TRB Webinar: New SHRP 2 Tools for Underground Utility Location Data Collection and Analysis

TRB Webinar: New SHRP 2 Tools for Underground Utility Location Data Collection and Analysis

SHRP 2, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), will conduct a webinar on February 15, 2012, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM EST that will explore new tools for underground utility location data collection and analysis. There is no fee to register for this webinar and no professional development hours will be provided.

Four SHRP 2 research projects are developing innovative tools for detecting the location and characteristics of underground utilities and for utilizing these data.  Three of these projects are approaching significant milestones and the fourth has now been completed.  The results of these projects are expected to include innovative tools for utility location utilizing multi-sensor platforms; technologies to expand the locatable zone for underground utilities; innovations to support the storage, retrieval, and utilization of three-dimensional utility location data; and tools and methodologies for identifying and resolving utility conflicts.  The first webinar on this subject, held on August 15, 2011, provided preliminary information on the functional design and intended use of these new tools; a link to a recording of that webinar is available on the following page. Field testing of prototype versions of these tools is now under way, and this webinar will present the preliminary test results.  In addition, the webinar will address the following questions:

• How will these new tools differ from the ones being used today?
• What additional capabilities will they provide?
• Will they be more difficult to use than current tools?
• Will they require special training or operation only by specially-trained people?
• How will the costs to use these new tools likely compare with those of today's tools?
• When will these new tools likely be commercially available?

Panelists: 

• Jim Anspach, J.H. Anspach Consulting
• Andrew Hammerschmidt, Gas Technology Institute
• Gary Young, Underground Imaging Technologies
• Chris Ziolkowski, Gas Technology Institute
• Cesar Quiroga, Texas Transportation Institute

Moderator:
Chuck Taylor, Senior Program Officer, SHRP 2, Transportation Research Board

Questions? Contact Patrick Zelinski at pzelinski@nas.edu. 

Register now.