Geographic Information Science (GIS), or spatial data science, is the scientific discipline of using location intelligence to explore spatial patterns and relationships, answer questions, and solve problems relating to a variety of different topics. At SSR, we help our colleagues and clients harness the power of location intelligence to make better decisions using geographic information systems. Our GIS services have been developed to provide innovative solutions for implementation, maintenance, and management to identify custom solutions for individual issues.

 

One of the ways SSR uses GIS is by creating mobile field applications for surveyors, engineers, and technicians to show their location in the field and collect data. These apps are completely customizable – a few examples include our structural integrity surveys, erosion prevention and sediment control inspection surveys, and field location. Mobile field applications are a great tool for asset management, keeping track of inspections, collecting data in the field, and creating job observation reports.

 

SSR has applied internal GIS capabilities to numerous projects across the firm. Three examples of recent projects that engaged our GIS capabilities are the structural assessment performed at the FTX Arena in Miami, Florida, CEI technicians locating themselves on Lamar Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee, and our Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control (EPSC) inspectors inspecting job sites for TDEC. All three of these are examples of how SSR is continuing to develop and evolve our GIS capabilities to support our technical staff and enable them to provide effective solutions internally and externally to our clients. To read more about how SSR helps manage our clients’ underground utility assets, check out this article in GIS Professional.

 

FTX Arena

The structural assessment for the FTX Arena conducted by SSR used a customizable field app to document the structural assessment of the building. Using the ArcGIS Survey123 app, customized to the FTX Arena, the SSR team was able to take photographs, pinpoint the location on a map, use drop down menus created for the inspection, and make notes about the repairs. When the team returned to the office, they were able to see all the photos they took and where they were located, what levels the repairs were on, notes about the damage and any critical information that was documented. All the information was then exported from the survey into a coded word document template that allowed for an efficient and effective way to create a job observation report.

“It helped immensely in keeping track of where in the arena we were taking the pictures. It also allowed us to actively add notes to the pictures as we were taking them.” – Kelsey Josephson

More information on the FTX Arena Structural Assessment project can be found here.

 

Lamar Avenue

SSR is a part of the TDOT Lamar Ave SR4 project in Memphis, TN, providing construction engineering inspection (CEI) during the construction phase of the project. This project has three phases that include grading, drainage, paving, and construction of a concrete bulb-tee beam bridge and retaining walls. Because the project is 1.8 miles in length, the CEI group was constantly having to pull out their plans and see where they were on the project. With mobile field applications, they are now able to see themselves on a map with all the plans on the map.

More information on the Lamar Avenue project can be found here.

 

Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control app

The Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control (EPSC) mobile field application allows any of our EPSC inspectors to go to a job site and collect the information they need to fill out their twice-weekly inspection reports. The data that they collect is marked on the specified job site’s map next to the station marks and alignments for the project. They then provide this detailed information to the contractor so that all erosion prevention items can be fixed or maintained.