Testing new equipment with Reef in Herenveen 28.1108 (english version)

Trial of new equipment with REEF in Heerenveen 28.11.2008

It is one of ASPARi’s objectives to test new technologies for suitability in asphalt paving process. Some months ago Raytek asked us to do some trails with a Infrared Linescanner. The IR Linescanner is a device that scans temperature of a surface line by line. REEF was very kind to offer the opportunity to do a first field trail. REEF’s Gerard Oude Lansink helped to prepare the trail, to inform the paving team, and to adjust the machines so the line scanner could be fitted. A paving project in Heerenveen was selected for the job. This also was a good opportunity to work with the new GPS equipment.

Nov 28. It’s 04h45 at the University of Twente. Aspari researchers Seirgei Miller, Henny ter Huerne together with Bachelor’s student Jasper Middelkamp are loading the temperature profiling and GPS monitoring equipment into the car. They head due north for the Reef site in Heerenveen at 05h00 and arrive at the site just in time for a coffee and a chat with the site staff who, by the way, seem intrigued by these university academic types coming to take a peek at their work. It’s 07h00, almost freezing temperatures. Seirgei, the person most used to the mild southern hemisphere winters is especially happy with being in the Reef cabin. Alas, the chat and coffee has to end.

Work is scheduled to start at 07h30. Slowly the academics make their way out of the comfort of the warm cabin into the rather cold air and chilly wind of North Holland. Henny starts mounting the rather unfamiliar Raytek line scanner onto the asphalt paver. The first problem appears with the box especially made for housing the laptop. It’s not fixed to the paver and cannot be used. True to form, a solution is found almost immediately. This is after all, the civil engineering contracting industry where solutions are created instantaneously on site. It’s in the middle of nowhere, work starts in a few minutes and you have to make a plan. Fokke, the paver operator, suggests that the second seat can be used for the laptop. A couple of tie-wraps later and all is set to measure the surface temperature of the asphalt courtesy of Raytek. They supplied the line scanner which Aspari so dearly wanted to test and compare with the FLIR infrared cameras used previously on the A35 and Aziehavenweg data collection exercises. Henny gets the software going, checks that it is all systems go and breaths a huge sigh of relief.

Seirgei and Jasper unload the recently acquired GPS equipment from the car. The Trimble GPS receivers supplied by MCS-Laser are rather cumbersome to cart around. The “bomb-proof” boxes are huge and probably resistant against a limpet mine. The Trimble SPS 851 receivers and Zephyr 2 antennas are first mounted onto the paver and the rollers. We enquire about the rollers to be used for compaction of the 50mm asphalt layer. One of the roller operators respond that weather permitting, a choice is be made between the pneumatic-tyred and the three-drum deadweight to be used for initial breakdown rolling. Rolling is about choices, choices, and more choices. Jasper and Seirgei jump onto the paver to load the GPS equipment. Another problem with the cabin covered with vinyl sheeting. There is no way that the magnetic base holding the GPS antenna will stick the metal framework. The vinyl is way too thick. Another harsh lesson. Once again as short discussion and a quick solution is found. The antenna is mounted on the metal stanchion holding the laser scanner. A few tugs and pulls to ensure its stability and we satisfy ourselves that the solution will do the job. The GPS has no all around clear view to the sky because of the paver cabin but, it will have to do for now. The antenna is connected to the GPS receiver and it finds a way to the same seat as the laptop via a few tie-wrapped cable connections. The mounting of the equipment onto the two compactor rollers goes fast with the operators assisting us. Rather keen, these hardened road builders. The Zephyr 2 antennae are placed on the roof and held in place with the magnetic bases. The SPS 851 receivers are placed inside the cabin. The cables are connected through the windows and we are ready to start logging GPS data at 1-second intervals. All that remains to is to set up the base station.

