Soil removal control system, soil removal method, and soil removal program

Abstract

The position of the excavation bucket passing through the interior is calculated along the entire length of the material lock and material shaft. [Solution] The soil removal control system is provided on a crane for suspending a soil removal bucket in the pneumatic caisson construction method and comprises: a winch for winding up a wire rope that suspends the soil removal bucket; an encoder provided on the winch that outputs a signal corresponding to the wire rope extension length; and one or more control units that acquire a signal corresponding to the wire rope extension length from the encoder, use the acquired signal to calculate the position of the soil removal bucket inside the material shaft connecting the work chamber at the bottom of the caisson to the ground and inside the material lock provided at the top of the material shaft, and control the winch according to the calculated position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present technology relates to an earth discharge control system, an earth discharge method, and an earth discharge program in the pneumatic caisson method.

Background Art

[0002] As a construction technique for underground structures, the pneumatic caisson method is known. The pneumatic caisson method is a method in which an airtight working chamber is provided at the lower part of a caisson (caisson), excavation work is carried out downward while preventing water gushing into the working chamber by air pressure, and the caisson is sunk to a predetermined depth. The sunk caisson body directly becomes an underground structure such as a foundation for a building or a bridge, a strut for a water supply and sewer or a tunnel, or an underground pump yard or an underground regulating tank.

[0003] [[ID=,16]]Conventionally, an acquisition means for acquiring detection information indicating that an earth bucket passing through a material lock is detected by a sensor provided in the material lock of a material shaft connecting a working chamber of a pneumatic caisson and the ground, and based on the position of the sensor indicated by the detection information acquired by the acquisition means, a material lock automatic control system including a calculation means for calculating position information indicating the position of the earth bucket has been proposed (Patent Document 1). The acquisition means of the system respectively acquires detection information detected by two or more sensors, and the calculation means calculates position information based on each detection information acquired by the acquisition means, and based on each detection information acquired by the acquisition means, calculates passing direction information regarding the direction in which the earth bucket passes through the material lock, and further includes a control means for controlling the opening and closing of the door of the material lock based on the position information and the passing direction information calculated by the calculation means.

[0004] Furthermore, an automated earth bucket soil removal system has been proposed that includes an acquisition means for acquiring chain position information indicating the position of a chain provided on the bottom surface of an earth bucket and hook position information indicating the position of a reversing hook that loosely engages the chain, and a calculation means for calculating a determination result indicating whether the chain can be loosely engaged with the reversing hook based on the chain position information and the hook position information (Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7358668 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7342299 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] In the pneumatic caisson construction method, excavated soil generated during excavation in the working chamber at the bottom of the caisson is loaded into a soil removal bucket and transported out through a material shaft extending to the ground. The material shaft is equipped with a material lock with double pressure-resistant doors to maintain high pressure in the working chamber, and generally, workers operate the opening and closing of the material lock and the raising and lowering of the soil removal bucket. In order to automate such soil removal, it is desirable to be able to precisely determine the position of the soil removal bucket as it passes through the material lock and material shaft. Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a technology for calculating the position of the soil removal bucket as it passes through the material lock and material shaft along their entire length. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, this technology employs the following embodiments. (Aspect 1) A crane used for suspending a soil removal bucket in a pneumatic caisson construction method is equipped with a winch for winding up the wire rope that suspends the soil removal bucket, An encoder provided in the winch outputs a signal corresponding to the length of the wire rope being extended, One or more control units that obtain a signal from the encoder corresponding to the wire rope extension length, use the obtained signal to calculate the position of the excavation bucket inside the material shaft connecting the work chamber at the bottom of the caisson to the ground and inside the material lock provided at the top of the material shaft, and control the winch according to the calculated position, A soil removal control system equipped with the following features. (Aspect 2) The system further includes a load cell for measuring the weight of the soil removal bucket, The control unit determines the amount of deflection of the crane according to the weight of the soil bucket, and corrects the position of the soil bucket using the amount of deflection. The soil removal control system described in Embodiment 1. (Aspect 3) The aforementioned crane is a skater crane, The amount of deflection includes the vertical and horizontal deflection of the jib and mast of the skater crane. The soil removal control system described in Embodiment 2. (Aspect 4) The skater crane is equipped with a trolley that can move along the jib, The control unit corrects the position of the trolley using the position of the trolley relative to the jib and the amount of horizontal deflection of the jib and mast of the crane corresponding to the weight of the excavation bucket, and then aligns the trolley vertically above the material lock using the corrected position of the trolley. The soil removal control system described in Embodiment 3. (Appendix 5) The control unit determines the amount of expansion or contraction of the wire rope using the thermal expansion coefficient of the wire rope corresponding to the temperature, and corrects the position of the soil removal bucket using the amount of expansion of the wire rope. A soil removal control system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4. (Aspect 6) The control unit further uses the weight of the soil-discarding bucket to determine the amount of expansion and contraction of the wire rope, and uses the amount of expansion of the wire rope to correct the position of the soil-discarding bucket. The soil removal control system described in embodiment 5. (Aspect 7) The control unit further uses information regarding the initial elongation of the wire rope to determine the amount of expansion and contraction of the wire rope, and uses the amount of expansion of the wire rope to correct the position of the soil removal bucket. A soil removal control system according to embodiment 5 or 6. (Pattern 8) The material lock comprises a first sensor group including two or more object detection sensors, and a second sensor group including two or more object detection sensors, which is positioned vertically below and spaced apart from the first sensor group. The distance between the first sensor group and the second sensor group is smaller than the vertical height of the soil removal bucket. The control unit controls the opening and closing of the material lock door when both the first sensor group and the second sensor group detect the soil removal bucket. Embodiment 1: The control unit controls the opening and closing of the material lock door when one or more object detection sensors included in the first sensor group and one or more object detection sensors included in the second sensor group each detect the soil removal bucket. A soil removal control system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 7. (Aspect 9) The object detection sensors included in the first sensor group and the object detection sensors included in the second sensor group detect the object by detecting the transmitted wave transmitted by the device that is reflected by the object. The material lock has a window on its wall surface formed of a member that is transparent to the transmitted wave, The first sensor group and the second sensor group are installed on the outside of the window. The soil removal control system described in embodiment 8. (Aspect 10) In a crane for suspending an earth-dumping bucket, it is provided in a winch that winds up a wire rope for suspending the earth-dumping bucket, and obtains a signal corresponding to the extended length of the wire rope from an encoder that outputs a signal corresponding to the extended length of the wire rope, calculates the position of the earth-dumping bucket using the obtained signal, and controls the winch according to the calculated position, An earth-dumping method in the pneumatic caisson method, which is executed by one or more control units. (Aspect 11) In a crane for suspending an earth-dumping bucket, it is provided in a winch that winds up a wire rope for suspending the earth-dumping bucket, and obtains a signal corresponding to the extended length of the wire rope from an encoder that outputs a signal corresponding to the extended length of the wire rope, calculates the position of the earth-dumping bucket using the obtained signal, and controls the winch according to the calculated position, An earth-dumping program in the pneumatic caisson method for causing one or more computers to execute.

