CSA S250 StandardMAPPING OF UNDERGROUND UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE

Bob Gaspirc, OLS, CLS, OAEM

Manager, Mapping Services – City of Toronto

Chair, CSA S250 Technical Committee

2009 OGRA/ROMA Combined Conference

2009-02-24 Buried Treasure – Underground Utilities Workshop

Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Fairmount Royal York Hotel, Tudor Room

Where is the “treasure” in underground utility mapping standards?

Business Intelligence (noun) - a set of concepts and methods to improve business decision making by using fact-based support systems.“

Today we will demonstrate how

CSA s250 will be used to support business intelligence

Key Goal

CSA s250 - Good records - better decisions

Key Goal – improve decision making

You must:

• Be ready to produce utility “record” as evidence that an event, set of activities, or task occurred and was completed

• Have record containing relevant, factual, and timely data

• Be able to access and retrieve utility record

• Be able to to share, manipulate, analyze, distribute data

• Make and act on decisions using reliable and dependable utility map records

Evidence of an event, activity, task

• As-built drawings, plans

• Circulation drawings, mark ups

• Design drawing

• Permit drawings, sketches

• Approved design drawing used for purposes of construction

• Field notes, locator notes, inspector notes,

• Digital representations of above

Supports and demonstrates the “legal test phases” to be met “the integrity of the recording system” and “the reliability of the entry.”

CSA s250 – Mapping of underground infrastructure

Needs to be:

• referenced and used within infrastructure design, construction, operation policies, practices, and procedures

• “these” documents are needed to: establish the integrity and authenticity of utility

mapping records recorded in their document management systems, GIS, and other electronic records management system

CSA s250: – Mapping of underground infrastructure

• Provides technology-neutral language

• “ … as per CSA s250”

• Codifies selected best practices, procedures, tables, or figures that are normal to rely on

• Applying the standard to an organization’s business will not eliminate the possibility of litigation, but it will make the production of electronic records easier and their acceptance in a legal proceeding more certain.

Improved decision framework

Acts, regulations, by-laws, codes Results of court actions/decisions,

other legal proceeding

Enables Framework for exchange, data

sharing, data licensing; web-based distribution models, reseller model, value-added reseller model, no-fee and fee-based distribution models

Business policies, best practice, procedures, and operational requirements

STANDARDS

•ISO 15489 - records management•CAN/CGSB-72.34, Electronic records as documentary evidence•standards endorsed for the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI) (DRM, metadata, web services etc)•CSA s250 – Mapping of Underground Utility Infrastructure

Technology neutral language Improves, enhances records management during design, construction, operation, retirement phase of plant

Why a Mapping Standard?

• Good records lead to informed decisions

• Next logical step, building on best practices

• Better communication reduces infrastructure life-cycle challenges

• Promotes communication among utility infrastructure stakeholders

Why a CSA based standard?

• Provides management framework for administering technical committee

• Acts a facilitator; provides neutral third party forum, process, and structure for developing a consensus standard

• Part of the National Standards System; accredited by the Standards Council of Canada

CSA’s Involvement in Civil Infrastructure

More than 400 publications relate to civil infrastructure…

Homes & Buildings

Transportation structures

Energy networks (electrical, petroleum, gas & alternative energy)

Water, waste, & storm water management

Industrial structures

Communications structures

Community, healthcare and recreational facilities

History and Background of Initiative

• No current mapping standard that addresses accuracy, process, and identification of underground plant

• Historically, high variability in the reliability, consistency & accuracy of mapping underground utilities

• The (Ontario and BC) Common Ground Alliance movement have introduced Mapping “Best Practices” for Damage Prevention

• Recent technological advancements allows for: Improved records capture Better records storage Enhanced access and sharing mechanisms

• Growing appetite to share utility mapping records

Standards are developed by stakeholders

business

• Cooperative work through common interest in particular subject area

consumer groups

industry labour government environmental groups

Build Up to Development of Standard

• 2005 to 2006 Q3 – ORCGA Mapping Best Practices finalized and committee dissolved

• 2006 Q1 to Q3 – RPWCO gathered support to develop a mapping standard

• 2006 Q3 – RPWCO approached CSA to conduct a study on the viability of developing a new mapping standard

• 2006 Q4 to 2007 Q2 – Feasibility Task Force

• 2007 Q2 – Call for participation nationwide to become member of committee to develop new CSA standard

• 2007 Q3 – New CSA S250 Technical Committee established and kick off

Creation of a New CSA Technical Committee

Technical Committee established consisting of subject matter experts, that also represent regional and end user interests.

