JP7647407B2 - Method for controlling pouring of cement composition - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for controlling the pouring of a cement composition.

At a construction site, concrete (an example of a cement composition) is often pumped from a chute of a ready-mix concrete truck to a hopper of a pump truck, and then pumped to a pouring point through hoses and piping. For this reason, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for recording the pouring amount of concrete (poured amount: ^m3 ) by counting the number of pours by the pump and multiplying the number by the volume of concrete delivered by one pour by the pump.

Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 56-15464

However, in Patent Document 1, the flow of concrete delivered from the chute of the ready-mix concrete truck to the pouring site is not directly measured, so the measurement accuracy of the pouring amount is insufficient.
On the other hand, at concrete pouring sites, it is required to accurately grasp the flow rate (m/s) of concrete flowing through a chute, and to pour concrete while controlling the pouring speed ( ^m3 /s) and pouring amount ( ^m3 ) more accurately based on the flow rate. For example, when constructing CFT construction (concrete filled steel tube construction), detailed control of the concrete pouring speed is required. Also, in order to order concrete without waste, more accurate measurement of the pouring amount is required.

The present invention was made in consideration of these problems, and its purpose is to more accurately grasp the flow rate of the cement composition and control the pouring of concrete.

The main invention for achieving the above-mentioned object is a method for managing the pouring of a cement composition, comprising: a waveform acquisition step for acquiring a waveform indicating a change in height of the cement composition over time based on the measurement results of a first measuring instrument and a second measuring instrument arranged at a predetermined distance apart in the flow direction of the cement composition flowing down the inclined portion; and a velocity calculation step for calculating the velocity of the cement composition flowing down the inclined portion based on the phase difference between the waveform obtained from the measurement results of the first measuring instrument and the waveform obtained from the measurement results of the second measuring instrument, and the predetermined distance.
Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention and the accompanying drawings.

According to the present invention, it is possible to accurately grasp the flow rate of the cement composition and control the pouring of concrete.

FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing an example of a method for pouring concrete. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a measurement unit 30. 3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams of a method for measuring the height of concrete using a first measuring gauge 31 and a second measuring gauge 32. FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a method for managing pouring of concrete 50. 5A is a graph showing a first measured waveform which is the measurement result of the first measurement instrument 31, and FIG. 5B is a graph showing a second measured waveform which is the measurement result of the second measurement instrument 32. As shown in FIG. FIG. 6A is a graph showing the results of frequency analysis of the first measured waveform, and FIG. 6B is a graph showing the results of frequency analysis of the second measured waveform. 11 is a graph showing a result of removing noise from a first measured waveform and a second measured waveform. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a method for calculating the flow velocity of concrete 50. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a method for calculating the pouring speed of concrete 50. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a method for calculating the pouring amount of concrete 50. FIG. 11A and 11B are explanatory diagrams showing a state in which measuring meters 31 and 32 detect aggregate 51A contained in concrete 50. FIG. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing specific points PA and PB on a first measured waveform and a second measured waveform;

At least the following matters will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.
A method for managing the pouring of a cement composition, comprising: a waveform acquiring step of acquiring a waveform indicating a change in height of the cement composition over time based on the measurement results of a first measuring instrument and a second measuring instrument arranged at a predetermined distance apart in the flow direction of the cement composition flowing down the inclined portion; and a velocity calculating step of calculating the velocity of the cement composition flowing down the inclined portion based on the phase difference between the waveform obtained from the measurement results of the first measuring instrument and the waveform obtained from the measurement results of the second measuring instrument and the predetermined distance.

According to this method for managing the pouring of a cement composition, the flow rate of the cement composition can be calculated with high accuracy based on the results of actual measurements of the cement composition flowing down the slope. Based on the highly accurate flow rate of the cement composition, the pouring work can be managed in detail.

The method for managing the pouring of such a cement composition is characterized by having a step of calculating a volumetric flow rate, which is the flow rate of the cement composition flowing through the inclined portion per unit time, based on the cross-sectional area of the cement composition flowing through the inclined portion and the velocity of the cement composition.

This method for controlling the pouring of a cement composition makes it possible to calculate a precise volumetric flow rate based on the precise flow rate of the cement composition. This makes it possible to ensure quality in construction projects (e.g., CFT construction) that require careful control of the volumetric flow rate (pouring speed).

This method for managing the pouring of a cement composition is characterized by having a step of acquiring the amount of the cement composition that has flowed down the inclined portion during a predetermined period of time based on the volumetric flow rate during the predetermined period of time.

According to this method for managing the pouring of a cement composition, the amount of cement composition (amount poured) can be obtained based on the flow rate and volumetric flow rate of the cement composition with high accuracy. Therefore, the cement composition can be ordered efficiently.

This is a method for managing the pouring of a cement composition, characterized in that in the step of calculating the volumetric flow rate, the cross-sectional area of the cement composition flowing through the inclined portion is obtained based on information regarding the height of the cement composition flowing through the inclined portion obtained from the measurement results of at least one of the first and second measuring instruments, and the cross-sectional shape of the inclined portion.

According to this method for managing the pouring of a cement composition, a more accurate volumetric flow rate can be calculated based on the results of actually measuring the height of the cement composition flowing down the inclined section. In addition, the results of the meter used to determine the flow rate of the cement composition (phase difference of the waveform) can also be used to determine the cross-sectional area of the cement composition.

