Building Tomorrow’s Infrastructure Today

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SEPT-OCT 2019 » VOLUME 10 » ISSUE 03 | ISSN 2277–3134

www.geospatialworld.net

BUILDING

TOMORROW’S INFRASTRUCTURE TODAY

• Mapping Subsurface Infrastructure P11 • Topography as a Platform for Smart Cities P18 • Adding Resilience to Our Cities P35

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Corner Office Juergen Dold

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President Hexagon Geosystems

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CONTENT

06 CORNER OFFICE Personalizing Digital Realities for Customers Juergen Dold President Hexagon Geosystems

VOLUME: 10 ISSUE: 03

11 COVER STORY

Chairman M P Narayanan Editor & Publisher Sanjay Kumar

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Electromagnetic Location (EML) and BIM are being extensively used to geolocate below-the-surface utility networks and hidden construction, reduce engineering risks and build a 3D map to aid surface and subsurface construction.

SPECIAL FEATURE 08 2019 Geospatial Market in the AEC Industry Report

INTERVIEW 26 Mobile App Helps Farmers Avert Crop Loss

Simcha Shore CEO, AgroScout

USEFUL INSIGHTS

42 Driving Smart Designs and Better Construction

18 Topography as a Platform for

Scott Cattran President & CEO, Woolpert

Smart Cities and Design

35 Making our Cities Resilient

CASE STUDY

24 Next Level Surveying PRODUCTWATCH

45 WorldDEMTM: New Standard of 50 Geospatial for Crime Detection

Global Elevation Models

54 Five Things You Should Know About Greenland’s Ice Sheet

REGULAR FEATURES 05 Editorial 58 Book Review

Managing Editor Prof. Arup Dasgupta Editor — Defence & Internal Security Lt Gen (Dr) AKS Chandele (Retd) Executive Editor Anusuya Datta Sr. Associate Editor Remco Takken Associate Editor Avneep Dhingra Assistant Editor Aditya Chaturvedi Correspondent Mahashreveta Choudhary Design Subhash Kumar Sales Vaishali Dixit Disclaimer

Geospatial World does not necessarily subscribe to the views expressed in the publication. All views expressed in this issue are those of the contributors. Geospatial World is not responsible for any loss to anyone due to the information provided.

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The Secret to Smart Governance www.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2019

3

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FAST. AGILE. PRECISE.

EDITORIAL

Mapping Future Cities, Both Above and Below the Ground

A Prof. Arup Dasgupta Managing Editor, arup@geospatialmedia.net

Smart City must also be resilient. For one, the steady migration of population from villages to towns is putting pressure on civic services. This is also compounded by manic weather events due to Climate Change which are becoming the new norm. Put the two together and we have a situation like Mumbai, where thoughtless construction by greedy builders and unplanned shanty towns by migrants have blocking natural drainage. The result has been humongous flooding which neither favors the rich in their penthouses or the poor in their miserable shanties.

Resilience must ensure that cities plan ahead not just for five years, but for 10 or even 15 years, and take into account possible natural disasters while preventing the manmade ones. With a plethora of data sources in space, air and ground, and with tools like GIS and BIM, planning of cities has become that much more effective. Understanding the natural landscape and the demands on land by increasing population, the city planner can walk the tightrope of conservation and demand with relative ease.

However, a city is not just what exists above the ground. A well-planned city extends beneath the surface as much as it grows above. Many utilities and transport networks exist below the ground and this is not just today. There are interesting articles about Roman remains below London and abandoned subway lines below New York City. In fact, exploring below cities has become an adventure activity as much as speleology. While such adventurers may provide volunteered data about their explorations, it reinforces the fact that as our cities become smart, we need much more purpose collected data of the world below our feet to enable maintenance of existing assets and creation of new ones. Too often we face disruptions in water supply, sewerage, telephones and even Internet as digging for new utilities ignore the existence of older assets.

Mapping has to go below the surface and maps of underground assets have to be created and updated on a regular basis as much as the over ground assets. Looking for ‘what lies below’ is not new. In the early years of earth observation pioneered by ERTS, now Landsat, it was the geologists who were most appreciative of the new data source. The keyword was synopticity, the ability to look at large expanses of the earth which enables the big picture of lineament, folds and fractures so essential to understanding geology. Even so, what lay below could only be inferred but not seen.

With the advent of Synthetic Aperture Radar, one could see down to about a few meters provided the overburden was dry and the wavelength long enough. The L band radar on the Space Shuttle provided data of sub surface features in the Nile region of Egypt. Ground Penetrating Radar, a ground-based mobile device that can ‘see’ several meters below the ground, became available around the 1970s. It has become an invaluable tool to trace out features, particularly manmade objects like pipes and other artefacts when no or sparse records are available about such objects.

The need therefore is to map out the existing cities, both above and below the ground, before smartening them and to have a continuous process of updating the records as the cities grow.

In a connected world as envisaged in a smart city, we cannot afford connectivity loss even for a moment because connectivity is the jugular of IoT and therefore of the Smart City.

www.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2019

5

CORNER OFFICE

Personalizing Digital

Realities for Customers When users are able to freely work with captured data in the means that best suit their needs, then they uncover their full potential. We are working on offering digital solutions that support our customers in personalizing and digitalizing their workflows both in the field and in office, explains Juergen Dold, President, Hexagon Geosystems

H

ow would you describe Hexagon’s Geosystems division, and as its President, what are your main areas of focus?

Hexagon’s Geosystems division provides a comprehensive portfolio of digital solutions that capture, measure and visualize the physical world and enable data-driven transformation across industry ecosystems. With such a diverse portfolio, my interests range across a wide variety of topics. What I am currently concentrating on, though, is the personalization of digital realities for our customers. When users are able to freely work with captured data in the means that best suit their needs, then they uncover their full potential. We are keeping a close eye on autonomous vehicles and other means of automating various industries. With the continual development of the Internet of Things (IoT), we are seeing digitalization opportunities across the board. We are specially interested in the construction industry with untapped potential to bring digital solutions to a traditionally non-digital sector.

What are Hexagon Geosystems’ core offerings, and where do you see emerging opportunities?

As you know, our core business started within surveying in the production of theodolites 200 years ago. Since that time, we have made major advancements in fields from airborne photogrammetry with the first combined LiDAR and oblique imagery sensor to bringing laser scanning to the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. Our core offering is bringing digital solutions to partner with our customers in reaching their business goals, be that with geospatial and monitoring software, laser scanners, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), total stations and GNSS, airborne sensors and content, or construction tools. With almost 5,000 employees in more than 36 countries around the globe, we are covering a lot of ground in Geosystems. We cover all geographical markets and our growth opportunities are positive in all of them. Our largest markets remain North America and Western Europe, but it really depends on the industry.

We pride ourselves on keeping a diverse portfolio around the 6

www.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2019

world. So, if business in one particular region does face challenges and we need to concentrate there, another region’s buoyance can keep us balanced.

What is your prognosis for the South and South East Asia market and do you see an opportunity in China’s One Belt One Road initiative?

We see a lot of untapped potential in Asia, especially in digitalizing construction. With our acquisition last year of GeoSurf in Japan, we are looking to further partner with customers in this region to bring digital solutions to the field, while also looking further into potential OEM adoption of our machine control offerings. As one of the largest construction undertakings in modern world history, we are actively supporting our current and potential customers in China who are working on this (OBOR) impressive initiative. As a core focus, Hexagon provides the means for digitalizing construction — bringing more efficiency, thus productivity to projects. Our construction solutions integrate data feeds from sensors, create seamless workflows and make projects more efficient. They deliver a construction information management system that empowers executives with top-down visibility, control and management, while connecting field-level workers seamlessly and simply to the day-to-day tasks.

Hexagon group focuses on R&D by annually investing around 10-12% of net sales into research. How is Geosystems faring as a division, and how is it benefitting from this investment?

As one of the larger divisions in Hexagon, we are glad to have the opportunity to have considerable influence on the overall company’s direction. Geosystems supports and benefits from the cross-functional divisions of Hexagon, and we are happy to pass along these advantages to our customers in terms of solutions development, support and services. With a considerable amount of profits going back into R&D, we are able to continuously innovate and ensure that we are providing the latest technologies to our users. The latest BLK releases, BLK247 and BLK2GO, along with several other innovations, are a direct result of this investment. I cannot get into the details of our future innovations, but can tell you that our pipeline is full of upcoming digital solutions that will support our customers in personalizing and digitalizing their workflows both in the field and in office.

How does Hexagon address emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Deep Learning, IoT and Blockchain, and with scanning going to the next level with mobility and miniaturization, what will be the next game changer?

As a leading provider of digital solutions, Hexagon stays well informed, many times leading in emerging technologies. In its latest technology framework, Xalt, Hexagon has developed the means for

Our construction solutions integrate data feeds from sensors, create seamless workflows and make projects more efficient. They deliver a construction information management system that empowers executives with top-down visibility, control and management, while connecting field-level workers seamlessly and simply to the day-to-day tasks customers to accelerate their journeys to digital transformation by harnessing the power of IoT and other technologies. Our customers will benefit from these technologies as soon as they mature. Like most technologies, the possibilities for laser scanning are only limited by one’s imagination. For example, we just released the BLK2GO that brings the power of laser scanning into the palm of your hand, taking mobile laser scanning to a new level.

Being the undisputed leader in professional space, what kind of experience have you had with commercial customers?

With the advent of the BLK line and the already popular DISTO series, we are quite well versed in the commercial market. While we pride ourselves on the quality we provide, both to business and consumer customers, we are apt at making the necessary distinctions between the two and the approaches that best meet the unique needs of these two markets. While we work with professional, exclusive technologies for the one market quite hands-on, we, at the same time, provide commercial, inclusive technologies for the other market at a more introductory and nurturing pace.

Where do you aspire to take Hexagon Geosystems five years from now, and what is the secret of your success?

We are in an exciting time across many industries, and at Geosystems, we are going to continue innovating, discovering and advancing opportunities for our customers. Our roadmaps for new solutions are defined with high detail for the next few years and strategic directions are valid for the next five years. Digital reality personalization plays an important role for creating resonance for our customers. We are focusing on taking our customers and Hexagon to the next level of digital transformation and beyond, and are developing new market segments that are underserved with technology to empower these markets to improve efficiency and quality with our digital solutions.

It is never the success of one individual. I am very fortune to be surrounded by a great team that doesn’t shy away from challenges and turns them into opportunities. www.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2019

7

AEC REPORT 2019

Tech for Tomorrow’s

Infrastructure The Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry is among the top contributors to the global economy. It has the potential to transform our present and future, provided it takes the path of collaboration and adopts geospatial technology, states the 2019 Geospatial Market in the AEC Industry report. By Mahashreveta Choudhary

T

he world we live in is under threat. The ever-growing population has only increased urbanization, overburdening the infrastructure and resources, and posing a serious threat to the future of mankind. Then there is the problem of Climate Change that only adds to the element of uncertainty.

Governments and policymakers all over the world are struggling to find ways to ensure a good today and a better tomorrow. In such a scenario, the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry has a crucial role to play in both building and strengthening the modern world.

According to a 2019 research report published by Geospatial Media and Communications titled Geospatial Market in the AEC Industry, “The construction industry is among the top contributors to the world economy with annual revenue of approximately $11.30 trillion, which is roughly 13.31% of the world GDP (2017), employing about 7% of the global workforce.”

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Evidently, the AEC industry has a direct role to play in the world’s economic growth, and is in a way also responsible for the growth of several other sectors like agriculture, manufacturing and services, as it creates the physical infrastructure required for production and distribution of goods and services. It also has great employment-generation potential, as several industry processes are largely labor-intensive.

Emerging trends in AEC industry Integrated approach to infrastructure development An integrated approach means the process of bringing together various components and sub-systems into one functional system.

Till sometime back, this system was missing in the AEC industry, which was considered among the most fragmented sectors in the world. However, the industry has witnessed a transformation in recent times, and companies are today focusing on synchronization and cooperation across the value chain.

With this approach, they are defining mutual standards and setting new goals. For instance, Australia is pioneering the standardization of project alliance agreements and is adopting a model of cooperative partnership to reduce initial costs.

Nodal institutions are also set up in many countries for national infrastructure planning, policy development and roadmaps for adoption of best practices, technologies and standards. The European Commission and the World Bank, for example, have launched an initiative called Indicative trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) Investment Action Plan that identifies priority projects in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. Together, these projects will require an estimated investment of almost €13 billion and will include 4,800km of roads and rail lines, six ports and 11 logistics centers. Similarly, China’s Belt and Road Initiative looks at strengthening road and railway infrastructure in Asia, Middle East, Africa and Europe.

