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RFID Marking - An Integrated Solution for Mapping and Locating Buried Facilities

Corey Willson Product Manager 3M Company

What is Locating and Marking?

iD Marker

Locating and Marking products offer solutions for fault finding, locating and permanent marking and mapping of buried facilities and points of special interest.

Locating Challenges Documentation

Environment

Inaccurate records • Incomplete ‘As built’ maps • Un-mapped facilities • Abandoned facilities

• Congestion

•

• Grounding • Common Trenches • Soil condition or type • Facility access limitations • Multiple utilities of same type • Absence of metallic conductor(s) • Multiple markers in area • Need to access items of particular interest in buried facilities that are not locatable using EM locators People • Skill

level and experience • Workload fluctuation • Quality & Productivity

Safety & Damage Prevention

Cost of Prevention vs. Cost of Accidents Digg

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Lo st Sa f o Bu r les sin es se s Ed uc at io n

Activities

Lo st S fo r U ales til ity

Disruption of Normal

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Disa ster Plan ning

ning Trai

One-Call Service

Repair Cost

P r o Damperty age

ACCIDENT

Consumer Surplus Losses

Lo s Ma t Tim te ria e & ls

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Prevention Costs Direct Accident Consequential Costs Costs •Training/Education •Death/Injuries •Lost Sales •One Call •Property Damages •Lost Taxes •Insurance •Emergency Services •Lost Production •Construction with •Repair Cost •Machinery As-Builts Damages •LostMaintenance Time Emergency •Secondary •Line •Lost Material •Spoilage •Disaster Planning •Legal Cost •Backup Services

What’s the cost of a damage?

PHONE CABLES Service lines Cables 25-100pr Cables 200-600pr Cables 900pr & up Cables pulp ins.

Fiber optic CATV lines

$150 - $750 plus downtime for home offices $500 - $1750 can be higher with T-1 lines $1500- $5000 higher with T-1 lines $4000- $15,000 $5000- $150,000 $7500- $2,000,000 & up Typically about ½ the cost of similar sized phone lines

Power lines Secondary lines Primary lines Three phase & up

$500 - $2000 depending on splicing or replacing $1500 - $5000 single phase $4000 - $50,000 & up

Gas lines Services Mains High pressure mains

$250 - $1500 $900 - $30,000 $5000 - $500,000

Difficult locates are costly Dig Snow Caves

Or really big holes!

Locating points with no above ground landmarks to dimension from Localization Techniques Above ground marking GPS Mapping Electronic Marking Best Practices Points shown on as built maps Logical path of facility (on ROW) GPS guidance to general vicinity Below ground marking

Walk across China

Climb the alps in Chile

Electronic Marking

Locating Technologies Electromagnetic Locating (+) Quick Appeals to generalist workforce Eqpt relatively inexpensive Ubiquitous

(-) Access limitations Issues with congestion Non-metallic facilities Points of special interest End of facility stubs Laterals

GPS (+) (-) Efficiency in Field Mapping Specialized skill requirement Efficiency in updating Back Office Economic relocation of points Cycle time to update map records Sensitivity to physical environment System Cost

Above ground marking

GPR (+) Non-metallic facilities Price coming down

(+) (-) Specialist operator Soil type dependant Eqpt relatively expensive Bulky

Visible at grade Displays facility information No specialty eqpt reqd to locate Relatively inexpensive

(-) Succeptable to physical & environmental damage Do not outlast the facility Maintenance required over time

Electronic Marking (+) Ease of use Precison of locate Confidence in location Tolerance to congestion Metallic and Non-Metallic facilities Path and Point identification Outlasts life of the facility

(-) Requires locator Not visible at grade Standardization by all utilities Need to be aware marker is present

Why Did People Begin Using Electronic Markers ?

To provide a method for field personnel to locate facilities that they would not be able to pinpoint using a normal locator Example: End of the facility (Stub) The end of a wire produces a wide signal that gets larger on the surface the deeper the wire is buried.

