In the construction industry, specifically within the demanding realm of underwater operations like riverway excavation, the challenge of maintaining both accuracy and efficiency can be a daunting task. Traditional methods rely heavily on manual processes that, while functional, bring about significant safety concerns and accuracy issues.
One such approach involves surveyors standing on the excavator's bucket, employing plumb bobs to measure water depth and evaluate the necessary excavation based on RTK data. Although this method has worked for years, it is far from ideal. In this blog, we will share how the FJD G31 3D Excavator Guidance System delivers precise excavation results in a challenging riverway transformation project.
Project Background
In the waterway excavation project in Southwest China, the river channel spans a total of about 40 kilometers across 4 sections, with excavation reaching nearly 8 meters below the water surface and a river bottom width of 80 meters. The ramps on both riversides further underscore the challenges of this project.Due to the underwater work involved, excavator operators could not see the underwater areas. They could only rely on intuition and experience to gauge the depth of their digging. This would cause discrepancies between actual excavation work and the design specifications outlined in the initial project plans.
Facing these challenges, the project team requested the installation of smart auxiliary kits on all excavators engaged in underwater tasks, aiming to provide operators with real-time precise coordinates and visual guidance.
"The underwater operations are unpredictable. If we don't have something smart to help, our workers will easily over-dig, under-dig, or even rework. That's why accuracy and efficiency are important to us," said the project head, in a conversation with the FJD team about the implementation program.
The FJD Solutions
After successfully testing the FJD G31 3D Excavator Guidance System, the project team decided to install the FJD systems on their three Hitachi 490/870/890 excavators. This decision brought great confidence to the operators, as they believed that these smart systems would make their underwater excavation go more smoothly."We sent two senior engineers for on-site assistance in 4 sections, helping their operators solve any problem using our G31 system," said Fanjun Zeng, Field Application Engineer (FAE) of FJD Digital Construction Product. "They were happy to see us there, as this gives them peace of mind in technical support."
As the project team was required to follow strictly the drawing, they imported design files into the G31 system before working. "The drawing import is easier than we think. With the design plan and 3D surface diagram, we can now see every detail clearly while excavating," explained one operator on the job site, when working on the first section.
Before excavation, FJD’s engineers gave brief training to the operators and made quick calibrations to all excavators, turning those heavy-duty machines into precise superpowers for safe operation on the waterway. "Our G31 provides real-time 3D guidance for each digging. The operators are shocked by its precise results, and they know they have a great assistant at hand," Zeng added.
Big Changes That Are Worth It
The implementation of the FJD G31 guidance systems greatly changed the way they excavate under the water. The issues related to visibility, precision, and safety had been addressed effectively. Knowing that everything was on schedule and within budget took a huge weight off the project team.Save Time, Save Money
When surveyors are required for every excavation, the overall efficiency tends to decline significantly. The operators must rely on the surveyors to oversee measurement tasks before any digging can begin, leading to potential delays in the project timeline."Our operators now can handle depth measurements themselves. They don't have to wait for the surveyors. We only have the surveyors for post-operation checks. It’s good to cut labor costs and keep everyone safe at the same time," the project head said excitedly.
Less Guesswork, More Precision
After professional calibration by FJD's engineers on site, the margin of error decreased to 3 cm, a significant improvement from the previous acceptable range of ±10 cm. "It's such a relief to know that there'll be fewer mistakes or the need to redo things, especially when those can really rack up the costs.""I dig while watching the data on the screen. The distance from the bucket tip to the target is easy to understand. The FJD system is very simple to operate," said one operator. The surveyors checked and accepted the bucket tip data before and after construction, and found that the slope accuracy was very good according to the design drawings.
One System, Multiple Purposes
Beyond the real-time visual guidance, the G31 system also allowed the operators to easily acquire coordinates for any given point by placing the excavator's bucket tip on the target and seeing the coordinate information immediately on the control terminal.This capability eliminated the need for handheld RTK devices, further simplifying the process. "The G31 system offers a lot of practical features to make our work easier. Everything is different from what we did before. It's a great experience with the FJD system," said the operator when talking about the benefits of using the FJD guidance system.
Cooperate Better, Work Faster
As the FJD guidance system provided precise excavation, everything went smoothly with digging. Once the silt was removed from the designated area by the barge excavator, the transport boats swiftly transported the excavated materials to the dock, where an additional excavator stationed on the riverbank placed the removed silt onto the earthwork trucks. The silt was then transported away from the site.This coordination guaranteed a seamless workflow, significantly minimizing the risk of any errors or the need for rework. By maintaining this level of efficiency, the project was able to progress rapidly, ultimately speeding up the overall completion time and ensuring that nothing went wrong on the construction site.