Using Geographic Information Systems for Monitoring Building Maintenance at the Takoradi Port

The maintenance of Takoradi’s port infrastructural assets, such as, buildings, roads, marine structures, tower lights, is fundamental to many a Civil Engineering department whiles access to data or information of relevant aspects of the building is critical to any further analysis. Currently, retrieval of maintenance history on these assets (buildings) for the purposes of budgeting is a time consuming activity and ineffective means of accessing information. Another problem is that though data maybe available it lacks the spatial component. To resolve the above problem, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) software together with data available for the port was used. Specifically, data regarding Takoradi Port layout in AutoCAD format (input data) was acquired. By means of the GIS software (ArcGIS), a personal geo-database was created comprising relevant feature datasets such as Land use, Marine structures, Transportation and building feature class. The input data was converted into shapefiles and subsequently stored according to the various feature classes thus created in the personal geo-database. The features were then symbolized. Relevant fields for the feature class of interest (Buildings) were created in its attribute table and then populated to facilitate the query and mapping for easy visualisation of the state of the facilities. Thematic maps were also created from Structured Query Language (SQL) queries. Keywords: Mapping; GIS; Maintenance; Building; Geodatabase.

A Water Utility Mapping Application for the City of Elko, Nevada

This project explains how a small town in northeastern Nevada improved the collection of data for the local water utility department with the use of a GIS. The initial need was to improve and expand the city’s existing GIS data holdings by incorporating ESRI’s ArcGIS product to accommodate the mapping needs of the Engineering and Municipal Water Departments. The collection of data into a GIS is used to find, improve, and reduce time spent on researching for information needed for planning and decision making. Data assessment and conversion comprised a major portion of the project. The database design was modified with the use of an existing water utility data model based on the assessment provided by the client. The software design for the project utilizes out-of-the-box ArcGIS 9.2 tools and functionality. The use of a geometric network was implemented to execute trace analysis on the water network available with use of the Utility Network Analyst toolbar. The importance of using GIS for the water utility department has proven to be more than a pretty map but rather a tool that can be used to solve problems when they arise which helps save time and money for the community

From the pixels up : processes and procedures in the construction of a neural-site geographic information system

This study examines the question, is it possible to develop a neutral-site Geographic Information System (GIS) that addresses information needs useful for the training of emergency management personnel? To answer this question a subordinate question requiring an answer is what specific steps are required to accomplish this goal? As a base for the data provided here, the history of cities as an initial root of civilization and the concept of emergency management are discussed. Direct intersections, where the specific applications of emergency management technology provide real benefits to local governmental organizations, such as those at the city level are also considered. One of these potential technologies is a Geographic Information System, or GIS. Using a qualitative method, with thick description, the process and procedures of creating a neutralsite GIS for use in training by organizations who do not currently have access to the technology is then described. The potential benefit for jurisdictions lacking a current GIS is clearly demonstrated. The study concludes with a summation of the research, development and construction of a neutral-site GIS. Specific lessons learned during the entire process are discussed. Finally, areas of further study the process brought to my attention are considered

Generating Shadows for Urban Design

Through advancements in 3D technology, one is now able to analyze the impact of sunlight on the built environment by way of studying shadows and the amounts thereof. Urban planners, property developers, and other professionals are looking to expand upon, or work within, the premise of the right to light. The ability to know when and where shadows exist is a precursor to using that information to make better informed decisions about our environment. The ability to obtain information about shadows and, in turn, store that data in an accessible format that provides visualization possibilities is the desired outcome

Innovative Approaches to 3D GIS Modeling for Volumetric and Geoprocessing Applications in Subsurface Infrastructures in a Virtual Immersive Environment