[0008] Note that the contents described in the means for solving the problems can be combined as much as possible without departing from the problems and technical ideas of the present invention. In addition, the contents of the means for solving the problems can be provided as a device such as a computer or a system including a plurality of devices, a method executed by a computer, or a program to be executed by a computer. The program can also be executed on a network. Further, a recording medium holding the program may be provided.

Advantages of the Invention

[0009] <00​​​​​​​[Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the entire system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an example of a material lock. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the system. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for carrying the spoil bucket into the workroom. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the correction of the spoil bucket position. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for carrying the spoil bucket out of the workroom.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] <System Configuration> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the entire system. The system 100 is a system for performing construction by the pneumatic caisson method. In the present embodiment, the description will be centered on the configuration for discharging spoil in particular. The system 100 includes a crane 1, a mooring equipment 2, a caisson 3, a spoil bucket overturning device 4, and a remote control equipment 5.

[0013] Crane 1 is, for example, a skater crane (asymmetrical crane) and comprises a mast 11, a jib 12, a gantry 13, trolleys 14 (141 and 142), a hoisting winch 15, a traverse winch 16, a hoisting wire 17 (Figure 1: thick solid line), and a traverse wire 18 (Figure 1: thick dashed line), and is used to suspend and move an earth bucket 19. The mast 11 is constructed, for example, by combining column members, beam members, and braces, and extends vertically upward from the ground. The jib 12 is constructed, for example, by combining column members, beam members, and braces, and extends horizontally on the mast 11. The gantry 13 is installed on the jib 12 and supports the jib 12 horizontally or nearly horizontally via stays, and is equipped with load cells for measuring the load on the hoisting wire 17. The trolley 14 is suspended from the jib 12 so as to be movable along the extension direction (longitudinal direction) of the jib 12, and suspends the soil removal bucket 19 via a hoisting wire 17. The trolley 14 also includes a main trolley 141 and a sub-trolley 142. The main trolley 141 suspends the soil removal bucket 19 by the hoisting wire 17. The sub-trolley 142 is equipped with a sheave onto which the middle section of the hoisting wire 17 is attached, and by adjusting the distance between it and the main trolley 141, horizontal retraction is achieved, which moves the soil removal bucket 19 horizontally while keeping its height constant. Figure 1(A) shows the state in which the soil removal bucket 19 has been moved to the front end side of the jib 12 (above the outfitting equipment 2), and Figure 1(B) shows the state in which the soil removal bucket 19 has been moved to the rear end side of the jib 12.

[0014] The hoisting winch 15 is a device that raises and lowers the hoisting wire 17 by rotating a drum. In this embodiment, the hoisting winch 15 is equipped with a sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to the length of the hoisting wire 17 that is paid out. The traverse winch 16 is a device that winds up and pays out the traverse wire 18 by rotating a drum. The drum of the traverse winch 16 is, for example, a capstan drum. In this embodiment, the traverse winch 16 is also equipped with a sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to the length of the traverse wire 18 that is paid out. The hoisting wire 17 is, for example, a wire rope, one end of which is connected to the hoisting winch 15, and the other end of which is capable of suspending a soil removal bucket 19. Furthermore, the hoisting wire 17 is installed by hooking its middle section onto a sheave provided on the tip side of the jib 12, as well as onto sheaves on the main trolley 141 and sub-trolley 142, and suspending the soil removal bucket 19 below the sheave on the main trolley 141. The traverse wire 18 is, for example, a wire rope, with one end connected to the tip of the jib 12 and the other end connected to the main trolley 141, and the middle section wound around the traverse winch 16. The distance between the main trolley 141 and the sub-trolley 142 is adjusted by an interlocking wire, with one end connected to the rear end of the jib 12, the other end connected to the main trolley 141, and the middle section hooked onto the sheave of the sub-trolley 142. When the capstan ram of the traverse winch 16 is rotated forward, the main trolley 141 moves towards the tip side of the jib 12, and when it is rotated backward, the main trolley 141 moves backward behind the jib 12. Furthermore, the soil removal bucket 19 is suspended by a hoisting wire 17 and is a container for transporting soil generated by excavation to the ground.

[0015] The outfitting equipment 2 includes a material lock 21, a material shaft 22, and a material lock control panel 23. The material lock 21 is an entrance / exit located at the top of the material shaft 22. The material lock 21 also has a double door and functions as an airlock to maintain airtightness inside the material shaft 22. 23 controls the opening and closing of the material lock 21 door, as well as the internal air pressure, etc.