Public-Private partnerships Governments have a major stake in the growth of AEC sector. That’s because developing society through solid transport infrastructure like roads, ports, bridges, highways and railways requires huge public sector investments. Since such humongous investments may not be possible at all times for governments, the AEC industry is seeing the emergence of public-private partnerships (PPP). This is a feasible, reliable and viable mode of creating infrastructure in both developed and developing nations. Globally, the share of PPP projects in the overall infrastructure investment ranges from 5% to 10%.

During 2010-2014, the average share of investment in PPP projects in developed G20 economies was 3.1%. It was highest in the United Kingdom and Australia at 15% and 10.9%, respectively. In contrast, the average share of investment in such projects in developing (G20) economies was 7.5%.

The investment share in these countries reduced from 8.9% in 2010 to 6.4% in 2014.

As of today, China has the lowest share of PPP investment.

According to World Bank statistics, the total private investment in transport infrastructure was worth $69.9 billion in 2015, i.e. 53% higher than the average investment that took place during 2010-2015. Approxi-

concrete national infrastructure plans and project pipelines to help investors get a better understanding of return on investment, payback period, project lifecycle and asset management efficiency. However, regulation and insufficiency of funds with governments are some of the problems encountered in the PPP model.

Global AEC market

$11.30 Tn Global geospatial market

$339 Bn

Geospatial market in AEC industry

$58.49 Bn

Share of geospatial market in AEC industry

0.52%

Share of AEC industry in global geospatial market

17.24%

mately 64% of private investment took place in Europe and Asia, followed by 31% in Latin America and central Asia. While airports account for $38.8 billion of private investment, roads account for $23.5 billion, railways for $5.8 billion and ports $2.3 billion.

Many G20 countries have published

Digitalization of AEC industry Today, AEC is the least digitalized sector — traditional methods are still prevalent and technology adoption is low. However, things are changing and digital technologies like BIM, Cloud, Digital Twin, Artificial Intelligence, drones, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality are now being used.

The 2019 Geospatial Market in the AEC Industry report finds that digitalization in building infrastructure helps to save 10%20% in the entire construction workflow, whereas project time saving is 14%. In transport infrastructure, there is a cost saving of 15%-23% in the design and engineering phase and 8% in the entire construction workflow, whereas time-saving is around 17%. In industrial infrastructure, the total cost saving is 8%-10% in the construction workflow and project time saving is about 8%. Apart from these benefits, digitalization also improves collaboration, enhances clarity and makes construction sites safer.

Uses of Geospatial Technologies in Construction Lifecycle

PLAN

Satellite Remote Sensing

DESIGN

BIM/CAD

BUILD

OPERATE

Enterprise GIS

LiDAR

Total Station

GIS

Total Station

BIM

GIS

Point Clouds

Ground Penetrating Radar

GNSS

Machine Control

Total Stations

Photogrammetry

3D Printing

LiDAR

BIM/CAD

Drones/UAVs

LiDAR

Drones/UAVs GNSS

www.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2019

9

AEC REPORT 2019 Airport

Port

Railway

43.3%

$10.62 Billion

Global Revenue

18.2%

$58.49

Billion (2018)

Transport Infrastructure North America Europe Middle East South America Asia-Pacific Africa

Building Infrastructure Industrial Infrastructure

The value of Geospatial in AEC market segment and application areas

Geospatial technology in AEC industry Like in every other sector, geospatial technology is revolutionizing the construction industry too. From planning and designing to building and operating, geospatial technology has a crucial role to play at every stage.

A construction project contains varied information ranging from drawings, layouts, blueprints, schedules to cost estimates and specifications. Often, overlaps and lack of consistency in information leads to construction errors. The overall level of consistency can be enhanced if spatial and non-spatial information is maintained in a single environment and changes are made to these documents at one place. Geospatial technology can help in achieving that by assisting construction managers at each and every level and establishing a clear line of communication between all stakeholders.

The report finds that the use of geospatial technology reduces a project’s maintenance time by 56% and the maintenance cost by 60%. The overall time saving is 92% and project cost saving is 88%.

BIM and GIS The concept of Building Information Modeling, or simply BIM, has been there for a while. In 1963, Ivan Edward Sutherland, an American computer scientist and Internet pioneer, developed ‘Sketchpad’, the first computer-aided design (CAD) with a graphical user interface.

Sketchpad led to human-computer interaction, breaking new ground in modeling programs in the construction industry. During the ‘70s and 10

www.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2019

‘80s, Sketchpad further established the computational representation of geometry in construction, which enabled display and recording of shape information. But somehow, the industry was not able to utilize the power of BIM. BIM helps to understand the entire building lifecycle, encompassing design, build and operation from a single, central data store. It enables the integration of data from multiple sources, combines it to form a common operating picture for the entire building lifecycle and enables a comprehensive assessment of the financial and environmental cost of any building project.

When integrated with GIS system, BIM ensures that all the data is stored in a central repository. That way, any data with a common geography can be related to each other and can be assessed at any scale.

Both BIM and geospatial play different roles during construction lifecycle. However, amalgamation of both is necessary so that they communicate with each other to build and operate within the desired infrastructure and communities. Today, many BIM and geospatial solution providers are creating integrated solutions to optimize construction workflows that enable users to access, update and use built-in data in spatial context throughout the construction lifecycle.

Challenges and the way forward The AEC industry is facing hurdles in finding and retaining talent, responding to material price volatility due to tariffs and other trade-related headwinds, and absorbing the rapid pace of technology advancement. High cost of imple-

Source: GeoBuiz 2019 Report

Road

mentation, lack of standards and unclear policy frameworks coupled with absence of well-established value proposition, skilled human resources are only adding to the industry’s woes.

Then there is an inherent resistance to change and the perception that BIM + geospatial technology is only for large projects that are making the scenario all the more complicated.

The industry is in dire need for collaborations. Construction companies and geospatial market stakeholders need to enhance education and training capacity, while the policymakers have to come up with regulations promoting collaboration between all parties to bring digitalization. The industry needs to focus on smaller, relatable examples instead of flagship projects, changing the perception that BIM and geospatial technology is only for big projects. The AEC industry also needs to embrace new age disruptive technologies such as IoT, cloud computing and Virtual Reality to develop innovative solutions.

Mahashreveta Choudhary Correspondent mahashreveta@geospatialmedia.net To know more Geospatial in AEC market

SCAN FOR DOWNLOAD

COVER STORY

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Electromagnetic Location (EML) and Building Information Modelling (BIM) are being extensively used to geolocate below the surface utility networks and hidden construction, reduce engineering risks and build a 3D map to aid surface and subsurface construction. By Ananya Narain November 1896, Boston: Inspired by the subsurface tunnel constructions of the European countries, the industrial and trade cities of America, New York and Boston, tussled with each other to be the first in the race to move people under the busy streets. Boston won the race, and the city officials began the designing, planning and construction of ‘America’s first Subway’ at the Boylston station on the Tremont Street and Park Street under the Boston Commons in 1896.

Albeit the strategic engineering and construction plans, the construction of the Boston subway system came with its challenges — navigating and excavating subsurface buried utilities and ageing subsurface infrastructure. The unavailability of accurate subsurface infrastructure maps intensified the dangerous roadblocks engineers and surveyors faced in the construction process.

One such roadblock occurred in the form of the infamous Tremont Street Gas Explosion, 1987, adjacent to the Boston Commons and the subway construction. The explosion created multiple debates with the common man protesting the planning and construction of any future subway station and the Boston’s Big Dig project. The need for digital mapping of existing and complex utility systems, gravesites, subsurface infrastructure — was, thus, established.

Construction of Boylston station on the Tremont Street Subway under Boston Common in 1896

Construction at Tremont and Park Streets in November 1896.

Courtesy: City of Boston Archives

www.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2019

11

COVER STORY

A

ll construction projects require the geolocation of subsurface utility networks before and during the construction workflow.

It is a crucial part of designing, planning, construction and maintenance of any project above the surface. Hidden subsurface utility networks have historically endangered the lives of many people. For construction owners and excavators, lack of information about the presence, nature and location of subsurface networks often creates a challenging situation.

Until two decades ago, there was no way of creating a 3D model of the infrastructure lying beneath our roads and pavements. In recent years, however, technology advancements have helped in subsurface utility engineering (SUE) for the intricate networks of underground cables, pipelines, tunnels, etc. to reduce inefficiencies and build a real-time 3D map of the subsurface. “It is important to look at the entire lifecycle of building an infrastructure. Often when we look at the entire models, in very few cases you actually see the subsurface utilities mapped. In my

interaction with the surveyors, especially the utility surveyors, actually that’s one of the biggest headaches or challenges out there – to combine the two worlds – surface and subsurface,” says Katherine Broder, President Construction Tools Division, Leica Geosystems In the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry, conducting systematic surveys and digital mapping of subsurface utility infrastructure is of critical importance. “The subsurface is an incredibly complex environment which holds significant utility assets, infrastructure assets and buildings. With increasing pressure on space, higher land prices and a drive for compact, resource-efficient cities, we see more urban development underground. Knowledge of subsurface is, thus, key to delivering a successful construction and regeneration project,” explains Rollo Home, Lead Coordinator from Ordnance Survey for Project Iceberg.

In agreement is Michael Twohig, Director of Subsurface Utility Mapping, DGT Associates. “Accurate digital maps

s to Technologie rface u s b u map the s ture infrastruc MOBILE AND STATIC 3D LASER SCANNING Cost effective | Guaranteed Accuracy | Real-time QA-QC

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based on systematic surveys of underground infrastructure are critical for the numerous professionals in the AEC industry, asset owners, state and local government agencies and military organizations to help with all aspects of engineering, construction, operations and maintenance (O&M), so as to make informed decisions in their respective disciplines,” he says. The mapping and modeling of subsurface infrastructure helps construction companies by mitigating risk from a utility-congested scenario.

Typically, a pre-construction activity includes the process of SUE for geolocating the existing underground infrastructure and creating 3D models of the same using the BIM principles to initiate the construction process. Ignoring subsurface infrastructure, especially the utility networks, creates safety problems and can drag down the construction projects. “It is statistically proven that 90% of all construction projects are delayed and more than 50% of these delays are related to uncertainties in the subsurface. Accurate measurement, analysis and visualization of underground utilities using 3D models will

ELECTROMAGNETIC LOCATOR Simple to use | Can only detect conductive materials | Effective

BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING Better visualization | Clash Detection As-built modeling

GROUND PENETRATING RADAR Ability to detect non-metallic materials 3D Location | Instant results Provides depth estimates

POSITIONING TECHNOLOGY (USED WITH GPR) High accuracy | Precision Ease of use

“The biggest challenge is to combine the two worlds — surface and subsurface” Katherine Broder, President Construction Tools Division, Leica Geosystems

“New sensing and sensor technologies are capturing more data, more precisely about assets and soil they sit in” Rollo Home, Lead Coordinator, Ordnance Survey for Project

Iceberg

significantly reduce this risk,” says Alexander van Noort, Global Business Line Director, Land Site Characterisation, Fugro.

Geoff Zeiss, Principal, Between the Poles, Canada, gives a good example of the importance of the SUE process for smart construction: “Not knowing where underground infrastructure is has engendered what is estimated to be a $10 billion per year industry in the United States.

Every construction project requires locating underground utilities prior to and during construction.” For the most part of the construction projects, subsurface is ignored, resulting in plateauing productivity. Geoff believes that project owners and contractors are increasingly recognizing the application of digital technology in subsurface mapping and construction: “People recognize the drag on construction projects and the broader national economy when digital technology is ignored in the subsurface. Improving the reliability of and sharing location information about the underground can be seen as a ‘low hanging fruit’ in the quest to improve construction productivity,” he says.

Understanding the technology Construction projects (new and existing) require up-to-date technologies and improvement in the existing survey processes in geotechnical engineering. New technology innovations have enabled the mapping of infrastructure buried underground. As Broder puts it, “Construction people are typically not the experts on detection, and they

are not all surveyors. So, the technology has to touch a community that has a very strong need to get of course reliable data, but they also need it in a usable format to take decisions.”

Innovative technology solutions such as advanced sensors, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), electromagnetic location, LiDAR and BIM are playing a critical role in creating information-based solutions for subsurface project contractors. “Today, the best practices and survey principals of mapping the underground infrastructure inspired by our forefathers’ commitment incorporate new technologies to improve data collection, data storage and dissemination of highly reliable 2D and 3D utility information,” says Twohig.

Lately, GPR has particularly gained the attention of the subsurface industry. A GPR creates a map or the image of the subsurface for engineers and constructors using high-frequency radio pulses to detect structures and objects underground. A non-destructive and a non-invasive process, GPR offers an accurate view of a construction site that other schematics cannot achieve. On the other hand, electromagnetic locators are used in ‘passive’ and ‘active’ modes to determine the position and depth of the buried utilities. Heath Pritchard, Head of Major Projects, Geospatial Commission, explains, “The type of technology used will depend on the need of the user, but advances in data collection tools such

COVER STORY

THE COST OF INACTION Not knowing where the underground infrastructure is has engendered what is estimated to be a $10billion per year industry in the USA

Costs and economic damage caused by street asset works estimated to be £5.5 billion per year in the UK

50% of time over-runs on commercial building projects are caused by unforeseen ground conditions in the UK (NEDO)

400,000 incidents of underground infrastructure damage reported every year in the US

THE BENEFIT OF ACTION Construction companies could save $21for every dollar invested in improved location information about underground infrastructure.

