Concrete screeding machine and screeding process

Abstract

A screeding machine for screeding uncured concrete includes a base unit positionable at a support surface, and a screed head assembly movably mounted at the base unit. The screed head assembly includes (i) a grade establishing member and (ii) a vibrating member. Elevation actuators are operable to adjust elevation of the screed head assembly responsive at least in part to elevation sensors that sense elevation of respective ends of the screed head assembly. A control system, responsive to signals from the elevation sensors, controls the elevation actuators to set the grade of the uncured concrete. The screed head assembly is positionable at a screeding location and is movable over the uncured concrete in a screeding direction to screed the concrete. A sensor senses the surface of the screeded concrete and generates an output. The output of the sensor is processed to determine a quality level of the screeded concrete surface.

1 . A screeding machine for screeding uncured concrete, the screeding machine comprising:
 a base unit positionable at a support surface;   a screed head assembly movably mounted at the base unit, wherein the screed head assembly comprises (i) a grade establishing member and (ii) a vibrating member;   elevation actuators operable to adjust elevation of the screed head assembly responsive at least in part to elevation sensors that sense elevation of respective end regions of the screed head assembly;   a control system, wherein the control system, responsive to signals from the elevation sensors, controls the elevation actuators to set the grade of the uncured concrete;   wherein the screed head assembly is positionable at a screeding location and is movable over the uncured concrete in a screeding direction from the screeding location to screed the concrete;   a sensor that senses the surface of the screeded concrete and generates an output; and   wherein the output of the sensor is processed to determine a quality level of the screeded concrete surface.   
     
     
         2 . The screeding machine of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a three dimensional laser scanner. 
     
     
         3 . The screeding machine of  claim 2 , wherein the three dimensional laser scanner scans the screeded concrete surface and provides one selected from the group consisting of (i) an accuracy map on a display for viewing by an operator of the screeding machine and (ii) a heat map on the display for viewing by the operator of the screeding machine. 
     
     
         4 . The screeding machine of  claim 2 , wherein the three dimensional laser scanner scans the screeded concrete surface and generates an alert to an operator of the screeding machine when the three dimensional laser scanner determines that the screeded concrete surface is above or below selected parameters. 
     
     
         5 . The screeding machine of  claim 2 , wherein the three dimensional laser scanner is gimbal-mounted at the screeding machine. 
     
     
         6 . The screeding machine of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a ranging sensor and the output is indicative of height of the ranging sensor above the screeded concrete surface. 
     
     
         7 . The screeding machine of  claim 6 , wherein the screeding machine generates an alert responsive to determination that the height is more than a threshold distance from a target height. 
     
     
         8 . The screeding machine of  claim 6 , wherein the ranging sensor comprises a plurality of ranging sensors disposed along the screed head assembly. 
     
     
         9 . The screeding machine of  claim 6 , wherein the ranging sensor comprises one selected from the group consisting of (i) a radar sensor, (ii) a laser sensor, and (iii) a lidar sensor. 
     
     
         10 . The screeding machine of  claim 6 , wherein the ranging sensor is disposed at or near the elevation sensors. 
     
     
         11 . The screeding machine of  claim 6 , wherein the ranging sensor senses the accuracy of the screeded concrete surface, and wherein the screeding machine, responsive to the sensor output, adjusts the elevation sensors to bring the screed head assembly to the desired grade. 
     
     
         12 . The screeding machine of  claim 1 , wherein the outputs of the sensor are used to generate displays at a display device for viewing by an operator by the screeding machine before a screeding pass, during the screeding pass or after the screeding pass. 
     
     
         13 . The screeding machine of  claim 12 , wherein the display device comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a display device at the screeding machine, (ii) a hand-held tablet, and (iii) smart glasses. 
     
     
         14 . The screeding machine of  claim 12 , wherein the display displays a rating score to the operator that is indicative of quality of one or more aspects of the screeding pass. 
     
     
         15 . The screeding machine of  claim 14 , wherein, if the displayed score is below a threshold score, the screeding machine alerts the operator. 
     
     
         16 . The screeding machine of  claim 14 , wherein, if the displayed score is below a threshold score, the screeding machine alerts the operator and requires the operator to acknowledge the out of tolerance score in order to continue screeding. 
     