[0016] Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example of a material lock 21. The material lock 21 comprises an upper lock 211, a lower lock 212, and an intermediate shaft 213 connecting them. Inside the upper lock 211 is an upper door 214 that can be opened and closed, and which has an opening (wire box) through which a hoisting wire 17 can be inserted when the door is closed. One end of an air supply pipe 215 for supplying air into the material lock 21 from the outside and one end of an exhaust pipe 216 for discharging high-pressure air to the outside are connected to the upper lock 211. An air supply device such as an air compressor is connected to the other end of the air supply pipe 215. An exhaust valve for opening and closing the exhaust pipe 216 is connected to the exhaust pipe 216. The air supply device and exhaust valve can be remotely controlled, for example, by a signal from a remote control device 5.

[0017] A lower door 217 that can be opened and closed is provided inside the lower lock 212. The upper door 214 and the lower door 217 can be opened and closed, for example, by extending and retracting an opening and closing cylinder connected via a predetermined link mechanism. The opening and closing cylinder can be remotely controlled, for example, by a signal from the remote control equipment 5.

[0018] The intermediate shaft 213 is formed of a cylindrical steel pipe and, for example, is equipped with a first bucket sensor 218 and a second bucket sensor 219 on its outside. The first bucket sensor 218 and the second bucket sensor 219 are object detection sensors for detecting the soil removal bucket 19. The first bucket sensor 218 and the second bucket sensor 219 are positioned vertically at a distance shorter than the height of the soil removal bucket 19 from each other, and for example, the remote control equipment 5 may determine that the soil removal bucket 19 has entered the material lock 21 (in other words, that it has been housed between the upper door 214 and the lower door 217) when both the first bucket sensor 218 and the second bucket sensor 219 detect the soil removal bucket 19.

[0019] Furthermore, the first bucket sensor 218 and the second bucket sensor 219 may be configured to provide redundancy by being a first bucket sensor group containing multiple sensors and a second bucket sensor group containing multiple sensors, respectively. For example, as shown in Figure 2, a first bucket sensor 218A and a second bucket sensor 219A may be provided. In the example in Figure 2, the first bucket sensor 218A and the second bucket sensor 219A are positioned at a predetermined angle (e.g., 90 degrees) along the circumferential direction of the intermediate shaft 213, relative to the center of the material lock 21 in a cross-sectional view. For example, if at least one of the first bucket sensor group (218 and 218A) provided on the upper side and at least one of the second bucket sensor group (219 and 219A) provided on the lower side detect the soil removal bucket 19, it may be determined that the soil removal bucket 19 has entered the material lock 21.

[0020] The object detection sensor for detecting the soil removal bucket 19 is preferably, for example, a millimeter-wave radar. However, the object detection sensor may also be a photoelectric sensor, a laser sensor, a proximity sensor that detects metal based on the impedance of a coil, an ultrasonic sensor, a camera, a contact sensor, etc. Furthermore, when using a non-contact sensor, a window portion 2131 made of resin or tempered glass may be provided in a part of the intermediate shaft 213 around the location where the object detection sensor is installed, as shown in the enlarged view in Figure 2. The window portion 2131 has transparency to transmitted and reflected waves according to the type of sensor, and allows the sensor to be placed outside the material lock 21. In addition, by placing the sensor outside the material lock 21, the effects of high pressure inside and contamination by soil can be avoided, and maintenance when replacing the sensor can be improved.

[0021] The material shaft 22 is a cylindrical steel pipe extending upward from the slab of the caisson 3 and is used as a passage for transporting excavation buckets 19 and other equipment to and from the lower part of the caisson 3. The material shaft 22 also extends as excavation and caisson 3 settles, and its total length changes. Multiple material locks 21 and material shafts 22 may be provided for the caisson 3. The outfitting equipment 2 may also include man locks and man shafts that serve as passages for workers.

[0022] The material lock control panel 23 is, for example, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), etc. The control unit (computer) includes a control device that acquires input signals from sensors on the material lock 21 and controls the operation of the material lock 21. The material lock control panel 23 can be installed, for example, on a work stage located on the upper outside of the material lock 21, or at any other location.

[0023] Caisson 3 is a structure formed in a concave shape downwards, and is constructed, for example, of reinforced concrete. The interior of caisson 3 is used as a work chamber 31. A running rail is provided on the ceiling of the work chamber 31, and an excavator 32 is suspended from the running rail. The excavator 32 is an overhead-traveling excavator, a construction machine that moves along the running rail and excavates the ground 200 with its excavation bucket. The soil generated by the excavation is loaded into a soil removal bucket 19 and transported to the surface. The excavator 32 is operated, for example, by remote control. In addition, multiple excavators 32 may be installed in the work chamber 31, each responsible for excavating its own area. Furthermore, caisson 3 may be equipped with a circumferential friction meter to measure the frictional force on its outer circumference, a cutting edge load meter to measure the load on the cutting edge 33, a near-cut pressure meter to measure the water pressure around the cutting edge 33, an inclinometer to measure the inclination of the slab, a barometer to measure the air pressure inside the work chamber 31, and the like. Furthermore, a structure tailored to its purpose is constructed above caisson 3. Figure 1 shows the underground structure and scaffolding under construction.

[0024] The soil removal bucket tipping device 4 is an existing device installed on the ground that inverts the top and bottom of the soil removal bucket 19 to remove its contents into a soil hopper or the like. The soil removal bucket tipping device 4 comprises, for example, a basket into which the soil removal bucket 19 can be fitted, a support part that supports the basket so that it can rotate along a horizontal axis of rotation, and a weight that adjusts the position of the empty basket so that the opening faces upward. When the soil removal bucket 19 is fitted into the opening of the basket, the weight of the soil removal bucket 19 causes the support part to rotate and invert the top and bottom of the soil removal bucket 19. It should be noted that the device does not include such a weight and basket, and various mechanisms may be used to invert the orientation of the soil removal bucket 19, or the bottom of the soil removal bucket 19 may be made openable and closable without tipping it over.

