of the existing site. Surveying as built or green acre sites is traditionally a lengthy and expensive process that takes weeks and sometimes months to complete, depending on the size of the project.

Utilising the latest in scanning, aerial mapping and 3D visualisation and modelling software, businesses are able to save significant time and money, sending optimised designs to tender with the most accurate real world data at their fingertips.

“3D documentation solutions are now at a price point and useability level that make them a viable option for a huge range of applications where they would never traditionally have been used,” explained Position Partners Scanning Product Manager, Heath Low.

“When the technology was first introduced it was so expensive and complex that only large companies with specific expertise were realistically able to use it. Now, with hardware available at a similar price of a total station, it is accessible for contract surveyors, engineers, architects and construction professionals, to name just a few,” he added.   

A case study conducted for one of Australia’s Tier One contractors involved surveying an existing rail corridor using the SIRIUS Pro Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) for aerial mapping, the FARO X130 terrestrial laser scanner and a range of Autodesk infrastructure software solutions.

“Our aim was to prove that a two week job could be completed in a single day,” explained Autodesk Infrastructure Product Specialist, Brett Casson. “Position Partners is now uniquely capable of offering a complete end-to-end solution for Building Information Modelling (BIM) and 3D documentation, through a combination of scanning and mapping hardware and Autodesk software.”   

Autodesk InfraWorks 360 was used to create a conceptual 3D model of the surrounding area in order to visualise the project location. “We used the Autodesk Cloud to build a model of the southern area of Perth, drawing on available topography, maps and aerial imagery,” Mr Casson added.

“By completing sections of 150 square kilometres at a time and stitching them together, we were able to set the context with an impressive 3D model and fly through of the area surrounding the railway line.”

An aerial survey was then conducted using the SIRIUS Pro. Unlike most UAS that require the use of ground control points – the set out of which often takes 50% of the project time – the SIRIUS Pro uses high accuracy GNSS positioning to locate the aircraft to within +/- 10 millimetres.

Following the aerial survey, a FARO laser scanner was used to model specific locations in a 500 metre by 200 metre section of the railway line.

“We used Autodesk’s Civil3D package to create a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) from the UAV data,” Mr Casson explained. “The FARO scanning data was processed in an hour using Autodesk ReCap Pro, with all the point cloud data registered and positioned relative to the UAV data.”

Autodesk’s InfraWorks 360 software enabled the two data sets to be aggregated, in order to present a complete 3D data set that could be used for preliminary design work. The model could be shared with all stakeholders using the Cloud, with a virtual tour and high resolution site imagery available from the FARO scanner using Autodesk ReCap 360.

“The client was extremely impressed with the outcome and the fact that a solution provider and software giant such as Position Partners and Autodesk were able to deliver complete end-to-end demonstration and data delivery,” Mr Casson explained.

Putting the pieces together and delivering a complete solution is the key for most applications, explained Mr Low: “Rarely will a single piece of hardware or software deliver all the information or data that a customer is looking for,” he said.

“A laser scanner is great for creating point clouds of small to medium sized indoor and outdoor areas, whilst an UAS is ideal to map large areas from the air, accurately and quickly. But how you actually manipulate and use the data these systems produce and integrate it into meaningful results is something many users are uncertain of; that’s where we feel Position Partners can help as we offer the tools and the ability to connect them together for a customer’s application.”

The widespread use of 3D documentation tools is set to continue, Mr Low explains, with the introduction of even more versatile and cost effective hardware becoming readily available in the near future.

“New handheld laser scanners that deliver 0.5 millimetre accuracy to distances of 10 metres will open up the technology to new applications and fill the gap of scanning tight spaces and hard to reach areas,” he said.

As hardware and software becomes increasingly intuitive and seamless to connect, more and more professionals will begin to integrate it into their work practices. “Architects, for example, would never have thought to adopt scanning ten years ago, but with the new handheld system they could add a 3D model of a specific piece of furniture to their design, or create a full building model of an existing structure before designing extensions or remodelling work.”

