November 5, 2024

Visitors to the Trimble exhibit in Hall A2, Stand 437 during bauma 2022 did not receive the end of much hype because the company held its fire for big announcements for Trimble Dimensions, which will start on November 7. But those who visited Trimble at BAUMA were able to familiarize themselves with the slough of innovations launched by the Sunnyvale, Cal.-based technology conglomerate in the course of 2022.

Horizontal Steering Control and 3D Paving

Trimble demonstrated its horizontal steering control functionality in the Trimble Earthworks Grade Control Platform for Soil Compactor, the industry’s first automatic steering control solution for soil compactors and a critical step toward autonomous equipment.

Trimble’s grade control option usually connects digitally through a machine’s hydraulic electronic control module (ECM), but on older machines without an ECM Trimble dealer technicians will install valves that directly tap on the hydraulics, which then controls the system. Trimble compaction automation control however is strictly mechanical, which includes and rotates the steering wheel. This seems to help the operator control the machine when needed.

In addition to autonomous steering, Trimble demonstrated a 3D paving control platform for asphalt pavers and compactors. 3D paving control has become an indispensable tool for contractors. With automated screed control mandated by many project owners and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), 2D screed control has become commoditized. 3D stringless paving is one way asphalt contractors can outperform their field of competitors while cutting costs and shaving days off the project timeline. 3D paving is now reliable and mainstream, with the technology having been proven in earthworks and then seeing early adoption in high-value paving projects in the early 2000s.

“2D grade control is now quite common,” Trimble General Manager of Civil and Specialty Solutions Kevin Garcia told IronPros in a briefing earlier this year. “Asphalt paving contractors come to us today to learn about 3D … there is a big difference between 3D and things of the past. With 3D we are talking about variable depth paving, and easy “It’s very flexible to change the pavement depth and cross slope if needed, if you’re going into a superelevated curve. It doesn’t require paint marks on the ground and removes human error in the process.”

bauma attendees also experienced the benefits of machine control guidance thanks to a Tenstar Simulator equipped with the Trimble Earthworks Grade Control Platform for excavators. But beyond the exhibition, Trimble machine control will be installed on more than 30 machines from major original equipment manufacturers (OEM) shown in the exposition.

Digital Surveying and Site Layout

In the field of construction surveying, Trimble demonstrated the latest R780 GNSS receiver. This receiver has tilt compensation so surveyors can capture precise points without spending extra time leveling the pole, speeding up the process and enabling work in low visibility when the bubble is difficult to read. The antenna can be mounted on a tripod, T-bar or a car, and is billed as the most stable and durable receiver the company has to offer.

Also in bauma is the Trimble RI robotic total station, which was launched in September of this year.

Offered in multiple configurations to meet a diverse set of workflows, the Trimble Ri is an ideal choice for mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP), concrete, steel and general contractors. Combining an electronic theodolite with electronic distance measurement (EDM), Trimble Ri enables users to measure both vertical and horizontal angles and the distance from the instrument to a particular point. As a robotic piece of equipment, the Trimble Ri does not require site workers to physically turn the total stations vertically and horizontally to orient them to points, and instead follows a prism. held by the operator. This reduced the number of staff required from two to one.

And no Trimble experience would be complete without a visit from Spot, Boston Dynamics’ robot platform that, when paired with the Trimble X7 scanner and Trimble FieldLink software can automatically capture project site data unavailable to robot with wheels.

Green Building Intelligence

Trimble also showcased new features in the latest release of their Tekla Structures building information management (BIM) software product. One reason for focusing on this activity product is the strict and highly restrictive regulatory environment of the European Union. In addition to EU-wide initiatives such as the EU Green New Deal, Germany has pledged to run ahead of the pack with a more aggressive carbon reduction target of 65 percent by 2030 with carbon neutrality by 2045. Germany, however, has put its money where their mouth is $14.8 billion in funding and subsidies to make buildings more energy efficient.

In March of this year, Trimble launched a new version of the product set including Tekla Structures 2022, Tekla Structural Designer 2022, Tekla Tedds 2022 and Tekla PowerFab 2022. The versions support sustainable construction and offer more automated and connected workflows across all project phases and stakeholders.

Tekla Structures and Tekla Structural Designer now offer dynamic embodied carbon calculation functionality, for design and detailing processes through the Embodied Carbon Calculator. This visual and dynamic calculation tool allows users to quickly and clearly assess the environmental implications of their design choices residing within Tekla software. It can be used by structural engineers to compare different design options and their respective carbon

Offsite Technology Demonstrations

BAUMA also includes an offsite demonstration area. SITECH and Trimble provided live demos including hands-on insights for attendees to see first-hand Trimble Connected Construction technologies including automation of multiple makes and models of excavators and dozers, horizontal steering of compactor, augmented reality and paving control technology.

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