[0025] The remote control equipment 5 is a control device such as a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) The remote control equipment 5 includes a computer and acquires input signals from sensors on the crane 1, etc., and controls the operation of the crane 1. The remote control equipment 5 can be installed, for example, at the bottom of the mast 11 of the crane 1, or at any other location.

[0026] The surveying system 6 includes a surveying instrument 61 and a target 62. The surveying instrument 61 is a device such as a total station or a laser scanner, which can measure, for example, the distance to a predetermined target. In this embodiment, the surveying instrument 61 is positioned on the ground portion of the structure constructed on top of the caisson 3. The height from the opening 33 of the caisson 3 to the surveying instrument 61 can be calculated by accumulating the heights of the repeatedly constructed structures (for example, about 4 to 5 m per lot). The target 62 is a target object corresponding to the surveying instrument 61, such as a prism. In this embodiment, the target 62 is positioned on the ground, for example. The height from the ground to the surveying instrument 61 can be calculated based on the distance from the surveying instrument 61 to the target 62. The amount of settlement of caisson 3 can be calculated from the difference between the distance to the caisson and the distance from the ground to the surveying instrument 61.

[0027] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the system. In Figure 3, the components related to the system's soil removal control will be explained in detail. System 100 includes a crane 1, a material lock 21, a material lock control panel 23, a remote control device 5, a surveying system 6, and an air supply device 7.

[0028] Crane 1 includes a hoisting winch 15 equipped with a drum for winding up a hoisting wire 17 (Figure 1), a hoisting inverter 151 for rotating the drum of the hoisting winch 15, a hoisting encoder 152 for measuring the length of the hoisting wire 17, a traverse winch 16 equipped with a capstan ram for winding up and unwinding a traverse wire 18 (Figure 1), a traverse inverter 161 for rotating the drum of the traverse winch 16, a traverse encoder 162 for measuring the length of the traverse wire 18 in a predetermined direction, and a load cell 131 installed on the top of the gantry 13 (Figure 1), and is connected to a remote control device 5. The remote control device 5 may be integrated with crane 1. The hoisting inverter 151 operates based on control signals from the remote control device 5, causing the hoisting winch 15 to unwind or wind up the hoisting wire 17. Similarly, the traverse inverter 161 operates based on control signals from the remote control equipment 5, causing the traverse winch 16 to wind in and unwind the traverse wire 18. The hoist encoder 152 and traverse encoder 162 are rotary encoders, for example, that output pulses in accordance with the rotation of the drum. The hoist encoder 152 and traverse encoder 162 output pulse signals to the remote control equipment 5. The load cell 131 is, for example, an existing type of load cell that measures the load on the hoist wire 17 and outputs weight information of the excavation bucket 19 to the remote control equipment 5. The crane 1 may also be equipped with a temperature sensor that measures the temperature and outputs information representing the temperature to the remote control equipment 5.

[0029] The material lock 21 includes an upper door 214, an opening / closing cylinder 2141 for opening and closing the upper door 214, an exhaust valve 2161 for opening and closing the exhaust pipe 216 (Figure 1), a pressure sensor 2162, a lower door 217, an opening / closing cylinder 2171 for opening and closing the lower door 217, a first bucket sensor 218, and a second bucket sensor 219. The material lock 21 is also connected to an air supply pipe 215 for introducing compressed air from the air supply equipment 7.

[0030] The opening / closing cylinder 2141 operates based on a control signal from the material lock control panel 23 to open and close the upper door 214. Similarly, the opening / closing cylinder 2171 operates based on a control signal from the material lock control panel 23 to open and close the lower door 217. The pressure sensor 2162 is an existing sensor that detects atmospheric pressure using a piezoresistive method, for example, a silicon semiconductor. The pressure sensor 2162 is installed between the upper door 214 and the lower door 217 and measures the pressure inside the material lock 21, and outputs information indicating the pressure to the material lock control panel 23. The first bucket sensor 218 and the second bucket sensor 219 are object detection sensors for detecting the soil removal bucket 19, as shown in Figure 2. When each sensor detects the soil removal bucket 19, it outputs information indicating that it has been detected to the material lock control panel 23.

[0031] The remote control equipment 5 is composed of, for example, one or more PLCs and includes a control unit 51, a memory unit 52, an input unit 53, and an output unit 54. The control unit 51 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit). This unit is a Micro-Processing Unit (MPU), which processes signals input to the input unit 53 based on a predetermined program and outputs a signal corresponding to the result from the output unit 54. In this embodiment, the control unit 51 calculates the position of the soil removal bucket 19 based on information obtained from the hoisting encoder 152, etc., and controls the hoisting winch 15 and the material lock 21, etc. via the material lock control panel 23 based on the position of the soil removal bucket 19. Memory unit 52 The memory unit 52 is a storage device for saving programs and data. In this embodiment, the memory unit 52 holds coefficients for calculating deflection and rope extension / contraction based on variable elements described later. The input unit 53 is an interface for receiving signals from various sensors and switches. The input unit 53 receives signals from the hoisting encoder 152, traverse encoder 162, etc. of the crane 1. The output unit 54 is an interface for outputting signals to control external equipment. The output unit 54 outputs control signals to the hoisting inverter 151, traverse inverter 161, material lock control panel 23, etc. of the crane 1.

