Applications of Gis in Infrastructure Project Management

Int. J. Struct. & Civil Engg. Res. 2013 Sandip N Palve, 2013

Sandip N Palve1*

*Corresponding author:Sandip N Palve,  [email protected]

Developing countries face unique challenges with the design, construction and operations of new infrastructure. Nations with mature infrastructure have followed traditional technology models for planning, design, construction and operation of facilities. With GIS technology, the development of new infrastructure will follow new technology models eliminating data redundancy, miscommunication, and costly conversion when moving through the planning, design, construction, and operation of infrastructure data. Specific site data requirements for the design and construction of infrastructure are developed for quality engineering design and to minimize and accurately predict construction costs. GIS provides the central data system for the process of developing and constructing infrastructure gives the engineers a common means to communicate geospatial data, maintain current data, and allow iterative design/data collection procedures without exchanging data files of differing format, version, and content. Due to superior spatial data handling capabilities, Geographic Information System (GIS) technology is increasingly being considered for implementation in many infrastructure projects.

Keywords: GIS, Planning, Applications, Geospatial data, Infrastructure projects

INTRODUCTION that form the foundation for future GIS analyses. The GIS has the potential to merge a person’s Wiley suggests that a GIS should be process and field knowledge with a powerful approached as an evolutionary process, one computer system that documents activity and that yields GIS/information system tools and builds a base for further streamlining. It can capabilities in the interim and handle users remove some of the tedious tasks of day-to- immediate information needs as well as allow day operations, thereby easing the burden on for gradual organizational and workflow the worker, resulting in the potential for changes as the system and applications productivity increases. At the same time, new evolve (Wiley, 1997). People involved in the data documentation requirements are added Infrastructure projects believe that saving in

1 University of Pune, India.

110 Int. J. Struct. & Civil Engg. Res. 2013 Sandip N Palve, 2013 time and money can be achieved in actual dispatched and routed using GIS, Callers to construction rather than applying any structural E911 or other emergency response. procedure for project management such as Dispatchers are automatically identified by cost estimation, planning, scheduling and telephone number, and their address recalled. control. Further, success or failure depends on The GIS software matches this address to the the quality and timing of the information nearest fire, police, or ambulance station. A available to the engineers from the database. map or route description is immediately GIS will allow project managers and different generated by the software, based on people involved in project with different information, on location and the street network, backgrounds to get the information about the and sent to the appropriate station with a progress of the project and support Decision dispatch alarm. Making. GIS will provide a common basis of Many businesses have adopted GIS understanding and communication among because they provide increased efficiency in these people. Many people think of GIS as a the delivery of goods and services. Retail presentation tool. A GIS does in fact create businesses locate stores based on a number high quality maps that communicate of spatially-related factors. Where are the considerable amounts of information in an potential customers? What is the spatial efficient and attention-getting manner. Camp distribution of competing businesses? Where and Brown (1993) suggested the use of are potential new store locations? What is database management capabilities of GIS to traffic flow near current stores, and how easy develop a 3-D view. 3-D visualization allows is it to park near and access these stores? the project manager to view the construction Spatial analyses are used every day to answer activities during any stage of the project. these questions. GIS are also used in This paper covers the applications of GIS hundreds of other business applications, such at various stages of Infrastructure projects so as to route delivery vehicles, guide advertising, that it is possible to maintain the quality design buildings, plan construction, and sell throughout the work. real estate. GIS provide spatial solutions to many fields of civil engineering such as WHY DO WE NEED GIS? transportation, water resources, facilities GIS are needed in part because human management, urban planning, construction populations and consumption have reached and E-business. GIS is an effective tool to levels such that many resources, including air visualize the topographical conditions of and land, are placing substantial limits on construction site. The modelling of construction human action. Human populations have site facilitates in construction controlling and doubled in the last 50 years. Public planning process. organizations have adopted GIS because of WHY GIS IN PROJECT legislative mandates, and because GIS aid in MANAGEMENT? governmental functions. For example, emergency service vehicles are regularly The Construction Industry has a huge number