Use of shared data to increase understanding of infrastructure shows a positive RoI which ranges from $2.05 to $6.59 for every dollar spent.

(University of Pennsylvania)

Decrease risk of harm and injury to persons

(Project Iceberg)

Challenges of construction companies with subsurface data Lack of expertise in the segment

Varying methods to access data

Data interoperability

as GPR and EML have the potential to not only improve safety and efficiency at individual excavation sites but also improve the quality and usefulness of the dataset itself, should this data be used to correct inaccuracies and fill missing gaps.”

Echoing Pritchard’s views, Zeiss points out, “The technologies that are currently considered best practices for detecting underground utilities have been used for decades and are characterized as being slow, unreliable under certain conditions and for certain types of underground equipment, and hazardous for the operator. Lately, GPR has been getting significantly increased attention primarily because it can detect both metallic and non-metallic underground objects, capture continuous digital scans, and because it can capture 3D position of underground objects.”

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Limited data coverage

Poor data quality

The contractors, surveyors and project owners are increasingly relying on advanced integrated hardware and software capabilities to map the subsurface infrastructure. While the hardware enables the detection of the infrastructure, it is the software which processes and presents the results in a 3D map.

Noticeable advancements in both for subsurface mapping have increasingly improved the accuracy and the speed of the subsurface information that is shared with the project owner. The use of GPS, Bluetooth signals, Cloud and GIS are all found to be facilitating the pre-construction and subsurface construction process. “The hardware has become more user-friendly, more robust and now has nice touches such as being Bluetooth enabled, which allows seamless connectivity between devices on site. GPS enabled devices, on the other hand, help hugely in terms of global

accuracy, while monitoring an employee on site. I believe that it’s in the software areas that the major advances have occurred. Software is becoming easier to use, more robust and is able to quantify repeat patterns, algorithms, etc.,” says John Robinson, Director, Malcom Hughes Land Surveyors Limited, United Kingdom. Thus, the current hardware and software improvements have dramatically improved the efficiencies and capabilities of the industry-standard tools.

Beyond GPR and EML, which are detection sensors, there are positioning sensors that are crucial because they gather data which is accurate and enables the correlation of the surface with the subsurface. Moreover, robotic total stations, GNSS and other technologies are also brought together to combine the two worlds. “The value proposition lies in the software,” adds Broder. Software is the platform that manages the data, brings the data together in a very accurate way to then offer it to the target groups.

In construction, the adoption of BIM is a major trend that has accelerated in the last decade, motivated by the need for sustainability and higher productivity. BIM is also found to be critical in reducing the engineering risks associated with the subsurface construction site. It makes it possible for the project owners to evaluate and assess in detail the impact of the new construction on the existing subsurface infrastructure and vice-versa. Applying the BIM principles in the geotechnical process is known to help reduce project risks and uncertainty, create better site investigation, generate a 3D geological model and streamline workflows to save time and effort.

A fully integrated, multi-disciplinary BIM software is used by construction companies to not only reduce the overall costs, but also reduce inefficiencies in underground facility records and better visualize potential obstacles before and after construction. Robinson states that BIM is crucial for building a realtime 3D map of the subsurface. “It is vital that the above and below ground modelling is viewed as a single project to fully realize the advantages of BIM. Being able to see below the ground data in 3D and with the actual/perceived sizes/diameter of under-

“Geophysical investigation technologies have seen widespread adoption. These assist with mapping manmade features like tunnels, vaults” Michael Twohig, Director, Subsurface Utility Mapping,

DGT Associates

ground utilities helps engineers understand the risks presented in a visual way that enables easier clash detection.”

Integrated BIM and geospatial solutions work in unison, providing improvements in the subsurface infrastructure detection, project return on investment, and lifecycle management of a facility and helps mitigate the risks associated with underground activities. “BIM and geospatial provides the basic technology for modelling underground infrastructure,” says Zeiss. GIS and BIM solutions together provide the ability to observe and better understand the subsurface and complex utility networks to cross-reference it with the above surface modalities for future construction activities. BIM and GIS solutions – available for the subsurface utility engineers, together help generate detailed plans of the subsurface conduit and by using the visualization tools and clash detection capabilities, construction companies are able to resolve conflicts between the new and existing construction features.

Innovative digital solutions There are numerous technologies that have augmented the findings of the subsurface infrastructure. 3D reality capture solutions, mobile laser scanners, LiDAR, drones and thermal imaging systems are gaining footing in the subsurface utility mapping for construction projects. “New sensing and sensor technologies are beginning to capture more data, more precisely about assets, their condition and the soil they sit in,” adds Rollo Home.

In June 2019, the UK government launched its Government Technology Innovation Strategy. This strategy sets out the foundation needed for the government to innovate through emerging technologies.

It provides a framework for the departments to use technology as they make plans for digital data. Technology innovations are also

expected in subsurface infrastructure mapping solutions. “Recent years have seen significant technical advances in the way we collect, store and analyze geospatial data. As technology and markets develop, it is likely that future software and hardware will emerge that are not known today,” Pritchard adds.

Twohig states that there are already many sophisticated investigative technologies that exist for subsurface investigations. He says, “Sophisticated geophysical investigation technologies have seen widespread adoption to assist with locating and mapping human-made features such as utilities, tunnels, vaults and underground tanks. Tools that were originally designed to map the subsurface geology have adapted to infrastructure mapping, coinciding with the growth in industry awareness and demands.” He further stresses on the specific advancements in the geospatial domain, saying that the use of drones and LiDAR has had a tremendous impact on subsurface infrastructure and in locating the results of our investigations.

A report by KPMG, Smart Infrastructure Mapping Underground Utilities, emphasizes on embracing the application of new technologies — advanced sensors, electronic sensors, robots, cameras and Machine Learning — to map the subsurface infrastructure. Zeiss highlights, “There are important technology innovations in subsurface infrastructure domain — reality capture for above and below ground and Machine Learning to detect and assess network assets that are poised to change the utility operating business dramatically.”

The use of Augmented Reality to see the subsurface utility infrastructure is a fascinating technology trend. vGIS, a tool

COVER STORY

“There are important technology innovations in subsurface infrastructure domain to detect and assess network assets” Geoff Zeiss, Principal, Between the Poles, Canada

“Accurate measurement, analysis and visualization of underground utilities using 3D models will significantly reduce risks in construction” Alexander van Noort, Global Business Line Director, Land Site characterization, Fugro

in this field, harnesses the capabilities of the three technologies – Augmented Reality, GIS and the Microsoft Hololens – and allows for an immersive experience. The geospatial data is converted into Augmented Reality displays and holograms that enable the field workers to see the subsurface infrastructure to make informed decision to plan excavations for subsurface construction.

National policies and standards Subsurface information is a national challenge which requires stakeholders to collaborate across all sectors. The role of the national government is, thus, critical.

Recognizing the social, economic and environmental costs of maintaining a register of subsurface assets, the governments are encouraging the sharing of location of subsurface infrastructure.

The Geospatial Commission, part of the UK government’s Cabinet office, is investing £3.9 million in two pilots (one led by Ordnance Survey in the North East of England, the other by the Greater London Authority in London) to test the feasibility of creating a national data sharing platform of the underground assets which aims to show the geolocation of the subsurface assets (including pipes, electricity and telecom cables, ).

“For the Geospatial Commission’s national underground asset register pilot, this means making better use of the data already held by underground utility asset owners across the country and promoting new technologies and processes to fix inaccuracies or gaps in data.

A data-sharing platform showing the location and condition of underground assets will lead to better planning of excavations and improve safety for workers,” stresses Pritchard.

Above and below ground mapping in Post Office Square, Boston Massachusetts, DGT Associates

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In Netherlands, a legislation was passed in 2015 by the States General to create the Basisregistratie Ondergrond (BRO) or the Key Registry for the Subsurface. The law mandates the excavators to share geotechnical data with the registry. While the role of the national government is to ensure that the data is maintained, the private geospatial companies are also involved in the BRO. “In many cases, the private geospatial companies gather, analyze and record the BRO data.

In others, they use the BRO data in their primary process and develop and/or use the software that supports the primary processes in which the BRO data is used,” a government source said.

Project Iceberg – a joint initiative by the British Geological Survey, Ordnance Survey and the Future Cities Catapult aims to increase the viability of land through better use of subsurface information. As Home explains: “What is needed is a government-backed data-exchange framework for the subsurface that can be integrated with existing city data systems. Accompanying national standards and supporting legislations are also needed to ensure that data is collected and shared in the correct format.”

Importance of standards When Geospatial Commission launched its Call for Evidence in 2018 – many of the respondents cited the challenge of connecting datasets and the role standards could play in improving interoperability.

“The UK has hundreds, if not more, owners of underground utility assets with much of this data held in varied formats, scales and qualities. When data is described and recorded using common data standards and data transformation processes, the ease at which it can be used across systems and software increases. Common standards and data transformation processes also leads to workplace efficiencies by reducing the time and effort required by end-users to understand and use the data,” Pritchard explains.

Robinson, who is also the co-author of the PAS128: 2014 and a member of the Steering Group PAS256: 2017, highlights, “Without a standard or robust specification, the quality

“Advances in data collection tools such as GPR and EML have the potential to improve safety and efficiency at individual excavation sites” Heath Pritchard, Head, Major Projects, UK Geospatial Commission

“It is vital that above and below ground modelling is viewed as a single project to realize BIM advantages” John Robinson, Director, Malcom Hughes Land Surveyors Limited, United Kingdom

can’t be measured between practitioners or equipment. In the UK, PAS128 is the go-to specification. In the US its ASCE 38-02.

Many other countries around the globe use these two specifications as they are regarded as the best. Every country will have its own unique needs, and often a specification will need updating/altering to accommodate.”

From a utility perspective, standards are of critical importance since spatial reference is involved. Noort adds, “At Fugro, we follow the PAS 128 which outlines the levels of accuracy required. Standards are extremely important — for example the spatial position of the utility is essential. If the coordinates were determined by handheld GPS with an accuracy of between 1m to 5m, this could lead to significant problems in construction, maintenance or inspection.”

A spatial reference to the subsurface assets is important, which needs to be defined according to the standards established and survey procedures and protocols.

Way forward: Technology, standards and resolve Any construction or operations and maintenance project essentially requires an understanding of the subsurface infrastructure and the different classifications of the infrastructure. These range from soil structures, rock patterns, hydrology, man-made utilities, subsurface construction, cables and sewers.

A construction project is fundamentally at huge risks associated with safety, cost and schedule if during the preconstruction phase there is incomplete and inaccurate subsurface

information. It is to be noted if the subsurface infrastructure is not detected prior to construction, it can result in significant additional costs across the entire design, planning and construction workflow. One can also not ignore the potentially high risks to construction personnel and the existing infrastructure.

Every country in the world is facing similar background infrastructure problems — unreliable existing record data and subsurface utility congestion, among others. While the subsurface has attracted the attention of the survey equipment providers, the benefits of the new technology innovations need to be communicated and explored by the construction companies, project owners and surveying organizations.

The ease with which the construction companies can unravel the mysteries of the subsurface is imperative for the successful project delivery of a construction project. The AEC sector needs to give due attention to SUE’s to speed up their construction process while reducing its engineering risks, improving productivity and ensuring quality and safety. To sum it up, as the subsurface data becomes accessible and curable according to the given standards and through a subsurface platform— there will be better opportunities for the AEC sector to reduce unexpected challenges and accelerate construction projects of the future.

Ananya Narain, Sr. Manager, Research Programs, ananya@geospatialmedia.net

SMART CONSTRUCTION

TOPOGRAPHY AS A PLATFORM FOR SMART CITIES AND DESIGN

T With the Key Registry of Large-Scale Topography, The Netherlands has a nationwide ground plate suitable for sharing digital constructions, 3D data generated through smart cities and Artificial Intelligencefed self-learning applications.

By Remco Takken 18

www.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2019

he Netherlands is a European Union country spread across 41,500 square kilometers, with a population of around 17 million.

The country is featured among the top 10 functioning economies, and has numerous spatial policies in place. These policies ensure that the Netherlands secures a high position on the Countries Geospatial Readiness Index (CGRI). A lot of work is currently being done on the creation of a Digital Environmental and Spatial Act, and this, along with other policies float to a large extent on numerous key registries. One of these is the Key Registry for Large-Scale Topography (BGT).

As many as 392 source holders are responsible for the nationwide digital topographic map, each with their own GIS department.

