SHRP 2 Utilities Research PRODUCTS

2011 AASHTO RAC/TRB State Reps Annual Meeting

Chuck Taylor

TOPICS

• What is SHRP 2 and How Does It Work?• Why Are We Spending FHWA $ on Utilities?• Objectives , Status, Products of the Four

Utilities Projects

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SHRP 2

• Authorized by Congress in 2005• Funding Became Available in 2006• Conducted under a memo of understanding among

AASHTO, FHWA, National Academies (TRB)• Funds Provided through FHWA• Program Recently Extended to 3/31/15• Current Budget is $218 Million

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Oversight Committee

RenewalTCC

SafetyTCC

ReliabilityTCC

CapacityTCC

T-ETGs

Contracting Advice

ETGs

T-ETGsT-ETGs T-ETGs

Technical Advice

Staff

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Why Is FHWA Funding Utilities Research?

Survey of state DOTs, highway contractors, design consultants identified utility relocations as the most frequent cause for delays in highway construction.

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The Problem

Over 11 million miles of underground utilities in the U.S.

More being installed daily, deeper and with less detectable materials

At varied depths, soils, materials, sizes, with varied access

Can’t rely on utility owners for accurate location information

Designers in the past had little knowledge of utility issues and their costs

Utilities expensive to relocate

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The Research Process• Survey user community. We established User Panels

for all projects• Panels help develop user requirements & specs• Provide critical review of products while under

development• Develop prototypes• Field test prototypes• Develop user manuals and training material

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Multi-Sensor Platforms for Locating Underground Utilities (R01-B)

• GPR, Electromagnetic (EMI), & Seismic Reflection Platforms

• Significant Advances in Detection & Location from the Surface

• Across a wide Range of Soil Types & Site Conditions

• Able to Also Detect Existing Electronic Marker & Transponder Signals

• One-Year Field Test

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Multi-Sensor Platforms (R01-B)Gary Young, PI, Underground Imaging Technologies

Goal: Combine GPR, EM, and Seismics on one

towed platform

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4 FT 10 FT 1 FT 4 FT

VIB SENS

VIBRATOR AND SENSOR RAISE / LOWER

ROLLER LINK CHAINSAND MOTOR DRIVE

MOVABLESUPPORTFRAME

FRAME POSITIONSTEPPER MOTOR

STABILIZINGJACKS

ROLLER LINK CHAINS

SYSTEM CONTROL ANDDATA ACQUISITION

AND ANALYSISVEHICLE

VIB

SEN

S GROUND SCAN MOTION

POWERGENERATOR

VIBRATORAMPLIFIER

VIB(storage)

SENS(storage)

POWERGENERATOR

VIB

RATO

RAM

PLIF

IER

GROUND SCAN

CHANNEL TRACKS

RAIS

E /

LOW

ER

MEC

HAN

ISM

FR

AM

EP

OS

ITIO

ND

RIV

E

OVERHEAD VIEW

2D and 3D GPR Representation of Utilities (and other structures)

Example of data and interpreted targets from a 3-D GPR

image .Blue is water, Magenta is electric and green is sewer.

PIPE

2 PIPES

PIPE

GROUND SURFACE WATER TABLE SOIL LAYERS

2-D cross section that depicts features of interest highlighted

by yellow arrows .

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R01-B Status

• GPR Platform is Complete• EMI and Seismic platforms to be completed by

October, 2011• Field testing to begin as soon as all 3 platforms

are completed.• Completion date is Summer 2012

Product: Platform prototypes field tested & ready for commercialization

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Expanding The Locatable Zone For Underground Utilities (R01-C)

• PI is Chris Ziolkowski, Gas Technology Institute• Goal Is Utilities Over 20-Ft. Deep• Technologies Include Seismic Reflection, Long-

Range Smart Tags (RFID), Inertial Navigation Mapping, and Electromagnetic & Acoustic

• Close Coordination with R01-B• Extensive Field Testing of Prototype

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R01-C Current Status• Review of current and emerging technologies complete• Preliminary design of prototype system complete• Development of prototype system modules underway:

– Seismic Reflection– Long-Range RFID Tags– Acoustic– Electromagnetic– Inertial Navigation

• Field Testing to begin late fall, 2011• Completion Date: Summer, 2012Product: Field-Tested Prototypes ready for integration into

commercial systems

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R01-A: Modeling, Storage, Retrieval & Visualization of 3-D Utility Location Data

How Do We:

–Reduce project delays by keeping utility location data current throughout the project development process?

