The UKWIR Research Programme into buried assets

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The UKWIR Research Programme into buried assets

• Dr Mike Farrimond
• Director, UKWIR

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UKWIR members
ALL Water Service operators in Scotland,
Northern Ireland, England and Wales
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UKWIRs Mission

• Develop and deliver, in collaboration with other
  sponsors, regulators and researchers, a research
  programme that meets the priority needs of the UK
  water service industry

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UKWIR aims toestablish sound science for sound
regulation and sound practice
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Utilities are the Veins and Arteries of our
Cities and yet, we know very little about
where they are
Communications Gas Oil/Petroleum Sewerage Road
drainage Power Steam Water District
heating Street lighting Traffic control
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The initial programme
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OBJECTIVES

• Common industry standards
• Identify best practice for existing technologies
• Improved on-site skills
• Better knowledge management
• Better tools and equipment
• Optimisation of non-intrusive techniques

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Minimising Street Works Disruption
A programme of work developed by a multi-utility
team to improve our knowledge of underground
assets and the efficiency of how we work in the
street.
10 M
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UKWIRs Programme
Making the best of what we have
Improved surface based survey techniques
Improved Sub surface based survey techniques
Doing things differently
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ICE Buried Services Working Group

• Initiated by the Geospatial Engineering Board
• Met during 2004
• Report produced January 2005
• Set standards for buried asset records
• Information fed into TMA consultation

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ICE Buried Services Working Group - report

• DNF rules OK!
• Within 3 years all new installations and
  replacement should be recorded in 3 dimensions
• Existing apparatus should be recorded to the DNF
  system but there may be inaccuracies

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Data collection and exchange project

• North London and Yorkshire areas
• Collaboration between UKWIR, Thames Water,
  Yorkshire Water, National Grid, Ordnance Survey
  and Leica
• List of essential attribute data for buried
  assets agreed
• Data exchange tested in Yorkshire
• Different data collection methods trialled

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Data collection and exchange project

• Data exchange
• Very different approaches used by contractors
• Planned work not an issue
• Repair and maintenance work problematical
• Much of information still exchanged on paper

Cut data collection times by 60 Accuracy to /-
15 mm Errors reduced Not suitable for all
situations
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The Real Cost of Street Works

• UKWIR project Contractor TRL
• Direct costs estimated as 1.5 billion
• Indirect costs of construction 150 million
• Cost of traffic disruption around 5.1 billion
• Additional costs
• disruption of local businesses
• reduction in pavement life
• environmental impacts

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Implications of TMA

• Effect of the TMA on the water companies
• Identifies actions which can be taken to mitigate
  the effect
• WRc contractor
• Consultation with all water companies, regulator
  (OFWAT), Highways authorities, contractors

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Mapping the Underworld

• 3 day facilitated workshop
• 30 people
• All utilities gas, electricity, telecomms,
  water
• Contractors
• Highway Authorities, TRL
• Universities

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Mapping The Underworld

• 5 projects
• Multi sensor tool
• Birmingham University
• Southampton University
• Bath University
• Enhanced methods of detecting buried assets
• Oxford University
• GPS positioning system
• Nottingham University
• Knowledge and data integration
• Leeds University
• Information Network

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VISTA - funded by DTI Technology Programme

• 2.5m research project over 4 years
• Started January 1 2006
• 21 collaborators including highway authorities,
  all utilities, PIG, NJUG, ICE, Ordnance Survey,
  contractors
• Leeds and Nottingham Universities
• Linking records, GPS data, surface locations, to
  produce a virtual 3-D image

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Project Aims

• Develop algorithms and techniques to collect,
  integrate and display buried asset location
  information which can be used by utilities,
  contractors, consultants and manufacturers
  involved in the installation, renovation and
  maintenance of buried assets and the highways
  under which they run.

Linking records, GPS data, surface locations, to
produce a virtual 3-D image
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Smart Pipes

• Collaborative UKWIR AwwaRF Birmingham
  University project
• 3 years
• Trial
• micro and nano sensors for buried pipes
• remote interrogation of these sensors

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GPR in sewers

• Collaboration between UKWIR, IDS, OSYS,
  Advantica, GERG, GdF
• Trial GPR within sewers
• Test if any additional information can be picked
  up
• Aiming for field trials this summer
• Currently looking for suitable sewers!

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NUAG
The National Underground Assets Group (NUAG)is a
group of relevant stakeholders, including
utilities and local authorities, established to
support the Department for Transport in achieving
the relevant Traffic Management Act targets, and
to act as a point of focus and single voice for
everyone involved with underground, and
appropriate associated above ground assets.
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European projects

• GIGA improvements in GPR
• ORFEUS further improvements in GPR
• Water Supply and Sanitation Technology Platform -
  WSSTP
• European Construction
• Technology Platform - ECTP

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UKWIRs Programme
Making the best of what we have
Improved surface based survey techniques
Improved Sub surface based survey techniques
Doing things differently
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Improved Sub surface based survey techniques
Doing things differently
?
Novel approaches to underground infrastructure
Keyhole access
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Further Information

• www.ukwir.org.uk
• www.mappingtheunderworld.ac.uk
• www.eswrac.org
• www.vistadtiproject.org
• www.wsstp.org
• www.ectp.org

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Sustainable Production and Consumption
www.dti.gov.uk/technologystrategy
Comments by 31 May