Requirements for Topology in 3D GIS

Topology and its various benefits are well understood within the context of 2D Geographical Information Systems. However, requirements in three-dimensional (3D) applications have yet to be defined, with factors such as lack of users' familiarity with the potential of such systems impeding this process. In this paper, we identify and review a number of requirements for topology in 3D applications. The review utilises existing topological frameworks and data models as a starting point. Three key areas were studied for the purposes of requirements identification, namely existing 2D topological systems, requirements for visualisation in 3D and requirements for 3D analysis supported by topology. This was followed by analysis of application areas such as earth sciences and urban modelling which are traditionally associated with GIS, as well as others including medical, biological and chemical science. Requirements for topological functionality in 3D were then grouped and categorised. The paper concludes by suggesting that these requirements can be used as a basis for the implementation of topology in 3D. It is the aim of this review to serve as a focus for further discussion and identification of additional applications that would benefit from 3D topology. © 2006 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2006 Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Focusing on soil-foundation heterogeneity through high-resolution electrical and seismic tomography

The reconstruction of the current status of a historic building is essential for seismic safety assessment and for designing the retrofitting interventions since different safety and confidence factors have to be assumed, depending on the level of information about the subsoil structure. In this work, we present an investigation of the shallow subsurface below and around a historic building affected by differential settlements in order to define its geometry and to characterise its stiffness at low strain. To this end, we employed high-resolution electrical resistivity and seismic (both P-wave and S-wave) tomographies. A three-dimensional electrical resistivity tomography survey was performed to obtain more information about the type and the maximum depth of the building foundation. Electrical resistivity and seismic tomographies were carried out alongside the building, aimed at imaging the top soils and the near-surface geometry. The corresponding inverted models pointed out a remarkable heterogeneity of the shallow subsoil below the building, which is partly founded on a weathered layer and partly on a more rigid lithotype. This heterogeneity is probably a concurrent cause of the building's instability under both static and seismic loading. Our results demonstrate that the man-made fillings and the top soils have to be thoroughly investigated to fully understand the soil-structure behaviour. In this light, the integration of non-invasive high-resolution geophysical techniques, especially tomographic methods, has been proved to properly address the problem of imaging the shallow subsoil

Training of Crisis Mappers and Map Production from Multi-sensor Data: Vernazza Case Study (Cinque Terre National Park, Italy)

This aim of paper is to presents the development of a multidisciplinary project carried out by the cooperation between Politecnico di Torino and ITHACA (Information Technology for Humanitarian Assistance, Cooperation and Action). The goal of the project was the training in geospatial data acquiring and processing for students attending Architecture and Engineering Courses, in order to start up a team of "volunteer mappers". Indeed, the project is aimed to document the environmental and built heritage subject to disaster; the purpose is to improve the capabilities of the actors involved in the activities connected in geospatial data collection, integration and sharing. The proposed area for testing the training activities is the Cinque Terre National Park, registered in the World Heritage List since 1997. The area was affected by flood on the 25th of October 2011. According to other international experiences, the group is expected to be active after emergencies in order to upgrade maps, using data acquired by typical geomatic methods and techniques such as terrestrial and aerial Lidar, close-range and aerial photogrammetry, topographic and GNSS instruments etc.; or by non conventional systems and instruments such us UAV, mobile mapping etc. The ultimate goal is to implement a WebGIS platform to share all the data collected with local authorities and the Civil Protectio

Using computer simulation in operating room management: impacts of information quality on process performance

High quality information has a significant impact on improving operation performance and patient satisfaction, as well as resolving patient disputes. Based on the analysis of the perioperative process, information quality is considered as an important contributory factor in improving patient throughput. In this paper, we propose a conceptual framework to use computer simulations in modeling information flow of hospital process for operating room management (ORM). Additionally, we conduct simulation studies in different levels of the information quality for ORM. The results of our studies provide evidence that information quality can drive process performance in several phases of the ORM

3D and 4D Simulations for Landscape Reconstruction and Damage Scenarios. GIS Pilot Applications