Example: Splice Statistically one of the most common points of failure, can not typically be pinpointed with an EM locator signal

Electronic Marking System Near Surface • 2 ft depth

RFID Option

Duct Marker • 2 ft depth

Ball Marker • 5 ft depth

Disk Marker • 5 ft depth

RFID Option

RFID Option

Mid Range • 6 ft depth

Full Range • 8 ft depth

Vault Marker • 5 ft depth

RFID Option

Telephone

Gas

CATV

Power

Water

Wastewater GP/Rec Wtr

EMS Locating Tools Snap on Boot

Cable/Pipe Marker Locator And Marker Locator

Electronic Marking Applications – Oil & Gas

Crossings - Water - Major roads - Rail - Other Utilities

Service Stubs Repair Points Squeeze points Valves Valve Boxes

Non-metallic pipe Path on straight sections Bends & Arcs Depth Changes Laterals / Tee’s

Annode Electrodes, Test points for CPS/CPM Encasement ends Access points

RFID Marker Technology Coil Antenna

Disk Housing

ASIC

A.S.I.C ID MARKER AC/DC User . Enhanced Marker ASIC Data

ID Data

Protection

Color Code by Utility

Modulator Demodulator

Central Control Unit

Disk inside Ball Housing

RFID Marking

Positive Identification Locator Energizes RFID Marker

RFID Data read by Locator

User Input Data • Facility

information

• Owner information • Location information SOIL

SOIL MARKER SIGNAL

EMS SIGNAL

BALL MARKER

BALL MARKER

• Unique Serial No. pre-programmed

RFID Marker Capabilities iD Marker • 10 digit unique ID number • User defined data - 6 lines • 8 character label per line • 14 character description per line • Data locking option • Detectable with existing marker locators •iD Locator •Memory capacity •100 each Read/Write records •32 user defined ID templates •PC software exports read/write history •Path traces and scans for marker simultaneously

RFID with GPS Mapping

GPS Interface

• Clearly identifies electronic markers on plant maps • Benefits new adopters in built out areas • Eliminates need for secondary inspection of contractors work • Unique ID number serves as asset tag • SINGLE BUTTON implementation simplifies interface

GPS to Locator Mounting Bracket

• Holds GPS unit in optimum position for accuracy • Enables single handed operation

GPS Export to Google Earth Pro

Charlotte County Utilities Case Study

Charlotte County Utilities An Integrated Approach to Facility Management

Charlotte County Utilities

Eastport Environmental Campus

Charlotte County Florida • Founded in 1921, named after Charlotte Harbor • 1950’s – 1960’s General Development Corp. platted almost 100K lots for sale. Many are just now having utilities installed.

• $600 home lots, $10 down, $10/mo.

The Tower in the foreground enabled buyers to spot lots

Alfred Johns and Wilfred “Bud" Cole buy sand flats at Punta Gorda. They dredge 55 miles of canals for fill to raise ground level four feet while providing saltwater access for boaters

Charlotte County Florida • Population growth from 27K to 153K from 1970 through 2003 • 18th fastest growing county in Florida • 859sqmi of land, 166sqmi of water • 79K housing units (2000 census) • Cities and towns in Charlotte County •Harbour Heights •Manasota Key •Port Charlotte •Punta Gorda •Rotonda •Solana

• Boca Grande •Charlotte Harbor •Charlotte Park •Cleveland •Englewood •Grove City

Charlotte County Utilities The Challenge – Install new services to 80K+ undeveloped lots, – Water, Wastewater, Reclaimed Water – Approximately 5 million feet of pipeline construction over a 5 year period.

– All plastic pipe.

