![]() On topo work alone, it increased our crew's productivity by 50 percent."Īlthough this was the first time Dowalter and his crews were using a robotic total station, they were not alone. Using another Geodimeter owned by AEP, we could see virtually the entire site from two points-all we had to do was switch radio channels between the two systems. Party Chief Sven Hardesty said that Kokosing's crews were able to work very fast and, "at peak times, produced around 1,100 topo shots in an eight-hour day." He noted that "It really shined because you could see so much on a large site such as this. Kokosing used the total station in the robotic surveying mode for all of the topo work. "But with robotic surveying, we could just grab it and go." We would have needed more manpower to perform the job," said Dowalter. "Dirt moving equipment was operating all the time, pushing us to move quickly. With robotic surveying Kokosing needed only one crew for the task. In previous projects, it would have required an additional crew to handle the work load. In addition to the large amount of topographical mapping and point staking they faced, Kokosing was under a tight deadline to obtain measurements and map the site location. Once the site for the landfill was cleared, Kokosing crews began to stake out the area. With the system's tracking technology, Dowalter said, the station unit can remain unmanned, allowing aiming and measuring to be performed automatically. "Measurement accuracy was our other main concern, since it was critical that we met strict environmental design-specifications." To meet the project's requirements, Kokosing purchased a Geodimeter robotic total station. ![]() "Because of the enormous dirt quantities we were faced with, we looked into more sophisticated systems designed to track points faster," said John Dowalter, Project Engineer at Kokosing. But the mapping and creation of this particular landfill involved a great deal of topo work that required Kokosing to verify and calculate a large amount of surface-to-surface dirt volumes. ![]() The instruments provided accurate point measurement and were reliable. On previous landfill projects, Kokosing had used conventional total stations. Having worked with AEP on similar projects at the Conesville Power Plant in Conesville, Ohio and the Zimmer Power Plant in Moscow, Ohio, Kokosing understood the importance of the project and the high expectations that went with it. These contracts, totaling more than $50 million, consisted primarily of mass structure and site earthwork, foundation piling, and concrete foundation work. The $8 million landfill project was one of seven projects awarded to Kokosing. It was during measurement and calculation of surveying data for the landfill where the surveyors used robotic surveying. Once installation of the scrubbers was complete, development of the landfill where the sulfur waste product was to be dumped was set to begin. The FGD retrofit spanned nearly four years-from 1991 to 1995-and required the work of more than 50 contracting companies. This slurry falls to the bottom of the stacks, where a conveyor transports it through waste treatment. The lime (a base) mixes with the sulfur (an acid) to precipitate a slurry containing the sulfuric elements. The stacks contain scrubbers that release a mist composed of lime and water. Scrubbers were installed in the power plant's large smoke stacks to reduce the levels of sulfur being released, which, when excessive, can result in acid rain. The retrofit was designed to meet state environmental regulations. Located on the banks of the Ohio River, Gavin is one of many coal-burning power plants in the state. Robotic surveying allowed Kokosing to meet tight construction deadlines using fewer crews-saving close to $150,000 in project costs. ![]() The Fredricktown, Ohio heavy and highway construction company handled a Fluidized Gas De-Sulfurization (FGD) retrofit for the American Electric Power (AEP) Gavin Power Plant in nearby Galliplois. An Ohio firm, Kokosing Construction Company, recently used robotic surveying on the landfill phase of an $800 million project. ![]() The technology behind robotic surveying may be relatively new, but the lesson it teaches is an old one-save time and you will save money. ![]()
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