Streamlined operations mean better public services. From road repairs to utility maintenance, SiteMap’s approach translates into enhanced services for residents. In fact, many studies have suggested as much. One of the first, by Purdue University in 1999, estimated that requiring SUE (subsurface utility engineering) on highway construction projects would result in at least $1 billion in savings annually. To break this down even further, the most recent analysis for the Pennsylvania Department of Transport (PennDOT) differed from other analyses by including both SUE and non-SUE projects. The results were staggering, with an estimated $11.39 in savings for every $1 spent.
Municipalities are like the backbone of the societal skeleton; they are the heartbeats of our communities, orchestrating the intricate dance of urban infrastructure. Inside the labyrinth of pipes, cables, and other subsurface systems lies a challenge: efficiently managing this ever-changing infrastructure. Enter SiteMap® (patent pending), the groundbreaking solution that streamlines infrastructure management for municipalities and other professionals, setting a new standard for urban development and subsurface discovery.
Understanding the Challenge
Municipalities shoulder the responsibility of overseeing a vast network of utilities, roads, and other facilities. This includes utilities and facilities underneath our feet, which are often more complex and more difficult to manage efficiently. This complexity often leads to:
Data Fragmentation
Disparate data sources and outdated records create a tangled web, hindering comprehensive infrastructure management. This puts our communities at a huge risk, and creates plenty of problems for project managers and professionals. The development of our world relies on the subsurface. From oil and gas collection to protecting fresh water sources, and more. We need to understand the world below our feet just as well, if not better, than the world around us. However, when data is fragmented, this isn’t easy to do.
Take oil and gas drilling for example. It’s expensive. A single well generally costs $5-8 million onshore and $100-200 million or more in deep water. When something so important costs so much, it’s crucial to get it right the first time. The energy industry and others rely heavily on the technologies that GPRS use, because they know it’s effective, accurate, and efficient. Accidents happen, causing detrimental effects to the environment and even fatalities. If the data needed were easier to access and easier to share, accidents would happen less often. SiteMap® helps eliminate data fragmentation, and therefore, helps to eliminate dangerous accidents.
Operational Inefficiencies
The subsurface is alive in its own way, with miles and miles of lines, wires, pipes, and more. Navigating through this maze of information proves cumbersome, resulting in delays, inefficiencies, and increased maintenance costs. In the worst case scenario, accidents don’t just delay a project, but result in fatalities. While subsurface utility engineering (SUE) is advancing, testing new systems, and new avenues to better serve the subsurface, SiteMap® and GPRS are in the front seat, helping navigate and eliminate inefficiencies. While GPRS does not conduct SUE, our work supports SUE efforts in the field.
When your subsurface data is available in one space, securely shareable, and easy to understand, projects are able to flow seamlessly between all team members. SiteMap® makes this possible with our user-friendly platform. According to the Common Ground Alliance (CGA), over the past 20 years utility hits have resulted in $1.7 billion in property damage. There have also been: 1,906 injuries, and 421 deaths.All of this could have been prevented with proper subsurface and facility infrastructure visualization.
The Cost Of Poor Management
Facility infrastructure management is more important than ever, as our world rapidly changes and expands. More and more communities and professionals are endangered due to poorly located utilities, or poor record keeping. There is a huge cost to inaccurate subsurface data, with the average cost of hitting a utility line reported by one study of facility managers as $56,000.
The Common Ground Alliance publishes a report every year called the Damage Incident Reporting Tool Report (DIRT.) This report sources information by different stakeholders in the utility and construction industries, and it concerns utility line strikes and damage. In the 2015 report, 278,861 utility damage events occurred across the USA and Canada.
Some other statistics from this report include:
- Texas had the most damage incidents at a whopping 45,624, with Georgia following at 20,544, and then Illinois was third with 18,529 incidents.
- Contractors and developers were the excavators responsible for the majority of damage incidents. Human error is often the main cause of utility hits.