[0032] The material lock control panel 23 is composed of, for example, one or more PLCs and includes a control unit 231, a memory unit 232, an input unit 233, and an output unit 234. The control unit 231 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Micro-Processing Unit) that processes signals input to the input unit 233 based on a predetermined program and outputs a signal corresponding to the result from the output unit 234. In this embodiment, the control unit 231 controls the material lock 21, etc., based on information obtained from each material lock sensor, etc. The memory unit 232 is a storage device that stores programs and data. The input unit 233 receives signals from the pressure sensor 2162, first bucket sensor 218, second bucket sensor 219, surveying system 6, etc. of the material lock 21. The output unit 234 outputs control signals to the opening / closing cylinders 2141, 2171, exhaust valve 2161, air supply equipment 7, etc. of the material lock 21.

[0033] The surveying system 6 includes the surveying instrument 61 described above. The surveying instrument 61 measures the distance to the target 62 and transmits information representing the distance to the material lock control panel 23. As described above, the remote control equipment 5 can calculate the height from the ground to the surveying instrument 61 and the amount of settlement of the caisson 3. Furthermore, based on the amount of settlement of the caisson 3, the height of the upper end of the material lock 21, the height of the lower end of the material shaft 22, and the position of the cutting edge 33 of the caisson 3 can also be calculated. Note that the connection relationship shown in Figure 3 is just an example, and for example, the material lock control panel 23, the remote control equipment 5, and the surveying system 6 may each be able to communicate with each other and may operate in cooperation under another computer that integrates these devices. In addition, these devices may be further integrated with equipment for remotely controlling the excavator 32 in the workroom 31.

[0034] The air supply equipment 7 includes an air compressor and supplies compressed air to the material lock 21, etc., based on control signals from the remote control equipment 5. The air supply equipment 7 may further include devices such as an air purifier or a cooling tower.

[0035] In the pneumatic caisson construction method, a structure according to the purpose is constructed above the caisson 3, and the excavator 32 repeatedly excavates below the caisson 3 to sink the caisson 3 and the structure, thereby sinking the caisson 3 to the desired depth. When the cutting edge 33 at the lower end of the caisson 3 is below groundwater level, compressed air is sent into the work chamber 31 to suppress groundwater intrusion by high pressure. At this time, in order to maintain airtightness, the material lock 21 is opened only when the soil removal bucket 19 or the like passes through. In this embodiment, based on information obtained from the hoisting encoder 152 and the traverse encoder 162, the position of the soil removal bucket 19 passing through the inside can be calculated with high accuracy along the entire length of the material lock 21 and material shaft 22, and contact between the soil removal bucket 19 and the door of the material lock 21 can be suppressed.

[0036] <Delivery and Processing> Figure 4 is a process flow diagram showing an example of the process of transporting the soil bucket into the workroom. The control unit 51 of the remote control equipment 5 and the control unit 231 of the material lock control panel 23 perform the process shown in Figure 4 in order to transport the empty soil bucket 19 into the workroom 31. The sensors mentioned above each measure information and send it to the material lock control panel 23 and the remote control equipment 5. It shall be assumed that transmissions are made as appropriate. Furthermore, before delivery, the material lock 21 shall be in the state where the lower door 217 is closed and the upper door 214 is open.

[0037] First, the control unit 51 calculates the position of the trolley 14 and the extension of the traverse winch 16 (Figure 4: S1). In this step, the control unit 51 sends a control signal to the traverse inverter 161 to extend the traverse wire 18 from the traverse winch 16. The control unit 51 also calculates the extension length of the traverse wire 18 based on the pulses received from the traverse encoder 162, and calculates the position of the trolley 14 based on the extension length. For example, the distance from the traverse winch 16 to the trolley 14 (i.e., the position of the trolley 14) is determined based on the extension length of the traverse wire 18. At this time, the deflection due to the fluctuating elements shown in Figure 5 is calculated, and the position of the trolley 14 is corrected. You may do so.

[0038] Figure 5 illustrates an example of correcting the position of the excavation bucket. The bucket position variation element table in Figure 5 includes rows for "working radius," "bucket load," "temperature," "hoisting wire payout length," and "initial elongation of the hoisting wire." Each variation element affects "horizontal deflection," "vertical deflection," and "hoisting wire expansion / contraction," and the sum of these values ​​corrects the "trolley position" and "bucket height."

[0039] In step S1 of Figure 4, the control unit 51 determines the position of the trolley 14. "Bucket load" is information indicating the weight of the excavation bucket 19 and is input from the load cell 131. "Working radius" is the working radius of the crane 1 based on the position of the trolley 14 relative to the jib 12 and is input from the traverse encoder 162. The control unit 51 then determines the position of each of these two variable elements. The corresponding "horizontal deflections" (H1 and H2) are determined, and based on these, the "trolley position correction" value (H) is calculated. For example, the horizontal deflection (H) can be determined by multiplying the working radius by a coefficient corresponding to the load. In other words, the total value of the "trolley position correction" represents the difference between the theoretical position of the trolley 14 if there were no deflection of the mast 11 and jib 12, and the actual position of the trolley 14. The control unit 51 may control the traverse inverter 161 based on the calculated total value of the "trolley position correction" (H) to adjust the position of the trolley 14.

[0040] After S1 in Figure 4, the control unit 51 determines whether the trolley 14 has reached vertically above the material lock 21 (Figure 4: S2). The position of the material lock 21 is known from the predetermined arrangement information of the crane 1 and the outfitting equipment 2, or from the output of the surveying system 6 described above. If the trolley 14 has not reached vertically above the material lock 21 (S2: NO), the control unit 51 returns to S1 and continues processing.

