Microtrencher having a utility avoidance safety device and method of microtrenching

Abstract

Provided is a microtrencher having a utility avoidance system that detects objects buried under the roadway, identifies whether the buried object is a utility and determines whether the buried utility is in the path of the cutting wheel. If the buried utility is in the path of the cutting wheel, an alert is sent to the operator, the vehicle is stopped, and/or the cutting wheel is raised in relation to the roadway. Also provided is a method of using the microtrencher to cut a microtrench in a roadway and to avoid cutting a buried utility in the path of the cutting wheel.

1 . A microtrencher having a utility avoidance device configured for continuously cutting a microtrench in a roadway comprising:
 a motorized vehicle;   a cutting wheel connected to the vehicle and being configured to continuously cut through a roadway and create a microtrench in the roadway; and   a utility avoidance device connected to the vehicle comprising:
 an under-roadway detection unit configured to detect a buried utility under the roadway before the cutting wheel cuts the microtrench in the roadway; 
 a computer system configured to receive detection data from the under-roadway detection unit; 
 a user interface device coupled to the computer system; 
 a display coupled to the computer system, wherein the computer system is configured to interpret the detection data and identify the buried utility under the roadway, determine whether the buried utility is within a path of the cutting wheel, and at least one of stopping forward movement of the microtrencher, sending an alert to an operator of the microtrencher and raising the cutting wheel in relation to the roadway to avoid cutting the buried utility within the path of the cutting wheel, wherein the computer system is configured to store microtrenching data in a non-volatile memory or upload the microtrenching data to a server. 
   
     
     
         2 . The microtrencher according to  claim 1 , further comprising a trench measuring device configured to a measure width and/or depth of the microtrench and wherein the microtrenching data includes measurements of the microtrench. 
     
     
         3 . The microtrencher according to  claim 1 , further comprising a trench measuring device configured to take a video of the microtrench, and wherein the microtrenching data includes a video of the microtrench. 
     
     
         4 . The microtrencher according to  claim 1 , further comprising a global positioning device to determine a location of the microtrench, and wherein the microtrenching data includes a location of the microtrench. 
     
     
         5 . The microtrencher according to  claim 1 , further comprising a global positioning device to determine a location of the buried utilities detected by the under-roadway detection unit, and wherein the microtrenching data includes the location of the buried utilities detected by the under-roadway detection unit. 
     
     
         6 . The microtrencher according to  claim 1 , further comprising a global positioning device to determine a location of the buried optical fiber and/or innerduct/microduct, and wherein the microtrenching data includes a location of the buried optical fiber and/or innerduct/microduct. 
     
     
         7 . The microtrencher according to  claim 1 , wherein the microtrenching data includes a speed of microtrenching. 
     
     
         8 . A method of cutting a microtrench in a roadway comprising:
 providing a microtrencher having a utility avoidance system comprising a motorized vehicle;   a cutting wheel connected to the vehicle and being configured to continuously cut through a roadway and create a microtrench in the roadway; and   a utility avoidance device connected to the vehicle comprising:
 an under-roadway detection unit configured to detect a buried utility under the roadway before the cutting wheel cuts the microtrench in the roadway; 
 a computer system configured to receive detection data from the under-roadway detection unit, interpret detection data from the under-roadway detection unit, identify the buried utility under the roadway, and determine whether the buried utility is within a path of the cutting wheel; 
 a user interface device coupled to the computer system; 
 a display coupled to the computer system; 
   continuously cutting the microtrench in the roadway;   detecting a buried object under the roadway by the utility avoidance system;   identifying the buried object as the buried utility;   determining that the buried utility is in the path of the cutting wheel;   at least one of stopping forward movement of the microtrencher, sending an alert to the operator of the microtrencher and raising the cutting wheel in relation to the roadway by a height adjustment device in communication with the computer system to avoid cutting the buried utility within the path of the cutting wheel; and   storing on a non-volatile memory of the computer system microtrenching data or uploading the microtrenching data to a server.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising measuring dimensions of the microtrench, and the microtrenching data including the measurements of the microtrench. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising mapping the Global Positioning System (GPS) location of the buried utility detected by the under-roadway detection unit, and the microtrenching data including the location of the buried utility. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising uploading the microtrenching data to a server via a network. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising using a user interface connected to the network to view the microtrenching data. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising using a trench measuring device to a measure width and/or depth of the microtrench and wherein the microtrenching data includes measurements of the microtrench. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising using a trench measuring device to take a video of the microtrench, and wherein the microtrenching data includes a video of the microtrench. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising using a global positioning device to determine a location of the microtrench, and wherein the microtrenching data includes a location of the microtrench. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising using a global positioning device to determine a location of the buried utilities detected by the under-roadway detection unit, and wherein the microtrenching data includes the location of the buried utilities detected by the under-roadway detection unit. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising using a global positioning device to determine a location of the buried optical fiber and/or innerduct/microduct, and wherein the microtrenching data includes a location of the buried optical fiber and/or innerduct/microduct. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising measuring a speed of microtrenching, and wherein the microtrenching data includes a speed of microtrenching.