This method for managing the pouring of a cement composition is characterized in that, as information regarding the height of the cement composition, an average value of the height based on the measurement result of the first measuring instrument at a predetermined time and the height based on the measurement result of the second measuring instrument at the predetermined time is obtained for each predetermined time.

According to this method for managing the pouring of a cement composition, a more accurate volumetric flow rate can be calculated based on the cross-sectional area of the cement composition, which changes every specified time. In addition, since both the height of the cement composition measured by the first measuring instrument and the height of the cement composition measured by the second measuring instrument are taken into account at a specified time, a more accurate volumetric flow rate can be calculated.

This method for managing the pouring of a cement composition is characterized in that in the waveform acquisition step, a noise component removal process is performed on each of the measurement results of the first measurement instrument and the measurement results of the second measurement instrument, and the phase difference of the waveforms from which the noise components have been removed is obtained.

This method of managing the pouring of a cement composition makes it easier to accurately determine the phase difference of the waveforms based on the waveforms from which noise components have been removed.

This is a method for managing the pouring of a cement composition, and in the noise component removal process, a fast Fourier transform is applied to each of the measurement results of the first and second measuring instruments to obtain peak frequencies, and a first waveform, which is the waveform from which the noise components have been removed and corresponds to the measurement results of the first measuring instrument, and a second waveform, which is the waveform from which the noise components have been removed and corresponds to the measurement results of the second measuring instrument, are obtained based on the respective peak frequencies.

This method of managing the pouring of a cement composition makes it easier to accurately determine the phase difference of the waveforms based on the waveforms from which noise components have been removed.

The method for managing pouring of a cement composition includes the steps of: obtaining a height of the cement composition at a predetermined time from at least one of the first waveform and the second waveform; obtaining a cross-sectional area of the cement composition flowing through the inclined portion based on the height and the cross-sectional shape of the inclined portion; and sequentially calculating a volumetric flow rate at the predetermined time, which is the flow rate of the cement composition flowing through the inclined portion per unit time, based on the cross-sectional area and the velocity of the cement composition at the predetermined time.

This method of managing the pouring of a cement composition makes it easier to obtain the height of the cement composition at a given time based on a waveform from which noise components have been removed, and the volumetric flow rate of the cement composition based on that height can be calculated with greater accuracy.

This method for managing the pouring of a cement composition is characterized in that the phase difference of the waveform is the phase difference between a specific point of the waveform that is the measurement result of the first measuring instrument and the same specific point of the waveform that is the measurement result of the second measuring instrument.

According to this method for managing the pouring of a cement composition, the flow rate of the cement composition is calculated quickly because no noise removal process is performed.

This method for managing the pouring of a cement composition is characterized in that the first measuring device and the second measuring device are arranged so that their positions in the direction perpendicular to the flow direction overlap.

According to this method for managing the pouring of a cement composition, the first and second measuring instruments can easily detect the same part of the cement composition. As a result, the waveforms measured by the first and second measuring instruments have similar shapes, making it easier to accurately determine the phase difference between the waveforms.

====Embodiment===
<Pouring concrete>
Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a concrete pouring method. In Fig. 1, a ready-mix concrete truck 10 and a pump truck 20 are deployed to a concrete pouring site. The ready-mix concrete truck is also called a mixer truck or a truck agitator.

The ready-mix concrete truck 10 is a vehicle that transports the concrete materials delivered at the concrete manufacturing plant to the pouring site while mixing them. The ready-mix concrete truck 10 is equipped with a drum 12 and a chute 14 (corresponding to the inclined section).

The drum 12 is a roughly cylindrical container for loading ready mixed concrete (hereinafter simply referred to as concrete). The drum 12 rotates constantly while the ready mixed concrete truck 10 is traveling, mixing the concrete ingredients. This prevents the aggregate and water from separating, and keeps the concrete homogeneous.

The chute 14 is a member for guiding (discharging) the concrete in the drum 12 to the desired unloading position, and is provided at an incline behind the drum 12. In addition, the chute 14 of this embodiment is provided with a measuring unit 30 (described below).

The pump truck 20 is a vehicle for pumping the concrete transported to the site by the ready-mix concrete truck 10 to the pouring location. The pump truck 20 is equipped with a hopper 22, a pump 24, and a concrete supply pipe 26.

The hopper 22 is provided at the rear of the pump vehicle 20 and is positioned so as to face the chute 14 of the ready-mix concrete truck 10. The hopper 22 receives the concrete discharged from the chute 14 of the ready-mix concrete truck 10. The concrete delivered to the hopper 22 is poured into a formwork or the like through a concrete supply pipe 26 by driving the pump 24.

<Regarding the measuring unit 30>
Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the measurement unit 30. Figs. 3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams of a method for measuring the height of concrete using the first measurement gauge 31 and the second measurement gauge 32.

The measuring unit 30 is provided in the chute 14 of the ready-mixed concrete truck 10, and measures the height (top height) of the concrete flowing through the chute 14. The measuring unit 30 of this embodiment is detachable from the chute 14, and can be attached to the chute 14 of the ready-mixed concrete truck 10 that has been dispatched. However, this is not limited to this, and the measuring unit 30 may be attached to the chute 14 of the ready-mixed concrete truck 10 in advance. The measuring unit 30 may also be attached to a member other than the chute 14 (the inclined portion through which the concrete flows).