[0041] Furthermore, when the trolley 14 reaches vertically above the material lock 21 (S2:YES), the control unit 51 lowers the hoisting winch 15 and calculates the position of the soil removal bucket 19 (Figure 4:S3). In this step, the control unit 51 sends a control signal to the hoisting inverter 151 to unwind the hoisting wire 17 from the hoisting winch 15. The control unit 51 also calculates the unwinding length of the hoisting wire 17 based on the pulses received from the hoisting encoder 152, and calculates the position of the soil removal bucket 19 based on the unwinding length. For example, the distance from the trolley 14 to the soil removal bucket 19 (and thus the position (height) of the soil removal bucket 19) is determined by the difference between the unwinding length of the hoisting wire 17 and the distance from the hoisting winch 15 to the trolley 14 via the sheave provided on the tip side of the jib 12. At this time, the deflection due to the fluctuating elements shown in Figure 5 The amount of wire expansion and contraction can be determined, and the position of the soil removal bucket 19 may be corrected accordingly.

[0042] As shown in Figure 5, the control unit 51 determines the "vertical deflection" (V1 and V2) based on the "working radius" and "bucket load," and uses the resulting deflection amount (V) to calculate the value of the "bucket height correction." For example, the vertical deflection (V) can be determined by multiplying the working radius by a coefficient corresponding to the load. In addition, the control unit 51 determines the "bucket load," "temperature," and " Based on the "initial elongation of the hoisting wire," the control unit 51 uses this information to calculate the "hoisting wire elongation amount" (E1, E2, and E3). The "bucket load" is the information described above. For example, the amount of expansion and contraction can be determined by multiplying the extension length of the hoisting wire 17 by a coefficient corresponding to the load. The "temperature" is information representing the ambient temperature and is input to the memory unit 52 via a temperature sensor provided by the crane 1, for example. The control unit 51 may then calculate the "hoisting wire expansion and contraction amount" (E2) based on the "temperature." For example, the amount of expansion and contraction can be determined by multiplying the extension length of the hoisting wire 17 by a coefficient corresponding to the temperature. The "initial elongation of the hoisting wire" is information indicating whether or not pretensioning was performed during the manufacturing of the hoisting wire 17, and the control unit 51 may then calculate the "hoisting wire expansion and contraction amount" (E3) based on this. For example, the amount of expansion and contraction can be determined by multiplying the extension length of the hoisting wire 17 by an initial elongation coefficient. The control unit 51 calculates the "vertical deflection" (V1 and V2) and "hoisting wire extension" (E1, E2, and E3) corresponding to each of these fluctuating elements, and calculates the "bucket height correction" corresponding to each of the fluctuating elements. For example, the total value of the "bucket height correction" (V+E) is obtained by summing the extension length of the hoisting wire 17, the expansion and contraction amount based on the load (E1), the expansion and contraction amount based on temperature (E2), the expansion and contraction amount based on initial elongation (E3), and the vertical deflection amount (V) based on the load and working radius. The total value of the "bucket height correction" (V+E) represents the difference between the theoretical position of the soil removal bucket 19 if there were no deflection of the mast 11 and jib 12, and the actual position of the soil removal bucket 19. The control unit 51 may control the hoisting inverter 151 based on the calculated total value of the "bucket height correction" (V+E) to adjust the height of the soil removal bucket 19.

[0043] The height of the material lock 21 is known in advance by the surveying system 6 described above. Therefore, in S3, the control unit 51 may reduce the speed at which the hoisting wire 17 is unfurled from the hoisting winch 15 if it determines that the distance between the soil removal bucket 19 and the material lock 21 is below a predetermined threshold.

[0044] After S3 in Figure 4, the control unit 231 determines whether the soil removal bucket 19 has entered the material lock 21 (Figure 4: S4). In this step, if both the first bucket sensor 218 and the second bucket sensor 219 of the material lock 21 detect the presence of the soil removal bucket 19, it is determined that the soil removal bucket 19 has entered the material lock 21. If the soil removal bucket 19 has not entered the material lock 21 (S4: NO), the control unit 51 returns to S1 and continues processing.

[0045] On the other hand, if it is determined that the soil removal bucket 19 has entered the material lock 21 (S4:YES), the control unit 231 controls the opening / closing cylinder 2141 of the material lock 21 to close the upper door 214 (Figure 4:S5).

[0046] After S5, the control unit 231 controls the air supply equipment 7 to pressurize the inside of the material lock 21 (Figure 4: S6). In this step, the control unit 231 obtains information indicating the atmospheric pressure from the pressure sensor 2162 inside the material lock 21, and also pressurizes the space between the upper door 214 and the lower door 217 to the same pressure as the work chamber 31.

[0047] After S6, the control unit 231 controls the opening / closing cylinder 2171 of the material lock 21 to open the lower door 217 (Figure 4: S7).

[0048] After S7, the control unit 51 calculates the position of the hoisting winch 15 and the position of the soil removal bucket 19 (Figure 4: S8). This step is the same as S3. The position of the cutting edge 33 of the caisson 3 is also known in advance by the surveying system 6 described above. Therefore, in S8, if the control unit 51 determines that the distance between the soil removal bucket 19 and the cutting edge 33 of the caisson 3 is below a predetermined threshold (in other words, when the destination of the soil removal bucket 19 is approaching), it reduces the speed at which the hoisting wire 17 is unfurled from the hoisting winch 15. That's good too.

[0049] After S8, the control unit 51 determines whether the soil removal bucket 19 has reached the work chamber 31 (Figure 4: S9). In this step, the control unit 51 may determine that the soil removal bucket 19 has reached the work chamber 31 if the distance between the soil removal bucket 19 and the cutting edge 33 of the caisson 3 is below a predetermined threshold. Alternatively, the control unit 51 may determine that the soil removal bucket 19 has reached the work chamber 31 if it is detected by an object detection sensor or camera installed in the work chamber 31. If the soil removal bucket 19 has not reached the work chamber 31 (S9: NO), the control unit 51 returns to S8 and continues processing.

