scholarly journals Modeling Earthmoving Operations in Real-Time Using Hybrid Fuzzy Simulation

Author(s):  
Nima Gerami Seresht ◽  
Aminah Robinson Fayek

Predicting and optimizing performance in earthmoving operations is critical, because they are essential to many construction projects. The complexity of modeling earthmoving operations remains challenging, even with several modeling techniques available, including simulation. This paper advances the state-of-the-art of modeling earthmoving operations by introducing a hybrid fuzzy system dynamics–discrete event simulation framework with the capacity to: capture the dynamism of performance in earthmoving operations; capture subjective uncertainty of several factors affecting them; model their sequential nature and resource constraints; and determine actual travel time, in real time, using online navigation systems. Findings from this research confirm the proposed framework (1) extends the application of simulation techniques for modeling construction processes involving dynamic input variables and subjective uncertainty, through its ability to capture the non-probabilistic uncertainty of construction systems, and (2) when combined with the use of online navigation systems to assess trucks’ travel time, improves the accuracy of earthmoving operation models.

Author(s):  
Ahmed Salem Ahmed Marey Alhammadi ◽  
◽  
Aftab Hameed Memon ◽  

UAE construction industry frequently faces poor cost performance which commonly known as cost overrun problem. This problem is resulted from several factors and it is important to identify these cost overrun factors in order to avoid and minimize it. Hence, this paper focused on determined the relevancy of factors affecting cost performance in construction projects of UAE. Through a review of past research works conducted globally, 27 factors of cost overrun were listed and used for developing a structured questionnaire. A survey was conducted with 33 practitioners from client, consultant and contractors organizations involved in handling construction projects in UAE. The respondents were requested to state their perception regarding the relevancy of each of the factors that was perceived in context with cost overrun issue using 5-points Likert scale. The responses were analysed using average index method and the results found that all the 27 factors are relevant with construction industry of UAE in causing cost overrun. These factors can be used for further investigation to uncover critical problems of cost overrun.


Author(s):  
Neetika Jain ◽  
Sangeeta Mittal

Background: Real Time Wireless Sensor Networks (RT-WSN) have hard real time packet delivery requirements. Due to resource constraints of sensors, these networks need to trade-off energy and latency. Objective: In this paper, a routing protocol for RT-WSN named “SPREAD” has been proposed. The underlying idea is to reserve laxity by assuming tighter packet deadline than actual. This reserved laxity is used when no deadline-meeting next hop is available. Objective: As a result, if due to repeated transmissions, energy of nodes on shortest path is drained out, then time is still left to route the packet dynamically through other path without missing the deadline. Results: Congestion scenarios have been addressed by dynamically assessing 1-hop delays and avoiding traffic on congested paths. Conclusion: Through extensive simulations in Network Simulator NS2, it has been observed that SPREAD algorithm not only significantly reduces miss ratio as compared to other similar protocols but also keeps energy consumption under control. It also shows more resilience towards high data rate and tight deadlines than existing popular protocols.


Impact ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (2) ◽  
pp. 9-11
Author(s):  
Tomohiro Fukuda

Mixed reality (MR) is rapidly becoming a vital tool, not just in gaming, but also in education, medicine, construction and environmental management. The term refers to systems in which computer-generated content is superimposed over objects in a real-world environment across one or more sensory modalities. Although most of us have heard of the use of MR in computer games, it also has applications in military and aviation training, as well as tourism, healthcare and more. In addition, it has the potential for use in architecture and design, where buildings can be superimposed in existing locations to render 3D generations of plans. However, one major challenge that remains in MR development is the issue of real-time occlusion. This refers to hiding 3D virtual objects behind real articles. Dr Tomohiro Fukuda, who is based at the Division of Sustainable Energy and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering at Osaka University in Japan, is an expert in this field. Researchers, led by Dr Tomohiro Fukuda, are tackling the issue of occlusion in MR. They are currently developing a MR system that realises real-time occlusion by harnessing deep learning to achieve an outdoor landscape design simulation using a semantic segmentation technique. This methodology can be used to automatically estimate the visual environment prior to and after construction projects.


Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (13) ◽  
pp. 3635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guoming Zhang ◽  
Xiaoyu Ji ◽  
Yanjie Li ◽  
Wenyuan Xu

As a critical component in the smart grid, the Distribution Terminal Unit (DTU) dynamically adjusts the running status of the entire smart grid based on the collected electrical parameters to ensure the safe and stable operation of the smart grid. However, as a real-time embedded device, DTU has not only resource constraints but also specific requirements on real-time performance, thus, the traditional anomaly detection method cannot be deployed. To detect the tamper of the program running on DTU, we proposed a power-based non-intrusive condition monitoring method that collects and analyzes the power consumption of DTU using power sensors and machine learning (ML) techniques, the feasibility of this approach is that the power consumption is closely related to the executing code in CPUs, that is when the execution code is tampered with, the power consumption changes accordingly. To validate this idea, we set up a testbed based on DTU and simulated four types of imperceptible attacks that change the code running in ARM and DSP processors, respectively. We generate representative features and select lightweight ML algorithms to detect these attacks. We finally implemented the detection system on the windows and ubuntu platform and validated its effectiveness. The results show that the detection accuracy is up to 99.98% in a non-intrusive and lightweight way.


2020 ◽  
Vol 53 (12) ◽  
pp. 5473-5487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Rispoli ◽  
Anna Maria Ferrero ◽  
Marilena Cardu

AbstractTunnel boring machine (TBM) performance prediction is often a critical issue in the early stage of a tunnelling project, mainly due to the unpredictable nature of some important factors affecting the machine performance. In this regard, deterministic approaches are normally employed, providing results in terms of average values expected for the TBM performance. Stochastic approaches would offer improvement over deterministic methods, taking into account the parameter variability; however, their use is limited, since the level of information required is often not available. In this study, the data provided by the excavation of the Maddalena exploratory tunnel were used to predict the net and overall TBM performance for a 2.96 km section of the Mont Cenis base tunnel by using a stochastic approach. The preliminary design of the TBM cutterhead was carried out. A prediction model based on field penetration index, machine operating level and utilization factor was adopted. The variability of the parameters involved was analysed. A procedure to take into account the correlation between the input variables was described. The probability of occurrence of the outcomes was evaluated, and the total excavation time expected for the tunnel section analysed was calculated.


Author(s):  
Bjørnar Luteberget ◽  
Koen Claessen ◽  
Christian Johansen ◽  
Martin Steffen

AbstractThis paper proposes a new method of combining SAT with discrete event simulation. This new integration proved useful for designing a solver for capacity analysis in early phase railway construction design. Railway capacity is complex to define and analyze, and existing tools and methods used in practice require comprehensive models of the railway network and its timetables. Design engineers working within the limited scope of construction projects report that only ad-hoc, experience-based methods of capacity analysis are available to them. Designs often have subtle capacity pitfalls which are discovered too late, only when network-wide timetables are made—there is a mismatch between the scope of construction projects and the scope of capacity analysis, as currently practiced. We suggest a language for capacity specifications suited for construction projects, expressing properties such as running time, train frequency, overtaking and crossing. Such specifications can be used as contracts in the interface between construction projects and network-wide capacity analysis. We show how these properties can be verified fully automatically by building a special-purpose solver which splits the problem into two: an abstracted SAT-based dispatch planning, and a continuous-domain dynamics with timing constraints evaluated using discrete event simulation. The two components communicate in a CEGAR loop (counterexample-guided abstraction refinement). This architecture is beneficial because it clearly distinguishes the combinatorial choices on the one hand from continuous calculations on the other, so that the simulation can be extended by relevant details as needed. We describe how loops in the infrastructure can be handled to eliminate repeating dispatch plans, and use case studies based on data from existing infrastructure and ongoing construction projects to show that our method is fast enough at relevant scales to provide agile verification in a design setting. Similar SAT modulo discrete event simulation combinations could also be useful elsewhere where one or both of these methods are already applicable such as in bioinformatics or hardware/software verification.


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