The measuring section 30 includes a first measuring instrument 31, a second measuring instrument 32, a first fixing device 33, a second fixing device 34, a pair of magnet stands 35, and a movable support device 36. Here, the direction in which concrete flows in the chute 14 is called the flow direction, and the direction perpendicular to the flow direction is called the width direction. The first fixing device 33 is a steel material arranged to extend from the movable support device 36 in the width direction of the chute 14. The second fixing device 34 is a long and thin flat plate (iron plate, etc.) arranged along the flow direction, with one end of the longitudinal direction (the upstream end in the flow direction in FIG. 2) fixed to the first fixing device 33. The pair of magnet stands 35 are placed on the second fixing device 34, and each holds the first measuring instrument 31 and the second measuring instrument 32.

The movable support 36 has a cart (not shown) and a vertically extending steel material (36) placed on the cart, and the first fixing device 33 is fixed to the steel material (36). As the movable support 36 moves, the first fixing device 33, the second fixing device 34, the first measuring device 31, and the second measuring device 32 also move. Therefore, by adjusting the position of the movable support 36, the first measuring device 31 and the second measuring device 32 can be installed at the desired position of the chute 14. In addition, since the measuring unit 30 is not fixed to the chute 14 using a vice or the like, the work of removing the measuring unit 30 from the chute 14 is easy, and the work of installing the measuring device 30 in the chute of another ready-mixed concrete truck is also easy. However, this is not limited to this, and the measuring device 30 may be a type that is fixed to the chute 14.

The first and second measuring gauges 31 and 32 are arranged at a predetermined distance W apart in the flow direction of the concrete flowing through the chute 14, and measure the height of the concrete 50 flowing through the chute 14. For this reason, the first and second measuring gauges 31 and 32 are attached to the magnetic stand 35 so as to face the concrete flowing through the chute 14. In this embodiment, the first measuring gauge 31 is provided upstream of the second measuring gauge 32 in the flow direction.

The first and second measuring instruments 31 and 32 include a laser displacement meter 34. The laser displacement meter 34 has a laser emitting unit (not shown) and a reflected laser receiving unit (not shown), and measures the distance to the object to be measured by receiving the laser emitted from the laser emitting unit and reflected by the object to be measured with the reflected laser receiving unit. In the following description, the first and second measuring instruments 31 and 32 are collectively referred to as measuring instruments 31 and 32.

To measure the height of the concrete, first, as shown in Figure 3A, the distances d1 and d2 from each of the gauges 31 and 32 to the bottom of the chute 14 (distances in a direction perpendicular to the bottom of the chute 14) are measured when no concrete is flowing in the chute 14. Then, as shown in Figure 3B, when concrete 50 is flowing in the chute 14, each of the gauges 31 and 32 measures the distances d11 and d21 to the surface of the concrete 50. Then, the measurement results d11 and d21 are subtracted from the distances d1 and d2 from each of the gauges 31 and 32 to the chute 14. In this way, the heights h1 (= d1 - d11) and h2 (= d2 - d21) of the concrete that each of the gauges 31 and 32 faces are obtained.

First embodiment: Method for managing pouring of concrete 50
FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a method for managing the pouring of concrete 50. FIG. 5A is a graph showing a first measured waveform, which is a measurement result of the first measuring instrument 31, and FIG. 5B is a graph showing a second measured waveform, which is a measurement result of the second measuring instrument 32. FIG. 6A is a graph showing a result of frequency analysis of the first measured waveform, and FIG. 6B is a graph showing a result of frequency analysis of the second measured waveform. FIG. 7 is a graph showing a result of removing noise from the first measured waveform and the second measured waveform. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a method for calculating the flow velocity of concrete 50. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a method for calculating the pouring speed of concrete 50. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a method for calculating the pouring amount of concrete 50.

First, when the ready-mix concrete truck 10 arrives at the site where the concrete 50 is to be poured, an operator attaches the measuring unit 30 to the chute 14 of the ready-mix concrete truck 10 (S01). The measuring unit 30 may be attached to the chute 14 of the ready-mix concrete truck 10 in advance. The first measuring instrument 31 and the second measuring instrument 32 are connected to a terminal 40 (PC, tablet terminal, smartphone, etc.) that processes the measurement results, so that they can communicate with each other via wire or wirelessly. The control unit (CPU) of the terminal 40 performs the following operations according to a program stored in the memory unit. Although not shown, the terminal 40 may also import the measurement results of the measuring instruments 31 and 32 via a data logger.

Before starting pouring of the concrete 50, as shown in FIG. 3A, measure the distance d1 from the first measuring instrument 31 to the bottom surface of the chute 14 and the distance d2 from the second measuring instrument 32 to the bottom surface of the chute 14 (S02).

As soon as pouring of the concrete 50 starts, as shown in FIG. 3B, the measuring instruments 31, 32 start measuring the distances d11, d12 to the concrete 50 (S03). The control unit of the terminal 40 acquires the measurement results d11, d12 of the measuring instruments 31, 32, and calculates the heights h1, h2 of the concrete 50 by subtracting the measurement results d11, d21 from the previously measured distances d1, d2 to the bottom surface of the chute 14.

The control unit of the terminal 40 then obtains a waveform (first measured waveform) showing the change over time in the height h1 of the concrete 50 facing the first measuring instrument 31, as shown in Figure 5A, as the measurement result of the first measuring instrument 31. Similarly, the control unit of the terminal 40 obtains a waveform (second measured waveform) showing the change over time in the height h2 of the concrete 50 facing the second measuring instrument 32, as shown in Figure 5B, as the measurement result of the second measuring instrument 32. In the graphs of Figures 5A and 5B, the horizontal axis indicates time, and the vertical axis indicates the heights h1 and h2 of the concrete 50.

