Method for paving road surface and asphalt paving system

Abstract

The present application relates to a method for paving a road surface and an asphalt paving system. The method for producing a road surface (23), in particular a regenerated road surface, comprises: spatially measuring an existing road surface (9) by means of a sensor (13); creating a digital target milling profile (39); creating a digital target height profile (41) of the road surface (23) to be paved and calculating a layer thickness (Z1) based on the target milling profile (39) and the target height profile (41); at least partially automatically controlling a milling machine (5) to mill an actual milling profile (19) according to the specifications of the target milling profile (39); spatially measuring the actual milling profile (19) to be milled; and at least partially automatically controlling a road paver (3) to pave the road surface (23) according to the specifications of the target height profile (41).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for paving a road surface and an asphalt paving system. Background Art

[0002] Paving, especially resurfacing, requires multiple coordinated steps involving the use of several construction machines. For example, milling machines are used to remove the old pavement, while road pavers are used to lay the new pavement. Rollers are also used to recompact the new pavement, and feeder trucks are used to load the road pavers with material. Pavement refers to any surface, preferably based on asphalt or concrete materials, that can be produced by a road paver, such as roads, cycle paths, sidewalks, parking lots, etc. Digital planning data is increasingly supporting the construction of new pavements. To improve quality and efficiency, the individual paving steps and individual construction machines should be coordinated based on the exchange of data. For example, US Pat. No. 10,563,362 B2 discloses the ability to control a road paver based on path information from a cold milling machine. DE 102019120060 A1 discloses the generation of a worksite map for a cold milling machine based on sensor information from an autonomous mobile machine.

[0003] Known digital systems supporting paving operations of road surfaces are targeted at specific sub-aspects and only generate, exchange or use limited amounts of digital data. Summary of the Invention

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and system for paving road surfaces in which digital data is generated and processed to improve paving quality and operational efficiency.

[0005] This object is solved by an asphalt paving system or method according to the embodiments described in the present application. Advantageous further embodiments are also defined in the application.

[0006] The method according to the invention for paving a road surface, in particular for resurfacing a road surface, comprises the following method steps:

[0007] - spatially measure the existing road surface using sensors,

[0008] - creation of a digital target milling profile of the roadbed to be milled,

[0009] - creation of a digital target height profile of the road surface to be paved and calculation of the layer thickness based on the target milling profile and the target height profile,

[0010] - at least partially automatically controlling the milling machine to mill the target milling profile according to the specifications of the target milling profile,

[0011] - spatial measurement of the actual milling profile (roadbed) of the milling,

[0012] - At least partially automatically controlling a road paver to pave a road surface according to the specifications of the target height profile.

[0013] The method steps are preferably performed in the order shown here.

[0014] Spatial measurement of the existing road surface or the actual milling profile (roadbed) can be performed by driving a scanning vehicle equipped with one or more suitable measuring devices or sensors through the relevant construction area, whereby the sensors record data, for example, by scanning the corresponding surface. This can be accomplished using laser measurement technology, ultrasonic technology, infrared technology, optical technology in the visible wavelength range, and the like. Additionally or alternatively, embodiments of the method described further below can be used, particularly those in which the sensors are arranged on the milling machine and / or road paver. However, the measurement can also be performed using equipment carried or towed by the operator. Similarly, a stationary measuring device can scan a portion of the surface to be constructed, for example, using rotating optics. Similarly, aerial measurement using drones is conceivable. Spatial measurement involves, for example, creating a dataset with X, Y, and Z coordinates, i.e., the position and / or extension of the structure in the XY plane, as well as height information in the Z direction. In particular, the XY position coordinates of each measured point can be recorded and associated with the measured height information. The position coordinates can be recorded by receiving Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals or using Earth-based reference points. Thus, the extension, dimensions, and height structure of the existing road surface or the actual milling profile can be recorded as associated data. The same applies to the spatial measurements of newly paved pavement, as described below.

