Between the Poles

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

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.

Key initiatives of importance to the global geospatial+AEC subsurface digital twin community

Two initiatives of importance to the global geospatial community will begin this June.

Expanding Responsibility for the BetweenThePoles blog

First of all we are expanding the BetweenThePoles blog from a single content provider (Geoff Zeiss) to an industry collective that will be able to mine many more geospatial industry players. Geoff is stepping down from day to day responsibility for the blog (he doesn't like the word retiring) and ownership and administration will transition to GoGeomatics Canada, advised by a collective of industry leaders in the geospatial+AEC sector.

The content and aims of BetweenThePoles will remain the same. The blog encompasses the application of geospatial technology in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) and utilities. Primary focus areas are worldwide legislation, governance, regulations, and new technologies for mapping underground utilities and enabling subsurface digital twins, CAD+GIS and BIM+geospatial integration to enable full lifecycle construction, and innovative technologies for vegetation management for electric power utilities.

By way of background the BetweenThePoles blog was initiated in 2006 by Geoff Zeiss. Since then the blog has hosted over 2,500 posts and received over 1.3 million lifetime page views. Currently 3,500 active users access the blog each month. The blog will be continued with its current focus; mapping underground infrastructure,  BIM+geospatial integration, and innovations in vegetation management for utility transmission and distribution.

Making Subsurface Utility Mapping Strategy Forum (SUMSF) and Annual Event

The second initiative follows on the very successful Subsurface Utility Mapping Strategy Forum (SUMSF 2022), which was a follow-up event to the Canadian Underground Forum in 2021.

The genesis of SUMSF is found within Canada’s National Geospatial Conference, GeoIgnite. In 2021 Jonathan Murphy and Geoff Zeiss came together over the idea to create a leadership and technology forum on the theme of underground infrastructure mapping. With the help and financial support of the global underground mapping industry the Canadian Underground Forum (CUF 2020) was held virtually in 2021. From this success, a new and larger stand-alone event with a new global brand and perspective was launched in 2022, the Subsurface Utility Mapping Strategy Forum (SUMSF 2022). 

SUMSF 2022 was held virtually March 22nd and 23rd 2022 again with the support of the underground mapping industry. SUMSF was themed to bring together individuals and organizations to share information about and contribute to improving the mapping of underground infrastructure. This online conference brought together exceptional speakers in the underground locating and mapping sector and was well attended by the geospatial and engineering community.

Based on the success of these two events GoGeomatics Canada has decided to make the conference an annual event. Next year, SUMSF will be held virtually March 6th and 7th. SUMSF is hosted and presented by GoGeomatics. Like BetweenThePoles blog, it will be advised and supported by industry leaders with the support of the SUMSF LinkedIn Group. 

BetweenThePoles will remain an important platform for communication and engagement on the the application of geospatial technology.  

Anyone interested in joining the collective for the BetweenThePoles blog are encouraged to contact Jonathan Murphy at GoGeomatics Canada. As well anyone interested in joining the advisory committee for SUMSF 2023 is encouraged to do the same.

Geoff Zeiss

Ontario moves to reduce risk of delays due to underground utilities for public construction projects

Utility locates and relocation work have historically been the cause of construction delays on public construction projects, particularly in urban areas with dense population and the commensurate underground utility and telecom infrastructure.  In recent bills the Ontario Legislature has addressed this problem of underground utility locates and relocations by escalated enforcement options when the work is not completed accurately and in a timely manner.

Forcing faster utility relocations in Greater Toronto transit projects

In July 2020, Bill 171 Building Transit Faster Act went into force.  The objective of the bill was to remove impediments that historically have slowed down transit projects by designating a transit corridor within which special regulations apply.  For example, once lands have been included in a transit corridor, if a property owner plans to carry out construction activities on these lands, they need to apply to obtain a permit before the work can begin. Bill 171 specifically identified four provincial transit projects in the Greater Toronto Area to which the new regulations apply; the Ontario Line, the Scarborough Subway Extension, the Yonge Subway Extension and the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension.

