GIS + RFID = SUE Enhancement
Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) that leverages Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) deliver substantial benefits in the management and protection of underground assets.
Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) that leverages Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) deliver substantial benefits in the management and protection of underground assets.
Both GIS and RFID are rapidly-growing, powerful technologies that are used across a wide spectrum of industries, from manufacturing to agriculture to SUE.
When used together, GIS and RFID deliver accurate, verified information about any type of asset – above or below ground. This is particularly compelling for re-locating buried assets before excavation. It’s essential to know what’s below, and scanning the RFID buried asset tag provides authentication of its data in GIS.
RFID is a simple and durable technology, ideal for pairing with GIS. RFID tags consist of a microchip and antenna. Basic information, such as the asset’s location, identity and owner are written to the tag. When scanned, this data connects to GIS, accessing the correct data and launching maintenance/inspection surveys.
Today, a growing number of agencies and municipalities use Esri’s ArcGIS for Subsurface Utility Engineering. Esri’s popular data collection apps integrate with InfraMarker RFID, making accessible to any organization that uses ArcGIS and Field Maps or Survey123. Recently, Esri announced a June Survey123 update that includes a more seamless integration with InfraMarker RFID.
According to Esri:
“With InfraMarker, a field user can scan a RFID tag and instantly launch the related inspection form in Survey123 … faster and without errors in asset misidentification. You can also use InfraMarker for Survey123 to write information to a new RFID tag and easily associate the unique identifier in your ArcGIS system of record.
The technology is increasingly used in infrastructure asset management thanks to its durability in the field, flexibility to serve as a unique ID on almost any asset, and ability to be read from distance or through mediums such as walls, ground, or concrete.”
SUE and RFID for Infrastructure
This technology is on target for use in all kinds of infrastructure projects that rely on Subsurface Utility Engineering.
The 2022 CGA Technology Report notes that applying emerging mapping/GIS technologies in project design and SUE would reduce potholing and associated expenses involved in locating buried utilities.[1] This report delivers a snapshot of how technology is used specifically to prevent damage during excavation. RFID is included for facility installation and locating, and stated that “a comprehensive national GIS map of buried infrastructure would make the locating process drastically more efficient and accurate, and identify abandoned facilities.”
A recent longitudinal study has demonstrated the long-term feasibility of combining RFID and GIS.
Staking University in Manteno, IL was the site for a perfect test case of using this technology in a residential setting. This campus encompasses more than 20 acres of live and abandoned utilities offering real-world conditions for field testing utility products.
Because RFID markers are passive, they can simply be scanned and connected to GIS for verification – even years later.
In 2015, 174 RFID markers were placed on or near utilities. Utilities marked were:
RFID markers of all utilities displayed in GIS
Gas
Electric
Telecom
Potable Water
Sewer
Periodically, the markers were located again by following a simple process – follow the GIS map to the area of a buried marker, scan it through the ground using the RFID reader (which displays and loads the RFID tag), then update that specific record via the InfraMarker mobile app.
In 2022, a thorough review of every marker was conducted and 93% of 174 buried RFID markers were located after seven years in the ground and 97.5% of those produced a successful RFID read.
This study offers a perfect basis to estimate the cost savings for locating and managing a range of utilities.
The average cost per utility strike is $4,000[2].
Assuming one utility strike per year per utility (5 utilities) x 7 (years), the result is 35 utility strikes.
Multiply that by $4,000 and the cost is $140,000.
The cost of the InfraMarker system (174 tags) $3,480 + software (7 years at $2,500/year = 17,500, making a total investment of $20,980.
$140,000 - $20,980 = 119,020
93% of utilities were located, which means $110,688 in utility strikes were prevented.
InfraMarker installation and one year cost is negligible compared to the potential savings resulting from efficient and accurate management of infrastructure assets. Safety is also enhanced due to more accurate asset locating and identification, preventing costly and dangerous utility strikes.
Additional benefits delivered:
One or more utilities can be managed and tracked within one commonly used GIS platform.
Data can be shared within and between organizations or can be controlled to prevent sharing.
InfraMarker’s cloud provides auditable tracking of an organization’s RFID facility activity.
Long-lasting solution - Passive RFID markers continue to connect to software over time, no matter how that software is modified and improved. More and more data can be added to each point, including video, sketches, photos and files – whatever information each organization requires.
Summary
The Common Ground Alliance[3] states that each year, $30 billion in costs are associated with utility strikes. Increased construction spending has consistently proven to correlate with an increase in damage. Anticipated funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is predicted to stress an already inundated damage prevention system[4].
Using RFID/GIS in conjunction with Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) amplifies savings and efficiency. The results of a range of DOT studies show that for every dollar spent on SUE, $11.39 in savings are generated[5] by avoiding expensive construction delays and costly utility strikes. Now is the time to create a lasting, accurate picture of subsurface infrastructure that can continue to deliver savings and safety now and in the future.