[0015] A digital target milling profile or target height profile can be created by taking into account the measured data. This planning data can be generated automatically and / or by user input into and using a correspondingly suitable data processing unit. The data set can also include necessary machine parameters or settings. Ideally, the target milling profile and target height profile each include the position coordinates X, Y and the height value Z for each data point or position coordinate point, just as a data set for a measured existing road surface or a data set for a measured actual milling profile. Thus, the respectively calculated or measured profile can include information about the spatial extent in the X, Y, and Z directions.

[0016] At least partially automated control of a milling machine or road paver can include controlling all or only some of the functions of the respective machine via an electronic data processing unit. An operator can be located at an operator platform or other suitable location on the construction machine to monitor the operation of the machine and take corrective measures if necessary, or generally operate one or more functions that are not automatically controlled. For this purpose, one or more display elements, operating panels, remote controls, etc. can be present.

[0017] The required paving material is preferably calculated based on the target milling profile and the target height profile. This can be done directly and conveniently after the digital target height profile of the road surface to be paved has been created and the layer thicknesses have been calculated. This allows the required material deliveries to be planned and the resulting costs to be calculated.

[0018] Preferably, spatially measuring the actual milling profile (i.e., the roadbed produced) involves comparing the actual milling profile with a target milling profile. In particular, deviations in height (Z-direction) or extension (dimensions in the XY plane) of the actual milling profile from the target milling profile are recorded. Planning data for the new road surface, particularly the target height profile, can then be adjusted accordingly. For example, if the milled surface is wider than initially planned, additional areas may need to be paved in the XY direction.

[0019] In an advantageous variant, spatially measuring the actual milling profile (roadbed) includes recalculating the layer thicknesses. For example, if the milled surface is too deep, the originally planned height level of the new road surface can still be maintained by adjusting the layer thicknesses.

[0020] In a preferred variant, the spatial measurement of the actual milling profile (roadbed) is included in the recalculation of the paving material requirement. Deviations in the milling depth and the extent of the milling area affect the paving material requirement. Therefore, by correcting the calculation, the construction site can be supplied with the exact amount of paving material required.

[0021] Preferably, the spatial measurement of the actual milling profile (roadbed) milled out is performed with the aid of at least one measuring device arranged on the milling machine and at least partly during milling. For example, the measuring device can be arranged at the rear end of the milling machine, which measuring device can be or can include one or more of the above-mentioned sensors. In this way, the already milled area can be scanned or measured while the rotor of the milling machine (conveniently arranged in a further forward area) is still removing the existing road surface. The measuring device or an element of the milling machine connected thereto can have mechanical or electronic means, which at least partly compensate the sensor system for the vibrations generated by milling. Therefore, if the actual milling profile is measured by the milling machine itself, there is no need for the scanning vehicle to drive over the milled surface again, which saves a lot of time.

[0022] In one variant, controlling the road paver includes automatically maneuvering the road paver according to a target height profile. The road paver thus moves in an autonomous manner, conceivably with the speed and direction of travel controlled by the data processing unit. To this end, as described above, the target height profile may include X, Y, and Z information for each data point or position coordinate, thereby defining the road paver's travel path based on this spatial information. This allows for particularly precise control of the road paver, freeing the operator from this task.

[0023] It is advantageous to control a road paver by automatically controlling one or more sideshifters of the paving screed according to a target height profile. The retractable and extendable sideshifters define and limit the width of the new road surface and can have external guide plates for this purpose. If the transverse road surface geometry changes due to bulges, for example, the paving width can be automatically adjusted. For this purpose, all data regarding the spatial extent, specifically the X, Y, and Z coordinates of the area to be paved, are conveniently available in the data record of the target height profile.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, controlling the road paver includes automatically controlling a leveling cylinder and / or at least one compacting unit according to a target height profile. The compacting unit, located on the paving screed, can be, for example, a tamper, a screed plate, or a pressure bar. This allows for paving a smooth new road surface even when the actual milled profile (roadbed) is uneven. Despite varying layer thicknesses, the compaction process can be adjusted to achieve a constant recompaction height for all areas during recompaction by the roller. This also makes it particularly effective for paving road surface profiles that vary along the road course.

[0025] In an advantageous variant, the actual height profile of the paved surface is measured spatially, in particular at least partially during paving and by means of at least one measuring device arranged on the road paver, and compared with a target height profile. This allows the paving result to be controlled and the quality of the paving to be ensured.