Among the new regulations were measures allowing transit builders to relocate utilities more quickly in preparation for projects. Specifically the bill provided a mechanism by which utility companies may be required to move utility infrastructure for the transit. It also provided for escalated enforcement. The bill enabled the Ministry of Transportation to delegate some of its powers to Metrolinx, the Greater Toronto and Hamilton transit authority, including enforcement tools such as stop-work orders, inspections, and administrative penalties.

Forcing more timely utility relocations on provincial transit and highway projects

Five months later in December 2020, Bill 222 Ontario Rebuilding and Recovery Act, went into force.  It extended the special regulations applicable to designated transit corridors in the GTA to other provincial “priority transit projects”.  It also provided measures to enforce compliance on highway projects by amending the Public Service Works on Highways Act to allow a judge of the Ontario Superior Court to order a utility company to comply with an order to relocate utility infrastructure.  In the case of noncompliance with the court order the judge was empowered to authorize a road authority such as the Ministry of Transportation to carry out the utility relocation work itself.

Metrolinx/Infrastructure Ontario approach to underground utilities

Underground utilities represent one of the top transit project delivery risks identified by Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario (IO).  Mitigating utility risk for transit projects is a continuous process involving many stakeholders.  They key elements in Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario (IO) approach to utility risk mitigation are early collaboration,subsurface utility engineering (SUE) surveys prior to engineering design, options to avoid, protect or relocate utilities, and making underground utility location data available to engineering firms and contractor bid teams.

Involving utility companies in the project as early as possible is crucial. Building collaborative relationship among project stakeholders and utility companies has been found in a number of jurisdictions to be key to avoiding major utility problems during construction. To enable the open sharing of information confidentiality agreements between Metrolinx/IO and utility companies are essential.

On all transit projects Metrolinx/IO conducts subsurface utility engineering (SUE) surveys in accordance with ASCE 38-02 along the entire transit alignment. The level of SUE required is typically a minimum QLC/QLB with QLA at locations of interest including stations and transmission utilities. Combining the results of the SUE survey with proposed alignments results in a conflict matrix identifying the locations of utility conflicts.

For each conflict, several options are available; the project scope can be adjusted to avoid the conflict, the conflicting utility can be left in place and protected if necessary, or the utility can be relocated. With this approach based on a SUE survey, the risk of unexpected utility problems occurring during construction can be reduced and unnecessary and expensive utility relocations avoided.

Enabling bid teams to have access to the available data on the location of underground utilities can improve the quality of bids and reduce risk and uncertainty that can inflate estimates.  Metrolinx/IO makes the available utility location information to all the bid teams.  In addition topic meetings allow for direct interaction between bid teams and utility companies with Metrolinx/IO present.

One of the major issues recognized by Metrolinx/IO is incomplete, inaccurate and out of data records of the location of underground utilities. To address this issue, Metrolinx/IO reports that asset management systems are being developed that will improve data tracking including the location of underground utilities.

Forcing timely underground utility locates for provincial broadband projects

Ontario one call legislation gives infrastructure owners five days to produce locate information, but the deadline is often ignored. Late locates can lead to long delays and extra costs for contractors, excavators, locators, utility owners and other stakeholders.The recently passed Bill 257 Building Broadband Faster Act, 2021 which is intended to expedite the delivery of broadband to under served areas of Ontario, revises the 2012 Ontario One Call Act by requiring network owners to accurately locate their equipment within 10 business days after notification by Ontario One Call or face penalties and other actions that are available to the Minister of Infrastructure. It enables the broadband project owner to claim financial compensation if the utility or telecom either failed to accurately mark the ground and provide a written document showing the location of its underground infrastructure or incorrectly stated that none of its underground infrastructure would be affected by the excavation.  The act enables the Ministry to authorize excavation or digging to proceed when locates are not performed within 10 days.

