# US 11,306,444 B2 · Pavement reinstatement

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- Number: US 11,306,444 B2
- Document ID: US11306444B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/625,445
- Filed: 2018-06-21
- Published: 2021-05-20
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2017-06-21
- Assignees: United Utilities PLC
- Applicants: United Utilities PLC
- Inventors: Mark Whittaker
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306444B2

## CPC

- E01C 11/005: {Methods or materials for repairing pavings (E01C7/35 takes precedence; for concrete coverings E01C7/147; for bituminous coverings E01C7/187; devices for repair works E01C23/06; repairing bridge floorings E01D22/00)}
- G01G 19/08: for incorporation in vehicles
- E01C 23/06: Devices or arrangements for working the finished surface (working freshly laid paving E01C19/42 - E01C19/44, E01C23/02; mining picks E21C35/18); Devices for repairing {or reconditioning} the surface of damaged paving; {Recycling in place or on the road}
- E01C 23/07: Apparatus combining measurement of the surface configuration of paving with application of material in proportion to the measured irregularities (measuring means only E01C23/01 {G01B})
- G01G 17/06: having means for controlling the supply or discharge
- G06F 16/90335: {Query processing}
- G06K 19/0723: {the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs}
- G06Q 10/06313: {Resource planning in a project environment}
- G06Q 10/20: Administration of product repair or maintenance
- G06Q 50/08: Construction
- G06Q 50/26: Government or public services (business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40)
- E01C: CONSTRUCTION OF, OR SURFACES FOR, ROADS, SPORTS GROUNDS, OR THE LIKE; MACHINES OR AUXILIARY TOOLS FOR CONSTRUCTION OR REPAIR (forming roads or like surfaces by compacting or grading snow or ice E01H)
- G01G: WEIGHING (sorting by weighing B07C5/16)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A system for processing a pavement reinstatement includes a weighing apparatus (502) for measuring a mass of reinstatement material. A reinstatement apparatus (10) is adapted to receive reinstatement dimension information and reinstatement material information and adapted to determine a required reinstatement material mass, and to provide a target air voids content of the reinstatement. The reinstatement apparatus is optionally adapted to receive an indication of the mass measured by the weighing apparatus and the indication is a verification of the weighing apparatus having measured the required mass.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for processing a pavement reinstatement, the system comprising:
a weighing apparatus for measuring a mass of reinstatement material; and
a reinstatement apparatus adapted to receive reinstatement dimension information and reinstatement material information and adapted to determine a required reinstatement material mass, whereby to provide a target air voids content of the reinstatement;
wherein the reinstatement comprises a first layer of a first material and a second layer of a second material, and wherein the reinstatement apparatus is adapted to determine a required first reinstatement material mass and a required second reinstatement material mass to provide a first target air voids content of the first layer and a second target air voids content of the second layer; wherein the first material is a binder material and the second material is a surface material.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A system according to claim 1, wherein the reinstatement dimension information includes reinstatement shape information and one or more dimension values and wherein the reinstatement apparatus is adapted to determine a reinstatement surface area from the reinstatement shape information and the one or more dimension values; wherein the reinstatement shape information is in the form of a shape selected from a shape list, a user input shape schematic, or a photograph.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A system according to claim 1, wherein the reinstatement apparatus is further adapted to perform one or more of:
determining an actually used reinstatement material mass based on the mass measured by the weighing apparatus; wherein the reinstatement apparatus is further adapted to receive an indication of an unused portion of the mass measured by the weighing apparatus and to determine the actually used reinstatement material mass further based on the unused portion;
determining an estimated actual air voids content of the reinstatement based on the actually used reinstatement material mass; wherein the reinstatement apparatus is further adapted to provide an indication of whether the estimated actual air voids content falls within a range of permitted target air voids contents;
determining a number of lifts for the reinstatement, in dependence on compaction equipment; and/or
dividing the required reinstatement material mass into a number of loads of reinstatement material, in dependence on a maximum load per receptacle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A system according to claim 1, wherein the reinstatement apparatus is further adapted to receive further information in relation to the reinstatement; wherein the further information relates to one or more of the following: a pavement type; a road type; a footway type; a reinstatement location; a date; a time; a duration of work; a weather condition; a user identification; site information; a photograph; compaction equipment; a compaction procedure; a reinstatement material temperature; a sub-base material; a binder material; a surface material, a binder layer depth; a surface layer depth; a compaction duration; a compaction vibration frequency; and a reinstatement identification.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A system according to claim 1, wherein the reinstatement apparatus and the weighing apparatus comprise communication modules for communicating with each other for transmission of the indication of the mass measured by the weighing apparatus and/or the required reinstatement material mass.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A system according to claim 1, further comprising
a thermometer for measuring a temperature of reinstatement material, wherein the reinstatement apparatus receives an indication of a temperature measured by the thermometer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A system according to claim 1, further comprising a compaction measurement system for measuring compaction information, wherein the reinstatement apparatus receives compaction information measured by the compaction measurement system.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A system according to claim 1, further comprising a measuring apparatus for determining dimension information, wherein the reinstatement apparatus receives dimension information determined by the measuring apparatus, wherein the reinstatement apparatus and the measuring apparatus comprise communication modules for communicating with each other for transmission of the dimension information determined by the measuring apparatus.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A system according to claim 1, further comprising a reinstatement identification tag for identifying the reinstatement; wherein the reinstatement identification tag is an RFID tag for embedding in the reinstatement.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A system according to claim 1, wherein the reinstatement apparatus is further adapted to transmit a record of the reinstatement to a data store; the system further comprising a reinstatement identification tag, wherein the reinstatement identification tag is an RFID tag for embedding in the reinstatement and provides a unique identifier of the reinstatement in the record.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