Next, the control unit of the terminal 40 performs a process to remove noise components from each of the measurement results (first measured waveform) of the first measuring instrument 31 and the measurement results (second measured waveform) of the second measuring instrument 32. Then, the control unit of the terminal 40 acquires a waveform showing the change over time in the heights h1 and h2 of the concrete 50 from which the noise components have been removed, as shown in FIG. 7 (S05: Waveform acquisition step). In the graph of FIG. 7, the horizontal axis indicates time, and the vertical axis indicates the heights h1 and h2 of the concrete 50.

The control unit of the terminal 40 performs a fast Fourier transform on each of the measurement results (first measured waveform) of the first measuring instrument 31 and the measurement results (second measured waveform) of the second measuring instrument 32 as a process for removing noise components, and performs frequency analysis as shown in Figures 6A and 6B. In the graphs of Figures 6A and 6B, the horizontal axis indicates frequency, and the vertical axis indicates a value that correlates with the amplitude of the waveform. As a result of the frequency analysis, the peak frequency (dominant frequency) at which the value on the vertical axis is the largest is obtained. The peak frequency is the frequency of vibration that has a large effect on the change in height of the concrete 50 (the frequency of vibration that increases the amplitude of the height of the concrete 50).

In this embodiment, it is believed that the vibration caused by the rotation of the drum 12 that supplies the concrete 50 to the chute 14 greatly affects the change in height of the concrete 50. The first and second measuring instruments 31 and 32 both measure the height of the concrete 50 affected by the rotation of the drum 12. Therefore, as shown in Figures 6A and 6B, the peak frequency of the first measured waveform and the peak frequency of the second measured waveform are almost the same value. It is believed that the first measured waveform (Figure 5A) and the second measured waveform (Figure 5B) include, as noise components, the periodic change in the height of the concrete 50 caused by the rotation of the drum 12, as well as the vibration of the pump vehicle 20 and the change in the height of the concrete 50 caused by the aggregate 51 contained in the concrete 50.

Based on the respective peak frequencies, the control unit of the terminal 40 acquires a first noise-removed waveform (corresponding to the first waveform) from which noise components have been removed and which corresponds to the measurement result (first measured waveform) of the first measuring instrument 31, and a second noise-removed waveform (corresponding to the second waveform) from which noise components have been removed and which corresponds to the measurement result (second measured waveform) of the second measuring instrument 32, as shown in FIG. 7. In this embodiment, the first noise-removed waveform and the second noise-removed waveform are represented as sine waves.

Next, the control unit of the terminal 40 acquires the phase difference between the first noise-removed waveform and the second noise-removed waveform, and calculates the speed (flow velocity (m/s)) of the concrete 50 flowing through the chute 14 based on the phase difference and the installation distance between the first measuring instrument 31 and the second measuring instrument 32 in the flow direction (the predetermined distance W shown in FIG. 3A) (S06: speed calculation step).

For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the control unit of the terminal 40 may be set to obtain the phase difference of the waveforms at every predetermined time ΔT (e.g., every 5 seconds or every 10 seconds) and calculate the flow velocity of the concrete 50. The phase difference of the waveforms may be obtained, for example, from the difference at the maximum value point, the difference at the minimum value point, or the difference at the same height point in the first noise-removed waveform and the second noise-removed waveform. In this case, the installation distance W between the first measuring instrument 31 and the second measuring instrument 32 is not set too far apart so that the phase difference is not obtained based on waveform parts that are more than one period apart. In this way, the phase difference can be obtained accurately.

Specifically, when a phase difference of N° is obtained, the time (s) of the phase difference is calculated by multiplying the time of one period "1/f(s)" based on the frequency f (for example, the average value of both frequencies) of at least one of the first and second noise-removed waveforms by "phase difference N°/360°". The flow velocity (m/s) of the concrete 50 is then calculated by dividing the installation interval W (m) of the gauges 31 and 32 by the time (s) of the phase difference.

The time interval at which the control unit of the terminal 40 performs the noise component removal process (fast Fourier transform) may be the same as the time interval ΔT at which the flow velocity of the concrete 50 (phase difference of the waveform) is calculated, or may be different from ΔT.

Next, the control unit of the terminal 40 calculates the pouring speed ( ^m3 /s) of the concrete 50 based on the flow velocity (m/s) of the concrete 50 calculated every predetermined time ΔT (S07). The pouring speed ( ^m3 /s) is a volumetric flow rate ( ^m3 /s) that is the flow rate ( ^m3 ) of the concrete 50 flowing through the chute 14 per unit time (s).

9, the cross-sectional area A (m ² ) of the concrete 50 changes depending on the heights h1 and h2 of the concrete 50 flowing through the chute 14, and the flow rate (m ³ ) of the concrete 50 flowing through the chute 14 changes. Therefore, the control unit of the terminal 40 calculates the pouring speed (m ³ /s) based on the cross-sectional area A (m ² ) of the concrete 50 flowing through the chute 14 and the flow velocity (m/s) of the concrete 50. In addition, the cross-sectional area A (m ² ) of the concrete 50 flowing through the chute 14 is obtained based on information on the height of the concrete 50 flowing through the chute 14 (details will be described later) and the cross-sectional shape of the chute 14.