     
         17 . The screeding machine of  claim 1 , further comprising a video display screen operable to display video images derived from image data captured by a camera of the screeding machine, wherein the displayed video images are viewable by the operator while operating the screeding machine. 
     
     
         18 . The screeding machine of  claim 17 , wherein graphic overlays are generated at the video display screen to assist the operator in extending and retracting the screed head relative to the base unit. 
     
     
         19 . The screeding machine of  claim 18 , wherein the graphic overlays include a graphic overlay that is indicative of an extended position of the screed head. 
     
     
         20 . The screeding machine of  claim 1 , wherein, based at least in part on the output of the sensor, a score is created for each screeding pass, and scores are stored over multiple screeding passes to get an average score. 
     
     
         21 . The screeding machine of  claim 20 , wherein the screeding machine stores the location of each pass and corresponding score. 
     
     
         22 . The screeding machine of  claim 1 , wherein the screeding machine comprises a wheeled unit that is moved through the concrete during a screeding pass. 
     
     
         23 . The screeding machine of  claim 1 , wherein the elevation sensors comprise laser receivers disposed at respective elevation actuators for sensing an elevation of the respective end region of the screed head assembly relative to a laser generated reference plane. 
     
     
         24 . The screeding machine of  claim 23 , wherein the screeding machine, based at least in part on the sensed elevation, adjusts the elevation in the actuators when selected. 
     
     
         25 . The screeding machine of  claim 1 , wherein the control system is one selected from the group consisting of (i) autonomous, (ii) controllable via remote diagnostics, and (iii) operable responsive to a remote controller usable by an operator remote from the screeding machine. 
     
     
         26 . The screeding machine of  claim 1 , wherein the grade establishing member comprises one selected from the group consisting of (i) a roller plow, (ii) a vibrating plow, (iii) an auger, and (iv) a non-vibrating plow. 
     
     
         27 . The screeding machine of  claim 1 , wherein the determined quality level of the screeded concrete surface comprises an elevation accuracy of the screeded concrete surface. 
     
     
         28 . The screeding machine of  claim 1 , wherein the screed head assembly is movably mounted at the base unit via an extendable and retractable mechanism, and wherein the screed head assembly is positionable at the screeding location via extension of the extendable and retractable mechanism and is movable over the uncured concrete in the screeding direction from the screeding location via retraction of the extendable and retractable mechanism to screed the concrete. 
     
     
         29 . The screeding machine of  claim 1 , wherein the elevation actuators are disposed at the screed head. 
     
     
         30 . The screeding machine of  claim 1 , wherein the elevation actuators are disposed at the base unit. 
     
     
         31 . The screeding machine of  claim 1 , further comprising an angle sensor disposed at the base unit and operable to sense tilt or pitch of the base unit relative to a horizontal plane. 
     
     
         32 . The screeding machine of  claim 31 , wherein the screeding machine is operable to adjust the tilt or pitch of the base unit responsive to an output of the angle sensor. 
     
     
         33 . The screeding machine of  claim 32 , wherein the base unit comprises a plurality of stabilizers that are extendable and retractable responsive to the output of the angle sensor to adjust the tilt or pitch of the base unit. 
     
     
         34 . The screeding machine of  claim 1 , wherein the screeding machine is operable to adjust the elevation actuator control speeds responsive to the output of the sensor. 
     
     
         35 . The screeding machine of  claim 1 , wherein the screeding machine is operable to adjust moving speed of the screed head during a screed pass responsive to the output of the sensor. 
     
     
         36 . The screeding machine of  claim 35 , wherein the screed head assembly is movably mounted at the base unit via an extendable and retractable mechanism, and wherein the screed head assembly is positionable at the screeding location via extension of the extendable and retractable mechanism and is movable over the uncured concrete in the screeding direction from the screeding location via retraction of the extendable and retractable mechanism to screed the concrete, and wherein the screeding machine is operable to adjust a retraction speed of the extendable and retractable mechanism to adjust the moving speed of the screed head during the screed pass. 
     
     
         37 . The screeding machine of  claim 1 , wherein the screeding machine is operable to adjust the elevation actuator control speeds based at least in part on the moving speed of the screed head during the screed pass. 
     
     
         38 . The screeding machine of  claim 1 , wherein the screeding machine is operable to adjust machine attitude responsive to the output of the sensor. 
     