Nearly 2000-5000 employees are involved in BGT directly or indirectly.

BGT background The object-oriented BGT is based on an earlier digital file: the line oriented base map (GBKN). This was a CAD drawing of

all the streets, buildings and waterways of the country. The conversion of GBKN into a collection of objects, polygons and points ‘with added intelligence’ took place between 2010 and 2016. During the construction of this huge map file, 44.5 million objects were added in four years, of which several millions were locating points. With 40,000 changes each day, the current contributions from source holders have become the basis for a living document. BGT now receives around 250,000 online hits each day.

Single spot of truth Behind the creation of BGT, one finds the ultimate form of cooperation in map making.

“One of the biggest changes in thinking about a nationwide base map was the introduction of ‘confidence’. There should be confidence that the borders of the other parties, your ‘neighbors’ if you will, are correct. That was a huge turnaround,” says Jan Bruijn, Director of Collaboration Platform SVB-BGT. SVB-BGT is responsible for the greater scale topographic map

of the Netherlands. The secret behind the national success of BGT is the merging of different regions. Bruijn explains: “Hundreds of municipalities, more than 20 water boards and 12 provinces work together in this, other stakeholders join in. We now work with 21 regions. These source holders are maintaining the system collectively. The perceived truth in their map is no longer situated in their own management area. The ‘single spot of truth’ for all users is now residing in the National Supply. It has become a new way of working. To form the initial map, each source holder did an initial delivery.”

Transactional system in Oracle Oracle specialists from Dutch IT service provider, Transfer Solutions, designed a source holder portal called BRAVO. “At Transfer Solutions, they have come up with something very clever within Oracle,” says Bruijn. “The reason that we can work nationwide at the current speed lies in the database. It is not ‘normalized’ conform the standard object model of BGT, specified by standardization organization Geonovum. To us, every object has its unique code. There is nothing more to it. So, all the objects are placed on one single table, a simple but very effective implementation to reach an acceptable performance level.” The system is mainly concerned with a massive receipt and transmission of changes through check-in and check-out. “It is enormously successful.

And above all, the BRAVO portal, the place every source holder logs in to. It is just a transactional system. No more, no less. Its workings are not related to any geospatial or CAD tool. That has been a very good decision,” Bruijn adds.

Photo Courtesy: FutureInsight

Topicality The desired topicality of BGT is six months for buildings and roads; for rural areas it is set at 18 months. Although it is important to keep track of how often, and on which scale, a source holder distributes changes to the National Supply, a general maxim has come to the surface. According to Bruijn: “When more than 10% of your data has changed, the current situation is usually alright. However, if you see a totally different number come up, it’s advisable to check internally whether that figure is correct. There may of course have been major changes to the map, but

it may also be that changes have not been passed on properly, or might not have been passed on at all.”

Asset management, road features in Rotterdam

Photo Courtesy: Omgevingsserver/ SpotInfo

SMART CONSTRUCTION

Population per building. Data courtesy of key registry on persons

Dynamics of the chain The questions that arose during the design of the message service to be set up were discussed with the stakeholders. Solutions were tested in practice by a group of ‘frontrunners’. Bruijn has fond memories to share from that pioneering phase. “From the very beginning, there was intensive contact between stakeholders and software suppliers.

Some of the municipalities that were at the forefront of technology, such as Rotterdam, Leiden, Valkenswaard and a couple of water boards and provinces, were the first to provide their geodata. In all those cities, different software suppliers worked on the message service.” Thanks to these frontrunners, a working standard could be defined early on. “We not only wanted to get the most out of technology, but also wanted to draw up a sound set of rules and consult construc-

Part of the tasks of GIS specialists currently consists of combining data sets. That will all fall away if we really start working integrally.

A ‘single point of truth’ will arise where all information can be found 20

www.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2019

Buildings and their age (red to blue/ old to new). Year of construction courtesy of BAG key registry

tively with stakeholders. A methodology was drawn up on which comments could be given. And then, it became final,” says Bruijn.

Dormant conflicts In the compilation of a national file with regional contributions, continual dormant conflicts threatened to surface. Jan Bruijn looks back on these with empathy. “You can imagine, for example, smaller municipalities quickly calling out that they cannot handle it,” he says. In order to meet this challenge, a subsidy system was chosen in which funds are divided per municipal ‘assembly’. Such an assembly consists of all components of all source holders who collectively make a fully filled BGT file. “Think of a municipality that supplied data, including data from the Water Board, the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) and the province.

This municipality would receive a subsidy,” Bruijn adds. SVB-BGT itself has a limited budget. According to Bruijn, the Dutch municipalities have made the largest investment and their suppliers have aligned it.

Investments in BGT Although the nationwide key registry has been in place since 2016, investments are still being made in BGT. Jan Bruijn, however, shows himself cautiously: “Of course, improving BGT can always go ahead, and we must not forget the user of this nationwide

service. At the same time, however, we will need to capitalize on what we have built,” he explains. The next step is to realize an integrated geospatial platform. Bruijn feels the current situation is as follows: “Part of the tasks of the GIS specialists currently consists of combining data sets. That will all fall away if we really start working integrally.

A ‘single point of truth’ will arise where all information can be found. BGT should be the reference for this. It is the logical basis on which other government information can be accessed.” There already is a national portal that functions as an online entry for, among other things, the key registries. PDOK (Public Data On Map) consists of around 50 services that can all be viewed in separate viewers. Alas, in practice, PDOK appears to be rather limited in use. “It’s too specialized in nature,” says Bruijn.

Feedback The feedback system is a core value of the existing basic registrations in the Netherlands. Errors are reported by users and stakeholders. For example, the online publication of public data ensures cleanup and quality improvement. For several key registries, there is currently an integral feedback to the source holder. This fact will continue to play an important role in the future use of basic registrations. Jan Bruijn is looking forward to it. “With all the data

in an integral viewer, you are guaranteed to get more questions. It is therefore good to be able to overcome all this with a validation system that works automatically, for example with Artificial Intelligence. We have to make it into a learning system,” he says.

Need for integral development At this moment, the geo-related key registries in the Netherlands are useful and are frequently used instruments in themselves. They are being deployed for numerous processes both within and outside the government. They thus form an attractive foundation for a national geo-information infrastructure (NGII). But can they be further improved upon? “It is important to further develop the geo-basic registrations in the NGII. But we need to do it step by step.

The substantive and technical efforts that this requires will only yield more social returns and will be realized more efficiently if this is done in full conjunction,” says Hans Tijl, Director, Geo at the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK).

Continuous development in coherence At the beginning of 2019, the Ministry of BZK took the initiative to tackle various developments in this area under the name ‘Continuous Development in Coherence’ (DIS-GEO). Presently, the registries on addresses and buildings, topography and cadaster are still separate key registries. Each has a function of its own. Hans Tijl says: “We want to combine the individual functionalities to increase uniformity, but also topicality and ease of data collection.” An important step taken by the DIS-GEO initiative is the development of a coherent object registration. A coherent object registration is one centrally organized uniform registration containing basic data about objects in physical reality. This means: objects that are visible in the terrain, such as buildings, roads, water, railway lines and trees, parts of the terrain, supplemented with a couple of (administrative) objects such as residences, municipal boundaries and public spaces.

Multi-GNSS RTK, Centimeter-accurate Fast Data Processing On-board Data Storage Simple to Integrate Flexible Interfaces Compatibility Low Power Consumption

Original key registry 2D topography as presented in public BGT data set

SMART CONSTRUCTION

When the nationwide key registries were developed, they all co-existed in relative isolation

Photo Courtesy: SVB-BGT

Presently, different initiatives are responsible for enhancing the inner logics behind similar registries

The goal: a healthy ecosystem in which good data quality and robust interdependence make for a great data platform

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www.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2019

Topography as a Digital Twin Tijl anticipates that in the future, the Key Registry for Large-Scale Topography (BGT) will form the basis for a Digital Twin of the entire Netherlands. “Such a country-wide model should not only be executed in 3D. We are also thinking about the most usable level of detail. We are in the brainstorming phase concerning level of detail 2 (LOD2), which also includes interior spaces. This would be useful for determining taxes or the valuation of immovable property. The identification of separate apartments within one building will also add to the quality and usability of another basic registration: that of the addresses and buildings (BAG). End users of BAG are, for example, the emergency services, including the fire brigade.”

Area and Environment Server One of the innovative initiatives to get more out of the key registries is the Area and Environment Server.

Behind this 3D map server, we find an illustrious company of people.

Jan-Willem van Aalst is well known in the Netherlands as a quirky but effective cartographer who makes optimal use of open data sources.

Frank Steggink has a long track record in the field of software development in the geo-world. Matty Lakerveld is also a true geo-IT veteran. He surprised friends and foes before with integrated web-based geo-ICT concepts that, to the astonishment of many, turned out to work and perform well. The Area and Environment Server is also web-based. This data service does not need any specialized or professional software. “Streaming data without a GIS package”, is how Lakerveld summarizes it. The presented combination of data can be used directly in the browser for anyone with an Internet connection. “You see integrated source data from the government at object level,” says Lakerveld with pride.

Developing a 3D Digital Twin is an important theme and an opportunity for governments. Capturing reality in 3D gives a lot of insight and creates understanding so that better decisions can be made Good performance in the browser Lakerveld explains that the 3D visualizations in the Area and Environment Server are not an end in itself; the power lies in combining data sources. “Our Area and Environment Server is looking great, don’t get me wrong. However, for us, the insightful presentation of spatial policy information is much more important than a slick 3D representation. In the end, it’s about good performance. And we wish to give users more convenience. To reach the level that we have achieved now, well, that’s complex enough. After all, we are talking about a combined data set of 2.5 TB. The more bells and whistles you add, the slower the 3D card will render a picture. ” The server does not only show all the key registries with a location element to it.

For example, also energy labels of houses, plan topography, childcare and risk maps are included. Especially striking are the publicly available, underground cables from regional network operator Enexis.

“The Area and Environment Server is the open data platform on which a growing and ongoing Digital Twin of the Netherlands can be seen in 3D. But the real added value is that users only get to see what they need at a certain location. Up-to-date and reliable information at any time, simply shown either in their GIS package, a geo-viewer, BI tools, Apps or a browser,” adds Lakerveld.

Future insight and Nederland in 3D Developing a 3D Digital Twin is an important theme and an opportunity for governments. Capturing reality in 3D gives a lot of insight and creates understanding so that better decisions can be made. Dutch company Future Insight supports governments in professionally organizing their own 3D Digital Twin. They already support the cities of Rotterdam and the Hague. This is done using open standards from a central

database. In this way, the model is scalable, maintainable, easy to view online and downloadable in all kinds of file formats to use in generic 3D tools. In addition, applications can easily be connected to the available 3D data.

Future Insight helps users build the data step by step and ensures that they can be managed and reused in various applications.

Growing step by step in 3D “We see the construction of a 3D Digital Twin and the implementation of its use as a growth process,” says Rick Klooster, Founder and CCO of Future Insight. “We understand that you will have to start from the beginning.

Municipalities can join us with a simple package containing support and training. It is great to see how much added value you can already create by implementing a simple 3D viewer with a combination of external open and your own 3D data with a planning function. Of course, it is great that in the Netherlands there is already so much geospatial data of high quality available, like BGT. Because it makes it really easy to create standard 3D base layers for your Digital Twin.” Klooster knows what it’s like to be at the start of a new development. Ten years ago, he stood at the cradle of an interactive 3D project in the municipality of Apeldoorn. In that city, communication with citizens was made possible in a 3D city model for most projects.

There, citizens could walk around virtually and comment on a live feed, using their own avatar.

Some current examples in the Future Insight viewer are still in an experimental phase. This means that the performance may vary. “Our viewer is constantly evolving. New examples are constantly being added. The list of applications is endless. Consider, for example, the use of 3D for the environmental law, the energy transition and climate adaptation,” says Klooster.

Remco Takken Sr. Associate Editor remco@geospatialmedia.net

Ultimate

Advanced

Basic

CASE STUDY | Surveying

Next Level

Surveying Trimble’s R10 and R8s GNSS systems, along with Trimble Business Centre software, have helped Bangalore-based Abel Engineering Consultants in enhancing surveying capabilities, resulting in efficient workflows and better returns on investment.

S

ometime back when Bangalore-based Abel Engineering Consultants, an infrastructure design and survey services company, took up the rural water supply project for Sonbhadra district in India’s largest state of Uttar Pradesh, it wasn’t sure whether it would be able to cover such a vast area in a time bound manner. However, contrary to its expectations, the company successfully managed to survey 15,000km in less than four months.

This, and a lot more, was made possible by Trimble technology.

“We offer services in road, cadastral, water and wastewater, and other infrastructure projects. Surveying is an essential part of our company’s operations,” says Ajitadev Pandit, CEO of Abel Engineering Consultants, which was started with just five employees in 1992, and currently has a staff strength of 75.