A system according to claim 10, further comprising a data store adapted to receive a record of the reinstatement; wherein the data store is adapted to receive a query in respect of a reinstatement and to provide information in relation to the reinstatement on the basis of the record; and wherein the system further comprises an auditing apparatus adapted to submit a query in respect of a reinstatement to the data store and to receive information in relation to the reinstatement.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A system according to claim 1, wherein the reinstatement dimension information includes a length and a width and wherein the reinstatement apparatus is adapted to determine a reinstatement surface area from the length and width.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

A system according to claim 12, wherein the reinstatement apparatus is adapted to determine one or more of:
a reinstatement volume from the reinstatement surface area and a depth value or representative depth value, wherein the representative depth value is an average depth value or a median depth value, and wherein the reinstatement apparatus is adapted to determine a reinstatement volume further in dependence on an item located within the reinstatement; wherein the item is a lid, a stop tap, a fire hydrant, a meter housing or a drain housing;
a maximum theoretical density from the reinstatement material information; wherein the maximum theoretical density is a representative maximum theoretical density from a range of known maximum theoretical densities; and/or
the target air voids content of the reinstatement from the reinstatement material information; wherein the target air voids content is a representative target air voids content from a range of permitted target air voids contents.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

A system according to claim 13, wherein the reinstatement apparatus determines the required reinstatement material mass from the reinstatement, volume and from the target air voids content.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

A system according to claim 1, wherein the reinstatement dimension information includes one or more depth values; wherein the reinstatement apparatus is adapted to determine a representative depth value from the one or more depth values and wherein the representative depth value is an average depth value or a median depth value.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

A system according to claim 15, wherein the reinstatement dimension information includes depth profile information.

### Claim 17

A method of processing a pavement reinstatement, the method comprising determining a required reinstatement material mass from reinstatement dimension information and from reinstatement material information in order to provide a target air voids content of the reinstatement;
wherein the reinstatement comprises a first layer of a first material and a second layer of a second material, and wherein the method further comprises determining a required first reinstatement material mass and a required second reinstatement material mass to provide a first target air voids content of the first layer and a second target air voids content of the second layer; wherein the first material is a binder material and the second material is a surface material.