Intelligent technology for concrete pipe in the new millennium

Precast concrete pipes were widely used even before the beginning of the twentieth century. By 1930, the currently used design and installation standards for concrete pipes had been empirically developed by Drs. Marston and Spangler. Nearly thirty years ago, the American Concrete Pipe Association began research on a more rational design method that evaluated the contributions of the strength of both the pipe and underlying soil. From that research, the design program Standard Installation Direct Design (SIDD) was developed. In 1997, engineers at the Minnesota Department of Transportation successfully used the newly developed technology to update their standard practice for installing concrete pipe. A test, using native soils and simplified construction details, compared performance of the Marston-Spangler and SIDD installations. Acceptance of direct design methods for concrete pipes is just the beginning of advancement of new technology for construction of pipelines. Rapid development of the internet, wireless communication links, geographical positioning systems, expert systems, and miniaturized testing equipment makes it possible for a manager of a construction project to integrate all phases of design, construction, and maintenance into a centralized information system. This paper describes how cbnstruction managers might use technology to mesh existing components of construction activities into an Intelligent Construction System.