For example, a table of cross-sectional areas A corresponding to various heights of concrete 50 may be stored in the memory unit of terminal 40, and when the control unit of terminal 40 acquires information regarding the height of concrete 50, the control unit of terminal 40 may refer to the table to acquire the corresponding cross-sectional area A (m ² ). Alternatively, a functional formula for calculating the cross-sectional area A may be stored in the memory unit of terminal 40, and when the control unit of terminal 40 acquires information regarding the height of concrete 50, the control unit of terminal 40 may calculate the cross-sectional area A (m ² ) using the functional formula. Note that, although Fig. 9 shows chute 14 having a semicircular cross-sectional shape, the cross-sectional shape of chute 14 is not particularly limited.

The control unit of the terminal 40 then calculates the pouring speed ( ^m3 /s) by multiplying the cross-sectional area A ( ^m2 ) of the concrete 50 by the flow speed (m/s) of the concrete 50 calculated every predetermined time ΔT. The time interval for calculating the pouring speed ( ^m3 /s) may be the same as the time interval ΔT for calculating the flow speed (m/s) of the concrete 50, or may be different from ΔT.

Next, the control unit of the terminal 40 acquires the pouring amount ( ^m3 ), which is the amount of concrete 50 that has flowed through the chute 14 during a predetermined period, based on the predetermined period and the pouring speed (volumetric flow rate: m3/ ^s ) during the predetermined period (S08). The pouring amount ( ^m3 ) of the concrete 50 is calculated by multiplying the pouring speed ( ^m3 /s) by the pouring time (s).

The specified period is the pouring period of the concrete 50. Examples of the pouring period of the concrete 50 include the period required to complete the discharging of the concrete 50 from the ready mixed concrete truck 10, the period required to complete the pouring of the concrete 50 into the target formwork, or the period from the timing when the discharge of the concrete 50 from the ready mixed concrete truck 10 starts or the timing when the pouring of the concrete 50 starts into the target formwork starts until the current time.

For example, suppose that the drive speed (m ³ /s) is calculated for each predetermined time ΔT during a predetermined period (ta to ti) shown in Figure 10. In this case, it is advisable to sequentially integrate the drive amount (m ³ ) obtained by multiplying the predetermined time ΔT (s) and the drive speed (m ³ /s) for the predetermined time ΔT (s) from the timing (ta) when acquisition of the drive amount (m ³ ) begins, for each predetermined time ΔT. Specifically, the drive amount "V(tb) x ΔT" is calculated by multiplying the drive speed V(tb) from time ta to time tb by the predetermined time ΔT, and the drive amount "V(tc) x ΔT" from the next time tb to time tc is added to this drive amount, and so on until time ti.

However, the above is not limiting. For example, to calculate the driving amount (m ³ ) for a predetermined period (ta to ti), the average value V (ave) of the driving speed calculated for the predetermined period (ta to ti) may be calculated and multiplied by the time (s) of the predetermined period to obtain the driving amount. Alternatively, the driving amount may be obtained by multiplying a predetermined value (maximum value, minimum value, intermediate value between the maximum value and the minimum value, etc.) of the driving speed calculated for the predetermined period (ta to ti) by the time (s) of the predetermined period.

As described above, in this embodiment, a waveform (FIG. 7) showing the change in height of the concrete 50 over time is obtained based on the measurement results of the first measuring instrument 31 and the second measuring instrument 32, which are arranged at a predetermined distance W apart in the flow direction of the concrete 50. Then, based on the phase difference between the waveform obtained from the measurement results of the first measuring instrument 31 and the waveform obtained from the measurement results of the second measuring instrument 32 and the predetermined distance W, the flow velocity (m/s) of the concrete 50 flowing through the chute 14 is calculated, and the pouring of the concrete 50 is managed.

In other words, by utilizing the fact that the height of the concrete 50 changes over time due to the influence of the rotation of the drum 12 of the ready-mix concrete truck 10, the part of the concrete 50 detected by the first gauge 31 on the upstream side is also detected by the second gauge 32 on the downstream side after it has flowed a predetermined distance W. By doing so, the waveform obtained from the measurement results of the first gauge 31 and the waveform obtained from the measurement results of the second gauge 32 will have approximately the same shape, and these waveforms will appear with a phase difference, shifted by the time it takes for the concrete 50 to flow between the first gauge 31 and the second gauge 32. Therefore, the flow velocity (m/s) of the concrete 50 can be calculated by dividing the installation distance W of the gauges 31 and 32 by the phase difference of the waveforms.

In this manner, in this embodiment, the flow velocity (m/s) of the concrete 50 is calculated with high accuracy based on the results of actually measuring the concrete 50 flowing through the chute 14. Then, based on the precisely calculated flow velocity (m/s) of the concrete 50, the pouring speed (m ³ /s) and pouring amount (m ³ ) of the concrete 50 are also calculated with high accuracy. Therefore, quality can be guaranteed even in construction work (e.g., CFT construction) that requires careful management of the pouring speed of the concrete 50. Furthermore, concrete can be ordered without waste based on the precisely calculated pouring amount.

In addition, since the fluidity of concrete 50 decreases over time, the fluidity (quality) of concrete 50 may be evaluated based on the precisely calculated flow velocity of concrete 50. When concrete 50 hardens and becomes difficult to flow (fluidity decreases), the flow velocity slows. Therefore, for example, a threshold value may be set at which a problem (poor filling, bean blots, pipe blockage, etc.) may occur due to a decrease in the fluidity of concrete 50, and the fluidity of concrete 50 may be evaluated by comparing the flow velocity of concrete 50 with the threshold value.

