2D Part-Based Visual Tracking of Hydraulic Excavators

Visual tracking has been widely applied in construction industry and attracted signifi-cant interests recently. Lots of research studies have adopted visual tracking techniques on the surveillance of construction workforce, project productivity and construction safety. Until now, visual tracking algorithms have gained promising performance when tracking un-articulated equipment in construction sites. However, state-of-art tracking algorithms have unguaranteed performance in tracking articulated equipment, such as backhoes and excavators. The stretching buckets and booms are the main obstacles of successfully tracking articulated equipment. In order to fill this knowledge gap, the part-based tracking algorithms are introduced in this paper for tracking articulated equipment in construction sites. The part-based tracking is able to track different parts of target equipment while using multiple tracking algorithms at the same sequence. Some existing tracking methods have been chosen according to their outstanding performance in the computer vision community. Then, the part-based algorithms were created on the basis of selected visual tracking methods and tested by real construction sequences. In this way, the tracking performance was evaluated from effectiveness and robustness aspects. Throughout the quantification analysis, the tracking performance of articulated equipment was much more improved by using the part-based tracking algorithms.

Motion Planning Based Coordinated Control for Hydraulic Excavators

Hydraulic excavator is one type of the most widely applied construction equipment for various applications mainly because of its versatility and mobility. Among the tasks performed by a hydraulic excavator, repeatable level digging or flat surface finishing may take a large percentage. Using automated functions to perform such repeatable and tedious jobs will not only greatly increase the overall productivity but more importantly also improve the operation safety. For the purpose of investigating the technology without loss of generality, this research is conducted to create a coordinate control method for the boom, arm and bucket cylinders on a hydraulic excavator to perform accurate and effective works. On the basis of the kinematic analysis of the excavator linkage system, the tip trajectory of the end-effector can be determined in terms of three hydraulic cylinders coordinated motion with a visualized method. The coordination of those hydraulic cylinders is realized by controlling three electro-hydraulic proportional valves coordinately. Therefore, the complex control algorithm of a hydraulic excavator can be simplified into coordinated motion control of three individual systems. This coordinate control algorithm was validated on a wheeled hydraulic excavator, and the validation results indicated that this developed control method could satisfactorily accomplish the auto-digging function for level digging or flat surface finishing.

Specific Power Consumption as Factor Disintegration Process Control of Digging-Wheel Excavators

The determination of digging resistance is of decisive importance when evaluating the mining process of digging-wheel excavators. Methodic of measuring and determinant relations （formulae） are different in various countries and by the comparison of them, underlying data for complex and objective evaluation using the knowledge from the field of rock disintegration can be obtained. In virtue of analysis of many measurements in situ, rather high specific power consumption with a wheel of excavator has been proved. What was the criterion for evaluation was the power consumption related to the volume of a rock disintegrated per unit time. From theoretical analyses, possibilities of eliminating a negative influence of the human factor upon the mining process and thus possibilities of optimum utilizing the power input of a wheel drive follow.

Distributed fault-tolerant strategy for electric swing system of hybrid excavators under communication errors

A distributed fault-tolerant strategy for the controller area network based electric swing system of hybrid excavators is proposed to achieve good performance under communication errors based on the adaptive compensation of the delays and packet dropouts. The adverse impacts of communication errors are effectively reduced by a novel delay compensation scheme, where the feedback signal and the control command are compensated in each control period in the central controller and the swing motor driver, respectively, without requiring additional network bandwidth. The recursive least-squares algorithm with forgetting factor algorithm is employed to identify the time-varying model parameters due to pose variation, and a reverse correction law is embedded into the feedback compensation in consecutive packet dropout scenarios to overcome the impacts of the model error. Simulations and practical experiments are conducted. The results show that the proposed fault-tolerant strategy can effectively reduce the communication-error-induced overshoot and response time variation.