111 Int. J. Struct. & Civil Engg. Res. 2013 Sandip N Palve, 2013 of tasks involved and cost involved in these information system in project management will Projects is also very large. The Project be new in the Indian Construction industry. GIS Managers have a hard time monitoring the will allow construction managers and different projects between site and office. They have to people involved in project with different come on site to know the progress of work and backgrounds to get the information about the decide the sequence of work. They are progress of the project and support Decision generally confused on what to do next or what Making. GIS will provide a common basis of would be the changes faced by them in future. understanding and communication among So the cost involved is large and it varies with these people. Many people think of GIS as a respect to the completion of the project, i.e., presentation tool. A GIS does in fact create time. The traditional approach for scheduling high quality maps that communicate and progress control techniques such as bar considerable amounts of information in an charts and the critical path method are still efficient and attention-getting manner. 3-D being used by the project managers for visualization allows the construction manager planning which a serious disadvantage for the to view the construction activities during any decision is making purpose as the spatial stage of the construction process. GIS can be aspects fail to provide the required integrated with project Management for information. There is pressure on the project construction progress visualization and an managers to shorten the delivery times and integrated information system. thus the current scheduling and progress reporting practices are in need of substantial ROLE OF GIS IN PROJECT improvements in quality and efficiency. MANAGEMENT Integration of Geographical Information GIS is a computer system for capturing, storing, System (GIS) and project management with quarrying, analyzing, and displaying visualization was recognized as one of the Geographic data. GIS is a special class of most important tools for achieving this goal. It information system, which can be divided into should be seen that integration of GIS and four Components involving a computer system, Project management might assist a planner GIS software, human expert, and the data. GIS in a better perception of a project as well as in activity can be grouped into spatial data input, the integration of other parties’ activities in the attribute data management, data display, Data planning process. Furthermore, in large scale exploration, data analysis, and GIS modelling. projects, a visual representation of the GIS can handle both spatial and Attribute schedule can be extended to monitoring not data, spatial data relate to the geometry of the only the construction process itself, but also features, while attribute data describes the all the auxiliary activities, including onsite plant characteristics of the different features and and equipment. In addition, the practical and stored in the tabular form. Each Row of the educational benefits of being able to visualize table represents a feature while column construction at a fine level of detail are represents the characteristic of features. The significant. The application of geographic intersection of a column and a row show the

112 Int. J. Struct. & Civil Engg. Res. 2013 Sandip N Palve, 2013 value of particular characteristics of a feature. • Construction scheduling and progress In the georelational data model, split data control with 3-D visualization system is used to store spatial and Attribute • Government Regulations data in separate files and linked together by the feature Identification Descriptor (ID). These SITE LOCATION two sets of data files are synchronized so that The new four-lane bridge on the Mula-Mutha both can be quarried, analyzed, and displayed. River confluence at Yerawada, Pune, India, has GIS role have proliferated in the construction been named after Babasaheb Ambedkar and industry in recent years. This fact is illustrated will be an alternative to the Fitzgerald bridge, by the growing number of articles finding their also known as Bund Garden bridge (Figure way into civil engineering and Construction 1). The old bridge is a heritage structure, journals and conference proceedings, in constructed in 1867 in British era. The first addition to the handful of special Publications spandrel arch bridge in the city, connecting devoted to GIS (Oloufa et al., 1994). Bund Garden to Chima garden. The need for the new bridge at this location arises from the GIS can be used for: fact that the existing two lane masonry arch • Progress monitoring system in construction bridge has over lived its design life span and • 3-D data analysis can become redundant for public use in the near future. • Comparison of data