- Telecommunications was the top type of facility damaged. This was followed by natural gas facilities.
- The equipment responsible for the most damage incidents was a backhoe and/or trencher followed by hand tools.
- The top three damage root causes were: lack of excavation experience (45%), notification/alert not made (31%), and insufficient locates (18%).
Many or all of these accidents could have been prevented by using a utility mapping technology like SiteMap®.
The SiteMap® Solution
SiteMap® offers a transformative approach to infrastructure management, catering specifically to the needs of municipalities and other professionals. When you order services with GPRS you are automatically given a complimentary SiteMap® Personal account. You then have the option to upgrade your subscription to unlock even more amazing features. However, your complimentary account is still packed full of features and data. SiteMap® employs a unique solution for streamlining subsurface utility management.
Advanced Mapping and Visualization
Utilizing cutting-edge technologies, SiteMap® generates detailed visual representations of a municipality’s infrastructure. Clear visualization of the subsurface utilities aids in better decision-making and planning. Your data is interactive, mapped, layered, digitized, and easy to read. Campus, facility, or distributed assets all receive GPRS’ 99.8% subsurface utility visualization accuracy, which can be aggregated to provide an instant snapshot – past, present & future – secured in one centralized, accessible database. Our team has the ability to visualize your data in the way the makes sense for you, from detailed 3D models to layered utility mapping, and more.
Real-Time Collaboration
SiteMap’s platform fosters seamless collaboration among municipal departments and stakeholders. Real-time access to updated infrastructure data ensures everyone is on the same page, enhancing efficiency and reducing errors. You decide the number of users, their level of access, and how your data is used. From historical data through current as builts, you can put the right information into the right hands exactly when they need it. SiteMap® lets you redefine collaboration and puts you in control..
Securely Stored
SiteMap® can create an aggregated, historical, single source of truth – with as-builts, updated as often as you need for as many sites as you need – to eliminate data loss and the costly mistakes that come with it. Store all of your data in one, easily shared and accessible place. While SiteMap® contains its own intuitive GIS component, it can also easily integrate with your existing GIS software to provide an extra layer of safety and security for your data – powered by GPRS’ 99.8% accuracy rating across more than 400,000 jobs. You can retain and access every iteration of your digital as-builts to securely document and reference your project’s progress
Accuracy In Mind
Secure your subsurface files, maps, and drawings in one centralized Digital Plan Room accessible to only those you designate through the life of your project. This allows you to safeguard the real-time accuracy of your subsurface data against unauthorized uploads or edits. Furthermore, with a 99.8% accuracy rating, you’ll take peace of mind in knowing that the data supplied by GPRS is some of the most accurate data ever.
The Benefits for Municipalities
There are many benefits for municipalities when it comes to using proper infrastructure management software such as SiteMap®.
Data-Driven Decision Making
SiteMap’s comprehensive database empowers municipalities to make informed decisions based on accurate, up-to-date information, resulting in better planning and resource allocation. This reduces accidents, delays, and even fatalities. When decisions are backed by data, they’re smarter, and lead to more efficient and stable results.
Enhanced Maintenance and Sustainability
Efficiently managing infrastructure reduces downtime and maintenance costs, fostering sustainability by optimizing resource utilization. Further, properly managed infrastructure allows for advancement in sustainability efforts, and environmental efforts as well. This helps to create a safer, more sustainable future for communities everywhere.
SiteMap’s commitment to revolutionizing infrastructure management for municipalities goes beyond the outstanding technology employed by GPRS. It’s about empowering cities to thrive and communities to grow. By harnessing the power of data integration, visualization, and collaboration, SiteMap® sets a precedent for efficient, sustainable, and resilient urban development.
In a landscape where managing cities is both an art and a science, SiteMap® provides municipalities, professionals, and other project managers with the finest brush and palette to create vibrant, well-orchestrated communities. SiteMap® makes the subsurface simple.
To learn more about what SiteMap® can do for your subsurface utility management issues, contact us today!