Between the Poles

Fall 2024 Update on the Subsurface Utility Map Data Exchange (SUMDEx) project

This short interview with Steve Slusarenko, the Director of the SUMDEx initiative, is intended to give an update on the SUMDEx Team’s progress and to give readers an understanding of when the project will be ready to support the damage prevention community.

Since the last update in April, some further milestones have been achieved on the SUMDEx initiative. The good folks at Gopher State One Call and SharedGeo, along with One Call Concepts and various public entities, utilities, and other stakeholders, are beta-testing Phase One of the FuzionView map conflation engine. Phase One is to request the map data from each infrastructure owner via the One Call ticket process and provide this data to the requestor in a common base map as separate layers by utility type and owner. This will allow field personnel to improve situational awareness by viewing all of the infrastructure on a smart device.  Phase 2, the ability to provide feedback in the form of data from fieldwork to each utility owner, is now in the early planning and development stages.

Q: What is the focus now, and how has it changed since the last update?

A:  Our focus has changed in two areas. One is completing the FuzionView solution and the associated documentation, including implementation and training guides, and ensuring the product support group is in place. The second focus area will be raising public awareness by attending conferences and trade shows to liaise with the stakeholder community and establishing data-sharing agreements between each of the various stakeholders.  

Q: Have there been any other significant changes or developments? 

A: We are now incorporated as a not-for-profit organization, with our initial Board of Directors and Officers. We will be expanding the board over the next month or so to include more representation from the stakeholder community.

Q: Have there been any improvements, breakthroughs, or challenges in recent months?  

A: The FuzionView team has received another tranche of funding that will allow them to complete the project's next phase. That phase is the ability to convey field-verified data back to each respective utility owner regarding the as-found location of their assets to compare with their existing records

Q: What else is the SUMDEx team working on? 

A: We continue to work on the data structures (aka data dictionaries) to allow for accurate and complete exchange of infrastructure map data between stakeholders that may use different data collection standards and/or software solutions.

Q: How are similar initiatives doing in other countries? 

A: To my knowledge, the National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) project in the UK has gone live in North East England, Wales, and London and is slated to be fully deployed in all regions in 2025.

Here is an article published by the US Common Ground Alliance on the Gopher State One Call Underground Mapping Project: 

Q: What opportunities are on the horizon for SUMDEx?  

A: In addition to the opportunity for State and Provincial agencies to use SUMDEx to manage data sets of abandoned facilities with unknown ownership and for other agencies such as State or Provincial Disaster Preparedness organizations, we have identified the opportunity for the private sector’s potential use of SUMDEx to build and manage infrastructure maps for large industrial sites, port facilities, airports, universities, et cetera,

Q: How will SUMDEx participate in GoGeomatics Canada Calgary Expo 2024 in October? 

A: We have at least six of our team members presenting at the conference, and we will likely have more of our team attending.

To hear more about SUMDEx and other relevant topics, attend the GoGeomatics Expo 2024 in Calgary, Oct 28^th-30^th, 2024.

Knowing What's Below: Maps Save Lives at SUMSF

Steve Slusarenko, Director of Subsurface Utility Map Data Exchange (SUMDEx), presented live at SUMSF 2024. This presentation, "Knowing What's Below: Maps Save Lives," discusses the importance of accurate maps, not only for saving lives but also for saving costs and time. The presentation mentions that over the last two decades, over 2,000 injuries and 400 fatalities have been reported in the United States from accidental contact with underground infrastructure. Not only is there a safety concern, but there is also an economic impact, with an estimated $91 billion per year in the United States and an estimated $1-3 billion in Canada.

In 2016, there were approximately 134 infrastructure impacts in Japan, compared to one impact per minute (approximately 1,400 daily) in North America. One reason for Japan's low infrastructure impacts is that they map everything out as part of permit requirements. They need to deliver an accurate map, which is essential for the design to avoid clashes with infrastructure.
In North America, the One Call system is currently in use. The excavator operator initiates a call to One Call, which informs the utility companies who will then mark the locations of buried infrastructure. There are, however, a few challenges with this system, including potential delays in utility response while awaiting clearances and the possibility of inaccurate utility records. Steve Slusarenko emphasizes the crucial role of accurate mapping in reducing damage and providing situational awareness to workers in the field. He also discusses the importance of ensuring secure data exchange between utility owners and designers, damage prevention stakeholders, and first responders.