Rockburst criterion and evaluation method for potential rockburst pit depth considering excavation damage effect

Excavation-induced disturbances in deep tunnels will lead to deterioration of rock properties and formation of excavation damaged zone(EDZ).This excavation damage effect may affect the potential rockburst pit depth.Taking two diversion tunnels of Jinping II hydropower station for example,the relationship between rockburst pit depth and excavation damage effect is first surveyed.The results indicate that the rockburst pit depth in tunnels with severe damage to rock masses is relatively large.Subsequently,the excavation-induced damage effect is characterized by disturbance factor D based on the Hoek-Brown criterion and wave velocity method.It is found that the EDZ could be further divided into a high-damage zone(HDZ)with D=1 and weak-damage zone(WDZ),and D decays from one to zero linearly.For this,a quantitative evaluation method for potential rockburst pit depth is established by presenting a three-element rockburst criterion considering rock strength,geostress and disturbance factor.The evaluation results obtained by this method match well with actual observations.In addition,the weakening of rock mass strength promotes the formation and expansion of potential rockburst pits.The potential rockburst pit depth is positively correlated with HDZ and WDZ depths,and the HDZ depth has a significant contribution to the potential rockburst pit depth.

Effect of slope angle on fractured rock masses under combined influence of variable rainfall infiltration and excavation unloading

Intense precipitation infiltration and intricate excavation processes are crucial factors that impact the stability and security of towering and steep rock slopes within mining sites.The primary aim of this research was to investigate the progression of cumulative failure within a cracked rock formation,considering the combined effects of precipitation and excavation activities.The study was conducted in the Huangniuqian eastern mining area of the Dexing Copper Mine in Jiangxi Province,China.An engineering geological investigation was conducted,a physical model experiment was performed,numerical calculations and theoretical analysis were conducted using the matrix discrete element method(Mat-DEM),and the deformation characteristics and the effect of the slope angle of a fractured rock mass under different scenarios were examined.The failure and instability mechanisms of the fractured rock mass under three slope angle models were analyzed.The experimental results indicate that as the slope angle increases,the combined effect of rainfall infiltration and excavation unloading is reduced.A novel approach to simulating unsaturated seepage in a rock mass,based on the van Genuchten model(VGM),has been developed.Compared to the vertical displacement observed in a similar physical experiment,the average relative errors associated with the slope angles of 45,50,and 55were 2.094%,1.916%,and 2.328%,respectively.Accordingly,the combined effect of rainfall and excavation was determined using the proposed method.Moreover,the accuracy of the numerical simulation was validated.The findings contribute to the seepage field in a meaningful way,offering insight that can inform and enhance existing methods and theories for research on the underlying mechanism of ultra-high and steep rock slope instability,which can inform the development of more effective risk management strategies.

Prediction of brittle rock failure severity:An approach based on rock mass failure progress

This study presents the classification and prediction of severity for brittle rock failure,focusing on failure behaviors and excessive determination based on damage depth.The research utilizes extensive field survey data from the Shuangjiangkou Hydropower Station and previous research findings.Based on field surveys and previous studies,four types of brittle rock failure with different failure mechanisms are classified,and then a prediction method is proposed.This method incorporates two variables,i.e.Kv(modified rock mass integrity coefficient)and GSI(geological strength index).The prediction method is applied to the first layer excavation of the powerhouse cavern of Shuangjiangkou Hydropower Station.The results show that the predicted brittle rock failure area agrees with the actual failure area,demonstrating the method’s applicability.Next,it extends to investigate brittle rock failure in two locations.The first is the k0-890 m section of the traffic cavern,and the second one is at K0-64 m of the main powerhouse.The criterion-based prediction indicates a severity brittle rock failure in the K0-890 m section,and a moderate brittle rock failure in the K0-64 m section,which agrees with the actual occurrence of brittle rock failure in the field.The understanding and application of the prediction method using Kv and GSI are vital for implementing a comprehensive brittle rock failure prediction process in geological engineering.To validate the adaptability of this criterion across diverse tunnel projects,a rigorous verification process using statistical findings was conducted.The assessment outcomes demonstrate high accuracy for various tunnel projects,allowing establishment of the correlations that enable valuable conclusions regarding brittle rock failure occurrence.Further validation and refinement through field and laboratory testing,as well as simulations,can broaden the contribution of this method to safer and more resilient underground construction.

