Tackling the Challenges of Road Construction With Multi-purpose GNSS Receivers | SatLab

As new technologies emerge with the promise to increase productivity and efficiency, costing is one of the most important criteria in a project life cycle.

As new technologies emerge with the promise to increase productivity and efficiency, costing is one of the most important criteria in a project life cycle. Construction companies are seeking more effective and cost-efficient methods to complete their work as accurately as possible.

Using Multi-purpose GNSS Receivers for Road Construction in Thailand

Based in Korat, Thailand, Khunnon Construction, a subsidiary of S.P.T Construction, focuses on superhighways, road, and bridge constructions. These projects require precise accuracy. With that in mind, Khunnon Construction purchased the Satlab Geosolutions SLC Multi-purpose GNSS receiver after being appointed as the main contractor for the Bang Pa-in-Nakhon Rachasima Motorway in Sector 38, a 10km motorway completed in 2019. The 196km Bang, Pa-in-Nakhon Ratchasima motorway project aims to alleviate the traffic congestion on Mittraphap Road, between Saraburi and Nakhon Ratchasima.

The SLC multi-purpose GNSS receiver is surveying grade equipment with up to centimetre accuracy, which is required in construction works. Time and cost have made it necessary for the team to invest in more productive equipment to be more efficient on the construction site. Khunnon Construction chose the SLC as it is easy to use without requiring more workforce to be involved; only one user is needed to collect the data on-site.

Traditionally, they would have to use a total station to survey the road area and cross-reference the road level with an auto-level to plot the cut and fill zones. This would require surveyors to be on-site, full time. It consumes a lot of time as the surveying team has to be on standby to confirm the road area during road construction.

One of the most important stages of this project is to do a quick slope road direction survey to plot out the areas for filing and cutting. Khunnon Construction is required to correct the road direction, road level, and road width, which can all be achieved using the SLC.

Quick Installation and Setup of the GNSS Receiver for Road Surveying

The setup of the SLC was completed quickly and accurately by Khunnon Construction. First, they set up the SatLab SLX-1NG multi-application GNSS base station to find a fixed positioning with the SLC to calibrate to the site. Once it is calibrated, the SLC antenna is installed on the roof of the vehicle; it seamlessly connects with the tablet to provide real-time data values of N, E, Z, and TIN model (triangulated irregular network). For further cross-checking, the SL600 GNSS receiver checks the positioning edge of the road to ensure its consistency. The road drawings are then uploaded into the software for easy comparison with the actual level to plot out areas for cutting and filling.

“This project required a solution that was user-friendly and easy to learn, the best part is that the SLC could connect with any device preferred by the team,” said Mr Surawut Wirohtjanapirom, President of Khunnon Construction.

Huge Time Savings by Using Multi-Purpose GNSS Receiver for Road Surveying

By quantifying the productivity improvements, using the SatLab Geosolutions SLC multi-purpose GNSS receiver, Khunnon Construction has saved 31-42% of the time that ultimately reduced the workforce required to cross-check the findings. The SLC’s portability and intuitive user interface allow the operator to connect with a preferred device such as any smartphone to start collecting data. After a quick tutorial on using the SLC, Khunnon Construction can immediately start the project with precision and accuracy.