The presentation also mentioned a Colorado DOT Project case study, which involved a highway widening project. By obtaining centerline information from utility owners, CDOT could confirm the precise utility locations. This enabled them to ensure minimal redesign, lower bid prices, reduce construction costs, minimize damage by over 90%, and minimize project delays.

The talk also highlights the Subsurface Utility Map Data Exchange (SUMDEx) initiative. This initiative aims to provide a free application called FuzionView, which Gopher State One Call developed. It is intended to facilitate the exchange of buried infrastructure location data, improve damage prevention capabilities, and advance project safety while reducing costs.

Lastly, Steve Slusarenko discusses how the City of Burnaby in British Columbia uses FME to automate the notification response for One Call tickets. Previously, this process took a few days, but now it only takes about 3 or 4 minutes, resulting in cost savings of $120,000 per year. This automation has enabled near real-time data sharing, leading to faster notification responses and a cost reduction.

Advancing Underground Data Management: Insights from MUDDI, NUAR, and International Collaboration

At the 129th OGC Member Meeting in Montreal this past June, I had the opportunity to chat with Carsten Rönsdorf, the Strategic Product Manager at UK Ordnance Survey. Carsten and I discussed updating this blog, Geoff Zeiss’s Between The Poles, with the progress and initiatives Geoff would have wanted us to share.

Following up on that chat, Carsten got in touch with me this August to share some important updates.

The OGC has now published the MUDDI data model!

The MUDDI model represents a significant leap forward in the integration and management of underground data—an area of critical importance to the readers of Between The Poles. The MUDDI model provides a standardized framework that enhances interoperability across platforms, making it easier for stakeholders to collaborate on large infrastructure projects. You can explore the full details of the MUDDI model here.

Carsten also mentioned the "NUAR for Everyone" guide. This guide introduces the importance of underground data and explains how the MUDDI model can revolutionize data integration. If you're looking to understand how underground data can be effectively managed and utilized across various sectors, this guide is a must-read.

Geoff Zeiss, the founder of this blog and a giant in our field, is rightly acknowledged in the guide for his leadership. The preface in the guide beautifully states:

"Our dear friend and colleague Geoff Zeiss contributed greatly to the community and to the work which led to the MUDDI model, but sadly passed away before we reached the milestone of publication. The OGC MUDDI Standards Working Group wishes to recognize and commemorate Geoff’s contribution to this work."

You can read the guide here.

Reflecting on these developments, I can’t help but think about how much the publication of MUDDI would have pleased Geoff. Geoff was not only one of the founders of the OGC but also a passionate advocate for the better management of underground data. He dedicated his career to advancing geospatial technologies and fostering international collaboration. I still meet people in the sector who tell me how much Geoff’s leadership and support helped them.

Geoff asked me to keep this blog going before he passed away. To do that, I need your help. Like Carsten, please reach out to me to share news and updates on underground infrastructure.

This fall, we continue to honor Geoff’s memory and contribution by expanding the SUE (Subsurface Utility Engineering) program at Canada’s National Geomatics Expo to discuss underground infrastructure mapping. The program, chaired by Peter Srager, will take place in Calgary on October 29-30th. You can find more details here.

Additionally, the SUMF (Subsurface Utility Mapping Forum) that Geoff and I started continues online. If you would like to give an online talk, get in touch. The forum will be back soon: https://sumsforum.com/.

Jonathan Murphy
Founder, GoGeomatics Canada

City of Kelowna - MMCD Infrastructure Data Standards

Background 

The PS 3150 accounting standard was introduced by the Public Sector Accounting Board (PSAB) in 2009 and outlines the requirements for Local Governments to include tangible capital assets on annual financial reporting statements.  This new legislation resulted in a concentrated efforts by Local Governments to inventory their assets with location, age, condition and other types of data. Since the inception of TCA, Local Governments have realized that in addition to having a good inventory of existing infrastructure assets, current workflows for capturing infrastructure change resulting from land development, capital infrastructure and maintenance activities are no longer sustainable. 