Subsurface multi-physical characterization of mountain excavation and city construction in loess plateau with a fiber-optic sensing system

Mountain excavation and city construction(MECC)projects being launched in the Loess Plateau in China involve the creation of large-scale artificial land.Understanding the subsurface evolution characteristics of the artificial land is essential,yet challenging.Here,we use an improved fiber-optic monitoring system for its subsurface multi-physical characterization.The system enables us to gather spatiotemporal distribution of various parameters,including strata deformation,temperature,and moisture.Yan’an New District was selected as a case study to conduct refined in-situ monitoring through a 77 m-deep borehole and a 30 m-long trench.Findings reveal that the ground settlement involves both the deformation of the filling loess and the underlying intact loess.Notably,the filling loess exhibits a stronger creep capability compared to underlying intact loess.The deformation along the profile is unevenly distributed,with a positive correlation with soil moisture.Water accumulation has been observed at the interface between the filling loess and the underlying intact loess,leading to a significant deformation.Moreover,the temperature and moisture in the filling loess have reached a new equilibrium state,with their depths influenced by atmospheric conditions measuring at 31 m and 26 m,respectively.The refined investigation allows us to identify critical layers that matter the sustainable development of newly created urban areas,and provide improved insights into the evolution mechanisms of land creation.

开挖补偿法防控深部地下岩爆灾害——引汉济渭工程秦岭输水隧洞案例分析

Rockburst disasters occur frequently during deep underground excavation,yet traditional concepts and methods can hardly meet the requirements for support under high geo-stress conditions.Consequently,rockburst control remains challenging in the engineering field.In this study,the mechanism of excavation-induced rockburst was briefly described,and it was proposed to apply the excavation compensation method(ECM)to rockburst control.Moreover,a field test was carried out on the Qinling Water Conveyance Tunnel.The following beneficial findings were obtained:Excavation leads to changes in the engineering stress state of surrounding rock and results in the generation of excess energy DE,which is the fundamental cause of rockburst.The ECM,which aims to offset the deep excavation effect and lower the risk of rockburst,is an active support strategy based on high pre-stress compensation.The new negative Poisson’s ratio(NPR)bolt developed has the mechanical characteristics of high strength,high toughness,and impact resistance,serving as the material basis for the ECM.The field test results reveal that the ECM and the NPR bolt succeed in controlling rockburst disasters effectively.The research results are expected to provide guidance for rockburst support in deep underground projects such as Sichuan-Xizang Railway.

Modeling time-dependent mechanical behavior of hard rock considering excavation-induced damage and complex 3D stress states

To investigate the long-term stability of deep rocks,a three-dimensional(3D)time-dependent model that accounts for excavation-induced damage and complex stress state is developed.This model comprises three main components:a 3D viscoplastic isotropic constitutive relation that considers excavation damage and complex stress state,a quantitative relationship between critical irreversible deformation and complex stress state,and evolution characteristics of strength parameters.The proposed model is implemented in a self-developed numerical code,i.e.CASRock.The reliability of the model is validated through experiments.It is indicated that the time-dependent fracturing potential index(xTFPI)at a given time during the attenuation creep stage shows a negative correlation with the extent of excavationinduced damage.The time-dependent fracturing process of rock demonstrates a distinct interval effect of the intermediate principal stress,thereby highlighting the 3D stress-dependent characteristic of the model.Finally,the influence of excavation-induced damage and intermediate principal stress on the time-dependent fracturing characteristics of the surrounding rocks around the tunnel is discussed.

