Rochester, NY and Jacksonville, FL, April 26, 2011-Passero Associates and Waste Management of New York were honored at the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York (ACEC New York) 2011 Engineering Excellence Awards with a Gold Award for the use of Robotic Instruments Surveying and Mapping Technology in the construction of the Mill Seat Landfill in Bergen, New York. The ACEC New York gathered on March 26 for its 44th annual Engineering Excellence Awards gala. Over 500 engineers and clients celebrated achievements in public infrastructure projects and private-sector works in the areas of buildings, energy, environmental, structural systems, transportation, and water and wastewater engineering.

Construction of the Mill Seat Landfill presented many challenges, not the least of which was the need for large-scale survey services.  To meet these challenges, the survey professionals at Passero Associates utilized Robotics Instrument technology, which, when combined with traditional stakeout methods, provided highly accurate survey results while delivering service in an efficient and timely manner.  This innovative use of survey technology reduced the manpower and associated costs required to complete the job while providing a higher level of accuracy to the client.

The Innovative Application of Robotics in Survey

Robotics is a relatively new tool for the surveyor, and it has proven to be a revolutionary tool for engineering and survey applications.  The Mill Seat Landfill project provided an opportunity to fully utilize the Robotics system.  Robotic Instruments give instant coordinate values of the shot.  Having the coordinate value of each shot on-site enabled the contractor to have immediate access to figures for rough earthwork. 

Using Robotic Instruments allows one person to conduct a conventional survey instead of two.  The Robotic Instrument is a motorized instrument run by the rod person using Bluetooth technology.  Using Robotics gives the same accuracy as using conventional equipment.

The Robotic survey process is as follows:
• The site is set up for survey work. 
• Provided to the survey crew will be a series of coordinates that the contractor needs to have established.  These points can be staked using Robotic Instruments.
• When initial setup is complete, the surveyor uses the Range Pole to walk the site. 
• The surveyor stops for about 30 seconds to take the shot and record the descriptor.
• After the information is gathered on the site, the information from the data collector is downloaded onto a computer at the site trailer. 
• The information is sent via e-mail to the main office of Arcadis headquarters for analysis.
• After this analysis of the current layer is reviewed a new set of data is sent back to the job site via e-mail.
• This data is used to create the next layer to be staked out, keeping the site within tolerances.

Robotic Instruments use Tripod Data Systems (TDS) software to process all the field work.  This creates seamless integration of data collection using both the Robotics and the conventional total station method.  Field crews are not required to learn additional software packages to fully utilize both the conventional and Robotics technology.  This unique combination of Robotics technology and conventional survey methodology produces highly accurate results and reduces engineering errors.

Social and Economic Impact of Robotics Survey Technology
Using the Robotics system reduces the labor required on the part of the surveyor and allows for smaller crews to do the work of larger crews.  For example, when working at Mill Seat Landfill using Robotics, a one-man crew was able to do the job of a two-man crew in the same timeframe.  The one-man crew utilizing Robotics was able to run the Range Pole containing the data collector for the Robotics system without assistance. This resulted in reduced survey billings to the client while enabling greater flexibility in survey scheduling during the busiest time of the year.  Using Robotics for the Mill Seat landfill project produced both social and economic benefits in terms of cost savings and better utilization of the skills of the survey crew.

Challenges Faced at Mill Seat Landfill

The building of a cell at a landfill is very complex.  Each layer has a tolerance of 0.10’ from the design thickness. The use of Robotics to create a control network for the site helps meet this tolerance.  The use of Robotics enabled the creation of a tight control network using static methods.  This tight control network created using the Robotics method facilitated the use of conventional survey methods to properly stake out the layers of the cell.

As typically found in a landfill project, the site has multiple levels, creating difficulty in maintaining the control needed to conduct the survey.  In many cases, the control cannot be maintained to properly capture the sites between control points.  The use of Robotics eliminated the need to capture the sites between control points, simplifying the survey process while increasing accuracy.

Summary

By using the conventional stakeout method with Robotics while working on the site, as-built information is collected instantaneously.  With the final coordinate values known at the time of measuring, any areas that do not meet the design requirements can be resolved immediately.  New as-built measurements can be made rapidly, enabling the certification of the area to the design specifications, and to the satisfaction of all regulatory requirements.

The use of Robotics enabled the client to meet their total goals and complete the cell.  The creation of the new cell enables the landfill to continue receiving waste from its clients.  The Robotics survey method pioneered by the professionals at Passero Associates has also enabled the client to meet the strict federal and state regulations concerning the design and construction of waste cell sites.  This innovative use of survey technology has proven to be a cost-effective and efficient method for completion of this complex survey project. 

Passero Associates (PA) is a 90+ person, full-service professional consulting firm providing planning, engineering, architectural design, environmental, surveying, program management and construction administration services in New York, Florida, and the eastern United States.  More information can be found on the firm’s web site, at www.passero.com.  

Founded in 1921, the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York (ACEC New York) is the state’s premier organization for consulting engineering firms, representing over 280 companies and 20,000 employees in New York. The organization’s mission is to further the business interests of its members through advocacy, networking, education and business services. For more information, visit www.acecny.org.