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SHRP 2 Utilities Research PRODUCTS. 2011 AASHTO RAC/TRB State Reps Annual Meeting Chuck Taylor. TOPICS. What is SHRP 2 and How Does It Work? Why Are We Spending FHWA $ on Utilities? Objectives , Status, Products of the Four Utilities Projects. SHRP 2. Authorized by Congress in 2005
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SHRP 2 Utilities Research PRODUCTS 2011 AASHTO RAC/TRB State Reps Annual Meeting Chuck Taylor
TOPICS • What is SHRP 2 and How Does It Work? • Why Are We Spending FHWA $ on Utilities? • Objectives , Status, Products of the Four Utilities Projects
SHRP 2 • Authorized by Congress in 2005 • Funding Became Available in 2006 • Conducted under a memo of understanding among AASHTO, FHWA, National Academies (TRB) • Funds Provided through FHWA • Program Recently Extended to 3/31/15 • Current Budget is $218 Million
Oversight Committee Reliability TCC Contracting Advice Technical Advice Staff Renewal TCC Capacity TCC Safety TCC ETGs T-ETGs T-ETGs T-ETGs T-ETGs
Why Is FHWA Funding Utilities Research? Survey of state DOTs, highway contractors, design consultants identified utility relocations as the most frequent cause for delays in highway construction.
The Problem • Can’t rely on utility owners for accurate location information • Designers in the past had little knowledge of utility issues and their costs • Utilities expensive to relocate • Over 11 million miles of underground utilities in the U.S. • More being installed daily, deeper and with less detectable materials • At varied depths, soils, materials, sizes, with varied access
The Research Process • Survey user community. We established User Panels for all projects • Panels help develop user requirements & specs • Provide critical review of products while under development • Develop prototypes • Field test prototypes • Develop user manuals and training material
Multi-Sensor Platforms for Locating Underground Utilities (R01-B) • GPR, Electromagnetic (EMI), & Seismic Reflection Platforms • Significant Advances in Detection & Location from the Surface • Across a wide Range of Soil Types & Site Conditions • Able to Also Detect Existing Electronic Marker & Transponder Signals • One-Year Field Test
Multi-Sensor Platforms (R01-B)Gary Young, PI, Underground Imaging Technologies • Goal: Combine GPR, EM, and Seismics on one towed platform
PIPE PIPE WATER TABLE GROUND SURFACE 2 PIPES SOIL LAYERS 2D and 3D GPR Representation of Utilities (and other structures) 2-D cross section that depicts features of interest highlighted by yellow arrows . Example of data and interpreted targets from a 3-D GPR image .Blue is water, Magenta is electric and green is sewer.
R01-B Status • GPR Platform is Complete • EMI and Seismic platforms to be completed by October, 2011 • Field testing to begin as soon as all 3 platforms are completed. • Completion date is Summer 2012 Product: Platform prototypes field tested & ready for commercialization
Expanding The Locatable Zone For Underground Utilities (R01-C) • PI is Chris Ziolkowski, Gas Technology Institute • Goal Is Utilities Over 20-Ft. Deep • Technologies Include Seismic Reflection, Long-Range Smart Tags (RFID), Inertial Navigation Mapping, and Electromagnetic & Acoustic • Close Coordination with R01-B • Extensive Field Testing of Prototype
R01-C Current Status • Review of current and emerging technologies complete • Preliminary design of prototype system complete • Development of prototype system modules underway: • Seismic Reflection • Long-Range RFID Tags • Acoustic • Electromagnetic • Inertial Navigation • Field Testing to begin late fall, 2011 • Completion Date: Summer, 2012 Product: Field-Tested Prototypes ready for integration into commercial systems
R01-A: Modeling, Storage, Retrieval & Visualization of 3-D Utility Location Data How Do We: • Reduce project delays by keeping utility location data current throughout the project development process? • Reduce the necessity for repeating complete utility mapping for the next project in the same area? • Reduce excavation damage to utility lines during the construction phase?
R01-A: Modeling, Storage, Retrieval & Visualization of 3-D Utility Location Data • Best Practices for Modeling, Structuring, Storing, Retrieving & Utilizing 3-D Utility Location Data • PI is Alicia Farag, Gas Technology Institute • Developing A Prototype Data Model & System Architecture • 8-12 month Field Testing of Prototype System
R01-A Status • Preliminary data model and system architecture developed • Using utility location data provided by Virginia DOT for preliminary testing and validation of the data model • Once prototype data model and system architecture have been approved and validated, a pilot implementation operation/evaluation will be conducted • Completion Date: Summer, 2012
R01-A Products • High-Level, strategic model that can be implemented across the nation • 3-D utility data repository with the ability to accept and convert data from multiple sources and display and allow access in a controlled and secure manner • Protocols for use • Results from Pilot project • National Implementation Plan
Identification of Utility Conflicts & Solutions (R15-B) • Tool & Methodology to Facilitate The Identification and Resolution of Utility Conflicts To Be Used By Public Agency and Utility Professionals • Conflicts Include Interference of Utility Facilities with Highway design; Interference of Planned Utility Facilities with Existing Utilities, Non-Compliance of Utilities With Policies, Rules, Safety Regulations • Developed Utility Conflict Matrix, Procedures, & Training Course. • Project Completed, ready for implementation.
Utility Conflicts & Solutions Research Products: • Prototype 1: Compact, standalone UCM • Prototype 2: Utility conflict data model and database • Training Materials • Implementation Guidelines
Utility Conflicts & Solutions • UCMs are not simple 2-D table products • Compact, standalone UCM is an MS Excel spreadsheet • Utility conflict database is a formal data model (Erwin format) • UCM is one of many queries/reports possible
Prototype 1: Utility Conflict Matrix • UCM header: 8 data items • UCM body: 15 data items • MS Excel format • Includes drop-down lists
UCM Training Course • Lesson plan (6 lessons) • Presentation materials (PowerPoint) • Presenter notes • Participant handouts • Presentation handouts • Sample project plans • UCM templates • Companion CD • All training materials, including UCM • Prototype utility conflict database
Implementation Guidelines • Topics addressed: • Audience or “market” for the products • Impediments to successful implementation • Technical challenges • Economic and financial challenges • Stakeholder buy-in and consensus challenges • Policy challenges • Research product leaders (or “champions”) • Implementation plan • Performance measures
Great, but won’t these new tools be expensive and expensive to use? • FHWA study: $4.62 saved on overall project costs for every $1 spent on SUE geophysical techniques • Multi-Sensor platforms and improved deep-utility technologies more likely to be used by SUE firms than by DOTs
Thank You! Any Questions? Chuck Taylor: ctaylor@nas.edu www.trb.org/shrp2
GTI Electromagnetic Technology Cart rolls parallel to pipe path (into page) EM field scans perpendicular to path α 2 α 1 α 0
GTI Active Acoustic Method Receiver & data processor Radio link Acoustic transmitter 6 Sensor/data transmitters Manhole Sound radiates from wall Speaker Acoustic pulses travel in utility
GTI Active Acoustic Depth Longer travel path Sensors Manhole Speaker Pulse Time-of-Flight gives distance Top View Uniquely shaped burst of sound is easily discriminated from noise