“Laser scanning from manufacturers such as FARO is disruptive technology,” Mr Casson adds. “It creates a new workflow and makes inaccessible data accessible for a wider audience.”

The next frontier, Mr Low and Mr Casson agree, is the link to underground mapping via Ground Penetrating Radar. “We need to see better collaboration between the location technology and the modelling technology so that we can better integrate the data of overground and underground assets,” Mr Casson said.

“It won’t be long before we can spatially model and locate all objects, no matter how large or small.” 

Winning work with machine control

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Despite the increased demand for machine control on earthmoving plant for major projects, Daniel Buttigieg from Mulgoa Excavations in Sydney has been somewhat reluctant to invest in the technology due to the costs involved.

Mulgoa Excavations’ fleet includes 18 earthmoving machines, predominantly Komatsu excavators, along with 20 road trucks and jiggers.          

“It’s definitely the way the industry is going,” Mr Buttigieg said, “as a plant hire company, we are increasingly asked to supply machine control systems with the machines, especially with the large contracting firms.

“Although it is an investment to adopt machine control, we do get higher rates for the GPS that help to recoup the costs, plus we win more work for them due to demand for the technology,” he added. 

One of Mulgoa’s zero-swing Komatsu PC-228 machines is currently working on the ETTT rail expansion project in Sydney’s North West.

“We were asked by the client to install machine control because of the very steep batters on the job, which make it impossible to use stringlines,” Mr Buttigieg added. “I did my homework to find the right solution and asked my peers and the client for their advice. Topcon was recommended as the most reliable and easy to use option, so I got in touch with their Australian distributors Position Partners.”

Mr Buttigieg chose Topcon’s newly released 3D GPS X-63i excavator system and became the first contractor to deploy the new solution in Australia. Unlike most 3D GPS machine control systems that are designed to work with the machine hydraulics in automatic mode, for high tolerance applications such as grading, the new system for Topcon is the first 3D solution to be specifically designed for excavators.

By eliminating the more complex hydraulic components, which are not required for an excavator as the system is used in ‘indicate-only’ mode, contractors save around $20,000 on a machine control system. 

“The different price point for Topcon’s new system was definitely appealing,” Mr Buttigieg said. “That plus the fact that Topcon is renowned for being the best brand, along with the support we get from Position Partners, made the decision an easy one.”

“Position Partners was very cooperative when it came to installing the system and they have helped us with product training and support whenever we need it,” he added. “We also had a warranty issue with the screen of our track loader machine control system – they fixed and replaced it without any problems. I’m very happy with the service we receive from them.”

Chad Preston, one of the site foremen on the ETTT rail expansion project, says machine control has had a very positive impact on the project. “The safety aspect on a job such as this is paramount, as we’re working in a narrow space next to operating railway lines,” he said. “Machine control means we need fewer surveyors working near the machinery – they simply set out the initial benchmarks, leave the operators to get on with the work and come back to do final checks.” 

Mr Preston said that machine control helps to keep the project running efficiently because the machines are working accurately, quickly and reliably to the design of the project.

“I was impressed with Daniel from Mulgoa’s cooperation with us to install machine control for this job,” Mr Preston added. “We rely on our sub contractors to have the right systems and it makes a project run a lot more smoothly when they do.” 

Operator Paul Refalo had no prior experience using GPS machine control before working with the new Topcon X-63i system, but has had no trouble adapting to it. “I think it’s awesome,” he said, “I just set in my benchmarks at the start of the day and I can clearly see where I’m up to and how much further I have to go on the screen in front of me. There’s no need to stop and check anything, I can just get on with it.”

Although it’s still early days, Mr Buttigieg is pleased with his latest venture into machine control. “It’s been working brilliantly at the ETTT rail project and the client is very happy,” he said. “I’m looking forward to winning more jobs with it and possibly expanding our machine control fleet in the future, provided the increased rates for GPS are still there!”