Surveying for infrastructure-related projects can be tricky. The men in the field have to sometimes spend days in unfamiliar areas, enduring harsh weather conditions, with critical equipment to manage. The job doesn’t end there, and the most important part of the process is to come back with accurate and actionable data. “We are looking to double our staff in the next three years. Apart from other factors, technology upgradation has helped us tremendously in achieving our targets,” adds Ajitadev.

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www.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2019

Turning point The turning point in Able Engineering Consultants’ operations came in 2017, when the company, after due deliberation, decided to move to the Trimble platform. “We offer services like topographical land survey, LIDAR and photogrammetry in transportation, urban planning and water sectors.

Earlier, project control networks were established using total station diverging, which was time consuming and poor in quality.

However, after using Trimble technology, we were able to establish a sub centimeter control network in less than one fifth of the time required earlier,” says Adinath Pandit,

R10 makes collection of accurate data faster and easier.

It also provides improved protection against sources of interference and spoofed signals

Director of Able Engineering Consultants.

The story since 2017 has been that of better turnovers and happy staffers.

Soon after first witnessing the benefits of technology upgradation, the Bangalore-based company acquired Trimble’s R10 GNSS system with HD GNSS technology. “The idea was to take our operations to the next level.

So, we bought Trimble’s R10 GNSS system,” adds Adinath. R10 makes collection of more accurate data faster and easier. Built with powerful technologies integrated into a sleek design, the unique system provides surveyors with a powerful way to increase data collection productivity in every project.

“R10 provides improved protection against sources of interference and spoofed signals. It can be connected to Android or iOS mobile devices running supported apps via Bluetooth. The cutting-edge Trimble HD-GNSS processing engine enables surveyors to measure points more quickly, and the R10’s ergonomic design and light weight means that it is convenient to handle and easy to carry anywhere in the field,” says Amit Saxena, Regional Sales Manager-Geospatial, SAARC Region at Trimble.

Trimble R10’s X-Fill feature makes it a highly compelling product as it enables surveyors to maintain continuity of data tracking even if there is a problem with the RTK connectivity. In such a scenario, the receiver moves to the RTX correction mode automatically.

R8s is a flexible, scalable system that allows its user to build a system tailored to his job requirement

Steady progression Before acquiring R10, Able Engineering Consultants had bought Trimble’s integrated GNSS system, R8s, which is a flexible, scalable system that allows its user to build a system tailored to his job requirement. “When Abel Engineering Consultants first approached us with the problems they were facing in collecting data from the field and processing the same in their back office, we recommended them R8s GNSS receiver and Trimble Business Center (TBC software) to resolve these problems,” adds Saxena.

R8s has a configurable receiver that is scalable for future needs. The device is available in post-processing, base only, rover only, or base & rover configurations. It collects data through satellite tracking with Trimble 360 receiver technology. “The survey quality was enhanced due to data acquisitions with a multi frequency, multi constellation GNSS system, which eventually resulted in sub centimeter accuracy. Initially, we acquired three R8s receivers and within a year bought three more,” recalls Adinath.

Long-term benefits Trimble technology, apart from streamlining workflows for Able Engineering Consultants, ensured that the company could efficiently work on multiple projects simultaneously.

“Our products helped them in reducing the amount of time required to do a job and

bringing down the overall cost. Perhaps that is why they were able to simultaneously take up multiple projects and do justice to each one of them,” says Saxena.

“A big advantage of Trimble technology is that the entire equipment, field software and TBC office processing software work seamlessly on a single platform. As far as data processing is concerned, I can assure you that TBC is one of the best software available in the market today for processing GNSS data,” says Ajitadev.

Able Engineering Consultants are currently involved in three major projects. “These include Coimbatore City 24x7 Water Supply Scheme, Sonbhadra Rural Water supply scheme and Hyderabad Model Corridor Roads. In Coimbatore, we surveyed 2,000km of pipeline alignment followed by hydraulic modelling of the entire city. In Sonbhadra, the entire district was surveyed and around 15000km of rural roads were covered in less than four months. For Hyderabad Model Corridor Roads project, we carried out a detailed survey to enable smart road design. The

Apart from streamlining workflows for Able Engineering Consultants, Trimble technology ensured that the firm could work on multiple projects simultaneously

technology upgradation helped us in taking up multiple projects simultaneously across the country. For instance, along with Sonbhadra project, we are working on Ramgarh water supply scheme,” explains Adinath.

Increased efficiency in data processing “Before exploring TBC, Able Engineering Consultants were using multiple products in their back office for data processing. With TBC, the company was able to get rid of different products and subsume them into a single product. TBC is available in different modules. They started by using basic modules, but with time became advance users,” points out Saxena.

Among other things, TBC offers customizable templates, simplified selection tools and automated plotting functionality. The software allows its user to manage, process and create customer deliverables for all survey tasks with just one software package.

“Over the last three years, we have experienced higher returns on investment as Trimble products help us in efficiently carrying out tedious jobs well within time, while achieving high quality. Last year alone, we saw a 35% increase in ROI. We thank Trimble for introducing us to their products,” say Ajitadev and Adinath.

Courtesy: Trimble www.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2019

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INNOVATIVE AGRICULTURE

Scouting app to assist farmers protect crops for increased yields Tell us about AgroScout and its vision?

Founded in Israel in 2017 and led by a team of experts in agronomy and computer algorithm development, AgroScout is a portfolio company of The Trendlines Group. Aside from Israel, we have expanded our commercial network across North and south America as well as western Europe and Africa.

We have a mobile application (called AgroScout) that enables anyone to turn a commercial low-cost drone into a digital agronomist. Our objective is to help millions of farmers timely detect disease and pests so that they can protect their crops, reduce pesticide use and increase yields.

For example, while an agronomist can cover about 150 potato plants in 20 minutes, AgroScout can cover around 10,000 plants in the same time.

Each year, two billion acres of crops are harvested worldwide at a few hundred dollars per acre. Losses due to late detection of diseases and pests cost farmers hundreds of billions of dollars in damage every year. Through our mobile app, we intend to prevent that, says Simcha Shore, CEO, AgroScout

Conversion of a drone into a ‘digital agronomist’ sounds interesting.

Can you elaborate on this?

AgroScout system efficiently monitors and detects diseases by combining data from multiple sensors that cover the entire field.

This includes external data from weather, satellites, local sensors, machine learning and deep learning for accurate detection and monitoring of diseases and other agronomic problems in the field. The data is first uploaded to the Oracle Cloud platform, and then analyzed by our deep learning algorithms.

Apart from extensive coverage in a short time span, what are the other major advantages of AgroScout?

We offer lower scouting costs and efficient detection from early disease stage, along with optimized crop protection applications and

The AgroScout system efficiently monitors diseases by combining data from multiple sensors that cover the field

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autonomous disease classification, leading to increased crop yields and improved crop quality.

By providing actionable insights to the users on their computers and mobile devices, we notify them about disease location and crop status, and subsequently offer treatment recommendations.

Tell us about AgroScout’s journey so far. How far have you been able to achieve your target?

The journey so far has been really exciting. We developed a working prototype and built a strong IP (intellectual property) portfolio, including a patent pending in the USA. Beta testing of our application was completed in Israel and in the USA, including a pilot case study on potatoes.

We have also carried out a soft product launch in the USA, working with growers, field researchers and a large Potato Growers Association.

Agritech is a burgeoning segment.

Where do you place yourself in it, and who are your main target groups?

AgroScout is targeting millions of small and medium growers, who harvest the majority of crops globally — more than 80% of crops are grown by small growers all across the world.

Our initial focus group includes potato growers in the US and Western Europe.

This is only the beginning and we want to provide AI protection to more crops. Each year, 2 billion acres of crops are harvested worldwide at a few hundred dollars per acre.

Losses due to late detection of diseases and pests run into hundreds of billions every year.

If we were to charge only $1 per acre every year, our global market potential would be over $2 billion a year.

INFRASTRUCTURE | Resilient Cities

Standing the Test of Time We live in an uncertain world, where social, economic and environmental setbacks can occur at any point of time. To withstand such jolts, our cities need to be resilient. Geospatial and emerging technologies can make that happen. By Avneep Dhingra

S

ometime back when the Rockefeller Foundation announced that it will phase out funding for the 100 Resilient Cities network by the end of this year, several participating cities, partnering non-governmental organizations, academics and businesses were taken by surprise. 100 Resilient Cities, an idea conceived by the foundation, was dedicated to helping cities around the world become more resilient to the physical, social and economic challenges of the 21st Century. The Resilient Cities Project, launched in the spring of 2013, supported the adoption and incorporation of a form of resilience that included not just the ability to deal with unforeseen events, but also the stresses that weaken the fabric of a city on a day-to-day basis.

What is a resilient city and how is it built?

In a world surrounded with uncertainties, resilience and sustainability are interchangeable terms.

“Resilient cities are those that can survive, adapt and grow despite numerous challenges like rise in population, Climate Change and technology shifts,” Shantanu Goswami, Director, Platform & Technology Centre of Excellence, SAP-UK. He explains that resilience has historically been defined as the ability to return to the status quo after a disturbing event. In case of a city, its ability to react to a set of changes that might put its population, infrastructure and growth potential at risk could define the level of resilience.

A healthy mix of “physical engineering and social policy”, according to Duncan Booker, Sustainable Glasgow Manager, Glasgow City Council, could be foundational to resilient cities. “There is

always a need for foresight and planning to address major structural changes. A good contemporary example of this can be the growth of robotics and automation and how this has, and is going to affect the world,” he says. Glasgow’s experience shows that a resilient city is built on the basis of a fairer, more just city, which is reflected in the priorities stated in its overarching community plan. This perspective is entirely compatible with other and more traditional approaches www.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2019

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INFRASTRUCTURE | Resilient Cities

Resilient cities are those that can survive, adapt and grow despite challenges like rise in population, Climate Change and major technology shifts SHANTANU GOSWAMI Director, Platform & Technology Centre of Excellence SAP-UK

in terms of infrastructure investment and emergency planning.

The smart cities revolution has significantly boosted efforts towards the creation of cities that are buoyant, giving the urban planners much greater levels of granularity in the information which they can use.

“The availability of new analytical and imaging approaches provided by urban Big Data has also allowed resilience practitioners a much greater level of insight into how city systems work and interact, and

how they can be used to enhance a city’s competitiveness, quality of life for residents and general offer to visitors and investors,” Booker adds.

Information technology plays a crucial role in determining how accurately a city administration can predict an unforseen event and how fast it can react. “The process is all about tapping the right data and being able to store and analyze it in real time through effective processes. It is important for resilient cities to garner insight from data sets including environmental, traffic, social media, transactional systems, as well as types like structured, unstructured, spatial, graph, and IoT,” explains Goswami.

How does geospatial and other technologies help?

Geospatial technologies and solutions are the building blocks of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. For cities, it is a changing service-delivery environment in which services are provided according to need and demand in specific locations, evidenced by traditional monitoring methods commonly supported by returns from IoT sensors and data feeds. Multi-layered analysis of information with the common theme of ‘location’ offers insights and understanding to city planners and managers.

The availability of analytical and imaging approaches through urban Big Data ensure insights into how city systems work and interact DUNCAN BOOKER

Sustainable Glasgow Manager, Glasgow City Council

The tenacity of cities to acquire, process and utilize geospatial information, and develop innovative geospatial solutions are vital ingredients for resilient cities. “Cities can embrace the use of geospatial information and technologies to diagnose the health of their entire ecosystem to support its proper functioning and sustainability. Singapore has embarked on a ‘Smart Nation’ journey and is leveraging on the use of geospatial information and technologies to allow public-sector agencies to

SAP has been an active partner in Nanjing Smart City project. The Chinese city uses connected logistics to better measure, understand and manage large traffic volumes Courtesy: SAP

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ULS

plan better, to prepare its citizens for the future and to foster economic growth,” says NG Siau Yong, Director, GeoSpatial and Data & Chief Data Officer, Singapore Land Authority.

The multi-dimensional analytical and visualization powers of GI solutions enable the requirements of a resilient city. Geospatial solutions enable sharing of information across multi-agency platforms, offering city managers and service providers an enhanced view of the cities’ critical operations and behaviors. “Such visibility promotes the development of efficient, sustainable and effective policies which build resilience,” points out Booker.

Geospatial is a necessary component for the planning of a resilient city as this spatial data concerns the urban built environment such as infrastructure, buildings and public spaces and interacts with the natural environment such as air quality, soil and water. “This technology is the key to providing critical services such as transport, municipal waste, water, energy, health and education,” explains Goswami.

In Gothenburg, one of the largest cities in Sweden, the authorities are working on a Digital Twin to put together a virtual model of the city to gauge the future challenges arising out of increase in population and Climate Change.