– Unfavorable results with tracer wire – Facilities must be easily locatable during the lifetime of the facility

Charlotte County’s Solution Buried RFID Markers • Place RFID markers on all predefined facility points – – – – –

Path Fittings & Joints Casing ends Bends & arc’s Depth changes

• Read all markers to perform GIS mapping • Export data to CAD and GIS systems

Charlotte County Utilities Design Specification Markers are to be installed by contractor at 18 inches below finish grade and directly above main Markers are to be installed at all change of directions and fittings absent of any valve. On straight runs markers are to be installed at every power pole. If power poles are worse than 160 feet apart or not available, then place markers every 150 feet from the nearest change of direction Contractor will program markers using CCU template and supply data in an electronic format consisting of the programmed data in each marker ball to CCU. Contractor has option of having CCU program markers and will be back-charged for service

GPS Interface

• Clearly identifies electronic markers on plant maps • Benefits new adopters in built out areas • Eliminates need for secondary inspection of contractors work • Unique ID number serves as asset tag • SINGLE BUTTON implementation simplifies interface

Subdivision Development

CAD Overlay W/Electronic Markers • RFID Markers placed on all Bends, Water and Wastewater Services at 18inch depth • Markers programmed at grade • Markers mapped using GPS/GIS interface

Subdivision Development Pre Development

Subdivision Development

Aerial Image with CAD Overlay

Subdivision Development CAD Overlay W/Electronic Markers

GPS Interface

ThalesTM MobileMapperTM Office

Selected ID Marker

Marker GIS Data

Charlotte County Utilities Benefits • • • • •

Reliable, accurate, efficient mark out Mapping simplified, accuracy improved Maintenance access simplified GIS identifier / asset management tag Predictive & preventive maintenance capability enhanced • Rapid search and identification of specified features

GPS Mapping + ID Marking GPS •Up to 80% time savings for field mapping •Electronic update of CAD, GIS, AM/FM systems •Sub-meter accuracy is acceptable •Complexity drives implementation through IT and GPS specialists •Revolution for mapping, weak for locating buried facilities

GPS Mapping + ID Marking iD Marking • Easy to use, short learning curve, low cost • Offers speed, accuracy and confidence in point locating.

• Serial number can be tied to plant maps, used as an asset tag.

GPS Mapping + ID Marking

Marriage of GPS to ID Marking • Map facility using GPS/GIS • Relocate facility using ID Marker • Document information into GIS database

Benefits to Facility Owners GPS/GIS has revolutionized the mapping process From: Manually marking up facility prints to create ‘as built’ drawings To: Paperless systems that directly export data to CAD/GIS databases

Benefits to Facility Owners As Built Drawings Show Marker Placement From: Markers placed based on design standards, not shown on maps.

• Not clear for new users • Technicians may not know if they should be looking for a marker or not!

To: Marker placement locations are mapped • Inspection of contractors work is simplified • Electronic marker is clearly identified on maps • No Questions about POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION

Benefits to Facility Owners Simplicity empowers the workforce (KISS) From: Specialized technicians (or Engineers) performing field mapping.

To: A single button on the Locator remotely commands the GPS

Electronic Marking System Solution GIS Integration Asset Tracking Automated As-Builts Locating Job Screening

Facility & Asset Management

Utility Mark-Out Installation & Repair Activities

Maintenance

Lat/Long Coordinates Correct in As Built Maps Reduced inspection of contractors work Mapping process to indicate marker placement

Construction

Positive identification - ID Marker information Method for field personnel to identify location of buried facilities

Excavation

With RFID you’ve got it’s number

Backup Slides

Alternatives Easy Options in Mapping

GPS Export to MS Streets & Trips

GPS Export to Google Earth Pro

FAA Use of Serial Number Label • A simple alternative to GPS is to detach the adhesive serial number label and adhere it to a map • Federal Aviation Administration work at Atlanta Hartsfield Airport Has specially designed their maps to accommodate the serial number label

FAA Use of Serial Number Label Each print has a specially designated location drawn on it indicating where to stick the label

Potential New Applications Land Mines

Military Underground Storage Depots

EPA Hazardous Waste Sites

Homeland Security

Disaster Planning (pre-hurricane, earthquake, etc.)

Refineries

Cemeteries

Emergency mass-burials (e.g. flu-pandemic)

Subways

Parks and Forests

Pumps and Motors

Archeological digs

Undersea Cables

Anything surveyed w. GIS tools