[0026] In an advantageous variant, one or more operating parameters of the road paver are recorded during paving. The recorded data can be compared with the paving results and thus used to ensure the quality of the paving operation. A model that assigns paving results to specific operating parameters can be set up and checked. For example, the paving layer thickness can be predicted for a specific screed position and / or travel speed and / or compaction unit performance. For a specific sideshifter extension position and / or associated travel path, the area and / or position of the paving layer can be predicted. Thus, paving results can be derived and checked even from the machine settings.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment, creating a digital target milling profile for the roadbed to be milled includes creating a travel path for the milling machine, and / or creating a digital target height profile for the road surface to be paved includes creating a travel path for the road paver. Thus, the creation of digital planning data can include not only static data, such as information on the height Z of the respective XY position coordinates, but also machine position and other machine parameters. For areas with a lateral extension greater than the maximum screed width, the travel path is ideally planned to minimize the number of passes required. Travel path planning can be performed automatically, for example, by a suitably programmed data processing unit, but can also be created manually.

[0028] In a preferred variant, the measurement data of the existing road surface and / or the actual milling profile (roadbed) and / or the actual height profile are forwarded to a data processing unit separate from the milling machine or road paver. This allows, for example, the paving of the road surface to be planned and checked on a PC (personal computer) in a planning center. The data can be forwarded via radio technology. Alternatively, the data can be transferred, at least temporarily, via a data carrier (e.g., a USB memory stick, or via a cable, e.g., by connecting a laptop to the data processing unit of the corresponding construction machine).

[0029] The asphalt paving system according to the present invention includes a scanning vehicle, a milling machine, and a road paver, each of which has at least one GNSS module for position determination and a data processing unit. The data processing unit of the milling machine or road paver, respectively, is configured to drive the milling machine or road paver, respectively, in a position-dependent manner. The scanning vehicle has a measuring device for spatially measuring the existing road surface. The milling machine has a measuring device for spatially measuring the actual milled profile (roadbed) produced by the milling, and the road paver has a measuring device for spatially measuring the actual height profile of the paved surface. The scanning vehicle can also be driven in a position-dependent manner via its data processing unit. In this context, being drivable in a position-dependent manner means being at least partially autonomous, i.e., computer-controlled. Each vehicle can also have multiple GNSS modules for position determination, for example, with reference to the left and / or right outermost ends of the paving screed. Similarly, such data can be obtained by linking the GNSS modules on the construction machine to the dimensions of the construction machine, where the dimensions can be variable. For example, the GNSS module can be centrally located on a road paver and can know or determine the respective extension width of the paving screed of the road paver via the control of the respective engine or via suitable sensors.

[0030] Preferably, at least two data processing units are wirelessly connected to one another and / or are each wirelessly connected to another data processing unit that is located separately from the scanning vehicle, the milling machine, or the road paver. In this way, for example, data determined at the respective construction machine can be transferred and / or planning data and / or control commands can be received. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention are described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of an asphalt paving system including a road paver, a milling machine and a scanning vehicle,

[0033] Figure 2 Schematic cross-section of a pavement showing different manufacturing steps,

[0034] Figure 3 shows a schematic 3D view of planning and manufacturing data,

[0035] Figure 4 A schematic top view of a section of road surface to be paved is shown.

[0036] In the drawings, components corresponding to each other are marked with the same reference numerals. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Figure 1 An asphalt paving system 1 is shown, comprising a road paver 3, a milling machine 5, and a scanning vehicle 7. Other vehicles, such as a roller for recompacting, one or more trucks for removing the existing road surface 9 that has been milled, and one or more trucks for transporting paving material, may also be part of the asphalt paving system 1, but are not shown here. The scanning vehicle 7 has a measuring device 11 for spatially measuring the ground surface over which it moves, in particular the existing road surface 9. The measuring device 11 may include one or more sensors 13, such as laser sensors, which detect laser beams previously emitted and reflected by the ground surface. The milling machine 5 has one or more rotors 15 that rotate to mill the existing road surface 9. The milled material can be transferred to a truck via a conveyor belt 17. The road paver 3 travels over the roadbed or actual milled contour 19 left by the milling machine 5 and lays a new road surface 23 (e.g., a road surface of asphalt or concrete material) using a paving screed 21. The road paver 3, the milling machine 5 and the scanning vehicle 7 each have a GNSS module 25 for receiving satellite signals for position determination. Alternatively or additionally, the position determination can be performed by a local device such as a laser reference system.