The next step is to give Jasper an on-site crash course in the use of the hand-held FLIR InfraCAM. The images taken with this infrared camera will be compared with the Raytek line scanner. Seirgei shows Jasper the basic operating procedures of the camera. The emissivity factor, time stamp and all other important settings are checked. Infrared images have to be taken of the asphalt mix as it leaves the screed. This will then be compared with the line scanner data. Oh, oh. No pickets on the side of the road to indicate the distance from the start of paving. Another improvisation opportunity! No problem. Jasper follows the paver and takes an image approximately every 5 metres. Afterwards we can use the time stamp on the image and use the GPS data to calculate the position that every photo was taken at. Satisfied and happy, Jasper starts taking thermal images of the ± 150°C asphalt mix.

The GPS base station is next to be set up. Seirgei makes his way to the edge of the site looking for a suitable place to set up the base station. No tall buildings around and no other obstructions that could block satellites from doing what they are supposed to be doing. A short consultation with the locals to get approval to be on a business parking area proves fruitful and the mounting of the base station is completed in a short space of time. The base station and all rovers mounted on the asphalt paver and the roller compactors have been set to log data at 1-second intervals. Reef manager, Gerard Oude Lansink, pops around to enquire if things are going according to plan and to offer any other assistance. He, together with his laboratory technician, will later take a series of nuclear density measurements on the site.

Operations go ahead smoothly during the day. The Reef paving team and Aspari researchers all take a short break at around 10h30 for a much needed caffeine boost. Intrigued by what is going on, the site crew put several questions on the table. It’s great discussing the work with these guys. Lots of experience in this team. Most of it is implicit. Once again, ASPARi’s job is going to try to make it explicit and then work towards improvements. Testing of our equipment goes well during the day and Aspari ends up with test data to make the next step in working towards professionalizing the asphalt paving process. At the end of the day the equipment is loaded back into Henny’s car, an on to the Reef cabin for a long and fruitful chat with the paving team and to thank them for hosting the ASPARi’s academics. The team arrives at the University of Twente campus in Enschede at around 19h00 satisfied that they accomplished what they set out to do.

We thank REEF, their staff and the paving team for their cooperation and the opportunity to given to test the equipment. First glance of the data shows that all equipment worked well. Analysis of the data will take till January. Meanwhile we intend to put progress reports on the website.