The project 3D and 4D Simulations for Landscape Reconstruction and Damage Scenarios: GIS Pilot Applications has been devised with the intention to deal with the demand for research, innovation and applicative methodology on the part of the international programme, requiring concrete results to increase the capacity to know, anticipate and respond to a natural disaster. This project therefore sets out to develop an experimental methodology, a wide geodatabase, a connected performant GIS platform and multifunctional scenarios able to profitably relate the added values deriving from different geotechnologies, aimed at a series of crucial steps regarding landscape reconstruction, event simulation, damage evaluation, emergency management, multi-temporal analysis. The Vesuvius area has been chosen for the pilot application owing to such an impressive number of people and buildings subject to volcanic risk that one could speak in terms of a possible national disaster. The steps of the project move around the following core elements: creation of models that reproduce the territorial and anthropic structure of the past periods, and reconstruction of the urbanized area, with temporal distinctions; three-dimensional representation of the Vesuvius area in terms of infrastructuralresidential aspects; GIS simulation of the expected event; first examination of the healthcareepidemiological consequences; educational proposals. This paper represents a proactive contribution which describes the aims of the project, the steps which constitute a set of specific procedures for the methodology which we are experimenting, and some thoughts regarding the geodatabase useful to “package” illustrative elaborations. Since the involvement of the population and adequate hazard preparedness are very important aspects, some educational and communicational considerations are presented in connection with the use of geotechnologies to promote the knowledge of risk

