Human–Machine Collaboration in Intelligent Site Planning: An Empirical Exploration on Airport Earthworks

Abstract Traditional earthworks compaction operations relying on manual roller compactor control face challenges, including inconsistent construction quality and safety risks. To address these limitations, this study proposes a collaborative unmanned roller compactor operation method based on a human–machine collaboration in intelligent site-planning system (HMCISS). By integrating various technologies and automation systems, this paper establishes a closed-loop “perception-decision-execution” method to achieve site-control optimization and dynamic management of multimachine coordinated compaction for large construction sites. Validated through a case study of an airport project, the HMCISS significantly enhances compaction efficiency, quality, and resource utilization under its “one-operator-multimachine” site planning mode. Specifically, compared with traditional manual compaction, the HMCISS-driven compaction achieves a 27.7% improvement in compaction efficiency, a 77.8% reduction in labor input, a 28.7% saving in fuel consumption per unit area, and a 34.02% improvement in compaction pass rate. The system demonstrates superior compaction trajectory regularity and coverage breadth, achieving a seven-pass rolling coverage rate of 96.32% versus 62.3% with conventional methods. This study provides empirical evidence for smart construction technologies, advancing earthwork practices from extensive manual operations to digital precision, and establishes an integrated system for promoting industrywide intelligent transformation.