“Managing the vast amount of data — open data, Big Data and data from IoT — is a big task. We are building the Digital Twin (Virtual Gothenburg) based on City Information Modeling, and will be launching it in 2021, the year that marks the 400th anniversary of Gothenburg,” explains Eric Jeansson, Geodata Strategist, City Planning Authority, Gothenburg.

Since history is important for future urban planning, Jeansson and his team have prepared a model of the17th

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The tenacity of cities to acquire, process and utilize geospatial information, and develop innovative solutions are vital ingredients for resilience

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NG SIAU YONG

Director, GeoSpatial and Data & Chief Data Officer Singapore Land Authority

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www.riegl.com RIEGL LMS GmbH, Austria

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RIEGL USA Inc.

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RIEGL Japan Ltd.

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RIEGL China Ltd.

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RIEGL Australia Pty Ltd.

Courtesy: City of Gothenburg)

INFRASTRUCTURE | Resilient Cities

In Gothenburg, one of the largest cities in Sweden, the authorities are working on a Digital Twin to put together a virtual model of the city to gauge into the future challenges arising out of increase in population and climate change

By using latest technology, we can look into how our city will be in the future. We can assess threats and also find ways to deal with them ERIC JEANSSON

Geodata Strategist, City Planning Authority, Gothenburg

Century Gothenburg. “Through these models, we can try and look into how our city was, and how it will be in future. For instance, in case the sea level rises, what will happen to the city and what are the ways in which we will deal with that crisis? We can gain insights into some of these issues by using technology,” Jeansson adds.

What are the stakeholders doing?

Glasgow is an active member of the Rockefeller Foundation’s Global 100 Resilient Cities network and is therefore able to 38

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benefit from the experience of its peer cities throughout the world. “We published the UK’s first resilience strategy in October 2016 and identified a set of key themes on which action has been focused, with these themes subsequently being mainstreamed as part of Glasgow’s Community Plan ,” says Booker. One of the main things that Glasgow is doing to build greater resilience is drawing on its assets — people, place and institutions. “The ‘town-gown’ relationship, for instance, between the local authority and the further/higher education sector is a powerful example of the city drawing its key assets more closely together in order to better connect research, policy and practice.” he adds In Singapore, the Municipal Services Office has developed the OneService mobile app which allows the community to report municipal issues centrally and enables public sector agencies to plan and coordinate municipal services more effectively. “The Singapore Land Authority has developed OneMap, the country’s authoritative national map platform to deliver accurate geospatial information and services to the community,” says Siau Yong. For instance, users can search for up-to-date bus arrival timings at a nearby bus stop, discover recent transacted and rental property prices, and analyze demographic statistics on a map. “We have also

launched GeoWorks, Singapore’s Geospatial Industry Centre, to allow us not only to encourage greater collaboration between private and public sectors, but also to test out new ideas and innovations, addressing needs that we think future generations will require,” adds Siau Yong.

In Gothenburg, the authorities are increasingly involving children to draw plans and suggest ways to make their city stronger and more livable. “Since children are important stakeholders, we want them to find ways to make Gothenburg stronger and smarter and future-ready,” explains Jeansson.

SAP has been an active partner in several smart city projects, including Nanjing in China. Nanjing uses intelligent digital technologies to better measure, understand and manage huge traffic volumes. There are about 10,000 cabs, 7,000 buses and one million private cars running on city

One of the main things that the Glasgow administration is doing to build greater resilience is drawing on its assets — people, place and institutions — to better connect research, policy and practice

roads. To manage this volume, Nanjing has developed a smart traffic system that includes sensors and RFID chips that generate continuous data streams about the status of transportation systems. “Nanjing uses advanced analytics that process 100 million records per day and a huge digital map that visually represents traffic events to identify traffic patterns and trouble spots. The system publishes traffic results in real time on a mobile app, which citizens can use to plan their travel and avoid congestion,” says Goswami.

Area of focus — present or future?

The discussion around resilient cities often leads to a dead-end: what does one do with the existing aging infrastructure? And is resilience a future concept?

“Existing infrastructure like dams, bridges, roads and other public facilities like stadiums generally have a 50-year lifespan and cannot be discounted when there are changes in technology. They need to be part of the overall plan, and better asset management & maintenance plans powered by smart technologies like AI & Machine Learning actually give extra life to them,” Goswami explains.

He cites the example of Buenos Aires, a city where SAP has worked in the past. Buenos Aires has always experienced seasonal torrential rains that caused flooding, property damage and injury. By deploying real-time sensors in existing storm drains that feed data to analytics solutions, the city can now help ensure that streets and drains are clean and free of flood-causing debris. In addition, these solutions help the city manage more than 700,000 assets, including streetlights, parks, bus stops, drains, buildings and bridges. Using sensor data and analytics to upgrade asset management, the city has enhanced safety for citizens.

Addressing ageing infrastructure is a key resilience challenge and it has become an even more acute issue in the age of Climate Change, when much of that infrastructure is under threat from extreme weather events such as floods and earthquakes. “In terms of retrofit for greater energy efficiency in our buildings, adoption of measures to prevent Climate Change, (including green-blue infrastructure) and upgrading transport systems are very crucial. Equally important is the investment in smart infrastructure,” says Booker.

The trick for our cities — and not an easy one under the current budgetary circumstances — is managing to do both.

RIEGL Airborne Laser Scanners & Systems

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VQ-1560i • Dual Channel Airborne Mapping System for ultra-wide area / high altitude mapping of complex environments • operation at varying flight altitudes typically up to 12,000 ft AGL • high point density, most efficient flight planning

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VISIT US AT September 17-19, 2019 | Stuttgart RIEGL booth I1.024, hall 1

Avneep Dhingra, Associate Editor avneep@geospatialmedia.net Scan this QR code to watch the RIEGL videos on our YouTube Channel.

newsroom.riegl.international

www.riegl.com RIEGL LMS GmbH, Austria

|

RIEGL USA Inc.

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RIEGL Japan Ltd.

|

RIEGL China Ltd.

|

RIEGL Australia Pty Ltd.

SURVEY OF INDIA

Department of Science and Technology

Survey of India Mandate National Map Policy (NMP)-2005 mandates Survey of India (SoI) To: • Provide, maintain and allow access and make available the NTDB (National Topographical Data Base) • Promote the use of Geospatial knowledge and intelligence through partnerships and other mechanism

A. National Spatial Reference Frame • National Ground Control points (GCPs) Library • Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) Network • Precision Bench marks (BMs) • Tidal observations and prediction of tides • Field gravity observations across country • Field Geo-magnetic observations across country

B. National Digital Elevation Model (DEM) • National DEM of ± 10 metre accuracy • High Resolution DEM of ± 3 metre accuracy • Ultra high Resolution DEM of ± 50 cm accuracy

C. National Topographical Template

D. Administrative Boundaries

• Topographic maps on all scales • Aeronautical charts • Special surveys for Airports /Air fields of AAI/ Navy/ Coast guard.

• Special maps for Indian Air Force

• International, state, district, tehsil and Village boundaries • International Boundary (IB) Survey • Inter-state Boundary (ISB) Survey • Administrative boundaries data up to district and village level

E. Toponymy (Place names) Standardized Geographical names database

https://indiamaps.gov.in https://g2g.indiamaps.gov.in/soig2g https://soinakshe.uk.gov.in http://www.surveyofindia.gov.in/pages/display/257-sahyog--mobile-app-by-soi

MAP OF INDIA

International Boundary of India As per the Criminal Law Amendment (Amending) Act, 1990 Incorrect depiction of the International Boundaries of India is a cognizable offence as under: “Whoever publishes a map of India, which is not in conformity with the maps of India as published by the Survey of India, shall be punishable with imprisonment which may be extend to six months, or with fine, or with both”

Director, International Boundary Directorate (SoI), New Delhi is the nodal officer to deal with matter related to publishing the map of India with wrongly depicted International Boundaries

Email to – ibd.dli.soi@gov.in

SURVEYOR GENERAL OFFICE Hathibarkala Estate, Dehradun, Pin - 248 001 (T) +91-135-2747051-58 Ext 4360 | (F) +91-135-2744064, 2743331 Email- sgo.soi@gov.in | Website- http://www.surveyofindia.gov.in

INTERVIEW | Design & Construction

DRIVING SMART DESIGNS AND BETTER CONSTRUCTION Woolpert President and CEO Scott Cattran explains how sophisticated geospatial controls, data collection and processing can lead to better construction methods.

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AD and GIS can be worlds apart on the work floor.

Engineering accuracy versus visual clarity can cause rift between land surveyors and geospatial analysts. Merging these into a marketable services portfolio that is both accepted and called for is a feat in itself. How did you accomplish that and what all challenges were overcome to establish Woolpert as an AEG (Architecture, Engineering and Geospatial) company?

Yes, CAD and GIS are worlds apart. A lot of people live in their own worlds and do not have the time to look outside to see how things have always been done, let alone have the inclination to want to look beyond their areas of responsibility. So, the biggest challenge in creating an AEG company was to first just start talking with each other and showing what we can do to make each other better.

Like with all our clients, we needed to demonstrate value to each other.

Honestly, we have been brainstorming for decades over how geospatial services help engineers and architects serve their clients better, and how engineering and architecture enable geospatial professionals to deliver better solutions. However, sometimes these disciplines should not be brought together when it does not bring value — the key is knowing the difference. And as the world’s first AEG company, we have this figured out.

While Building Information Modelling (BIM) is still evolving, we are slowly entering the era wherein finalized buildings and constructions are being maintained through a sustainable BIM model that was created years ago. There are people who say that the ‘M’ in BIM should actually read ‘management’. The inevitable happens next: the inclusion of installation information, changes in underground pipelines and cables and, quite

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possibly, ever-changing laws and regulations. How will Woolpert be addressing this phase of Building Information Management?

Woolpert will continue to be a leader in the advancement of BIM, both modeling and management, as the industry and our clients demand more knowledge from our design deliverables. We are carefully tracking the evolution of BIM — from when it first hit design, followed by the big boom in construction — and we can see that facility management is on the brink. BIM, VDC, modeling, management, whatever the name becomes in the future, it’s the connected workflows and the needs of each entity that have to be defined.

There is a big difference between what one needs for design and what is needed for construction, and furthermore facility management. And the industry is still quite segregated in the way we work. BIM needs a fundamental shift in thinking when it comes to project delivery. Integrated project delivery has always been the ideal situation for BIM, but we need the laws and client regulations to catch up with the times.

When we pivot to ‘management’, it all comes down to “expectation alignment” and the ability for each side to be mutually vulnerable. That’s not easy. Without asking and diving deep with the owner about its intended use, purpose and function of

the improvement, the design professional cannot know the owner’s true expectations.

And, concurrently, without the owner asking the design professional (the right design professional with real and substantive depth and data) about the available, robust and dynamic tools of BIM, he/she will not learn about possible connection of dots. Both sides will miss the opportunity to optimize alignment and may walk away not achieving maximum expectation if they don’t look for

high value to owners/operators and our clients, but the value comes from the effort that Woolpert puts in to build the intelligence and connected workflows in to the model.

As a user of both software and hardware tools, you might be aware of a data capture paradox.

One could save a lot of money by not capturing data twice. Is it an outdated issue, and what according

The biggest challenge in creating an AEG company was to first just start talking with each other and showing what we can do to make each other better — how geospatial services help engineers and architects serve their clients better, and how engineering and architecture enable geospatial professionals to deliver better solutions expectation while willing to be vulnerable.

As far as Woolpert is concerned, we will continue to forge a path forward and continue to educate ourselves on the ever-changing BIM landscape to provide ourselves and clients the most value out of the technology we use and the products we produce. Maybe there is an opportunity to address the commercials in here as well. BIM modeling adds

to you is the ideal level of quality?

No, it is not an outdated issue. As a matter of fact, the topic is crucial to the success of our business, and an important element to Woolpert’s “First Time Right” mantra.

Enabling our success in capturing data right the first time is attributed not only to the software and hardware tools, but also to the technical skills of our staff and the processes

These images show a mix of laser scan data and Revit models of a section of infrastructure. www.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2019

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INTERVIEW | Design & Construction

A collaborative BIM model (left) highlights the mechanical elements of a hangar, while this screen shot (right) illustrates the live interaction during a virtual reality design meeting.

developed to ensure quality. We invest in our people to equip them with the right software/hardware and training to grow their technical skills.

One important aspect I would like to raise from this question are the challenges that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Deep Learning are bringing to our business. While these are extremely useful, we must decide on their effectiveness for certain tasks. Some of the AI-based software perform perfectly, which supports our concept of “First Time Right”, while others result in lesser quality and that missing 10% or 20% of information could cost us twice as much to recover manually as compared to doing manually from the beginning. It is always challenging, and we have to set our priorities based on the project timeline and complexity.