How can you manage your assets if you don’t have the data?  The City of Kelowna, the fastest growing City in British Columbia and one of the top 10 fastest growing Cities in Canada (2024) needed to optimize their intake of infrastructure data and has implemented MMCD IDS (Infrastructure Data Standards) as a solution. 

The Challenge 

In most circumstances it is the Local Governments GIS (Geographic Information System) that serves as the intake mechanism and central repository for infrastructure and other asset data.  Asset data residing in GIS has both spatial (location) and attribute (physical properties, age, condition etc.) components.  In addition to this, survey and engineering consulting firms in British Columbia mostly use Autodesk Civil 3D for their geomatics, design and construction workflows.  Civil 3D is an object-based design modeling and drawing production program that also supports both spatial and attribute data. 

The current challenge is CAD (Computer Aided Design) and GIS integration – a discussion that’s been going on for decades which is not unfamiliar to many Local Governments.  Engineering design model drawings created using Civil 3D can easily  be updated and attributed to reflect as constructed conditions, but it has never been easy to transfer data from CAD systems to GIS.  Due to lack of industry standardization and a limitless variety of methodologies for assembling data, this has resulted in a common practice of redrawing data in a GIS and manually entering attributes using hardcopy “as-built” drawings as a reference. This manual workflow is time consuming, prone to data transposition errors and requires significant staff resources – especially in a fast-growing municipality like Kelowna where infrastructure is changing at a rapid pace. 

MMCD Infrastructure Data Standards 

With its current staffing resources, the City of Kelowna could not keep up with asset register (GIS) updates and has turned to MMCD IDS (Infrastructure Data Standards) as a solution for standardized post construction data deliverables.  With standardized data submissions, GIS updates can become an automated process which lessens the burden on staffing resources. 

British Columbias Master Municipal Construction Documents association was founded in the early 1990’s as a non-profit organization to provides standards and consistency for both infrastructure specifications and owner/construction contractor contract documentation. MMCD was a natural fit for CAD standardization when IDS was introduced in 2009. 

MMCD IDS is a suite of standardized tools used by engineering consultants and built on Autodesk Civil 3D that lend themselves to design modeling, drawing production, construction, asset data exchange and lifecycle management, as shown in the following illustration. 

City of Kelowna

Phase 1 of MMCD IDS Implementation at the City of Kelowna set the precedent for standardization and consistency with data deliverables. Phase 1 required the following from both infrastructure
and land development consultants:
1. Use of Kelowna modified MMCD IDS available from Kelowna’s web site
2. Use of standardized folder structure for locating design model and production drawings
3. Standardized names for design model and production drawings.

The City of Kelowna is currently in the 2nd Phase of MMCD IDS Implementation which involves the following components:
1. Training and support for internal designers and consultants for MMCD IDS
2. Development of a detailed post construction data delivery specification
3. Development of an official Administrative Policy that outlines high level requirements
4. City of Kelowna MMCD IDS Manual

The Administrative Policy is a key component and is recommended for any Local Government that wishes to implement MMCD IDS as it drives the initiative and is an official policy of the  organization, which is not tied to an individual or a role within the organization. Other tools for enforcement will be contract line items for capital projects and tying data delivery and record drawings to substantial completion certificates for developers.

Data consumption will be facilitated by Safe Software FME where a standardized workspace is developed that searches a drawing submittal for specific items. FME also has the potential for
automated checking and validation of submissions that can accept or reject data submissions based on their alignment with the data delivery specification.