As subsurface features remain largely ‘out of sight, out of mind’, this has led to challenges when dealing with underground space and infrastructures and especially so for those working in GIS. Since subsurface infrastructure plays a major role in supporting the needs of modern society, groups such as city planners and utility companies and decision makers are looking for an ‘holistic’ approach where the sustainable use of underground space is as important as above ground space. For such planning and management, it is crucial to examine subsurface data in a form that is amenable to 3D mapping and that can be used for increasingly sophisticated 3D modeling. The subsurface referred to in this study focuses particularly on examples of both shallow and deep underground infrastructures. In the case of shallow underground infrastructures mostly two-dimensional maps are used in the management and planning of these features. Depth is a very critical component of underground infrastructures that is difficult to represent in a 2D map and for this reason these are best studied in three-dimensional space. In this research, the capability of 3D GIS technology and immersive geography are explored for the storage, management, analysis, and visualization of shallow and deep subsurface features

Construction, Management and Visualization of 3D Models of Large Archeological and Architectural Sites for E-Heritage GIS Systems

In this paper we present an integrated system developed in order to record, construct, pre-process, manage, visualize and visually navigate 3D models reality based of large archeological and architectural sites for eHeritage GIS systems. The framework integrates structured geometrical and documentary information resulting from multiple sources with the aim to enhance the knowledge of those sites within the frame of its historical evolution and its institutional management in a 3D GIS/DB. The developed applications were designed for different types of users, with a largely scalable interface, able to support different output devices and to work at different levels of iconicity. The system allows a full comprehension of the buildings in their own context, permitting to discover unknown relationships, to evaluate their architectural occupancy and to quickly access a complex system of information. The framework has been tested in two different systems - designed and developed to satisfy both internal (cataloguing, documentation, preservation, management of archaeological heritage) and external (communication through the web portal) purposes: the first, in Pompeii, developed in order to have a web-based system that uses Open Source software and complies with national and international standards; the second one, a prototype designed to make available on the Google Earth platform the complete Palladian corpus documentation implemented by the CISAAP

Integrated HBIM-GIS Models for Multi-Scale Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Historical Buildings

The complexity of historical urban centres progressively needs a strategic improvement in methods and the scale of knowledge concerning the vulnerability aspect of seismic risk. A geographical multi-scale point of view is increasingly preferred in the scientific literature and in Italian regulation policies, that considers systemic behaviors of damage and vulnerability assessment from an urban perspective according to the scale of the data, rather than single building damage analysis. In this sense, a geospatial data sciences approach can contribute towards generating, integrating, and making virtuous relations between urban databases and emergency-related data, in order to constitute a multi-scale 3D database supporting strategies for conservation and risk assessment scenarios. The proposed approach developed a vulnerability-oriented GIS/HBIM integration in an urban 3D geodatabase, based on multi-scale data derived from urban cartography and emergency mapping 3D data. Integrated geometric and semantic information related to historical masonry buildings (specifically the churches) and structural data about architectural elements and damage were integrated in the approach. This contribution aimed to answer the research question supporting levels of knowledge required by directives and vulnerability assessment studies, both about the generative workflow phase, the role of HBIM models in GIS environments and toward user-oriented webGIS solutions for sharing and public use fruition, exploiting the database for expert operators involved in heritage preservation

Development of GIS as an information management system: a case study for the Burden Center

For a park site, it is very important and necessary to let the local planning authorities realize and understand the important aspects and benefits of the site and to establish the long-range development strategies for the location. In order to succeed during the planning process, the communication and information that flow among all the participants must be well organized. In this situation, a project-wide Geographic Information System (GIS) would be a good solution. The goal of this project is to explore the possibilities for administrative authorities to implement a GIS database system to support the site planning and management of a park site. The research is based on three parts: The first involves components related to the field of park planning and GIS technology. It provides an outline of the park planning and management process, GIS techniques, and GIS-based strategies that have been developed for use in park planning and design. The second part provides a method of developing a GIS database prototype for park planning and management. An inventory of existing assets and options for future development can be integrated in a GIS database. Then this provides a platform for the gradual development of a comprehensive park management system. The third part involves the development of a prototypical GIS database design for an existing park site. It represents a practical implementation of a GIS system for the Burden Center, an historical and agricultural research center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This system will give quality information about the Burden Center site and will serve as a foundation to facilitate park planning, decision-making, facility management, future development, and resource interpretation for educational purposes