Mandate:

The Committee shall be responsible for developing and maintaining standards related to mapping and recording of existing in-service underground utility infrastructure and related appurtenances below, at, or near grade and those that are either abandoned or that are reserved for future use.

15

Chair

AssociateMembers

CSA ProjectManager

Public Review / Enquiry

• Utilities• Design Consultants• Regulators • End Users

Voting Members:

What is a Consensus?

All participants have equal voice, including minority interests.

Committee Matrix

Interest categories

Min Max

• UI User Interest 4 7

• GI General Interest 4 7

• CA Carriers 4 7

• RA Regulatory Authority 4 7

Purpose of CSA 250 standard

• “… is to specify the mapping requirements of records that provide the identification and location of underground utility infrastructure

• This standard is intended to promote the use, and drive the advancement of mapping records, during the planning, design, construction, and operation of an underground utility”

1.1 Scope

• “This standard specifies the mapping requirements for the recording and depiction of underground utility infrastructure, and related appurtenances at or near grade”

• This standard applies to proposed existing, abandoned in-place, retired, or reserved for future use, underground utility infrastructure

Committee Meetings Held Thus Far

October 2007 (Toronto) - Kick-off and member training session

December 2007 (Mississauga) – Lifecycle of plant February 2008 (Mississauga) – Content development April 2008 (Mississauga) – Content development June 2008 (Vancouver) – Content development September 2008 (Mississauga) – Rough outline review November 2008 (Mississauga) – 1st reading of draft January 2009 (Calgary) – 2nd reading of draft

Teleconferences as required

Content Development

• Started from a position of strength by building on best practices generally accepted by industry

• Referred to existing documents Common Ground Alliance: Mapping Best Practices ASCE 38-02 SUE concepts ISO 15489 Policy, practise, process, procedures from various stakeholders

• Ensuring that requirements are realistic and can be practically achievable without significant demands/investments or changes to stakeholder group technology, practices or internal processes

Examples of Recent Committee Discussion…

Terminology –characteristics of a record Authenticity – what it purports to be Reliabiity – trusted as full and accurate representation

of the fact Integrity – complete and unaltered Useability – can be located, retrieved, presented, and

interpretted Accuracy of mapping records

Accurate content, completeness, extent of coverage, completeness, and spatial accuracy (Absolute & Relative) Accuracy levels being defined

Developing a methodology to qualify the level of reliability of mapping records information that is collected and used to depict the location and attributes of utility infrastructure

Quality levels envisioned to be as per ASCE 38-02, Standard Guideline for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface Utility Data

Map record accuracy

• Insert table 6.1

An Example of “Sewer” Attributes

Challenges & Observations

• Need to remind ourselves of the benefits of having a standard

• Need to maintain interest in the standard by committee members and all stakeholders

• Need to assess how the standard will be embraced and then sustained Once CSA S250 is published, stakeholders may:

formally mandate implementation of all or part of CSA standard in regulatory/legislated framework

modify internal processes and systems to meet or exceed the standard

• Improved reliability and accuracy in the location of underground utility infrastructure mapping records & supporting data

• Improved safety of company & contractor employees and the general public by decreasing utility hits/strikes

• Lower cost in the utility design life cycle by sharing accurate & complete utility records in a timely fashion amongst all users (municipalities, carriers, contractors, designers, consultants, locators…)

Expected Outcomes

Next Steps - Timeline for Publication

Complete rough outline June 2009

Enquiry (public review) stage – Fall 2009

Approval by CSA Technical Committee – Winter 2009 / 2010

Ready for publication – Summer 2010

CSA “S250” – Mapping of underground utility infrastructure

Questions?

Thank-you!