Lessons Learned From Supporting a Geohazard Management Program

There are a number of geomatics tasks required to support a Geohazard Management Program (Program). For the program implemented by BGC Engineering Inc. for several midstream pipeline operators, these tasks range from identification of potential geohazards (landslide, river erosion), to setup and support for field navigation, through to geohazard database management. Doing these in an efficient and effective manner requires substantial amounts of spatial data and a toolset containing both software and hardware components. For this Program geohazards are classified as hydrotechnical (e.g. a pipeline crossing a river) or geotechnical (e.g. a pipeline traversing a slope). Lists of potential geohazards are generated and provided to field crews who then navigate to each site and perform a field inspection. Navigation and inspection observations are accomplished with the aid of a ruggedized laptop connected to wireless GPS. Upon return from the field, sites are uploaded to Cambio™, an internet database for managing geohazards. Each site is assigned a frequency of action commensurate with the estimated level of risk. Assigned actions include follow-up ground inspections, detailed investigations, monitoring, maintenance and mitigation. An audit trail of site inspections, surveys and mitigation reports, photos, and site survey drawings, are all available for review within Cambio™, allowing access to the information from any site with an internet connection. This paper will present an overview of the Geohazard Management Program from a geomatics perspective, highlighting the integration of geomatics tools into a system designed to be used by engineering personnel, field technicians, and project managers.Copyright © 2010 by ASME