Conclusion

With these bills, the measures relating to locating and relocating underground utilities initially applied to GTA transit projects have been extended to province-wide transit, highway and broadband projects. Together they cover most of the infrastructure in the provincial  public right of way.

Singapore's standard for location of underground utilities

Straits Times

In August 2017 the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) released a standard and specifications for the procedure and practice of utility surveying in Singapore.  The standard specifies the data that should be captured for new underground utilities including telecommunication, sewerage, water supply, electric power, gas, and drainage. It specifies that after installing utilities and prior to filling the trenches an as-built survey should be performed by a registered surveyor to capture the location of the utilities with horizontal accuracy of ±100mm and vertical accuracy of ±100mm. It specifies that the survey equipment to be used should be a total station, GNSS Real Time Kinematic (RTK), or 3D Laser Scanning.

This standard is not mandated by the Singapore Government but is intended to provide a baseline to be incorporated in construction contracts. Since 85% of land is owned by the Singapore government, if a major government agency such as the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) routinely incorporated this standard in its contracts as part of standard procurement practice, it would effectively become a de facto mandate. 

In addition to location, the standard also defines the attribute information to be captured.  For example, for an electric power cable, the standard specifies that x,y,z should be surveyed at 20 meter intervals for a straight line cable and more frequently for a curving cable.  In addition, height, width, number of columns, number of rows, number of ducts, number of cables and quality level should also be captured. The quality standard used in Singapore is; 1) ±100mm, 2) ±300mm, 3) ±500mm, 4) Unknown accuracy and 5) Trenchless method.  In Singapore most underground utility work is open trench, although there is some trenchless which requires gyro surveying.

The standard does not specify format or what is to be done with the as-built information.  Currently in Singapore there is nothing in place to require sharing of information about the underground like Netherland's BRO or the British National Underground Asset Registry (NUAR) project.  But there is a Digital Underground project underway to create an ecosystem for a digital twin of the underground as part of the Mapping Singapore in 3D project.  The digital underground project was initiated by the Singapore Land Authority with the the support of the Urban Redevelopment Authority.  The standard for underground utility surveying would create a basic data model for sharing information about underground utilities.

Kids use Humanitarian OpenStreetMap to help eliminate malaria

Nearly half of the world’s population is at risk of malaria. In 2015, there were roughly 212 million malaria cases and an estimated 429 000 malaria deaths. 

On Thursday, March 3rd 2016, a world-record humanitarian mapathon took place at Politecnico di Milano in northern Italy.  Two-hundred and twelve 10-year old children from nine classes at six elementary schools in Milan province had the unique opportunity of meeting with researchers from GEOlab (Geomatics and Earth Observation laboratory) and HOClab (Hypermedia Open Center laboratory) of Politecnico di Milano, who introduced them to humanitarian mapping.  In cooperation with Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) and Missing Maps, the team led by Prof. Maria Antonia Brovelli, Dr. Marco Minghini, Dr. Monia Molinari and Dr. Aldo Torrebruno showed children how to map buildings in the northernmost part of Swaziland in a project for malaria elimination.  The results of the mapathon have been incredible: more than 40,000 edits to the map and more than 5,000 buildings mapped in only a few hours of work. Knowing that their maps will be used to help local people in Swaziland, children were simply fantastic in performing the mapping task in a unique, passionate, and enthusiastic way. Some of the young mappers did not want to return to class because they had remaining buildings to map in their task areas.

Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team is calling all mappers to help HOT and our partners eliminate malaria with its biggest project to date. HOT is working on two projects, mapping over 500,000 square kilometers in 7 countries. This project collective is part of the Missing Maps initiative in conjunction with DigitalGlobe, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, the Gates Foundation, PATH and MapBox.

Help HOT map against malaria!

GeoAlliance Canada receives funding from Natural Resources Canada

The contribution of geospatial data and technology to the Canadian GDP through productivity improvement is estimated to be  $20.7 billion or 1.1% of the Canadian GDP in 2013.  Many sectors have benefited from the application of geotechnology and data including mining, quarrying, oil and gas extraction (productivity improvement due to geotechnology and data estimated at 4.54%), transportation and warehousing (1.64%), utilities (1.58%), public administration (1.51%), construction (1.23%), agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (1.22%), and management of companies and enterprises (1.08%). 