Summary
Data governance should be the cornerstone of all activities and workflows that support infrastructure asset data starting with project procurement and continuing through lifecycle management. Given that most Local Government departments have a vested interest in infrastructure data – finance, engineering, public works, emergency services, planning, licensing and permitting – it doesn’t make sense not to have good records. Right out of Australia’s International Infrastructure Management Manual – “it will never be more efficient and cheaper and more efficient to obtain complete and accurate asset data other than at the time of commissioning”. Data is an asset, and we should treat it as such, and resilience is synonymous with critical build asset reliability Drivers for MMCD IDS implementation are interestingly variable:
1. City of Burnaby (pop. 250,000) – finance and accounting
2. City of Prince George (pop. 75,000) – asset management
3. District of Saanich (pop. 120,000) – consistency with engineering workflows
4. City of Kelowna (pop. 150,000) – staffing resources

Finally Local Governments need to be resilience in an age of climate change and the ever-looming megathrust earthquake that has rattled the region every 350 to 400 years. Records are important
for not only efficient asset management but also for when rebuilding may be required.

Next steps with MMCD are an update to IDS in 2024 that will include a data delivery specification as part of the standard offering that owners can use as a supplemental specification to
infrastructure construction contracts.

Andrew Walther, P.Eng. founded MMCD IDS in 2009 and has been providing services to public and private sector organizations relating to infrastructure data workflows and standards since 1995.

 

Spring 2024 Update on the Subsurface Utility Map Data Exchange (SUMDEx) project

This short interview with Steve Slusarenko, the Director of the SUMDEx initiative, is intended to give an update on the SUMDEx Team’s progress and to give readers an understanding of when the project will be ready to support the damage prevention community.

Originally called the Canadian Underground Infrastructure Register (CUIR) project initiative in the last update of March 2023, we have now changed the name to better reflect the North American scope of our project since joining forces with the Gopher State One Call Underground Utility Mapping Team (aka MN811). MN811 has built their CGA award-winning FuzionView software solution that is the conflation engine that assembles a comprehensive map of existing infrastructure within the bounded area of a one call ticket based on the submissions from each of the affected utility owners.  The initiative will reduce the risk and cost associated with working on, or near, buried infrastructure by providing better information to excavators and other stakeholders.

Q: What is the focus now and how has it changed since the March 2023 update?

A:  The focus on saving lives by providing a secure process that allows utility owners to share asset location information with requestors remains the same. To achieve this we continue to expand our network of people that we know to raise awareness and garner more support for what we are doing from a broader representation of the stakeholder community. At the same time, we are engaging with other teams working on similar initiatives to collaborate with them, learn from each other, and harmonize the end result. 

Q: How has the committee changed and developed since June? 

A: We now count over 90 individual contributors providing their time, energy and expertise at no cost to the project. They represent the interests of over 50 organizations that are involved in damage prevention at some level.

Q: What types of organizations have joined the efforts of SUMDEx?  

A: In Canada we have Federal, Provincial and Municipal governments represented and we have all three levels of government represented in the US side as well. In addition we have One Call Centers, engineering firms, surveyor, locate service providers, contractors, excavators, and several universities.

Q: Have there been any improvements, breakthroughs, or challenges in recent months?  

A: Barb Cederberg from MN811 and her team are now testing the first release of FuzionView and when they are completed their testing, they will start preparations to make it available to the user community. It should be noted that the MN 811 is making the software available to the damage prevention community at no cost.

Q: What else is the SUMDEx team working on? 

A: We are looking into the data exchange formats and support for BIM initiatives and working on informational materials and attending damage prevention symposiums to raise awareness and garner support.

Q: How are similar initiatives doing in other countries? 

A: To my knowledge, the National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) project in the UK has gone live in North East England, Wales, and London and is slated to be fully deployed in all regions in 2025.

Here is an article published by the US Common Ground Alliance on the Gopher State One Call Underground Mapping Project: 

Q: What opportunities are on the horizon for SUMDEx?  

A: There is an opportunity for State and Provincial Governments to use the SUMDEx system to register the locations and manage maps of abandoned oil wells and gathering lines or other infrastructure where the ownership is unknown.

Another area that may be of interest would be related to Disaster Recovery and Emergency Response where the locations of critical infrastructure elements can be managed via a central authority.

Q: How will SUMDEx be participating in GeoIgnite coming up in May? 

A: We have four or five of our team members presenting at the conference and we will likely have more of our team attending.