References:
[1] Technology Advancements & Gaps in Underground Safety Volume 5. © 2022 Common Ground Alliance
[4] DIRT Annual Report for 2021 © 2022 Common Ground Alliance
It’s GIS Day!
Most people don’t really think about how geographic information provides the framework for our entire existence. We exist as living organisms in time and space. Our minds may be occupied with far-way thoughts, but our memories are inextricably tied to the place where they were created. As long as we live and breathe, we always have a location.
Blog by Emily Pierce, PLS, CFedS
Most people don’t really think about how geographic information provides the framework for our entire existence. We exist as living organisms in time and space. Our minds may be occupied with far-way thoughts, but our memories are inextricably tied to the place where they were created. As long as we live and breathe, we always have a location. Shakespeare’s Hamlet said “To be or not to be, that is the question.” Surveyors say, “To be is to occupy a position relative to two axes.”
Surveyors are trained to understand the implications of geography and location differently than most people. Precision is applied to location and this information has been the basis for civilizations for thousands of years. I’ve written about ancient surveying instruments in previous blogs: Ancient Egyptian Surveying and Ancient Roman Surveying.
Today, geographic information is more important than ever and is being used in ways that were previously unimaginable. As a surveyor, I had the opportunity to work with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) early on, mainly by being the boots on the ground that provided accurate geographic data that was subsequently used in GIS. We provided accurate survey-grade locations on US Public Land Survey corners (section and quarter-section corners) to be utilized into a county tax parcel database. This not only helped improve how the county taxed its citizens, it also helped citizens with land development, taking into account appropriate building sites, flood zones, wetland preservation, general zoning requirements, just to name a few. Beyond that, the GIS also is used for school and voting districts, changes in municipal boundaries and incorporations, addressing, and emergency response management.
Nothing stays the dame
Change has accelerated quickly in the years since I started working with GIS, as evidenced by a 2009 article entitled the “Top Five Benefits of GIS”, with number one benefit being cost savings from greater efficiency using location-based data.
The example cited was Sears, which was able to use GIS to reduce the time it took for dispatchers to create routes for their home delivery trucks by 75%. I’m sure that was a huge savings, but unfortunately for Sears, Amazon was already taking over on every front. By 2021, the Sears footprint had shrunk from 3,862 stores in 2009 to just 19 stores and a website.
Route optimization is only one of the thousands of applications of GIS technology. From precision farming to spatial econometrics (the intersection of spatial analysis with economics) to creating ultra-precise road maps to facilitate autonomous vehicles. Check out the 1,000 Uses of GIS for a glimpse into the future.
When researching this blog, I learned about a project where Toyota is using a platform that gathers crowd-sourced data from vehicle cameras and combines it with high-precision GPS and GIS to create precise and up-to-date road information. This information will be used for autonomous driving in the future, or probably already is!
What?!
Interestingly, a whole new industry is being created around monetizing the vast amount of data that is generated from vehicles. McKinsey estimates the market for this information might add up to $450-650 billion by 2030. I wish there was some way I could get a cut of these billions!
You may not even realize that the navigation systems in your vehicles are GIS. I’m partial to the Waze app. I love how they incorporate real-time data on reported crashes, speed traps and even roadkill, (important to know, because we have lots of moose and deer up here)! All this can be narrated by people from Dexter on Showtime to PAW Patrol on Nickelodeon.
Other GIS uses
Pretty much everyone knows about the Johns-Hopkins COVID map but did you know that there’s a HealthMap that maps reports the location of all kinds of diseases? For example, in the past month, Legionnaires’ Disease was found in three locations in the U.S. Definitely worth looking at before traveling. NASA is also providing satellite data to cancer researchers to help pinpoint the types of human activity that lead to cancer in geographic areas. The Landsat Program is the longest continuous space-based record of Earth’s land in existence.
As you know, I’m a history buff, and I really like the ArcGIS Online Historical Maps. It makes all the USGS topographical maps accessible. All you need to do is find a place, and any maps that USGS has on it over time will be available. I just downloaded this map form 1890 of New Orleans.
I could go on and on, but I invite you to check out the many ways GIS is being used today.
I know in the past, many surveyors thought that GIS was going to obsolete the profession, but that is definitely not the case. We still need boots in the field tying the data in digital maps to real places in the real world. I’m personally involved in introducing a product that does just that, using RFID to literally tie the physical to the digital. Check it out at inframarker.com. It’s a great product with as many applications as GIS itself.
Emily Pierce is a surveyor and Berntsen’s Business Development Manager. Learn more - email: info@inframarker.com