Figure 1: The Bund Garden Bridge site near Yerawada, Pune, India

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Site Data and Equipment Registration of Map and AutoCAD Toposheet collected from Survey of India from Drawing in GIS Software which new location of Bund garden bridge on Geospatial location of new bund garden bridge Mula Mutha River marked manually from on the map of 1:50,000 scales registered in existing old bridge. This has been shown in the Map Edit module of GRAM++ GIS software map of Pune city 47/F/14 (Figure 1). AutoCAD (Figure 3). After registration of the map, two drawing of New Bridge (Figure 2), segment layers have been drawn one is Mula- approximate estimate, Project schedule data, Mutha River and another is new bridge. This Manpower status during the project, Cash flow file saves as a vector file in software so that statement, etc., and GRAM ++ GIS Software spatial location of the object, found out easily version 2.0 used in this project. (Figure 4). This digitize layer of bridge over

Figure 2: AutoCAD Drawing

Figure 3: Registration of Map

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Figure 4: Digitization of Bridge and River

the river helps in finding out the location of Digitizing AutoCAD Drawing in GIS object and same points were transferred in the Format AutoCAD drawing, so as to marked accurately The polygon, segment and point layers are as like as ground coordinated points (Figure created for activities. All activities in the project 5). merged together into one activity so that; the

Figure 5: Registration of AutoCAD Drawing

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Figure 6: Digitization of AutoCAD Ddrawing

activities which belong to each other but were Database Generation for Feature located at different positions are joined Class, Activities together as a one Feature Class (Figure 6). The attributes needed for each layer were These files save as a vector file in the module created in a database (Figure 7). Once the of software which helps in creating a database database generated it gives the information for different activities of project in sequence. about total percentage of completed work,

Figure 7: Database created in mdb. File

116 Int. J. Struct. & Civil Engg. Res. 2013 Sandip N Palve, 2013 total manpower required during the activities format. The amount of work done on the various and generate the cash flow required for project. activities could be seen in 3D view. The project This centrally located database enables the was updated as progress information became engineer for streamlining the operation of available. The various formats of reports can project in real time. The attribute for all activities be generated as per the user’s requirement. from excavation to end of the deck slab Query run on concrete footing when selecting generated in system. Figure 8 shows the the volume of footing equal to be 216 m³ then attribute table of concrete footing. it appears to be red in color (Figure 9) and 3 D view of concrete footing generated in vector PROGRESS OF WORK visualize, module of GRAM++ GIS software The progress of work had shown in graphical (Figure 10).

Figure 8: Attribute Table for Concretefooting

Figure 9: Query on Selective Region in Red Colour

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Figure 10: 3D View of Concrete Footing

Subsequently the same procedure applied ingredient in successful project management. for other component of the project. All Numerous individuals and parties are involved components of the project and its database in project, and they have to understand their finally merged together into the one common assignments. Proper scheduling is an layer (ALL_ Layers) (Figure 11). important procedure for project, as it supports Project schedule (Figure 12) is a vital the efforts to control cost and time. Good

Figure 11: ALL Layers Activities

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Figure 12: Database for Project Schedule

scheduling can eliminate problems due to developing coordinated and constructible bottlenecks; facilitate the timely completion of designs and construction sequences which a project as soon as possible. helps in knowing the exact status of the project. The potential of these tools significantly CASH FLOW STATEMENT improve design coordination and construction Cash flow statement is useful to plan financial execution. operations in an efficient manner. Planned cash flow which is at beginning of the project BENEFITS OF THE SYSTEM and actual cash flow during the project helps This system will benefit project managers, site to provide vital information about engineers and clients in the following Manner. organization’s cash inflows and outflows Project Manager (Figure 13). The graph of cash inflows and outflows (Figure 14) shows that, how an Project manager evaluate the project to ensure organization’s financial position has changed that it meets the desired standards. During during the reporting period. It helps to control project execution, project manager continually the cost of project over the period of time. review performance. Depending on priorities, he knows how much progress has been made, DESIGN OF 3D MODELLING how much money has been spent, and what The completed work and its 3D view (Figure results have been achieved. With well defined 15) created in vector visualize module of and integrating system of GIS software not only GRAM++ GIS software. Project manager Progress of the work, costs, and quality, but should be determining the stage in the design we evaluate project performance and the development process when a specific scope company’s business objectives. With the help of work should be modelled in 3D.This of this integrating system, the Project manager technology provide significant benefits in compares actual work and costs to the project

