Patent ID: 8370067

Claim:
A method for developing a landfill on a worksite being subjected to earthworking operations by an earthworking machine which alters the topography of the worksite, the steps of the method comprising: equipping the earthworking machine with three dimensional position sensing equipment and a computer with display and data storage capability; creating and storing in the computer a starting TIN (Triangular Irregular Network) model elevation data representing a starting surface of the worksite, the starting TIN model representing the elevation of the starting surface from previous land filling activity; traversing the worksite and depositing a new layer of landfill material of measured weight onto the starting surface of the worksite; compacting the new layer with the earthworking machine by traversing the worksite; monitoring instantaneous x, y, z coordinate values with the three dimensional position sensing equipment while compacting the new layer, such that the instantaneous x, y, z coordinate values are initially representative of the new layer below the earthworking machine; comparing the instantaneous x, y, z coordinate values with x, y, z coordinate values from the starting TIN model to derive a first thickness, the first thickness being the measured difference between z direction coordinates of the instantaneous x, y, z coordinate values and the x, y, z coordinate values of the starting TIN model on each visit of a location defined by x, y coordinates; after deriving the first thickness, comparing the instantaneous x, y, z coordinate values with x, y, z coordinate values from the starting TIN model to derive a second thickness; measuring a deflection of the material between the first thickness and the second thickness; and creating a graphical display of the measured deflection.