Also, unlike this embodiment, there is a method in which an operator manually counts the number of ready mixed concrete trucks that have finished discharging concrete and the number of formworks that have finished pouring, or measures the height of the concrete filled in the formwork with a scale, and obtains the pouring amount ( ^m3 ) based on the results. Then, there is a method in which an operator measures the time required for the ready mixed concrete trucks to discharge the concrete and the time required to pour the concrete into the formwork, and calculates the pouring speed.

In contrast to the above method, in this embodiment, the flow rate, pouring speed, and pouring amount of the concrete 50 can be calculated with high accuracy. Furthermore, information such as the flow rate can be checked even while the concrete 50 is being poured. For example, the control unit of the terminal 40 can cause the display unit (display, etc.) to display the height, flow rate, pouring speed, and pouring amount of the concrete 50 at the current time, or display waveforms showing the changes over time in the height, flow rate, pouring speed, and pouring amount of the concrete 50, as shown in Figures 7 and 10. This allows on-site workers to check the above information in real time, allowing for more detailed construction management.

In addition, in this embodiment, after the measuring meters 31, 32 and the terminal 40 are installed in the chute 14, information such as the flow rate of the concrete 50 is automatically calculated. This saves the worker time and simplifies the construction work. Also, compared to the method described above in which the worker manually calculates the pouring amount, information such as the flow rate of the concrete 50 is calculated more quickly.

Furthermore, if the worker manually calculates the pouring amount, etc., as described above, the worker must contact the construction personnel, resulting in labor and time loss. In contrast, in this embodiment, the communication function of the terminal 40 is used to automatically transmit information such as the flow rate of the concrete 50 calculated by the terminal 40 to another terminal of the construction personnel, or the construction personnel can access the terminal 40 at the desired time to obtain the information. This further reduces the labor of the workers.

In addition, in this embodiment, the flow velocity of the concrete 50 is calculated using laser displacement meters (first measurement meter 31 and second measurement meter 32) that measure the distance to the measurement object. Therefore, this can be achieved at a lower cost than, for example, measuring the flow velocity by photographing the surface of the concrete 50 with a camera.

In addition, in this embodiment, a noise component removal process (fast Fourier transform) is performed on each of the measurement results of the first measurement instrument 31 (first measured waveform in FIG. 5A) and the measurement results of the second measurement instrument 32 (second measured waveform in FIG. 5B). Then, the flow velocity of the concrete 50 is calculated based on the phase difference between the first noise-removed waveform from which the noise components have been removed and the second noise-removed waveform (FIG. 7). Therefore, it becomes easier to accurately determine the phase difference based on the waveform from which the noise components have been removed, and the flow velocity of the concrete 50 can be calculated with greater accuracy.

However, the method of removing noise components is not limited to fast Fourier transform. For example, there is a method of removing noise components by averaging multiple waveforms. In this case, at each position of the first measuring instrument 31 and the second measuring instrument 32, multiple measuring instruments are arranged in the width direction (direction perpendicular to the flow direction) of the chute 14, and the waveform obtained by averaging the measurement results of the multiple measuring instruments arranged in the width direction can be applied as the waveform from which the noise components have been removed. Another example is a method of smoothing a single waveform obtained from the first measuring instrument 31 or the second measuring instrument 32 by averaging each measurement result together with several neighboring measurement results, and applying the resulting waveform as the waveform from which the noise components have been removed.

As shown in FIG. 2, it is preferable that the first and second measuring instruments 31 and 32 are arranged so that their positions in the width direction perpendicular to the flow direction of the concrete 50 overlap. In this way, the first and second measuring instruments 31 and 32 face the same part of the concrete 50 with a time difference and detect the height of that part. Therefore, the waveform obtained from the measurement results of the first and second measuring instruments 31 and 32 have a waveform shape that is closer to each other. This makes it easier to accurately determine the phase difference, and the flow velocity of the concrete 50 can be calculated with greater precision.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the pouring speed of the concrete 50 is calculated based on the cross-sectional area A of the concrete 50 flowing through the chute 14 and the flow velocity of the concrete 50. At this time, the cross-sectional area A of the concrete 50 (height of the concrete 50) may be set to a constant value, and the pouring speed (m ³ /s) may be calculated by multiplying the constant cross-sectional area A (m ² ) by the flow velocity (m/s) of the concrete 50 calculated every predetermined time ΔT. In this case, too, the pouring speed is calculated with high accuracy because it is based on the flow velocity (m/s) of the concrete 50 obtained by actually measuring the concrete 50 flowing through the chute 14.

Preferably, information regarding the height of the concrete 50 flowing through the chute 14 is obtained from the measurement results of at least one of the first measuring instrument 31 and the second measuring instrument 32, and the cross-sectional area A of the concrete 50 is obtained based on the information regarding the height and the cross-sectional shape of the chute 14.

By doing so, the cross-sectional area A of the concrete 50 flowing through the chute 14 is calculated based on the actual height of the concrete 50 flowing through the chute 14, so the pouring speed of the concrete 50 can be calculated more accurately.

The results of the gauges 31 and 32 used to calculate the flow velocity of the concrete 50 are also used to obtain the cross-sectional area A of the concrete 50 flowing through the chute 14. This can be achieved at a lower cost than when a gauge for calculating the flow velocity of the concrete 50 and a gauge for obtaining the cross-sectional area A of the concrete 50 are separately provided.