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Home Info in Nederlands international students documents & down loads Zoeken	Testing new equipment with Reef in Herenveen 28.1108 (english version) Trial of new equipment with REEF in Heerenveen 28.11.2008 It is one of ASPARi’s objectives to test new technologies for suitability in asphalt paving process. Some months ago Raytek asked us to do some trails with a Infrared Linescanner. The IR Linescanner is a device that scans temperature of a surface line by line. REEF was very kind to offer the opportunity to do a first field trail. REEF’s Gerard Oude Lansink helped to prepare the trail, to inform the paving team, and to adjust the machines so the line scanner could be fitted. A paving project in Heerenveen was selected for the job. This also was a good opportunity to work with the new GPS equipment. Nov 28. It’s 04h45 at the University of Twente. Aspari researchers Seirgei Miller, Henny ter Huerne together with Bachelor’s student Jasper Middelkamp are loading the temperature profiling and GPS monitoring equipment into the car. They head due north for the Reef site in Heerenveen at 05h00 and arrive at the site just in time for a coffee and a chat with the site staff who, by the way, seem intrigued by these university academic types coming to take a peek at their work. It’s 07h00, almost freezing temperatures. Seirgei, the person most used to the mild southern hemisphere winters is especially happy with being in the Reef cabin. Alas, the chat and coffee has to end. Work is scheduled to start at 07h30. Slowly the academics make their way out of the comfort of the warm cabin into the rather cold air and chilly wind of North Holland. Henny starts mounting the rather unfamiliar Raytek line scanner onto the asphalt paver. The first problem appears with the box especially made for housing the laptop. It’s not fixed to the paver and cannot be used. True to form, a solution is found almost immediately. This is after all, the civil engineering contracting industry where solutions are created instantaneously on site. It’s in the middle of nowhere, work starts in a few minutes and you have to make a plan. Fokke, the paver operator, suggests that the second seat can be used for the laptop. A couple of tie-wraps later and all is set to measure the surface temperature of the asphalt courtesy of Raytek. They supplied the line scanner which Aspari so dearly wanted to test and compare with the FLIR infrared cameras used previously on the A35 and Aziehavenweg data collection exercises. Henny gets the software going, checks that it is all systems go and breaths a huge sigh of relief. Seirgei and Jasper unload the recently acquired GPS equipment from the car. The Trimble GPS receivers supplied by MCS-Laser are rather cumbersome to cart around. The “bomb-proof” boxes are huge and probably resistant against a limpet mine. The Trimble SPS 851 receivers and Zephyr 2 antennas are first mounted onto the paver and the rollers. We enquire about the rollers to be used for compaction of the 50mm asphalt layer. One of the roller operators respond that weather permitting, a choice is be made between the pneumatic-tyred and the three-drum deadweight to be used for initial breakdown rolling. Rolling is about choices, choices, and more choices. Jasper and Seirgei jump onto the paver to load the GPS equipment. Another problem with the cabin covered with vinyl sheeting. There is no way that the magnetic base holding the GPS antenna will stick the metal framework. The vinyl is way too thick. Another harsh lesson. Once again as short discussion and a quick solution is found. The antenna is mounted on the metal stanchion holding the laser scanner. A few tugs and pulls to ensure its stability and we satisfy ourselves that the solution will do the job. The GPS has no all around clear view to the sky because of the paver cabin but, it will have to do for now. The antenna is connected to the GPS receiver and it finds a way to the same seat as the laptop via a few tie-wrapped cable connections. The mounting of the equipment onto the two compactor rollers goes fast with the operators assisting us. Rather keen, these hardened road builders. The Zephyr 2 antennae are placed on the roof and held in place with the magnetic bases. The SPS 851 receivers are placed inside the cabin. The cables are connected through the windows and we are ready to start logging GPS data at 1-second intervals. All that remains to is to set up the base station. The next step is to give Jasper an on-site crash course in the use of the hand-held FLIR InfraCAM. The images taken with this infrared camera will be compared with the Raytek line scanner. Seirgei shows Jasper the basic operating procedures of the camera. The emissivity factor, time stamp and all other important settings are checked. Infrared images have to be taken of the asphalt mix as it leaves the screed. This will then be compared with the line scanner data. Oh, oh. No pickets on the side of the road to indicate the distance from the start of paving. Another improvisation opportunity! No problem. Jasper follows the paver and takes an image approximately every 5 metres. Afterwards we can use the time stamp on the image and use the GPS data to calculate the position that every photo was taken at. Satisfied and happy, Jasper starts taking thermal images of the ± 150°C asphalt mix. The GPS base station is next to be set up. Seirgei makes his way to the edge of the site looking for a suitable place to set up the base station. No tall buildings around and no other obstructions that could block satellites from doing what they are supposed to be doing. A short consultation with the locals to get approval to be on a business parking area proves fruitful and the mounting of the base station is completed in a short space of time. The base station and all rovers mounted on the asphalt paver and the roller compactors have been set to log data at 1-second intervals. Reef manager, Gerard Oude Lansink, pops around to enquire if things are going according to plan and to offer any other assistance. He, together with his laboratory technician, will later take a series of nuclear density measurements on the site. Operations go ahead smoothly during the day. The Reef paving team and Aspari researchers all take a short break at around 10h30 for a much needed caffeine boost. Intrigued by what is going on, the site crew put several questions on the table. It’s great discussing the work with these guys. Lots of experience in this team. Most of it is implicit. Once again, ASPARi’s job is going to try to make it explicit and then work towards improvements. Testing of our equipment goes well during the day and Aspari ends up with test data to make the next step in working towards professionalizing the asphalt paving process. At the end of the day the equipment is loaded back into Henny’s car, an on to the Reef cabin for a long and fruitful chat with the paving team and to thank them for hosting the ASPARi’s academics. The team arrives at the University of Twente campus in Enschede at around 19h00 satisfied that they accomplished what they set out to do. We thank REEF, their staff and the paving team for their cooperation and the opportunity to given to test the equipment. First glance of the data shows that all equipment worked well. Analysis of the data will take till January. Meanwhile we intend to put progress reports on the website.