[0050] On the other hand, if it is determined that the soil removal bucket 19 has reached the work chamber 31 (S9: YES), the control unit 51 terminates the loading process shown in Figure 4.

[0051] <Removal and processing> Figure 6 is a process flow diagram showing an example of the process of removing the soil bucket from the workroom. The control unit 51 of the remote control equipment 5 and the control unit 231 of the material lock control panel 23 perform the process shown in Figure 6 in order to remove the soil bucket 19 loaded with soil from the workroom 31 to the ground. It is also assumed that the sensors mentioned above transmit the information they measure to the remote control equipment 5 as appropriate. Furthermore, it is assumed that the upper door 214 of the material lock 21 is closed and the lower door 217 is open.

[0052] First, the control unit 51 calculates the position of the hoisting winch 15 and the position of the soil removal bucket 19 (Figure 6: S11). In this step, the control unit 51 sends a control signal to the hoisting inverter 151 to wind the hoisting wire 17 onto the hoisting winch 15. The control unit 51 also calculates the extension length of the hoisting wire 17 based on the pulses received from the hoisting encoder 152, and calculates the position of the soil removal bucket 19 based on the extension length. At this time, the deflection of the jib 12 of the crane 1 may be determined based on at least one of the load of the soil removal bucket 19 and the working radius of the crane 1, and the position of the soil removal bucket 19 may be corrected. The correction may be performed using, for example, the table shown in Figure 5. Furthermore, the amount of expansion and contraction of the hoisting wire 17 itself may be determined according to the ambient temperature, and the position of the soil removal bucket 19 may be corrected.

[0053] The position (height) of the material lock 21 is known in advance by the surveying system 6 described above. Therefore, in S11, the control unit 51 may reduce the speed at which the hoisting wire 17 is wound onto the hoisting winch 15 when it is determined that the distance between the soil bucket 19 and the material lock 21 is below a predetermined threshold (in other words, when the destination of the soil bucket 19 is approaching).

[0054] After S11 in Figure 6, the control unit 231 determines whether the soil removal bucket 19 has entered the material lock 21 (Figure 6: S12). In this step, if both the first bucket sensor 218 and the second bucket sensor 219 of the material lock 21 detect the presence of the soil removal bucket 19, it is determined that the soil removal bucket 19 has entered the material lock 21. If the soil removal bucket 19 has not entered the material lock 21 (S12: NO), the control unit 51 returns to S11 and continues processing.

[0055] On the other hand, if it is determined that the soil removal bucket 19 has entered the material lock 21 (S12:YES1), the control unit 51 controls the opening / closing cylinder 2171 of the material lock 21 to close the lower door 217 (Figure 6:S13).

[0056] After S13, the control unit 231 controls the exhaust valve 2161 to reduce the pressure inside the material lock 21 (Figure 6: S14). In this step, the control unit 231 controls the material lock 21 The system may obtain information indicating atmospheric pressure from the internal pressure sensor 2162 and confirm that the pressure has dropped to atmospheric pressure, or it may determine that the pressure has dropped to atmospheric pressure after a predetermined time has elapsed since the valve opened.

[0057] After S14, the control unit 231 controls the opening / closing cylinder 2141 of the material lock 21 to open the upper door 214 (Figure 6: S15).

[0058] After S15, the control unit 51 controls the hoisting winch 15 and the traverse winch 16 to discharge the soil loaded in the soil bucket 19 (Figure 6: S16). In this step, the control unit 51 moves the soil bucket 19 to the top of the soil bucket tilting device 4 (Figure 1), and uses the soil bucket tilting device 4 to invert the soil bucket 19, discharging the loaded soil to a hopper or the like (not shown). At this time, similar to step S1 in Figure 4, the control unit 51 corrects the position of the trolley 14 according to the horizontal deflection.

[0059] If the discharge process is to be repeated, the control unit 51 moves the soil bucket 19 above the material lock 21 by controlling the hoisting winch 15 and the traversing winch 16, and repeats the loading process shown in Figure 4.

[0060] <Effects> As the material shaft 22 extends as excavation progresses, if sensors were to be installed inside the material shaft 22 to detect the position of the soil removal bucket 19, many sensors would be required to accurately detect the position of the soil removal bucket 19. Furthermore, if the number of sensors is reduced by spacing them out, it may not be possible to detect the soil removal bucket 19 at the desired position depending on the sensor arrangement. On the other hand, according to this embodiment, the position of the soil removal bucket 19 is calculated based on the extension length of the hoisting wire 17, etc., so the position of the soil removal bucket 19 can be constantly monitored, even inside the material shaft 22. Therefore, regardless of the length of the material shaft 22, it becomes easier to control it, for example, to gradually decelerate and stop at the desired position. In other words, the position of the soil removal bucket 19 can be calculated with high accuracy.

[0061] <Other> System 100 may include multiple combinations of material locks 21 and material shafts 22. Conventionally, when an operator controls the raising and lowering of the soil removal bucket 19 to the material lock 21, an operator is required for each material lock 21. However, by automating this process as in the embodiment described above, a reduction in personnel can be achieved.

[0062] Furthermore, the processing performed by the material lock control panel 23 and the remote control equipment 5 is merely an example, and the system 100 may consist of three or more control units or computers that share or perform the processing according to the embodiment. Alternatively, the system 100 may consist of a single control unit or computer that performs the processing according to the embodiment.

[0063] Furthermore, the traverse inverter 161 may also have a vibration damping function. The vibration damping function reduces the shaking of the soil discharge bucket 19 when the trolley 14 is stopped, making it easier to align it with the soil discharge bucket tipping device 4 and the material lock 21.

