Technology development decision economics for real-time rolling resistance monitoring of haul roads

Proponents of advanced technologies for the delivery of constructed facilities assert that information and automation technologies can significantly reduce construction costs. However, technology transfer has been greatly limited as practitioners are reluctant to adopt new technologies for myriad reasons including concerns over expertise requirements, value versus traditional approaches, implementation practicality, and risk. All of these concerns ultimately relate to cost versus benefit. While considerable automation research has been documented, thorough economic justifications in the literature have been rare in comparison. In this paper, the writers present and illustrate a model to assess the economics of construction equipment automation using a case illustration focused on the allowable cost of sensor technologies for real-time, in-field rolling resistance monitoring. Rolling resistance is vital in determining power train requirements, fuel consumption, and travel time associated with hauling operations. The absence of a true understanding of field changes in rolling resistance may result in a lack of insight regarding the interaction of jobsite characteristics and the performance potential of hauling operations.