Sequential spatial analysis of large datasets with applications to modern earthwork compaction roller measurement values

In the context of road construction, modern earthwork compaction rollers equipped with sensors collect a virtually continuous flow of soil property measurements. This sequential, spatial data can be utilized to improve the quality control of the compaction process through the introduction of intelligent compaction. These roller measurement values are observed indirectly through non-linear measurement operators, non-stationary, inherently multivariate with complex correlation structures, and collected in huge quantities. The problem of modeling and estimation in a spatially correlated setting with large amounts of data is well known and many approaches can be found in the literature. Very few studies have been completed investigating sequential, spatially correlated data outside of a point process framework. We propose a sequential, spatial mixed-effects model and develop a sequential, spatial backfitting algorithm to estimate fixed effects and several independent, spatially correlated processes. This new algorithm is demonstrated in a simulation study and applied to earthwork compaction data.