     
         39 . The screeding machine of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is disposed at a grade checking rod that is episodically engaged with the screeded concrete surface to determine actual grade of the screeded concrete surface relative to a target grade set by the elevation actuators and elevation sensors. 
     
     
         40 . The screeding machine of  claim 1 , further comprising a laser sensor that episodically determines actual grade of the screeded concrete surface. 
     
     
         41 . A method for screeding uncured concrete, the method comprising:
 providing a screeding machine having a base unit and a screed head assembly movably mounted at the base unit, wherein the screed head assembly comprises (i) a grade establishing member and (ii) a vibrating member;   adjusting elevation of the screed head assembly responsive at least in part to elevation sensors that sense elevation of respective end regions of the screed head assembly to set the grade of the uncured concrete;   positioning the screed head assembly at a screeding location and moving the screed head assembly over the uncured concrete in a screeding direction from the screeding location to screed the concrete;   sensing the surface of the screeded concrete via a sensor of the screeding machine; and   determining a quality level of the screeded concrete surface via processing outputs of the sensor.   
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the sensor comprises a three dimensional laser scanner. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the three dimensional laser scanner scans the screeded concrete surface and provides an accuracy and/or heat map on a display for viewing by an operator of the screeding machine. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the three dimensional laser scanner scans the screeded concrete surface, and wherein the method further comprises generating an alert to an operator of the screeding machine when the three dimensional laser scanner determines that the screeded concrete surface is above or below selected parameters. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the sensor comprises a ranging sensor and the output of the sensor is indicative of height of the ranging sensor above the screeded concrete surface. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the screeding machine generates an alert responsive to determination that the height is more than a threshold distance from a target height. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the ranging sensor comprises one selected from the group consisting of (i) a radar sensor, (ii) a laser sensor, and (iii) a lidar sensor. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the ranging sensor senses the accuracy of the screeded concrete surface, and wherein the screeding machine, responsive to the sensor output, adjusts the elevation sensors to bring the screed head assembly to the desired grade. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the outputs of the sensor are used to generate displays at a display device for viewing by an operator by the screeding machine before a screeding pass, during the screeding pass or after the screeding pass. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the display displays a rating score to the operator that is indicative of quality of one or more aspects of the screeding pass, and wherein the operator is alerted when if the displayed score is below a threshold score. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising a video display screen operable to display video images derived from image data captured by a camera of the screeding machine, wherein the method comprises displaying video images that are viewable by the operator while operating the screeding machine. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , further comprising displaying graphic overlays at the displayed video images at the video display screen to assist the operator in extending and retracting the screed head relative to the base unit, wherein the graphic overlays include a graphic overlay that is indicative of an extended position of the screed head. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the determined quality level of the screeded concrete surface comprises an elevation accuracy of the screeded concrete surface. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the screed head assembly is movably mounted at the base unit via an extendable and retractable mechanism, and wherein the screed head assembly is positioned at the screeding location via extending the extendable and retractable mechanism and wherein the screed head assembly is moved over the uncured concrete in the screeding direction from the screeding location via retraction of the extendable and retractable mechanism to screed the concrete. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising an angle sensor disposed at the base unit and operable to sense tilt or pitch of the base unit relative to a horizontal plane, and wherein the screeding machine is operable to adjust the tilt or pitch of the base unit responsive to an output of the angle sensor. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising adjusting the elevation actuator control speeds responsive to the output of the sensor. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising adjusting moving speed of the screed head during a screed pass responsive to the output of the sensor. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein the screed head assembly is movably mounted at the base unit via an extendable and retractable mechanism, and wherein the screed head assembly is positioned at the screeding location via extending the extendable and retractable mechanism, and wherein the screed head assembly is moved over the uncured concrete in the screeding direction from the screeding location via retracting the extendable and retractable mechanism to screed the concrete, and wherein the method comprises adjusting a retraction speed of the extendable and retractable mechanism to adjust the moving speed of the screed head during the screed pass. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising adjusting the elevation actuator control speeds based at least in part on the moving speed of the screed head during the screed pass. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising adjusting machine attitude responsive to the output of the sensor. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the sensor is disposed at a grade checking rod that is episodically engaged with the screeded concrete surface to determine actual grade of the screeded concrete surface relative to a target grade set by the elevation sensors. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising a laser sensor that episodically determines actual grade of the screeded concrete surface.