Both land surveyors and photogrammetric mappers are focused on engineering level accuracy, whereas geospatial

Woolpert will continue to be a leader in the advancement of BIM, both modeling & management, as the industry and our clients demand more knowledge from our design deliverables 44

www.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2019

analysts are more inclined towards the actual location and the surroundings. When integrating architecture, engineering and geospatial, would it be possible to cut out the geospatial gaze whenever it’s not about context, and have the engineer quiet when it’s not about centimeter accuracy anymore?

We are witnessing a great state of interdisciplinary collaboration. Most government agencies are putting their data on public websites for free downloads by diverse users. We advise our clients to produce data that can be useful for different applications and needs. We believe in the principle of “collect once, use many times”. In this case, our data, although it is produced to meet a certain set of specifications and the needs of a certain use (for example, engineers), it could also serve the needs of another population (for example, geospatial analysts), which will likely have a different set of specifications and needs.

Of course in some situations, we would have to sacrifice either the accuracy or the thematic content if the client’s budget does not allow for producing data that meets the needs of the engineer and the geospatial analyst at the same time.

Geospatial and architecture tend to grow closer to each other, two different phenomenon belonging to long-term projects seem to

come closer as well. Do you feel procurement rules and spatial planning laws are increasingly feeding your legal divisions?

Maybe we are fortunate, lucky or both, but we have not seen the continued blurring of geospatial and design services cause additional project stress or strain between stakeholders. Frankly, as has been our experience, we would expect to see a more collaborative, better informed project evolution and delivery. Sophisticated geospatial controls, data collection and processing (for example, achieving regulatory and insurance compliance) can drive smarter design and lead to better construction methods. From front-end site development and diligence to back-end construction administration during a project site, geospatial practices used by owners, design professionals and contractors can mitigate risk exposure and better predict outcomes.

Of course, candid and steady communication is the key to expectation alignment. The owner must be informed and understand how this evolving geo-design blur will and will not affect its pro forma.

Project stakeholders must use language and deploy practices that make sense and achieve substantive results. We believe issues arise when parties rush toward innovation without a plan to implement it, or an acknowledgement to pay for it. Be sure to define the bumpy road that leads to the rainbow.

PRODUCTWATCH

WorldDEMTM: New Standard of Global Elevation Models

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irbus Defence and Space in association with German Space Agency (DLR) has generated a highly accurate Digital Elevation Model (DEM) (Hydrologically corrected DEM) having an accuracy of: • 2 meters for Slope <20% • 4 meters for Slope >20% • Best and reliable DTM accuracy in comparison to other DEM available with respect to ASTER, Google and Bing • The 2m accuracy on a global scale for any mapping project up to 1:5,000 ensures a cost benefit of over 10 times if acquired by conventional mode and also processing lag time • Compatible with most standard RS, DIP, Photogrammetry and image viewer tools • Easy import and export to other standalone COTS SW • WorldDEM is the product of the TanDEM-X Mission (TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation Measurements), realised as a public private partnership (PPP) between Airbus Defence and Space and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR).

Accuracy of a new dimension Pole-to-pole coverage coupled with unrivalled accuracy and quality –

these are the defining characteristics of WorldDEM. The accuracy surpasses that of any global satellite-based elevation model available today.

Elevation model of choice for all global applications Integrating WorldDEM as a reliable and precise reference layer into operations and applications provides for a single confidence scale.

• Enhanced responsiveness for defence & security missions • Improved flight safety and efficiency • High-quality image ortho rectification • Reliable planning and operation of exploration projects • Global availability enhances international cooperation • Timely intelligence for emergency response Unique data quality and level of detail Airbus Defence and Space refines the DEM according to customer requirements and makes three WorldDEM products available: WorldDEMTMCORE, WorldDEMTMHYDRO and WorldDEM DTM (Bare Earth Model).

Geo-Intelligence THE NEW STANDARD OF GLOBAL ELEVATION MODELS WORLDDEM™ at a glance: • Superior elevation information anywhere on Earth • Homogenous standardised pole-to-pole coverage • Unrivalled accuracy: 2m (relative) / 4m (absolute) vertical accuracy in a 5m x 5m raster • Easy access

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Authorized Distributor: India MICRONET SOLUTIONS

Plot No.80, KT Nagar, Katol road, Nagpur- 440013 Phone: +91-9422 104111, +91-844-6563560 | Fax: +91-712-2570055 Email: info@micronetsolutions.in, marketing@micronetsolutions.in

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ADVERTORIAL

DIGITIZING ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY Achieving project value improvement with an informed lifecycle. By Beow Kwan Chew, Product Marketing Manager, FARO® Technologies, Inc.

D

igital technologies have transformed entire industries in the last decade, impacting lives on both personal and professional fronts. Companies have had to reinvent themselves to evolve with the times, enhancing productivity, sustainability and adaptability, all in order to stay relevant to their target audience. Interestingly, however, firms within the engineering and construction (E&C) industry have for the most part bucked this trend and retained a majority of the trade’s traditional methods.

According to the World Economic Forum1, the E&C industry continues to operate today as it has for the past 50 years, heavily relying on manual labor, mechanical technologies and legacy business models. The lack of productivity growth remains prevalent throughout the industry, leading to delays in the completion of projects and material wastages, which affect project bottom lines significantly.

The industry’s underinvestment in digitalization has had a profound impact on productivity. Firms are held hostage to issues such as manpower challenges (with manual data tracking and verification) and the need for re-work due to an inability to accurately track project progression.

That said, the increasing complexity of building designs coupled with a severe shortage of skilled workers have accelerated the digital push, especially for companies that want to stay relevant and profitable.

An easy way for E&C industry players to visualize benefits of digitalization is to picture the conventional construction lifecycle taking on a digital form, where real-

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time information of a project is readily available to all stakeholders on a single platform. Right from the design phase through build and operate phases, a project is clearly laid out and its progress can be tracked. The data transparency enables teams to collaborate effectively, allows foremen to identify and manage issues early and helps owners monitor project safety. Based on The Boston Consulting Group’s research2, a full-scale digitalization across the E&C industry can generate an estimated value of $1.0 to $1.7 trillion in annual cost savings.

In the same vein, McKinsey & Company3 advocates improving the value of capital projects through more efficient spending. By integrating specific tools and practices, project owners have historically managed to realize better project value of more than 10% in savings — either by reducing the project’s capital or operating expenditure; increasing its output; or accelerating its completion date so profits can be achieved earlier.

The next question, naturally, is whether there are solutions in the market to support the E&C industry’s digitalization efforts.

Enabling an Informed Construction Lifecycle Enter the idea of Traceable Construction™ by FARO, an approach that leverages the availability of accurate data throughout various stages of construction.

In the E&C industry context, the traceability concept functions rather similarly as it describes how one can follow through on a building’s complete lifecycle — whether in the design, build, or operate phase. Across any building’s lifecycle, there are five typical aspects to traceable construction that may be relevant at any given point in time.

Digitalization of the construction lifecycle allows project owners to make informed decisions over the course of the building’s development stages

On-site Capture The basis of an informed construction lifecycle is accurate and reliable 3D data. Today, there are ultra-portable laser scanners and intuitive data processing software that work seamlessly together to enable quick and easy acquisition and registration of point cloud data. Project owners and managers have the option of choosing between terrestrial capture, mobile capture and airborne capture for various applications. www.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2019

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ADVERTORIAL

(Above) 3D Laser Projection System allows workers to conduct largescale laser guided assemblies, without the need for physical templates (Below) FARO has announced the latest version of its FARO® BuildIT Construction Software, which features new workflows and enhancements for continuous project evaluation in Traceable ConstructionTM

As-built Model & Design By capturing as-built conditions, stakeholders can ensure a traceable conversion of scan data into BIM designs, for further planning and design of building projects based on the context of reality. High-speed, high-fidelity laser scanners, coupled with suitable processing software, enable fast and efficient creation of 2D, 3D and BIM models that can be fully integrated into major Autodesk Building design systems.

Design Layout Conversely, subcontractors can employ laser projectors to visualize designs from CAD plans and models on real objects. This facilitates the prefabrication of components, increases the precision of installation and assembly, and allows users to identify deviations from CAD plans onto components (e.g. display of unevenness in the floor).

Quality Control To ensure continuous quality control on construction sites, workflows need to quickly and precisely record current status, compare the status quo with CAD plans, and report any deviations. Foremen and site managers can rely on laser scanners to perform immediate, real-time build, and verify analysis throughout the entire project to improve efficiency, shorten timelines and reduce material wastage.

Data Connect & Share With Cloud-based hosting solutions, project participants can share scan data easily and securely on standard file types and widely used platforms. The ‘single source of truth’ enables transparency and traceability on project progression at any stage.

Realize Greater Value with Traceable Construction™ Within the Traceable Construction framework, there are several practical ways that project owners can seek to realize tangible value improvement. Some applications that further elaborate its value include: Application 1: Improving Construction Quality and Reducing Re-work With traditional construction methods, site managers primarily record data with pen and paper. In this scenario, the information tends to be outdated and issues are typically uncovered only at a later stage. This results in the need for re-work and material wastage, and causes delay in timeline as well as decline in efficiency.

In comparison, with 3D digital methods, engineers and site managers can rely on laser scanners to capture a construction site completely and precisely. This real-time digital data can be continuously monitored and analyzed using data processing software, allowing any defects or non-conformity to surface more easily and quickly, which makes it possible for problems to be resolved earlier.

Application 2: Enabling Fast and Precise Assembly Without Templates Using a 3D laser projection system, fabrication shops can speed up the assembly workflow for structural and prefabricated elements.

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Design data can be projected on to building components to enable large-scale laser guided assembly, offering a quick and accurate way to position these elements. It also eliminates the need for manual measurements and physical templates, which optimizes the use of manpower, time and budget.

Application 3: Maintaining a Clear Overview of As-Built Data Throughout Project Duration Complete, efficient and accurate documentation of construction projects carried out at various stages of the construction process adds value to the delivery process and to the ‘as-built’ dataset. But even more valuable is the use of laser scanning in building supervision.

Timely monitoring of construction progress is ensured by rapid recording of construction work. The data collected supports the precise positioning of formwork in concrete and columns in steel construction. In addition, it also serves to control construction work and to record progress, structural damage and health and safety compliance.

The E&C industry is now at the cusp of a new era. Reliable integrated solutions like FARO laser scanners and software platforms readily offer companies the opportunity to turn things around and implement digital strategies to their processes quickly and easily. Chances are, the firms who do so will likely emerge as leaders and have tangible first-mover advantage results to show for their efforts.

About FARO FARO is the world’s most trusted source for 3D measurement and imaging solutions. The Company develops and markets computer-aided measurement and imaging devices and software for the following vertical markets:  3D Manufacturing - High-precision 3D measurement, imaging and comparison of parts and complex structures within production and quality assurance processes  Construction BIM - 3D capture of as-built construction projects and factories to document complex structures and perform quality control, planning and preservation  Public Safety Forensics - Capture and analysis of on-site real world data to investigate crash, crime and fire, plan security activities

and provide virtual reality training for public safety personnel  3D Design - Capture and edit part geometries or environments for design purposes in product development, computer graphics and dental and medical applications  Photonics - Develop and market galvanometer-based laser measurement products and solutions FARO’s global headquarters is located in Lake Mary, Florida. The Company’s European regional headquarters is located in Stuttgart, Germany and its Asia-Pacific regional headquarters is located in Singapore. FARO has other offices in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Turkey, the Netherlands, Switzerland, India, China, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, and Australia.

More information is available at: www.faro.com/sg

Continuous construction verification allows managers to spot any critical issues and make quick, informed decisions to move the project forward

1 World Economic Forum, Shaping the Future of Construction: Future Scenarios and Implications for the Industry, March 2018 2 The Boston Consulting Group, Companies in the Engineering and Construction Industry Must Act Now to Avoid Future Disruption, 5 June 2018 3 McKinsey & Company, Capital project value improvement in the 21st century: Trillions of dollars in the offing, August 2018

www.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2019

49

TECH FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT

WHO

Incorpor a gies in c tion of GIS and o ri t law enfo me investigatio her emerging te n c rc

By Adity ement agencie and tracking is hnolos more a m a Chatu gile and aking rvedi efficient .

?

DUN T I N N N U I T D ?

O WH

W

e all have seen in crime thrillers how criminals outsmart the cops by a mix of subterfuge and wrong tips. Throughout the ages, there has been a cat-andmouse chase between criminals and law enforcement officials. Cops rely on investigative leads and follow their trail to catch the culprits before they plan their next move.

One of the sure-shot ways of ensuring that a criminal doesn’t hoodwink the authorities and carry on with his machinations is the use of spatial technology and location. “As technology advances and becomes easily accessible, criminals are quick to adopt new ways to

This page displays the NYPD crime statistics as recorded in the CompStat

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www.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2019

plan and execute unlawful activities. So, we have to look for innovative ways to tackle such threats,” emphasizes Yve Dreisen, Chief Superintendent of Federal Judicial Police in Limburg, Belgium.