In an attempt to bring this diverse industry together and enable the geospatial community to act collaboratively, a new umbrella organization GeoAlliance Canada was launched in April 2015.  The strategic objectives of GeoAlliance Canada are to understand the characteristics of the geospatial market now and in the near future and especially prepare for  the impacts of disruptive technologies, to provide better cohesion in the Geomatics Sector through greater collaboration among all levels of government, private sector companies, and academic institutions, and identify strategic project investments that will catalyze innovation and development, enabling Canadian solution providers to evolve their data services, applications, products, and consulting services in growing SDI and Location Based Services (LBS) environments.

The contribution funding from Natural Resources Canada will provide for essential operational resources for this new organization as it begins to articulate and promote the benefits of using geospatial data and tools for effective decision making to leaders within business, government and education circles.

Red Hat joins LocationTech geospatial open source initiative

Red Hat has joined the LocationTech open source geospatial initiative.  Red Hat joins Google, IBM, Oracle, and Boundless as a strategic member.

Other relatively new members are SensorUp and Planet Labs, who join Azavea, MapGears, Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), Vivid Solutions, Glob3 Mobile, Mousebird Mobile, CCRI, Ordnance Survey, Mapbox, CartoDB, and RadiantBlue.

LocationTech is the Eclipse Foundation's industry working group focusing on location aware technologies. LocationTech is hosted by the Eclipse Foundation. Eclipse is a vendor neutral community for individuals and organizations who wish to collaborate on commercially-friendly open source software. The Eclipse Foundation is a not-for-profit, member supported corporation that hosts technology projects and helps cultivate both an open source community and an ecosystem of complementary products and services.

Red Hat has joined the LocationTech open source geospatial initiative.  Red Hat joins Google, IBM, Oracle, and Boundless as a strategic member.

Other relatively new members are SensorUp and Planet Labs, who join Azavea, MapGears, Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), Vivid Solutions, Glob3 Mobile, Mousebird Mobile, CCRI, Ordnance Survey, Mapbox, CartoDB, and RadiantBlue.

LocationTech is the Eclipse Foundation's industry working group focusing on location aware technologies. LocationTech is hosted by the Eclipse Foundation. Eclipse is a vendor neutral community for individuals and organizations who wish to collaborate on commercially-friendly open source software. The Eclipse Foundation is a not-for-profit, member supported corporation that hosts technology projects and helps cultivate both an open source community and an ecosystem of complementary products and services.

Geospatial open source FOSS4G-Asia conference to be held in Bangkok Dec 2-5

The first Free and Open Solutions for Geoinformatics-Asia conference will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, 2-5 December 2014.

FOSS4G-Asia 2014 aims to bring together FOSS4G users and developers worldwide and foster closer interactions with and amongst Asian communities in order to share ideas for improving software and applications. The Bangkok conference will cover all aspects of FOSS4G, open data and open standards, with a particular focus on exchanging experiences between FOSS4G users and developers and providing first-hand information on FOSS4G for developing national/local spatial data infrastructures in Asian countries.

FOSS4G-Asia 2014 also commemorates ten years since the FOSS-GRASS User Conference was held at Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand 12-14 September 2004.

FOSS4G 2014 in Portland, Oregon Sept 8th-12th

FOSS4G 2014 runs from Sept 8th-12th in Portland, Oregon this year. The conference brings to together developers and others in geospatial open source.  This is an opportunity to participate in the rapidly growing open source geospatial community.  Last year's FOSS4G 2013 in Nottingham attracted 28 workshops, 180 Presentations and 833 delegates.

Call for papers

Presentation Proposals - Due April 15th

Academic Proposals - Due April 15th

Workshop proposals - Due March 15th

Twitter @foss4g