To hear more about SUMDEx and other relevant topics, be sure to attend GeoIgnite in Ottawa, May 13-15, 2024 and the SUMSF online forum June 25-26, 2024       

The Geoff Zeiss Utilities & Infrastructure Panel at 2023 GoGeomatics Expo

A panel entitled 'The Geoff Zeiss Utilities & Infrastructure Panel' is taking place in honor of Geoff Zeiss, who passed away in 2022, at the GoGeomatics Expo in Calgary this November 6-8, 2023.

Attendees at the GoGeomatics Expo, are looking forward to hearing about some of Geoff's favorite topics in the geomatics sector. 

Geoff Zeiss Utilities & Infrastructure Panel

The panelists will examine the business case for Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) data, emphasizing its benefits, ASCE recommendations, regulatory implications in different states and legislative requirements. They will delve into a discussion of geospatial standards, specifically ASCE 38-22, ASCE 75-22, and CSA 75-250, focusing on their differences, potential alignment, and their impact on data quality. In addition look at the implementation of NATRF2022 and NAPGD 2022, with a particular focus on changes in datums, alignment across the Canada-U.S. border, and the dynamic nature of the NAPGD2022 geoid.

The moderator and panelists include, Peter Srajer Chief Scientist for ProStar, Steve Slusarenko of the Canadian Underground Infrastructure Register, Ophir Wainer, UESI Canada, Angus Botting with GeoScan, and Gord Reynolds, Vice President, Infrastructure Ontario.

Geoff Zeiss Urban Infrastructure Mapping Fund

Peter Pulsifer will present the Geoff Zeiss Urban Infrastructure Mapping Fund, which was established to develop effective and sustainable urban infrastructure through research and development supporting urban information systems. This talk outlines the initial goals of the fund envisioned by Dr. Zeiss. A framework is presented that outlines a comprehensive systems approach to developing a research program that informs a diverse set of themes ranging from subsurface mapping, to 4D modeling, to the mapping the economic and social dimensions of infrastructure.

Please join us as we continue Geoff's work and relaunch Between the Poles for the future.

SUMSF 2023 Panel: Next Steps in the Evolution of Damage Prevention

For the May 16, 2023, SUMSF 2023 livestream panel discussion, “Next Steps in the Evolution of Damage Prevention,” Steve Slusarenko, Director of CUIR, Gopher State One Call ‘s Chief of Operations Officer, Barb Cederberg, Peter Lamb, Professional Land Surveyor/Deputy Chief Surveyor at Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO), and Lawrence Arcand, President at 4Sight Utility Engineers, joined their knowledge and expertise together to inspire and inform participants. Slusarenko acted as moderator for this discussion.

Cederberg responded to the first question by remembering how when she realized damages were not going down in five years, she wondered, “What can we do differently?” and “What action can we take to improve the industry?” She then became involved in two projects, the Minnesota Utility Mapping Project and GPS locating device project, both were successful. She noted both successes and failures. Cederberg noted the importance of getting underground utilities mapped. 

Arcand responded next, saying he felt the key was to figure out what people want to do with the data. There are two different fields who could use this information. The first field is the locate and damage prevention field, and the second field is the subsurface utility engineering side. Both fields have similar requirements and use similar data, but have different intentions. He looked forward to discussing how the requirements could be achieved and to come up with something to be proud of. 

Lamb entered the discussion and said he found it strange that land surveyors were doing a great job of keeping track of the “invisible lines” that marked boundaries, but not keeping track of the invisible lines under the ground that could do a lot of damage. He noted the difficulties that could arise when the underground information was not available. When he began his work with the MTO, he was assigned reviewing post-construction reports. The reports highlighted what went well, and not so well, with a pattern of utilities uncovered at construction causing issues and delays.  

Watch and listen to the whole panel discussion to find out more.

SUMSF 2023: CUIR Presents the Minnesota Utilities Mapping Project

Steve Slusarenko, Director of CUIR (Canadian Underground Infrastructure Register) and Bob Basques, Technical Director of SharedGeo, presented the “Case for Canadian Underground Infrastructure Register” during their May 16, 2023,  SUMSF 2023 livestream presentation called, “CUIR Presents the Minnesota Utilities Mapping Project.”