A spatiotemporal deep learning method for excavation-induced wall deflections

Data-driven approaches such as neural networks are increasingly used for deep excavations due to the growing amount of available monitoring data in practical projects.However,most neural network models only use the data from a single monitoring point and neglect the spatial relationships between multiple monitoring points.Besides,most models lack flexibility in providing predictions for multiple days after monitoring activity.This study proposes a sequence-to-sequence(seq2seq)two-dimensional(2D)convolutional long short-term memory neural network(S2SCL2D)for predicting the spatiotemporal wall deflections induced by deep excavations.The model utilizes the data from all monitoring points on the entire wall and extracts spatiotemporal features from data by combining the 2D convolutional layers and long short-term memory(LSTM)layers.The S2SCL2D model achieves a long-term prediction of wall deflections through a recursive seq2seq structure.The excavation depth,which has a significant impact on wall deflections,is also considered using a feature fusion method.An excavation project in Hangzhou,China,is used to illustrate the proposed model.The results demonstrate that the S2SCL2D model has superior prediction accuracy and robustness than that of the LSTM and S2SCL1D(one-dimensional)models.The prediction model demonstrates a strong generalizability when applied to an adjacent excavation.Based on the long-term prediction results,practitioners can plan and allocate resources in advance to address the potential engineering issues.

Physics-Informed Neural Networks-Based Online Excavation Trajectory Planning for Unmanned Excavator

As a large-scale mining excavator,the electric shovel(ES)has been extensively employed in open-pit mines for overburden removal and mineral loading.In the development of unmanned operations for ES,dynamic excavation trajectory planning is essential,as it directly influences operational efficiency and energy consumption by guiding the dipper during excavation.However,conventional optimization-based methods for excavation trajectory planning typically start from scratch,resulting in a time-consuming process that fails to meet real-time requirements.To address this challenge,we propose an innovative online trajectory planning framework based on physics-informed neural networks(PINNOTP)that utilizes advanced data-driven techniques.The input to PINNOTP consists of onsite working conditions,including the initial state of the ES and the material surface being excavated.The output is a smooth,polynomial-based curve that serves as the reference trajectory for the dipper.To ensure smooth execution of the generated trajectory,prior domain knowledge-such as physics-based target-oriented constraints,essential system dynamics,and mechanical constraints-is explicitly incorporated into the loss function during training.A case study is presented to validate the proposed method,demonstrating that PINNOTP effectively addresses the challenges of online excavation trajectory planning.

Analysis and Comparison of Slope-cutting Widening Schemes in Highway Reconstruction and Expansion Project Based on MIDAS Software

In this paper,the geological condition of the right-side slope of the K114+694–K115+162 section of Yong-tai-wen Expressway is investigated and analyzed with the results showing that the strength of rock mass is the main contributor to the stability of the slope.Then,two widening schemes are proposed,which are the steep slope with strong support and the gentle slope with general support schemes.The static/slope module of MIDAS GTS finite element analysis software and the strength reduction method were used to compare the two schemes.The results show that the steep slope with a strong support scheme has obvious advantages in land requisition,environmental protection,and safety and is more suitable for reconstructing and expanding the highway slope.

An efficient physics-guided Bayesian framework for predicting ground settlement profile during excavations in clay

Recently,the application of Bayesian updating to predict excavation-induced deformation has proven successful and improved prediction accuracy significantly.However,updating the ground settlement profile,which is crucial for determining potential damage to nearby infrastructures,has received limited attention.To address this,this paper proposes a physics-guided simplified model combined with a Bayesian updating framework to accurately predict the ground settlement profile.The advantage of this model is that it eliminates the need for complex finite element modeling and makes the updating framework user-friendly.Furthermore,the model is physically interpretable,which can provide valuable references for construction adjustments.The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through two field case studies,showing that it can yield satisfactory predictions for the settlement profile.