GIS platform for management of shallow geothermal resources

Premi extraordinari doctorat UPC curs 2015-2016, àmbit d’Enginyeria CivilThis thesis promotes an efficient use of shallow geothermal energy by means of an integrated management system to organize its exploitation. Shallow geothermal energy is a renewable resource based on thermal energy exchange with the ground. Due to the growth in demand for this energy, the development of management techniques to organize the exploitation of this resource is mandatory to protect both groundwater and the users' rights. Shallow geothermal performance of underground is closely related to groundwater behavior, so it is necessary to understand and improve the knowledge about it. Thus, an integrated methodology is proposed for the 3D visualization of underground resources related to groundwater. A set of tools named HEROS3D was developed in a GIS environment to support the generation of 3D entities representing geological, hydrogeological, hydrochemical and geothermal features. The GIS technology also gives a wide-ranging support to environmental modeling, either conceptual or numerical, especially to groundwater modeling. However, there is a scarcity of tools to implement the conceptual model in numerical modeling platforms. This transition needs of specific methodologies to adapt the geometries and alpha-numerical data from the conceptual model to the numerical model to get optimal numerical results. Although most necessities can be satisfied with inherent GIS tools, there are particular steps in the implementation of hydrogeological conceptual model into the numerical modeling software that have not been solved yet. To overcome this gap, a set of tools is presented, named ArcArAz. It focuses on the configuration of geometry and parameterization for groundwater numerical models. Once both the hydrogeological conceptual model and the numerical model are defined, a solid basis for management of Shallow Geothermal energy is available. This thesis proposes two methodologies for the management of this energy resource at two different scales: for a regional scale and for a metropolitan scale. The first GIS methodology provides a response to the need for a regional quantification of the geothermal potential that can be extracted by Boreholes Heat Exchangers and its associated environmental impacts. For the first time, advection and dispersion heat transport mechanisms and the temporal evolution from the start of operation of the BHE are considered in the regional estimation of the variables of interest. A sensitivity analysis leads to the conclusion that the consideration of dispersion effects and temporal evolution of the exploitation prevent significant differences up to a factor 2.5 in the heat exchange rate accuracy and up to several orders of magnitude in the impacts generated. To deepen the management of Shallow Geothermal Energy, this thesis proposes to establish a market of shallow geothermal energy use rights which would allow managing this resource at a metropolitan scale. This methodology is based on a GIS framework and is composed of a geospatial database to store the main information required to manage the installations and a set of GIS tools used to define, implant and control this use rights market. Thermal impacts derived from the exploitation of this resource can also be registered geographically, by taking into account the groundwater flow direction and adjusting the thermal impact to the available plot.Esta tesis promueve el uso eficiente de la geotermia somera a través de un sistema integrado de gestión de este recurso. La geotermia somera es un recurso renovable que se basa en el intercambio de energía con el suelo. Los Intercambiadores de calor, o Borehole Heat Exchangers (BHEs) se están popularizando como sistema para explotarla. Debido al crecimiento en la demanda de geotermia somera, es imprescindible establecer una gestión integrada de este recurso para organizar su explotación y proteger tanto a las aguas subterráneas como a los beneficiarios de esta energía renovable. Debido a que la geotermia somera está íntimamente relacionada con el comportamiento de las aguas subterráneas, es imprescindible ahondar y mejorar su conocimiento. Para ello, se propone una metodología para la visualización tridimensional de los recursos subterráneos relacionados con la hidrogeología. Se ha desarrollado un conjunto de herramientas, llamado HEROS3D, en un entorno SIG. Estas herramientas facilitan la creación de entidades tridimensionales que representan datos geológicos, hidrogeológicos, hidrogeoquímicos y geotermales. Están relacionadas con una base de datos donde tanto la información bruta como la interpretada se encuentran almacenadas. La tecnología SIG también da soporte, no sólo a la modelación conceptual, sino también a la numérica, especialmente en el caso de la hidrogeología. Para facilitar la implementación de los modelos conceptuales en las plataformas de modelación numérica, esta tesis presenta un segundo conjunto de herramientas llamado ArcArAz. Estas herramientas ofrecen soluciones a los problemas más comunes relacionados con la configuración de la geometría de entrada al modelo numérico, así como su parametrización. Las bases para una gestión eficiente de la geotermia somera se establecen llamado ArcArAz. Estas herramientas ofrecen soluciones a los problemas más comunes relacionados con la configuración de la geometría de entrada al modelo numérico, así como su parametrización. Las bases para una gestión eficiente de la geotermia somera se establecen una vez que hemos definido y están disponibles tanto el modelo hidrogeológico conceptual como el modelo numérico. En relación a este aspecto, en esta tesis se proponen dos metodologías de gestión enfocadas a escalas diferentes: escala regional y escala metropolitana o local. La primera metodología SIG ofrece una respuesta a la necesidad de una cuantificación regional del potencial geotérmico somero que puede extraerse con intercambiadores de calor o Borehole Heat Exchangers, así como sus impactos térmicos asociados. Por primera vez pueden tenerse en cuenta en la estimación regional de las variables de interés la advección y dispersión de calor, como mecanismos de transporte de calor, así como la evolución temporal desde el inicio de la explotación. Un análisis de sensibilidad demuestra que la consideración de los efectos de dispersión así como el régimen temporal de la explotación supone diferencias de hasta 2.5 veces el potencial extraído y hasta de varios ordenes de magnitud en los impactos térmicos generados. Para profundizar en la gestión de la geotermia somera a escala local, esta tesis propone establecer un mercado de derechos de uso de este recurso. Esta metodología se ha implementado en un ambiente SIG y está compuesta de una base de datos donde se almacena la información principal necesaria para gestionar las instalaciones y de un conjunto de herramientas para definir, implantar y controlar este mercado de derechos de uso de geotermia somera. Los impactos térmicos derivados de la explotación de este recurso pueden quedar registrados geográficamente, teniendo en cuenta la dirección de flujo de las aguas subterráneas y ajustando estos impactos a la superficie de la parcela disponible una vez que hemos definido y están disponibles tanto el modelo hidrogeológico conceptual como el modelo numérico. En relación a este aspecto, en esta tesis se proponen dos metodologías de gestión enfocadas a escalas diferentes: escala regional y escala metropolitana o local. La primera metodología SIG ofrece una respuesta a la necesidad de una cuantificación regional del potencial geotérmico somero que puede extraerse con intercambiadores de calor o Borehole Heat Exchangers, así como sus impactos térmicos asociados. Por primera vez pueden tenerse en cuenta en la estimación regional de las variables de interés la advección y dispersión de calor, como mecanismos de transporte de calor, así como la evolución temporal desde el inicio de la explotación. Un análisis de sensibilidad demuestra que la consideración de los efectos de dispersión así como el régimen temporal de la explotación supone diferencias de hasta 2.5 veces el potencial extraído y hasta de varios ordenes de magnitud en los impactos térmicos generados. Para profundizar en la gestión de la geotermia somera a escala local, esta tesis propone establecer un mercado de derechos de uso de este recurso. Esta metodología se ha implementado en un ambiente SIG y está compuesta de una base de datos donde se almacena la información principal necesaria para gestionar las instalaciones y de un conjunto de herramientas para definir, implantar y controlar este mercado de derechos de uso de geotermia somera. Los impactos térmicos derivados de la explotación de este recurso pueden quedar registrados geográficamente, teniendo en cuenta la dirección de flujo de las aguas subterráneas y ajustando estos impactos a la superficie de la parcela disponibleAward-winningPostprint (published version