GIS Applications for Engineers Prepared by: Washington County Engineer’s Office David Patterson and Jeremy McLaughlin www.washingtonroads.org 210 west main street Washington, IA 52247 319-653-7731 Iowa County Engineers Association 2007 Conference Scheman Center, Ames, Iowa Micah Cutler GIS Coordinator Hardin & Franklin Counties Matt Boeck GIS Coordinator Story County

Geographic Information Systems A GIS is a system for management, analysis, and display of geographic knowledge, which is represented using a series of information sets such as maps and globes, geographic data sets, processing and work flow models, data models, and metadata

“Intelligent Maps” While a computer-aided mapping system may represent a road simply as a line, a GIS may also recognize that road as the border between wetland and urban development, or as the link between Main Street and 4th Avenue.

Base Map – Parcel Data

Parcel Data – The Beginning Most county GIS begins with “It’s time to update our aerial photography so since we’re going to be spending a lot of money, let’s go ahead and develop a GIS.” Usually is initiated by the Auditor’s or Assessor’s Office

EXPAND THE POSSIBILITIES! Beyond the Parcel Map Once the data conversion is complete, now what? The county has invested a significant amount of money and resources into creating an accurate parcel base map, EXPAND THE POSSIBILITIES!

Engineer Road Closure Notification

Engineer Road Closure Notification

Engineer Road Closure Notification

Gravel Road – Cost Estimates

Gravel Road – Cost Estimates

Geocoding Addresses – Dust Control The office secretary maintains an excel spreadsheet of everyone in the county that has a dust control permit. This is super simple and requires no knowledge of GIS. We produce maps (by geocoduing based on address) for each territory operator that shows his territory limits and all the dust control locations. The maps show the 911 address of applicant and the last name. The map shows the name of the dust control provider by a symbol. We also provide maps to the dust control providers showing all of their customers in the county on a single map. This helps the maintenance operators, the dust control companies, and our office to provide better service to the public.

Snow Routes and Territories Snow Routes and Maintenance Territories We have input the maintenance territories and snow routes into our GIS system. This map shows both. It allows us to produce maps and do analysis on routes. This is used regularly to answer questions from the public about an operator (i.e. who maintains my road?). It was used to balance the territories out (give each territory roughly equivalent areas). We are attempting to link this to the rock placed on each roadway segment to analyze the “tons of rock used per mile” for each operator.

Snow Removal Routes

Snow Removal Routes

Blade Districts

Blade Districts

AVL Integration (Automatic Vehicle Location)

Crash Data Crash Data Using IDOT S.A.V.E.R. with ARCView for Crash Data Maps used to identify “hot spots” in the county. Data used to do corridor studies for proposed projects. Increasingly our maps published via PDF and made available online at www.washingtonroads.org

GPS Data Collection The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system made up of a network of 24 satellites placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense. Originally intended for military applications, but in the 1980s, the government made the system available for civilian use. GPS works in any weather conditions, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day. No subscription fees or setup charges to use GPS.

GPS Data Collection 3 types of GPS accuracy Recreational: meters Mapping: sub-meter Survey: centimeter

Sign Data Collection GPS sign locations along county roads. Mapping grade GPS units are not to survey accuracy, but the main purpose of this data collection is for inventory purposes. New GPS units have a built-in camera for taking an image of the GPS location.

Sign Data Collection

Culvert Locations GPS locations of road culverts under county roads. Collected data as points, then “connected the dots” back in the office.

Culvert Locations

Bridge Locations and Photo

County Engineer’s Map County Engineer’s Map This is a copy of a GIS map that is on the county engineer’s computer. The map is set up so that different layers pop up as you zoom in and out. At the larger scales information is available on bridges, roads, territories, operators, maintenance shed locations, and county landmarks. As you zoom in, those automatically layers turn off (based on scale) and new layers show up. These include street names, bridges, and 911 address markers. As you zoom in real close those layers automatically turn off and even more layers show up. These include property lines, section lines, bridge data, road classifications, and acreages. This map is perfect for answering phone calls and looking up quick information about right-of-way, road class, and other common questions from the public. Map that Engineer uses for a reference or to quickly answer questions from callers and people that stop in office. This map shows a low water crossing (constructed in 2004) and a class “C” road (reclassified in 2004). This type of information pops up automatically. The map also has a preformatted print sheet set up so that the engineer can print out whatever he is reviewing for either the file or the public.

USPLS Corner Certificates Corners are stored as a ‘point’ feature in the county GIS Linked to a scanned image of the original document Accessible in-house and through the Internet Decreases foot traffic through office Surveyors can download any time

New Projects for Story County Scan and Link Road Easements to GIS Features More public interaction on website Click to report dead deer, sign down, etc Consolidate data storage (SDE) Purchase upgrades to ArcEditor software level

New Projects for Hardin & Franklin Counties ArcGIS software training Bridge and culvert data collection County surveyor records Grader districts Sub drain outlets into county right-of-way Level “B” roads Maintenance shed locations Roadway easements Past and future rock hauling programs Section corner ties Snow removal routes Everything Washington and Story County are doing…eventually.

Thank You! Micah Cutler Matt Boeck GIS Coordinator Hardin & Franklin Counties 641-939-8160 (Hardin) 641-456-6045 (Franklin) mcutler@co.hardin.ia.us Matt Boeck Story County 515-382-7327 mboeck@storycounty.com A special thank you to Pete Buckingham, GIS Coordinator, and David Patterson and Jeremy McLaughlin with Washington County (www.washingtonroads.org) and Darren Moon, Assistant Engineer for Story County. EVERYONE NEEDS SUPPORT EVERY NOW AND THEN…   EVEN THOSE WHO ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF PROVIDING SUPPORT TO OTHERS JOIN ICIT OR ATTEND OUR CONFERENCES TO BECOME ENGAGED IN BOTH RECEIVING AND PROVIDING SUPPORT Iowa Counties Information Technology An ISAC Association This presentation is available online at the ICIT website: www.icit.state.ia.us Keyword search: engineer, GIS