GPS/GIS Inspection and Analysis Tools for Highway Construction

This study investigated the application of modern technologies to highway construction inspection. A pilot roadway construction project was utilized to demonstrate some of the methodologies developed during the study. A review and brief analysis of contract documents indicated that the Global Positioning System (GPS) could be used to locate and measure over 90% of the Florida Department of Transportation's (FDOT's) approximately 4,500 standard pay items (English Units) during the construction process. For the pilot project, a few items were measured in the direct pay item units. During the study, three types of GPS receivers were evaluated: low cost or recreational GPS ($150 - $400 price range); mapping grade GPS ($3000 - $4000 price range); and the Real Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS receivers (typically more than $45,000 plus subscription costs). The mapping grade GPS would be recommended based on cost and two additional criteria: spatial modeling of the inspected pay item; and the accuracy of quantity estimated from the spatial data captured. Based on a comparison with the quantities measured using the construction inspector's traditional manual methods during the pilot project study, the mapping grade GPS, specifically, the Trimble's GeoXT GPS receiver, estimated same quantities with less than 3% error. The GPS receiver also reduced the time of quantity measure by over 80%. The ESRI's ArcGIS was utilized as well as custom written computer programs to develop the GPS/GIS tools. A computer interface was developed between the GPS/GIS tools and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' (AASHTO's) SiteManager, allowing data transfer between the GPS and the SiteManager's Daily Work Report Module. The Bentley's Construction Inspector program was also successfully demonstrated on the pilot project, using asphalt pay items, with the development of various Microsoft VB.Net application extension programs (dlls), along with a daily work report of construction. It was observed during the study that the current project development procedures at FDOT would enhance the application of modern technologies as demonstrated in this study, particularly the following attributes: GIS-ready drawings generated from the Microstation; use of the project survey control points as base stations for differential GPS corrections; and the availability of the GEOPAK's Quantity Manager.

• Record URL:
  https://fdotwww.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/docs/default-source/research/reports/fdot-bd543-08-rpt.pdf
• 
• Summary URL:
  https://fdotwww.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/docs/default-source/research/reports/fdot-bd543-08.pdf
• Corporate Authors:

  Florida State University, Tallahassee

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  Tallahassee, FL  United States  32306

  Florida Department of Transportation

  Structures Research Center, 605 Suwannee Street
  Tallahassee, FL  United States  32399

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Sobanjo, John O
• Publication Date: 2006-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 99p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Computer programs; Costs; Geographic information systems; Global Positioning System; Inspection; Methodology; Road construction
• Identifier Terms: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
• Uncontrolled Terms: Pay items
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Vehicles and Equipment; I61: Equipment and Maintenance Methods;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01032936
• Record Type: Publication
• Contract Numbers: BD-543-8
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Sep 8 2006 4:27PM