Slusarenko opened the presentation to introduce the initiative and discuss the development of a system that will allow utility owners to share information regarding the location of their facilities with those who need the information. He said although the state and provincial State One Calls have been instrumental in supporting today’s damage prevention capabilities, they know there is still more to be done. This need is the subject of the presentation. 

The CUIR initiative was created in the autumn of 2021, as a Canadian initiative to bring awareness and reduce the risk and cost associated with working on and near buried infrastructure. The CUIR team is now made up of over 80 passionate individuals who aim to take the process of  “One Call Damage Prevention” to another level. 

In 2021, the Canadian Common Ground Alliance found underground infrastructure damage in Canada was about 1 billion Cdn. In October 2021, The Common Ground Alliance listed a GIS-based mapping system as an opportunity to slow the damage rate and said the following would happen if this system was put into place: improved locating efficiency, increased excavator safety, cost savings and reduced risks. 

Basques then provided a demonstration of a working prototype, developed by Gopher State One Call. He introduced the “Minnesota Utilities Mapping Project,” and FuzionView (the product that will come out of this project). He also discussed a few case studies as well as the importance of the Minnesota Utilities Mapping Project. Basques discussed how FuzionView worked and its benefits. 

A question and answer session followed the presentation.  Watch the video above to find out more.

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Deep Learning-Based Underground Digital Twins: Scan to BIM at SUMSF 2023

Bringing information from around the world, Dr. Vincent Fan, Lidarist Company Limited, Chief Technical Officer, Leo Kwan, Lidarist Chief Executive Officer and Dr. Wai Yeung Yan, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Assistant Professor, joined together at SUMSF 2023 to present a livestream on May 16, 2023 called, “Deep learning based underground digital twins: Scan to BIM.”

Dr. Yan began the presentation by introducing some recent work in Hong Kong, and discussing AI solutions regarding converting 3D into BIM models for underground scenarios. He spoke about the challenges of limited time and accessing records of underground utilities. Dr. Yan discussed the differences between 2D UU maps and 3D Point Clouds.

Leo Kwan was the next to speak, and discussed the approach of “hardware over software” taken by Lidarist. There is over 7000 km of underground pipework in Hong Kong and efficient data extraction software is still needed. He discussed the deep neural network, classification of object types and semantic segmentation. Kwan spoke about the scanning to BIM process and deep learning-based semantic segmentation processes.

Data acquisition was the next topic of discussion, and Lidar plays an important role. Laser scanning, placement of control points, setups, control targets, coordinate extraction and 3D point clouds were explained and demonstrated.  

A scan to BIM workflow was demonstrated as well. In the future, to cope with the “ever-changing” data, Lidarist’s solution will allow quick response and upgradable MN models. It is designed to be flexible and adaptable. 

A question and answer session followed the presentation.  Watch the whole presentation to find out more.

 

 

SUMSF 2023: Reduct Presents the Importance of 3D Gyroscopic Pipeline Mapping Technology

A livestream presentation of 3D Gyroscopic Pipeline Mapping Technology was given by Otto Ballintijn, CEO of Reduct NV, during SUMSF 2023, on May 16, 2023. The presentation served as an introduction to inertial navigation technology and the  benefits of high-frequency usage and points. 

Reduct develops solutions for accurate utility mapping of pipelines and ducts, and is a leading developer of inertial navigation systems. The company knows what you can’t see is just as important as what you can see. 

 

Ballintijn discussed gyro mapping devices and how they work. He then talked about how this mapping system was different from conventional methods. The benefits of using inertial navigation were included in this part of the discussion and include being used for any utility, pipe material, no need for above-ground tracing, you can map at any depth, open platform output. electromagnetic noise does not affect and high-frequency sampling is available.

Ballintijn also spoke about what we can use the system for. One way is GIS management, and another way is contractor handover management. GIS platform management and maintenance planning are also other ways to use inertial navigation. He spoke about traditional surveying technologies and three interesting, related case studies. 

Ballintijn said, “Just don’t take the risk. Get it mapped, and if you get it mapped, get it mapped with as much detail as you can. If you don’t need it today, you may need it tomorrow.”

A question and answer session followed the presentation.  Watch the whole presentation to find out more.