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To install the new 20-in. diameter forcemain, the Towndecided to use directional drilling for the 1,500 ft crossing.However, the Town and its engineer, Black & Veatch, haddifficulty locating an existing water line that had beeninstalled in the 1990s as a secondary water supply source. Infact, as crews were drilling to install the new sewer forcemain,it was discovered that they had encountered the existingwater line.“We saw cuttings on the drill bit, and when we turned onthe water line we saw silt and mud, so we knew the line hadbeen breached,” said Troy Davis, the Town’s assistant publicservices director for construction. “Once we knew the linehad been damaged, we needed to find its location and assessits condition. We knew where the pipe started and where itended, but that was all we knew.”Oak Island turned to Geospatial’s Smart Probe to accuratelyidentify the location of the waterline. The companyinserted a protective pipe sleeve in which the probe wasinserted, and ran the probe until it could not go any further.The process was then repeated from the mainland side.“Once we had the informationfrom each side, wewere able to connect thedots to determine the locationof the pipe,” Davissaid. “As it turned out, thepipe was filled with debrisand we decided to abandonit because it was notfeasible to repair a line 20ft below the bottom of theIntercoastal Waterway.”Oak Island also usedthe technology to verifythe location of a 900-ftdirectional bore under amarshy area that wasrecently installed as partof the vacuum sewer systemthat is being built.After running the SmartProbe through the sectionof pipe, the Towndiscovered that the newsewer was 25 ft above itsplanned vertical alignment. As a result, the Town paid areduced price to the contractor, and, perhaps moreimportantly, is armed with information that could avoida potentially costly accident in the future — both from anenvironmental and financial standpoint.Pipeline ProjectsSunoco is an energy provider with roots dating back morethan 100 years. Not surprisingly, Sunoco owns an extensivearray of underground oil and gas pipelines built at varioustimes throughout its history. This pipe network requiresnumerous repair, replacement and relocation, and the companyhas turned to 3D mapping to ensure that projects —and future projects — go smoothly.In a recent project in Tyler, Texas, Sunoco was relocatinga 12-in. line under a Texas Department of Transportationhighway. Texas’ Highway 49 was being widened and drainageinstalled, so Sunoco decided to relocate its line to adeeper location using horizontal directional drilling. ByTexas DOT requirement, Sunoco needed to provide accurateas-builts of its facilities on DOT rights of way, so itturned to Geospatial.By using the Smart Probe technology, Sunoco was able toprovide accurate GPS coordinates to Texas DOT, as well asverify its pipeline was free of deformations that may haveoccurred as a result of drilling operations. Sunoco can thenuse the data to maintain an accurate inventory of its facilitiesgoing forward.Upon successful completion of the mapping project inTexas, Sunoco used it for two similar projects in Oklahoma.“In these instances, the owner entities did not require us toprovide as-builts, but we were interested in achieving thesame level of information,” said William Chaparro, Sunocoproject manager for pipeline relocations. “The process issimple and fast, and we have the precise locations of ournew lines.”The Smart Probe technology can be used for centerline 3D mapping of a variety of utility pipelines.Work Process and DeliverablesThe complete mapping operation can take as long asa few hours to possibly a full day. The most involved stepof the process is to string the pipeline. In some cases,the survey has been completed in less than one hour.The steps needed to map the pipelines are:• GPS survey the entry and exit points on the pipeline.This generally is done before reconnect andbackfill.• Complete cleaning and/or dewatering.• Open entry and exit ends of pipeline.• String the pipeline with forced air or compressor.• Complete the Smart Probe mapping; pull the toolforward and backward (complete round trip) twice(for quality control purposes).• Download data, perform quality control inspections.24 Water Utility Infrastructure ManagementNovember/December 2010
The probe’s post-mission software package extracts, computes and interprets the collecteddata and allows for the seamless transfer of the collected data into various GIS databases.But the process is only the beginning. Information isthe heart of the process. The Smart Probe survey reportdeliverables include:• AutoCAD plan and profile as-built (3D referenced tothe provided survey coordinates)• PDF version of the AutoCAD depiction• Comma Separated Value (CSV) file documenting thehorizontal coordinates (X, Y) and elevation (Z) in1-ft intervals along the length of the conduit bore• Google Earth image (KMZ) file referencing the planview of the conduit• GeoUnderground , a web-based portal that allowscustomers to access subscription-based informationfrom any computer.mapping technologies andGeoUnderground web-basedsecure 3D geographic informationsystem database with Pace’senergy expertise and RidgeGlobal’s expertise in preparedness,security and resiliency tomeet the growing challengesthat businesses and governmentsface today.In September, Geospatialagreed to license its Smart Probetechnology for Florida-basedengineering firm George F.Young Inc., which will have nonexclusiveuse of the Smart Probeand GeoUnderground in theSoutheast and Caribbean.Porter said that as the technologyspreads, even more opportunitieswill arise. “The reactionwe have had from our clients hasbeen really positive,” he said.“Once they see the results, theycan begin to see what they cando with the information.”Jim Rush is editor of UIM.Looking AheadAs long as the population continues to increase, the needfor utilities will continue to grow. Additionally, aging infrastructurecontinues to be a driver in the underground pipelinerepair and replacement market. That means opportunitiesfor technology like Geospatial’s Smart Probe. “There areutilities out there tripping over each other, and it’s gettingworse by the day,” Porter said. “There is a great need tointegrate data between disparate agencies, and we are wellpositionedas a third party to be able to do that. It is a phenomenalgrowth opportunity.”Additionally, having accurate information allows betterdesigns and fewer surprises during construction. “Withgood accuracy you are able design and execute an engineeringplan and efficiency,” Porter said. “It is also fundamentalto tracking your assets and managing risk and exposure.”Geospatial this year announced a strategic partnershipwith Ridge Global, headed by former Pennsylvania Governorand Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, and PaceEnergy that combines Geospatial’s Smart Probe pipelineNovember/December 2010Water Utility Infrastructure Management 25
Page 4: CONTENTSNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010COVER
Page 10 and 11: CTAMCertification of Trainingin Ass
Page 12 and 13: FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESKMunicipa
Page 14 and 15: NEWSWEFTEC 2010 Sets New Exhibition
Page 16 and 17: NEWSThe project is the fastest, mos
Page 18 and 19: W A S H I N G T O N R E P O R TWate
Page 20 and 21: M A X W E L L R E P O R T By Steve
Page 22 and 23: Seeing theUndergroundNew Technology
Page 26 and 27: Blue Gold RushMilwaukee Turns to It
Page 28 and 29: The Backbone of Clean WaterInfrastr
Page 30 and 31: Energy SavingsPerformanceContractsC
Page 32 and 33: and verification is accomplished wi
Page 34 and 35: The Effective Utility Management In
Page 36 and 37: Making the Right ChoiceCareful Cons
Page 38 and 39: Challenges of the 21 st CenturyThe
Page 40 and 41: CALENDAR2011January 18-21 Utility C
Page 42 and 43: COMMENTARYDesign-Build-OperateAlter
Page 44: For more information visit www.uimo

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