[0064] Crane 1 does not have to be a skater crane. For example, even when using a crawler crane, the wire extension length can be obtained using an encoder and the position of the soil removal bucket 19 can be calculated. Alternatively, the amount of boom deflection can be determined based on the boom length and angle, and the position of the soil removal bucket 19 can be corrected accordingly.

[0065] The embodiments described above are illustrative examples, and the present invention is not limited to the configurations described above. The present invention includes computer programs that perform the above-described processes, and computer-readable recording media on which such programs are recorded. The recording media on which the program is recorded enables the above-described processes by having a computer execute the program.

[0066] Computer-readable recording media are those that store information such as data and programs through electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, or chemical means, and can be read by a computer. Examples of such recording media that are removable from a computer include flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, optical disks, magnetic tapes, and memory cards. Examples of recording media fixed to a computer include HDDs, SSDs, and ROMs. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0067] 100: System 1: Crane, 11: Mast, 12: Jib, 13: Gantry, 14: Trolley (141: Main trolley, 142: Sub-trolley), 15: Hoisting winch, 151: Hoisting inverter, 152: Hoisting encoder, 16: Traverse winch, 161: Traverse inverter, 162: Traverse encoder, 17: Hoisting wire, 18: Traverse wire, 19: Bucket 2: Outfitting equipment, 21: Material lock, 211: Upper lock, 212: Lower lock, 213: Intermediate shaft, 2131: Window section, 214: Upper door, 2141: Opening / closing cylinder, 215: Air intake pipe, 216: Exhaust pipe, 2161: Exhaust valve, 2162: Pressure sensor, 217: Lower door, 2171: Opening / closing cylinder, 218: First bucket sensor, 219: Second bucket sensor, 22: Material shaft, 23: Material lock control panel, 231: Control unit, 232: Memory unit, 233: Input unit, 234: Output unit 3: Caisson, 31: Working chamber, 32: Excavator, 33: Cutting edge 4: Bucket tilting device 5: Remote control equipment, 51: Control unit, 52: Memory unit, 53: Input unit, 54: Output unit 6: Surveying system, 61: Surveying equipment, 62: Target 7: Air supply equipment 200: Ground

Claims

1. A crane used for suspending a soil removal bucket in a pneumatic caisson construction method is equipped with a winch for winding up the wire rope that suspends the soil removal bucket, An encoder provided in the winch outputs a signal corresponding to the length of the wire rope being extended, One or more control units that obtain a signal from the encoder corresponding to the wire rope extension length, use the obtained signal to calculate the position of the excavation bucket inside the material shaft connecting the work chamber at the bottom of the caisson to the ground and inside the material lock provided at the top of the material shaft, and control the winch according to the calculated position, A soil removal control system equipped with the following features.

2. The system further includes a load cell for measuring the weight of the soil removal bucket, The control unit determines the amount of deflection of the crane according to the weight of the soil bucket, and corrects the position of the soil bucket using the amount of deflection. The soil removal control system according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned crane is a skater crane, The aforementioned deflection amount includes the vertical and horizontal deflection of the jib and mast of the skater crane. The soil removal control system according to claim 2.

4. The skater crane is equipped with a trolley that can move along the jib, The control unit corrects the position of the trolley using the position of the trolley relative to the jib and the amount of horizontal deflection of the jib and mast of the crane corresponding to the weight of the excavation bucket, and then aligns the trolley vertically above the material lock using the corrected position of the trolley. The soil removal control system according to claim 3.

5. The control unit determines the amount of expansion or contraction of the wire rope using the thermal expansion coefficient of the wire rope corresponding to the temperature, and corrects the position of the soil removal bucket using the amount of expansion of the wire rope. A soil removal control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The control unit further uses the weight of the soil-discarding bucket to determine the amount of extension or contraction of the wire rope, and uses the amount of extension of the wire rope to correct the position of the soil-discarding bucket. The soil removal control system according to claim 5.

7. The control unit further uses information regarding the initial elongation of the wire rope to determine the amount of expansion and contraction of the wire rope, and uses the amount of expansion of the wire rope to correct the position of the soil removal bucket. The soil removal control system according to claim 5.

8. The material lock comprises a first sensor group including two or more object detection sensors, and a second sensor group including two or more object detection sensors, which is positioned vertically below and separated from the first sensor group. The distance between the first sensor group and the second sensor group is smaller than the vertical height of the soil removal bucket. The control unit controls both the first sensor group and the second sensor group to the soil removal bucket. When this is detected, the opening and closing of the material lock door is controlled. The control unit controls the opening and closing of the material lock door when one or more object detection sensors included in the first sensor group and one or more object detection sensors included in the second sensor group each detect the soil removal bucket. A soil removal control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

9. The object detection sensors included in the first sensor group and the object detection sensors included in the second sensor group detect the object by detecting the transmitted wave transmitted by the device that is reflected by the object. The material lock has a window on its wall surface formed of a member that is transparent to the transmitted wave, The first sensor group and the second sensor group are installed on the outside of the window. The soil removal control system according to claim 8.

10. In a crane for suspending a soil-discarding bucket, a signal corresponding to the wire rope extension length is obtained from an encoder provided on a winch that winds up the wire rope suspending the soil-discarding bucket, which outputs a signal corresponding to the extension length of the wire rope. The acquired signal is used to calculate the position of the soil removal bucket, and the winch is controlled according to the calculated position. A method for removing soil in a pneumatic caisson construction method, wherein one or more control units perform the following actions.

11. In a crane for suspending a soil-discarding bucket, a signal corresponding to the wire rope extension length is obtained from an encoder provided on a winch that winds up the wire rope suspending the soil-discarding bucket, which outputs a signal corresponding to the extension length of the wire rope. The acquired signal is used to calculate the position of the soil removal bucket, and the winch is controlled according to the calculated position. A soil removal program for the pneumatic caisson construction method, which is run by one or more computers.

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