Incorporation of GIS and other emerging technologies in crime investigation, detection and tracking is making the law enforcement agencies more agile and efficient in nipping criminal conspiracies in the bud.

“Geospatial makes it possible to track and trace persons, vehicles and it can also be interesting for customs. Especially when suspects are moving, you can actually track their way,” says

But Klaasen, Head of Innovation, Ministry of Justice and Security, the Netherlands.

Geospatial the common thread Geospatial is playing a crucial role in strengthening law enforcement and is being widely adopted by police organizations across the globe. CompStat (which stands for COMPare STATistics) was a pioneering method first deployed in New York in the early 1990s that helped substantially reduce crime. Harnessing the power of GIS for providing real-time insights and situational awareness changed policing in New York forever. In 1993, before the NYPD (New York Police Department) adopted CompStat, there were around 2,000 cases of homicides in the city. By 2015, the number of such cases reduced to 352.

CompStat relies on real-time information sharing, rapid deployment of resources, preparing effective strategies and consistent feedbacks and follow-ups. It uses GIS as a common operational platform to draw realtime attention on emerging crime trends.

There are dots on a map that depict the crime infested localities in a city, enabling authorities to deploy force rationally. Los Angeles and Baltimore too have witnessed reduction in violent crimes by integrating CompStat in their workflows and rigorously following its leads.

In 1996, the US National Institute of Justice (NIJ) set up the Crime Mapping Research Center (CMRC) to promote research, evaluation, development and dissemination of GIS technology. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Location-based data and geospatially enabled analytics are becoming more and more critical to Homeland Security missions and community public safety functions,â&#x20AC;? says David Alexander, Senior Technologist, Science and Technology Directorate, US Department of Homeland Security.

There may be a definitive strategy to reduce crime, but it needs to be accurately known where the assets are, so that they can be moved to and fro. It is important also to know what is happening in a particular region, how is this relevant to a threat, what is the exposure of the population in that area, or is there any sign of violence eruption or history of radicalism. This is where geospatial

TECH FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT

comes in the picture. “These technologies are deployed across all mission sets to support more effective strategic planning, tactical decision-making and automated emergency measures,” Alexander adds.

“Geospatial framework and Artificial Intelligence will be used for all forms of policing in the future. As technology becomes more effective and sophisticated, different law enforcement agencies will be adopting it,” says Irakli Beridze, Head of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, United Nations Inter-Regional Crime and Justice Research Institute.

Location and spatial technologies can also help boost cybersecurity. For instance, as Mark P. Pfeiffer, Chief Visionary Officer, SAIL LABS Technology GmbH, points out, “Obfuscating location data and tracking location data is always one step after the other. We are able to geo-locate data through our backend technology.”

Location intelligence can even work in counter terrorism. Analysis of social media posts and location tracking is a common method used by law enforcement agencies to take pre-emptive actions. Even for tracing terror suspects or criminals, location tracking of their social media or phone records often comes handy.

Empowering the police force The Queensland Police Service in Australia is extensively using GIS and geospatial. It has maintained a database that has over 18 million unique pieces of information that help with the investigation in crimes against children. “The system can share and connect with other law enforcement agencies. We share our data across those networks.

As more law enforcement agencies get aware of this, your database gets bigger since others also start sharing their data,” says Jon Rouse, Detective Inspector, Queensland Police Service, Australia.

In New Zealand, for instance, there are only 600 police stations throughout the country, and people are spread far and wide. Therefore, geospatial technology is really important to understand the whereabouts of those people. “We have been using geospatial technology for years now and our emergency center also runs on it. So, when a call comes in, the system knows where the caller is, locates the closest officer and dispatches him,” says Jevon McSkimming, Assistant Commissioner, New Zealand Police. “With the help of geospatial, we have changed the way we deploy our people. My function is making sure that we have the capability to understand, utilize and apply technology so that we can see where our officers are,” he stresses.

Another interesting application is roadside ticketing for speeding using geospatial. Since smartphones are geospatially enabled, use of location analytics enables the police to keep a check on them. “We can also analyze which parts of the country have got more speed violators or how it flows in the criminal justice sector. It is even available to the public now,” McSkimming adds.

“Use cases of geospatial technology in crime prevention are very interesting. If a car is involved in a murder attack or a robbery, we need to be first able to locate it by using the digital systems in it,” says Dreisen.

He adds that in case of a car crash, geospatial technology can be used for diverting traffic and establishing a communication to create an emer52

www.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2019

A crime snapshot created by the New Zealand Police on its website shows types of crimes and victimisations

gency corridor. He narrates one particular case where geospatial helped nab the criminals – the investigators in a murder case did everything possible, including witness statements, seizing camera footage, wiretapping, DNA, forensics and more, but could not solve the case until they turned to the suspect’s car. Only after investigating the car, it was proven that the vehicle was at the spot when the incident took place.

Illegal immigration and border security Undocumented migration and the influx of illegal refugees is causing political convulsions and a lot of chaos in many countries.

Geospatial technologies can help track migration and strengthen border security.

There is a particular use case of geospatial for migration. It’s for people who try to slip into other country without a passport or any identification. “Sometimes they say we live in a village where there is a war going on and we crossed a river to escape or some such story.

Geospatial tools allow the immigration officer to quick verify such details,” points out Klaasen.

“We are taking part in the EU Satellite program Copernicus, where we have, among the 11 services, vessel anomaly detections.

There are some basic patterns, which keep repeating themselves, and lead to a particular picture,” says Brendt Koerner, Deputy Executive Director, European Border and Coastguard Agency, FRONTEX. “The main challenge before us is building up better security controls. Big Data and geospatial analysis are all going to be game changers as to where it is heading next,” says Dr John Coyne, Head of Strategic Policing and Law Enforcement & Head of the North and Australia’s Security.Be it detecting anomalies in crime scenes, cross-border crimes, or detecting patterns, or search and rescue, geospatial analytics and Artificial Intelligence together can facilitate decision-making and give law enforcing agencies the chance to draw certain conclusions and become more proactive.

Aditya Chaturvedi, Assistant Editor, aditya@geospatialmedia.net

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CLIMATE CHANGE

FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT GREENLAND’S ICE SHEET A faster melting Arctic means faster sea level rise. The Greenland ice sheet alone could contribute between 5 to 33 centimeters (2 and 13 inches) of sea level rise by the end of the century.

By Emily Cassidy

G

reenland is about three-times the size of Texas and almost completely covered in ice. Last week, 12 billion ton of ice melted and ran-off the ice sheet in one day. The National Snow and Ice Data Center estimated that between July 30 and August 3, runoff from ice melt was about 55 billion ton. This is 40 billion ton more than the historic average. At this rate, ice runoff could match or surpass what was seen in 2012, when runoff reached a 350-year high.

To put this in perspective, Resource Watch compiled five facts on Greenland’s ice sheet from internal data source and recent peer-reviewed research: • Every summer the Greenland ice sheet melts, and loses about 286 gigaton of ice per year. A gigaton is a billion tonof water, which is enough to fill about 400,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. In the chart below, you can see the dip in ice 54

www.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2019

mass in the record year 2012. Between January 2012 and January 2013, Greenland lost about 450 billion tonof ice.

• The ice melt season started early this year.

Images from satellites found that the ice

The chart shows the dip in ice mass in the record year 2012

arch that goes between Greenland and Ellesmere Island broke-up in March this year, months ahead of schedule. According to NASA, the arch acts a gatekeeper, preventing sea ice from exiting the Arctic

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CLIMATE CHANGE

The ice melt season started early this year. Images from satellites found that the ice arch that goes between Greenland and Ellesmere Island broke-up in March this year, months ahead of schedule Photo Courtesy: NASA

cientists found that methane is being S released from below the Greenland ice sheet — from inorganic and ancient organic carbon buried beneath the ice — during the melt season.

Climate Central data by Resource Watch shows areas at risk of being underwater with 0.5 meters of sea level rise

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Ocean and drifting southward into Baffin Bay. • Scientists recently found that methane is being released from below the Greenland ice sheet — from inorganic and ancient organic carbon buried beneath the ice — during the melt season.

This source of methane emissions is not properly accounted for in global carbon budgets, according to the researchers, and the gas is 28 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.

• Melting ice on land from glaciers or ice sheets is one of the two major forces driving sea level rise. (The other is thermal expansion, because water expands as it gets warmer.) Researchers estimate that melting land ice in the Arctic accounted for 35% of sea level rise in recent years.

• A faster melting Arctic means faster sea level rise. The Greenland ice sheet alone could contribute between 5 to 33 centimeters (2 and 13 inches) of sea level rise by the end of the century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that 2 degrees celsius of warming could mean about 36 centimeters (1.2 feet) to 87 centimeters (2.9 feet) of sea level rise by 2100. Explore Climate Central data below to see areas at risk of being underwater with 0.5 meters of sea level rise.

Emily Cassidy, Data Journalist at Resource Watch, emily.cassidy@wri.org

䔀 匀 倀漀猀椀琀椀漀渀椀渀最 匀礀猀琀攀洀猀

䠀椀最栀 䄀挀挀甀爀愀挀礀 䘀椀攀氀搀 䴀漀戀椀氀椀琀礀 匀 甀戀洀攀琀攀爀 眀椀琀栀 匀䈀䄀匀Ⰰ ㄀挀洀 眀椀琀栀 刀 吀䬀 匀 愀昀攀刀 吀䬀 昀漀爀 瀀漀漀爀 挀 攀氀氀 挀 漀瘀攀爀愀最攀 愀爀攀愀猀 䜀倀匀⼀䜀氀漀渀愀猀猀⼀䜀愀氀椀氀攀漀⼀ 䈀攀椀䐀 漀甀Ⰰ 䰀㄀⼀䰀㈀⼀䰀㔀 㐀挀洀 爀攀愀氀ⴀ琀椀洀攀 愀 挀挀甀爀愀 挀礀 愀渀礀眀栀攀爀攀 椀渀 琀栀攀 眀漀爀氀搀 吀䴀

䴀愀搀攀 椀渀 䌀愀渀愀搀愀

BOOK REVIEW

THE SECRET TO

SMART GOVERNANCE

W

hen we talk about a smart city or smart governance, the word ‘smart’ has connotations of use of latest technology and innovation. While technology is at the center of all such initiatives, it is the right blend of human focus, public participation and able governance that gives direction to welfare projects.

In Smarter Government: How to govern for results in the age of information, Martin O’ Malley, former Mayor of Baltimore and the 61st Governor of Maryland, points out that the abundance of freely available information has led to seismic changes in methods of modern governance, with accountability, transparency, inclusion and enduring trust as its hallmarks.

O’Malley highlights the need for a collaborative, consultative approach to decision-making as opposed to a stratified top-down approach that tends to become impersonal and gradually insular.

The book turns the conventional ‘leaders are born not made’ approach on its head.

Taking away charisma from the edifice of leadership, it focuses on tried-and-tested management wisdom and a performance-based approach to administration.

Listing respect, recognition, inclusion, collaboration and sparking intellectual

The book turns the conventional ‘leaders are born not made’ approach on its head. Taking away charisma from the edifice of leadership, it focuses on tried-and-tested management wisdom and a performancebased approach to administration 58

www.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2019

curiosity in others as key leadership values, O’Malley recalls his experience as a Mayor and later as a Governor. He describes how by incorporating geospatial/ GIS into workflows and making the right strategies, some of the core concerns were tackled.

As the Mayor of Baltimore, he was the driving force behind the adoption of CompStat in the city’s police system.

CompStat, which is a GIS platform that provides real-time insights, helped overhaul the policing in Baltimore and reduce crimes in the most violent and drug infested cities of America.

O’Malley ensured that crime is tracked in real time, mapped and the information is made publicly available. Weekly meetings were also held so as to take note of the progress made.

It is not only in crime reduction that combining GIS with effective management and implementation did wonders, but also in community healthcare, education, detection of lead, tracking drug overdose and environmental concerns like air and water pollution.

During his tenure as the mayor, O’Malley extended CompStat to all aspects of city governance by a new CitiStat approach, which was an ingenious innovation in 1999. Baltimore became the first city in USA to follow this approach and the second after Chicago to have ‘number 311’ for all city services. For the realization of the 17 SDGs there is a Federated Information System based on GIS that O’Malley terms ‘CitiStat for the world’.

The book suggests that by replacing patronage with collaborative meritocracy, zealously adopting technology, shunning inertia to change and reinventing work processes, a lot can be achieved.

George Washington, the first President of the United States, was also a cartographer. He called public administration as the ‘Science of Governance’. Interestingly, Esri calls GIS the ‘Science of Where’. O’Malley has shown in the book that seamless convergence of the two is the way forward for efficient governance.

Written by: Martin O’ Malley

Published By: Esri Press

Reviewed By: Aditya Chaturvedi

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