[0038] The vehicles can each include a data processing unit 27, however, there can also be one or more data processing units 27 separate from the vehicles. The data processing units 27 can include data storage, a processor and a communication interface. In particular, the data processing units 27 can be wirelessly connected to each other to exchange data, as indicated here by the dotted lines. In addition, the data processing units 27 can each process any data related to the respective vehicle, including, for example, satellite signals received by the GNSS module 25, so that the GNSS module 25 essentially only serves as an antenna. The milling machine 5 and the road paver 3 also each have at least one measuring device 11 for spatially measuring the milled roadbed (actual milling profile 19) and the actual height profile 29 of the paving, respectively. The measuring devices 11 can have the same or different designs and operating modes.

[0039] The road paver 3 has a leveling cylinder 31 on its left and right sides, which is used to set the tow point height of the paving screed 21. The paving screed 21 has side shifters 33 on its left and / or right sides, which laterally limit the supply of paving material 35 and thus define the paving width. The side shifters 33 can be arranged with laterally extendable screed elements, allowing for variable screed widths and maintaining the paving material 35 at a substantially desired width using vertical plates. The paving screed 21 includes one or more compacting units 37, such as tampers, screed plates, or pressure bars, to spread the paving material 35 to the desired degree of compaction.

[0040] Figure 2 Schematic cross-sections are shown to illustrate the height of the road surface in the Z direction during the various production steps. In this example, an existing road surface 9 with unevenness, such as rutting, is prepared for regeneration and first spatially measured. A digital target milling profile 39 (dashed line) is then created, either by an operator planning it on a PC, for example, or automatically using suitable software. A digital target height profile 41 for the new road surface is then digitally created (i.e., planned). This target height profile 41 specifies the road surface height, including any desired slope, top profile, etc. The layer thickness Z1 of the new road surface and, therefore, the required amount of paving material 35 are thus known. The actual milling profile 19, i.e., the roadbed, milled by the milling machine 5 may deviate from the expected height of the target milling profile 39. As shown here, it may be lower, for example, because more material has been milled out. To obtain information about the actual height and the spatial extent of the actual milling profile 19 in width and length (XY directions), it is spatially measured. The actual milling profile 19 can be compared with the target milling profile 39 and the deviation Z2 of the layer thickness can be detected. Based on the measured actual milling profile 19 , the actually required layer thickness Z3 (= Z1 + Z2 ) can be detected to achieve the desired paving height of the target height profile 41 .

[0041] Figure 3 A schematic 3D view of planning and production data is shown. The data points of the actual milling profile 19, i.e., the roadbed, are displayed as the lower grid. It will be appreciated that the data points 43 of the actual milling profile 19 correspond to the resolution of the measurement system, i.e., GNSS measurement or road surface scanning. The upper grid represents the data points 45 of the target height profile 41, i.e., the digital planning data for the layer to be paved. The number of data points 43 and 45 for the two profiles may differ. The data includes the structure's extension in the XY direction and the height data in the Z direction. It can be seen that the milled roadbed may have unevenness, making the height Z3, i.e., the distance to the target height profile 41, variable as a function of the XY coordinates.

[0042] Figure 4 A schematic top view of a section of road surface to be paved is shown. The milling machine 5 has already created the actual milled profile 19, or roadbed, by traveling along its travel path 47. The road paver 3 now travels along a planned travel path 49, which, as shown here, differs from the travel path 47 of the milling machine 5, but can also be identical. The lateral boundaries 51 of the road surface can have inward or outward projections 53. Thus, when paving the new road surface 23, the road paver 3 can be controlled so that the sideshifters 33 of the paving screed 21 and their paving width automatically adjust to the varying road surface width. In particular, the sideshifters 33 on one side of the paving screed 21 can be controlled independently of the sideshifters on the other side. When planning the travel path 49, the maximum and minimum possible widths of the paving screed 21, as well as the variable road surface width, must be taken into account. For an area to be paved that is wider than the maximum width of the paving screed 21 , the travel path 49 of the road paver 3 or of the road paver 3 is planned in such a way that the number of passes is minimized.