Application of excavation compensation method for enhancing stability and efficiency in shallow large-span rock tunnels

Engineering shallow,large-span rock tunnels challenges deformation control and escalates construction costs.This study investigates the excavation compensation method(ECM)and its associated technologies to address these issues.Utilizing five key technologies,the ECM effectively modulates radial stress post-excavation,redistributes stress in the surrounding rock,and eliminates tensile stress at the excavation face.Pre-tensioning measures further enhance the rock’s residual strength,establishing a new stability equilibrium.Field tests corroborate the method’s effectiveness,demonstrating a crown settlement reduction of 3–8 mm,a nearly 50%decrease compared to conventional construction approaches.Additionally,material consumption and construction duration were reduced by approximately 30%–35%and 1.75 months per 100 m,respectively.Thus,the ECM represents a significant innovation in enhancing the stability and construction efficiency of large-span rock tunnels,marking a novel contribution to the engineering field.

Modelling the viscoplastic behaviour of Callovo-Oxfordian claystone with consideration of damage effect

In order to evaluate the performance of deep geological disposal of radioactive waste,an underground research laboratory(URL)was constructed by Andra in the Callovo-Oxfordian(COx)claystone formation at the Meuse/Haute-Marne(MHM).The construction of URL induced the excavation damage of host formations,and the ventilation in the galleries desaturated the host formation close to the gallery wall.Moreover,it is expected that the mechanical behaviour of COx claystone is time-dependent.This study presents a constitutive model developed to describe the viscoplastic behaviour of unsaturated and damaged COx claystone.In this model,the unsaturation effect is considered by adopting the Bishop effective stress and the van Genuchten(VG)water retention model.In terms of the viscoplastic behaviour,the nonstationary flow surface(NSFS)theory for unsaturated soils is used with consideration of the coupled effects of strain rate and suction on the yield stress.A progressive hardening law is adopted.Meanwhile,a non-associated flow rule is used,which is similar to that in Barcelona basic model(BBM).In addition,to describe the damage effect induced by suction change and viscoplastic loading,a damage function is defined based on the crack volume proportion.This damage function contains two variables:unsaturated effective stress and viscoplastic volumetric strain,with the related parameters determined based on the mercury intrusion porosimetry(MIP)tests.For the model validation,different tests on COx claystone under different loading paths are simulated.Comparisons between experimental and simulated results indicated that the present model is able to well describe the viscoplastic behaviour of damaged COx claystone,including swelling/shrinkage,triaxial extension and compression,and triaxial creep.

Optimal depth of in-situ pressure-preserved coring in coal seams considering roadway excavation and drilling disturbance

Using pressure-preserved coring technique to determine in-situ gas content provides a more precise assessment of gas resource reserves and safeguard of mining safety in coal seams. How coring technique and depth affect the determination of gas content is unclear due to borehole zoning rupture caused by roadway excavation and drilling disturbance. To this end, a proposed coupling model of stress distribution and gas migration was simulated and validated by FLAC^(3D) and COMSOL Multiphysics considering superposition effects of roadway excavation and drilling disturbance. The findings indicate that the roadway surrounding rock displays distinct zoning features including stress relief zone, stress concentration zone that is composed of plastic zone, elastic zone, and original stress zone;and the broken situations depending on the borehole peeping are consistent with the corresponding simulation results.On this basis, this study proposes a set of drilling coring depth calculation and prediction model for the gas desorption affected area under engineering disturbance. Optimal depth of coring drilling is not only approach to the in-situ coal bulk, but also can get the balance of the drilling workload and cost controlling. According to the typical mine site geological conditions and the numerical simulation results in this study, if the roadway excavation time is ~1 year, it is recommended that the pressure-preserved coring depth should be greater than 17 m.