More preferably, as information regarding the height of the concrete 50, the average value of the height based on the measurement result of the first measuring instrument 31 at a predetermined time ΔT and the height based on the measurement result of the second measuring instrument 32 at a predetermined time ΔT is obtained every predetermined time ΔT to obtain the cross-sectional area A of the concrete 50 flowing through the chute 14. In this way, the pouring speed of the concrete 50 can be calculated more accurately based on the cross-sectional area A of the concrete 50 that changes every predetermined time ΔT. In addition, by using the average value of the first measuring instrument 31 and the second measuring instrument 32, the pouring speed of the concrete 50 can be calculated more accurately because both the height of the part of the concrete 50 that the first measuring instrument 31 faces and the height of the part of the concrete 50 that the second measuring instrument 32 faces at the predetermined time ΔT are taken into account.

The "predetermined time", which is the time interval for acquiring information regarding the height of the concrete 50, is a short period of time (e.g., 5 seconds, 10 seconds, etc.) that divides the pouring period of the concrete 50. As described above, examples of the pouring period of the concrete 50 include the period required for the concrete 50 to be completely discharged from the ready-mix concrete truck 10, and the period required for the concrete 50 to be completely poured into the target formwork. The predetermined time may be the same as the time interval ΔT for calculating the flow velocity (m/s) of the concrete 50 as described above, or it may be different from ΔT. Based on the height information updated at each predetermined time, the cross-sectional area A and the pouring speed may also be updated at each predetermined time.

The height based on the measurement results of the first gauge 31 and the height based on the measurement results of the second gauge 32 can be, for example, the average value of the heights (all or part) measured by the gauges 31 and 32 in a predetermined time ΔT, or a predetermined value (maximum value, minimum value, intermediate value between the maximum value and minimum value, etc.) among the heights measured by the gauges 31 and 32 in a predetermined time ΔT. Alternatively, it may be the height measured by the gauges 31 and 32 at the intermediate time (ΔT/2) of the predetermined time ΔT.

Furthermore, the pouring speed is not limited to being calculated by updating the height and cross-sectional area A of the concrete 50 every predetermined time ΔT as described above. For example, in the early stages of the pouring work, the pouring speed may be calculated by continuing to use the cross-sectional area A based on the height of the concrete 50 obtained from the measurement results of at least one of the first measuring instrument 31 and the second measuring instrument 32.

Also, the height of the concrete 50 (e.g., the average value of h1 (t3) and h2 (t3)) at a predetermined time (e.g., time t3 in FIG. 8) may be obtained from at least one of the first and second noise-removed waveforms, and the cross-sectional area A of the concrete 50 flowing through the chute 14 may be obtained based on the height and the cross-sectional shape of the chute 14. Then, the pouring speed at the predetermined time (t3) may be calculated sequentially based on the cross-sectional area A and the flow velocity of the concrete 50 at the predetermined time (i.e., the flow velocity during a predetermined time ΔT (t0 to t3) that includes time t3). In other words, the predetermined time is the time for each time interval Δt at which the pouring speed is calculated (e.g., t2, t3, t4, etc. in FIG. 8).

When a waveform from which noise components have been removed is obtained, it becomes easier to use that waveform (using a function formula that represents that waveform) to obtain the height of the concrete 50 at a given time. This makes it easier to calculate the pouring speed at shorter time intervals (for example, as shown in FIG. 8, a time interval Δt that is shorter than the time interval ΔT for calculating the flow velocity of the concrete 50). This makes it possible to calculate a more accurate pouring speed that takes into account changes in the height of the concrete 50 in more detail.

However, this is not limited to the above, and the cross-sectional area A may be obtained by using the measurement results (actual values) before noise components are removed as information regarding the height of the concrete 50.

In addition, the cross-sectional shape of the chute 14 may change in the flow direction. For example, there may be a chute 14 that tapers toward the downstream side in the flow direction. In such a case, it is advisable to obtain the cross-sectional area A of the concrete 50 based on the cross-sectional shape of the chute 14 at the midpoint between the first measuring gauge 31 and the second measuring gauge 32 in the flow direction. This allows the pouring speed to be calculated more accurately.

Second embodiment: pouring management method
11A and 11B are explanatory diagrams showing a state in which the measuring meters 31 and 32 detect an aggregate 51A contained in concrete 50. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing specific points PA and PB on the first measured waveform and the second measured waveform.

In the first embodiment, the phase difference of the waveforms is calculated based on waveforms from which noise components have been removed, but in the second embodiment, the phase difference of the waveforms is calculated based on measured waveforms that include noise components.

For example, when the measuring instrument 31 detects aggregate 51A contained in the concrete 50 (aggregate 51A exposed on the surface of the concrete 50), the height of the concrete 50 at that time increases. Parts of the waveform protrude, as shown at specific points PA and PB in the waveform in Figure 12, and a portion where the waveform exhibits a characteristic change appears. If the first measuring instrument 31 detects a certain aggregate 51A as shown in Figure 11A, and then the second measuring instrument 32 also detects the same aggregate 51A as shown in Figure 11B, a protruding portion of the same shape appears in the first measured waveform and the second measured waveform.

The control unit of the terminal 40 may then identify a specific point PA (a portion showing a characteristic change) on the first measured waveform, which is the measurement result of the first measuring instrument 31, and the same specific point PB (a portion showing the same change) on the second measured waveform, which is the measurement result of the second measuring instrument 32. The control unit of the terminal 40 then calculates the flow velocity of the concrete 50 based on the phase difference at the specific points PA and PB and the installation distance W between the measuring instruments 31 and 32.