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Figure 13: Database Sheet for Cash Flow Statement

Figure 14: Graph of Cash Inflows And Outflows During The Project

plan to determine whether the project is behind Quantities of materials required and the schedule or over budget, the amount of any actual construction work involved in budget overruns, controlled. implementing a project carried out by Site Engineer engineer. Monitoring of project’s cash flow Site engineer understand the status of work possible with updating day to day work in which helps in good decisions in his day-to- database. Software manages the construction day work. Proper Information system track the processes so that the project is completed on progress of work and any changes can be or before the agreed completion date which made within short period of time, before things get out of hand. ultimately saves the time value for money.

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Figure 15: 3 D View of Completed Project

Client must be improved as they are of critical 3D modelling tools offer pre-defined objects that importance to national socioeconomic facilitate the development, routing, and development. connection of bridge construction in 3D. The GIS makes a wealth of information, easily potential of these tools significantly improve available from a spatial interface. It also helps design coordination and construction execution. to organize all relevant information, for project This system can be applied to resolve complex tracking. When we initiate new projects, we design and construction challenges. 3D are accountable for effective and efficient technologies provide significant benefits in project delivery. Large projects are often developing coordinated and constructible complex, which require careful monitoring, designs and construction sequences which coordination, and management. GIS uses helps in knowing the exact status of the project. location as the cornerstone of data These technologies help in improving the quality management for organizing project in construction projects. information. CONCLUSION Through the use of 3D modelling in GRAM++ GIS software, clients can experience Planning and managing the infrastructure a more interactive way of seeing data, projects in the new era of globalization and visualizing change over time and space to economic liberalization would be a demanding identify patterns and trends, and disseminate task calling for new skills and approach. The knowledge to engineers, managers, and field- infrastructure projects of developing countries based personnel.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT 5. Crosett M and Tarantola S (2001), The author is thankful to the Professor. Dr.P. “Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis: tools Venkatachalam, Head, CSRE Indian Institute for GIS-based model implementation”, of Technology, Bombay, India for training and International Journal of Geographical valuable guidance of GRAM++ GIS Software. Information Science, Vol. 15, pp. 415- The author is grateful to the officers of Municipal 437 Council of Pune, for providing and permitted 6. Hawkes A (1992), “Total quality to collecting the site data. The author also management of GIS data conversion”, thanks for any suggestions that improved the Proceedings of URISA Annual quality of the paper. conference, pp. 125-138. REFERENCES 7. Kolagotla V (2007), GIS and its application to project management in 1. Arnoldi E and Zampedr G (1997), “GIS construction industry, Downloaded at, application in agriculture environmental http:// www.csre.iitb.an.in/ and land information system”, 8. Pheng L S and Teo J A (2003), Proceedings of First European “Implementing Total Quality Management Conference for Information Technology in Construction Firms”, Journal of in Agriculture, Copenhagen, pp. 24-36. Management in Engineering, Vol. 2. Bansal V K (2008), “GIS based projects 129(5), pp. 562-569. information system for construction 9. Piquer N (1998), “A cost/benefit analysis management”, Asian Journal of Civil for the use of GIS within Dutch water Engineering, Vol. 7(2), pp. 115-124. boards”, M.Sc. thesis. University of 3. Bansal V K (2012), “Application areas of Netherland. Accessed July 30, 2011, at GIS in Construction project management”, http://www.feweb.vu.nl/unigis/downloads/ International Journal of Construction msc/Nico%20Piquer.pdf. Management, Vol. 12(4), pp. 17-36. 10. Verma R K, Kumari S and Tiwary R K (2011), “Application of Remote Sensing 4. Chang K (2007), Introduction to and GIS technique for efficient urban Geographic Information Systems, planning in India”, Accessed September Fourth edition, McGraw-Hill, New York, 13, 2011, at http://www.researchgate.net/ USA, p. 468. publication/

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