[0043] Based on the above-described embodiments of the method for paving a road surface, numerous variations are possible. All or some of the vehicles may be driven and operated partially or fully automatically, i.e., computer-controlled. Similarly, other vehicles, such as rollers or feeders, may be operated at least partially automatically, in particular autonomously.

Claims

1. Methods of paving the road surface, including: spatially measuring the existing road surface (9) by means of a sensor (13); Creating a digital target milling profile (39); Creating a digital target height profile (41) of the road surface (23) to be paved and calculating a layer thickness Z1 based on the target milling profile (39) and the target height profile (41); controlling the milling machine (5) at least partially automatically to mill the actual milling profile (19) according to the specifications of the target milling profile (39); Measuring the actual milling profile (19) of the milling in space, wherein the measuring the actual milling profile (19) of the milling in space comprises: - comparing the actual milling profile (19) with the target milling profile (39); - recording the deviation of the height or extension of the actual milling profile (19) from the target milling profile (39); and - adjusting planning data of a new road surface, wherein the planning data of the new road surface includes the target height profile (41); According to the specification of the target height profile (41), a road paver (3) is controlled at least partially automatically to pave the road surface (23) to be paved.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The requirement for paving material (35) is calculated based on the target milling profile (39) and the target height profile (41).

3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The spatial measurement of the actual milling profile (19) of the milling process includes a recalculation of the layer thickness Z1.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that Measuring the actual milling profile of the milling in space includes the need to recalculate the paving material (35).

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The actual milling contour (19) of the milling is measured in space by at least one measuring device (11) arranged on the milling machine (5) and is performed at least partially during milling.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that Controlling the road paver (3) includes automatically maneuvering the road paver (3) according to the target height profile (41).

7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that Controlling the road paver (3) includes automatically controlling one or more side shifters (33) of a paving screed (21) according to the target height profile (41).

8. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that Controlling the road paver (3) includes automatically controlling a levelling cylinder (31) and / or at least one compacting unit (37) according to the target height profile (41).

9. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The actual height profile (29) of the paving is measured spatially and compared with the target height profile (41).

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The actual height profile (29) of the paving is measured at least partially during paving and by at least one measuring device (11) arranged on the road paver (3) and compared with the target height profile (41).

11. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that Creating a digital target milling profile (39) includes creating a travel path (47) of the milling machine (5), and / or creating a digital target height profile (41) of the road surface (23) to be paved includes creating a travel path (49) of a road paver (3).

12. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The measurement data of the existing road surface (9) and / or the actual milling profile (19) and / or the actual height profile (29) are transmitted to a data processing unit (27) separate from the milling machine (5) or the road paver (3).

13. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The paved road surface is a reclaimed road surface.

14. Asphalt paving system (1) comprising a scanning vehicle (7), a milling machine (5) and a road paver (3), each of which has at least one GNSS module (25) for position determination and a data processing unit (27), the data processing unit (27) of the milling machine (5) or the road paver (3) being configured to drive the milling machine (5) or the road paver (3) in each case depending on the position, and wherein the scanning vehicle (7) has a measuring device (11) for spatially measuring an existing road surface (9), characterized in that The milling machine (5) has a measuring device (11) for spatially measuring the actual milling profile (19) of the milling, and the road paver (3) has a measuring device (11) for spatially measuring the actual height profile (29) of the paving, wherein the asphalt paving system (1) has the method for paving a road surface as described in any one of claims 1 to 13 above.

15. The asphalt paving system according to claim 14, characterized in that: At least two of the data processing units (27) are wirelessly connected to each other and / or are each wirelessly connected to a further data processing unit (27) which is arranged separately from the scanning vehicle (7), the milling machine (5) or the road paver (3).

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