A novel V-cut method for explosive-free breakage of biaxially loaded rock using soundless chemical demolition agents

Interest in soundless chemical demolition agents(SCDAs),also known as expansive cements,as potentially viable alternatives to explosives for rock fragmentation,has been growing in recent years.Consequently,there is an increasing amount of literature on the use of SCDA for the breakage of rock blocks and boulders.Limited research has been conducted so far on the breakage of excavation fronts,such as tunnel or drift faces,using SCDA.This is due to the perception that the planar compressive in-situ stresses in the face would inhibit the creation and propagation of fracturing due to expansive pressure.This study proposes a novel V-cut method for demolishing rock panels under biaxial stress using SCDA.This method was examined through large-scale tests and numerical modelling.The rock panels were subjected to high biaxial confinements of 26 MPa and 40 MPa.Such a level of confinement corresponds to an in-situ stress state 1000 m below the surface in the Canadian shield.The V-cut drillhole pattern employs two sets of three SCDA holes angled at 45from the face of a Stanstead granite panel.The drillhole arrangement aims to create a V-shaped wedge in the plane of major principal stress.When angled drillholes are subjected to expansive pressure,they tend to cast out of the panel face,causing fragmentation.Two panels of 1 m1 m0.25 m were successfully demolished using the proposed method.The three-dimensional fast Lagrangian analysis code FLAC3D modelling was used to reconstruct the panel failure mechanism owing to the V-cut.This study demonstrates the feasibility of fragmenting an excavation front,such as a rock excavation face,with SCDA using a V-cut drill hole pattern while subjected to high biaxial confinement.

A hybrid ventilation scheme applied to bidirectional excavation tunnel construction with a long inclined shaft

The breakage and bending of ducts result in a difficulty to cope with ventilation issues in bidirectional excavation tunnels with a long inclined shaft using a single ventilation method based on ducts.To discuss the hybrid ventilation system applied in bidirectional excavation tunnels with a long inclined shaft,this study has established a full-scale computational fluid dynamics model based on field tests,the Poly-Hexcore method,and the sliding mesh technique.The distribution of wind speed,temperature field,and CO in the tunnel are taken as indices to compare the ventilation efficiency of three ventilation systems(duct,duct-ventilation shaft,duct–ventilated shaft-axial fan).The results show that the hybrid ventilation scheme based on duct-ventilation shaft–axial fan performs the best among the three ventilation systems.Compared to the duct,the wind speed and cooling rate in the tunnel are enhanced by 7.5%–30.6%and 14.1%–17.7%,respectively,for the duct-vent shaft-axial fan condition,and the volume fractions of CO are reduced by 26.9%–73.9%.This contributes to the effective design of combined ventilation for bidirectional excavation tunnels with an inclined shaft,ultimately improving the air quality within the tunnel.

Numerical Simulation of Surrounding Rock Deformation and Grouting Reinforcement of Cross-Fault Tunnel under Different Excavation Methods

Tunnel construction is susceptible to accidents such as loosening, deformation, collapse, and water inrush, especiallyunder complex geological conditions like dense fault areas. These accidents can cause instability and damageto the tunnel. As a result, it is essential to conduct research on tunnel construction and grouting reinforcementtechnology in fault fracture zones to address these issues and ensure the safety of tunnel excavation projects. Thisstudy utilized the Xianglushan cross-fault tunnel to conduct a comprehensive analysis on the construction, support,and reinforcement of a tunnel crossing a fault fracture zone using the three-dimensional finite element numericalmethod. The study yielded the following research conclusions: The excavation conditions of the cross-fault tunnelarray were analyzed to determine the optimal construction method for excavation while controlling deformationand stress in the surrounding rock. The middle partition method (CD method) was found to be the most suitable.Additionally, the effects of advanced reinforcement grouting on the cross-fault fracture zone tunnel were studied,and the optimal combination of grouting reinforcement range (140°) and grouting thickness (1m) was determined.The stress and deformation data obtained fromon-site monitoring of the surrounding rock was slightly lower thanthe numerical simulation results. However, the change trend of both sets of data was found to be consistent. Theseresearch findings provide technical analysis and data support for the construction and design of cross-fault tunnels.