AI-based simulation combined with a fleet of GPS-enabled intelligent machinery reduced construction time, carbon emissions and costs for Yorkshire Water's Dearne Reach Wetlands project, led by Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB).
Work on the £14m project, which concluded last year enhancing the water quality along 4km of the River Dearne, saw the deployment of Smart Construction's Dashboard with a fleet of six iMC-equipped crawler excavators from Komatsu, including the PC210LCi, PC360LCi and D61PXi models.
The Smart Construction Dashboard is a suite of AI-based solutions developed by Komatsu in collaboration with Sony Semicon, NTT Docomo and Nomura Research Institute to optimise construction jobsite processes,
MMB used the software-crawler combo to design, plan and deliver the 44,000m² integrated constructed wetland project near Clayton West, Huddersfield. According to the civil engineering design-and-construction firm, the tech resulted in savings of more than £300,000 and significantly reduced carbon emissions by eliminating unnecessary earth movement.
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The project, designed to improve water quality downstream of a wastewater treatment works, involved moving more than 63,000m³ of earth with zero overcutting and no soil transported offsite.
By combining AI-driven simulation with a fleet of GPS-enabled intelligent machinery from Komatsu, the project team optimised cut-and-fill operations, reduced people-plant interaction and accelerated delivery through the use of the simulation.
Using Smart Construction technology, Komatsu's integrated digital solution suite, the project team digitally modelled soil movements across 13 wetland cells, enabling the team to calculate the most efficient excavation and distribution strategy before breaking ground.
By reducing rework, over-excavation, plant oversizing and haulage, the Smart Construction approach delivered a significantly lower carbon footprint compared with conventional methods, according to Smart Construction Komatsu.
Dean Holmes, director at JN Bentley, the civil engineering and construction company that forms part of the MMB joint venture, said: "Our digital and plant teams are focused on scaling innovative technologies to enhance safety, productivity and sustainability. This project demonstrates the transformative outcomes possible when clients, project teams and technology partners collaborate early."
Paul Pickering site agent for MMB added: "Starting major earthworks in autumn meant we faced severe weather risks, but the AI-driven scheduling and intelligent plant kept us on track. In 40 years of construction, I've never seen technology deliver this level of efficiency."
MMB was formed specifically to deliver long-term, high-volume capital programmes collaboratively with water companies. Since securing its first contracts with Yorkshire Water in 1999, MMB has grown significantly, and now delivers work with ten of the largest regulated water companies in the UK.