In this case as well, the flow velocity of the concrete 50 can be obtained with high accuracy based on the results of actually measuring the concrete 50 flowing through the chute 14. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, since no noise removal processing is performed, the flow velocity of the concrete 50 can be obtained at a higher speed.

The terminal 40 may also be equipped with an AI function that uses machine learning to learn the shape of the waveforms when the measuring instruments 31 and 32 detect the same aggregate. This allows the same specific points to be identified with high accuracy from the two waveforms, and the flow velocity of the concrete 50 (phase difference of the waveforms) to be calculated with higher accuracy.

===Other embodiments===
Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the above embodiment is intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the present invention includes equivalents. For example, the following modifications are possible.

In the above embodiment, concrete is used as an example of the cement composition, but other cement compositions (e.g., mortar, etc.) may also be used.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the flow rate of concrete flowing through the chute 14 of the ready-mix concrete truck 10 was measured, but the measurement is not limited to the chute 14, and similar measurements may be made by pouring concrete through an inclined member. For example, a member having an inclined surface (corresponding to the inclined portion) may be placed between the chute 14 of the ready-mix concrete truck 10 and the hopper 22 of the pump truck 20, and a measuring unit 30 may be provided on the member to measure the flow rate of concrete flowing through the inclined surface.

Although at least two measuring devices (laser displacement meters) need to be arranged at intervals in the flow direction, three or more measuring devices may be arranged side-by-side at intervals in the flow direction. In this case, the flow velocity, etc. of the concrete 50 can be calculated more accurately based on the phase differences of three or more waveforms and the distances between the measuring devices.

10 ready-mix concrete truck, 12 drum, 14 chute,
20 pump vehicle, 22 hopper, 24 pump, 26 concrete supply pipe,
30 measuring section, 31 first measuring meter, 32 second measuring meter,
33 First fixture, 34 Second fixture, 35 Magnet stand,
36 Movable support,
40 terminals,
50 Concrete, 51 Aggregate,

Claims (10)

A waveform acquisition step of acquiring a waveform showing a change in height of the cement composition over time based on the measurement results of a first measuring instrument and a second measuring instrument arranged at a predetermined distance apart in the flow direction of the cement composition flowing through the inclined portion;
A velocity calculation step of calculating a velocity of the cement composition flowing through the inclined portion based on a phase difference between the waveform obtained from the measurement result of the first measurement instrument and the waveform obtained from the measurement result of the second measurement instrument, and the predetermined distance;
A method for controlling pouring of a cement composition, comprising: A method for managing the placement of a cement composition according to claim 1,
A method for managing the pouring of a cement composition, comprising a step of calculating a volumetric flow rate, which is the flow rate of the cement composition flowing through the inclined section per unit time, based on a cross-sectional area of the cement composition flowing through the inclined section and the velocity of the cement composition. A method for managing the placement of a cement composition according to claim 2,
A method for managing the pouring of a cement composition, comprising a step of acquiring an amount of the cement composition that has flowed down the inclined portion during a predetermined period of time based on the predetermined period of time and the volumetric flow rate during the predetermined period of time. A method for managing the placement of a cement composition according to claim 2 or 3,
In the step of calculating the volumetric flow rate,
A method for managing the pouring of a cement composition, characterized in that the cross-sectional area of the cement composition flowing down the inclined section is obtained based on information regarding the height of the cement composition flowing down the inclined section obtained from the measurement results of at least one of the first and second measuring instruments, and the cross-sectional shape of the inclined section. A method for managing the placement of a cement composition according to claim 4,
A method for managing the pouring of a cement composition, characterized in that the information regarding the height of the cement composition is obtained at each specified time as an average value of the height based on the measurement results of the first measuring instrument at a specified time and the height based on the measurement results of the second measuring instrument at the specified time. A method for managing pouring of a cement composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A method for managing the pouring of a cement composition, characterized in that in the waveform acquisition step, a noise component removal process is performed on each of the measurement results of the first measuring instrument and the measurement results of the second measuring instrument, and the phase difference of the waveforms from which the noise components have been removed is obtained. A method for managing the placement of a cement composition according to claim 6,
The process of removing noise components involves performing a fast Fourier transform on each of the measurement results from the first and second measuring instruments to obtain peak frequencies, and based on the respective peak frequencies, obtaining a first waveform which corresponds to the measurement result from the first measuring instrument and is the waveform from which the noise components have been removed, and a second waveform which corresponds to the measurement result from the second measuring instrument and is the waveform from which the noise components have been removed.This is a method for managing the pouring of a cement composition, characterized in that A method for managing the placement of a cement composition according to claim 7,
A height of the cement composition at a predetermined time is obtained from at least one of the first waveform and the second waveform, and a cross-sectional area of the cement composition flowing through the inclined portion is obtained based on the height and a cross-sectional shape of the inclined portion;
A method for managing the pouring of a cement composition, comprising a step of sequentially calculating a volumetric flow rate at a specified time, which is the flow rate of the cement composition flowing along the inclined section per unit time, based on the cross-sectional area and the velocity of the cement composition at the specified time. A method for managing pouring of a cement composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A method for managing the pouring of a cement composition, characterized in that the phase difference of the waveform is the phase difference between a specific point of the waveform that is the measurement result of the first measuring instrument and the same specific point of the waveform that is the measurement result of the second measuring instrument. A method for managing pouring of a cement composition according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
A method for managing the pouring of a cement composition, characterized in that the first measuring device and the second measuring device are arranged so as to overlap in positions in a direction perpendicular to the flow direction.

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