–Reduce the necessity for repeating complete utility mapping for the next project in the same area?

–Reduce excavation damage to utility lines during the construction phase?

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R01-A: Modeling, Storage, Retrieval & Visualization of 3-D Utility Location Data

• Best Practices for Modeling, Structuring, Storing, Retrieving & Utilizing 3-D Utility Location Data

• PI is Alicia Farag, Gas Technology Institute• Developing A Prototype Data Model & System

Architecture• 8-12 month Field Testing of Prototype System

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R01-A Status• Preliminary data model and system

architecture developed• Using utility location data provided by Virginia

DOT for preliminary testing and validation of the data model

• Once prototype data model and system architecture have been approved and validated, a pilot implementation operation/evaluation will be conducted

• Completion Date: Summer, 2012

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R01-A Products

• High-Level, strategic model that can be implemented across the nation

• 3-D utility data repository with the ability to accept and convert data from multiple sources and display and allow access in a controlled and secure manner

• Protocols for use• Results from Pilot project• National Implementation Plan

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Identification of Utility Conflicts & Solutions (R15-B)

• Tool & Methodology to Facilitate The Identification and Resolution of Utility Conflicts To Be Used By Public Agency and Utility Professionals

• Conflicts Include Interference of Utility Facilities with Highway design; Interference of Planned Utility Facilities with Existing Utilities, Non-Compliance of Utilities With Policies, Rules, Safety Regulations

• Developed Utility Conflict Matrix, Procedures, & Training Course.

• Project Completed, ready for implementation.

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Utility Conflicts & Solutions

Research Products:• Prototype 1: Compact, standalone UCM• Prototype 2: Utility conflict data model and

database• Training Materials• Implementation Guidelines

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Utility Conflicts & Solutions

• UCMs are not simple 2-D table products• Compact, standalone UCM is an MS Excel

spreadsheet• Utility conflict database is a formal data model

(Erwin format)• UCM is one of many queries/reports possible

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Prototype 1: Utility Conflict Matrix

• UCM header: 8 data items• UCM body: 15 data items• MS Excel format• Includes drop-down lists

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UCM Training Course• Lesson plan (6 lessons)• Presentation materials (PowerPoint)• Presenter notes• Participant handouts

– Presentation handouts– Sample project plans– UCM templates

• Companion CD– All training materials, including UCM– Prototype utility conflict database

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Implementation Guidelines

• Topics addressed:– Audience or “market” for the products– Impediments to successful implementation

• Technical challenges• Economic and financial challenges• Stakeholder buy-in and consensus challenges• Policy challenges

– Research product leaders (or “champions”)– Implementation plan– Performance measures

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Great, but won’t these new tools be expensive and expensive to use?

• FHWA study: $4.62 saved on overall project costs for every $1 spent on SUE geophysical techniques

• Multi-Sensor platforms and improved deep-utility technologies more likely to be used by SUE firms than by DOTs

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Thank You!

Any Questions?

Chuck Taylor: ctaylor@nas.eduwww.trb.org/shrp2

GTI Electromagnetic Technology

α 0 α 1

α 2

Cart rolls parallel to pipe path (into page)EM field scans perpendicular to path

GTI Active Acoustic Method

Acoustic pulses travel in utility

Manhole

6 Sensor/data transmitters

Speaker

Receiver & data processorAcoustic transmitter

Sound radiates from wall

Radio link

GTI Active Acoustic Depth

Uniquely shaped burst of sound is easily discriminated from noise

Speaker

Longer travel path Sensors

Top View

Manhole

Pulse Time-of-Flight gives distance