Geotechnical Cores/Boring Geotechnical Cores/Boring Log Data ProjectLog Data Project

Collecting, Managing and Collecting, Managing and Delivering Geotechnical Delivering Geotechnical

InformationInformation

Wisconsin Land Information Wisconsin Land Information Association Annual ConferenceAssociation Annual Conference

March 5, 2004March 5, 2004

Why the MMSD – Cores/Boring Why the MMSD – Cores/Boring Data Project?Data Project?

• 2020 Facilities Planning2020 Facilities Planning

• Tool for planning, design, Tool for planning, design, and construction of and construction of future District capital future District capital projectsprojects

• Facilitate decisions Facilitate decisions during preliminary during preliminary engineering engineering

• Save money by reducing Save money by reducing unnecessary or unnecessary or redundant bore holesredundant bore holes

Projects that Projects that Generated Generated Geotechnical Geotechnical InformationInformation

• WatercourseWatercourse

• ConveyanceConveyance

• Deep Tunnel Deep Tunnel

• Treatment PlantTreatment Plant

Lincoln Creek Lincoln Creek

Flood Flood ManagementManagement

PlanPlan

Deep Tunnel System

Interceptor Sewer System

The The Interceptor Interceptor Sewer and Sewer and Deep Tunnel Deep Tunnel SystemSystem

Geotechnical Data CollectionGeotechnical Data Collection

• MWPAP¹ Initiated Collecting Geotechnical Data MWPAP¹ Initiated Collecting Geotechnical Data into an Electronic Database into an Electronic Database

- Period: 1979 to 1992- Period: 1979 to 1992

• Research Through the Records Center DatabaseResearch Through the Records Center Database- Period: 1900 to the present- Period: 1900 to the present

• Individual Project ManagerIndividual Project Manager- - Period: 1990 to 2003Period: 1990 to 2003

• Outside ConsultantsOutside Consultants- Period: 1978 to present- Period: 1978 to present

¹ MWPAP: Milwaukee Water Pollution Abatement Program¹ MWPAP: Milwaukee Water Pollution Abatement Program

Data Gathering ObstaclesData Gathering Obstacles

• Data Formats: Data Formats: - Paper- Paper

- Microfilm- Microfilm- Electronic in previous computer systems- Electronic in previous computer systems

• 100 Years of Project Data Archived in 100 Years of Project Data Archived in Different File Code SystemsDifferent File Code Systems

• Search Based on Project Title or Contract Search Based on Project Title or Contract NumberNumber

• Projects Often Not Coded ProperlyProjects Often Not Coded Properly• Local KnowledgeLocal Knowledge

Data Management – Data Management – Organization StructureOrganization Structure

• Graph Showing Sewer Type Based on Graph Showing Sewer Type Based on DepthDepth

Ground Surface

Local Sewers

MMSD Interceptor Sewers

Deep Tunnel

Depth (Feet)

10 - 30

20 - 100

200 - 300

0

Electronic GeoTech Database

• Bore/core logs vs. true 3-dimensional database• Geo-spatial dimension (x,y) for locating historic projects• Bibliographic information for locating original

documents/reports• Additional information to narrow querying

-Depth -Date -Lab data -Project/Contract • Attribute added to indicate quality / accuracy of location• Integrate matching information from existing MWPAP

database• Final tables to reside on District Oracle Database (no

SDE available at this time)

MWPAP Electronic Database

• Original application built in support of the Milwaukee Water Pollution Abatement Program (purpose included building in-line storage interceptor system).

• Database and application built on a DEC-10 system, now decommissioned

• Tables were related to provide geological information on layers of soil and rock, as well as lab data (soil, rock, and water quality lab results)

• All data was referenced with coordinates as well as depth, allowing for a 3-dimensional aspect to the data

• Application no longer exists, flat tables only remain

Document Review

• Documents received from several different sources

(MMSD vault, record center, microfiche)

• Some projects duplicated because of multiple sources,

and/or because numbers were different

• Some projects were also smaller parts of other projects

• Many bore logs were duplicated in many projects

• Many bore logs have same bore number (ex B-1)

• Needed a strategy for identifying duplicates and naming

documents for easy retrieval at later date

Example of Records1963 – Blackhawk Tanning1995

How to Identify Duplications as Early as Possible

• Identify the most original project that a bore log was from

(ie. Blackhawk Tanning, 1963)

• Assign ID-numbers incorporating the original project

number, the year and the bore number.

• Some historic logs did not have a project number, but did

have a name (ie. Blackhawk Tanning)

• Decided to add a prefix to indicate whether the project

was originally an MMSD project, a private project with a

number, or a private project with no number available

The Identification System

• Prefix added to non-MMSD projects

• XX_ indicated that project number was a private contract number either from the owner or the driller (XX_STS81555_82)

• AA_ indicated that there was no number available, so an ID number was made up from the name or location (AA_BlckhwkTan_63)

• Same system applied to the bore logs, with the original bore log being added to the identification number (AA_Blckhwktan_63_B1)

• All scans for logs are kept in a folder from the project that they were located in (to ease finding original documents if necessary) -- THUS, the final path for the documents included the Project Number that the document was located in, the most original Project Number, and the bore log number – this kept it unique and traceable for all logs!

Locating the Projects

All projects were located first – with a diagonal line across the approximate area of the project

The site map(s), if available, were linked

Add New Project Information

Generated automatically

Project site maps were

geo-rectified using

intersections and accurate

basemaps provide by MCAMLIS

Site MapLocations

Each color represents a

different project/site

map

The “selected” features

represent the points

extracted from the

underlying map

Locating the Bore Holes

Bore hole locations were mapped using project site maps

or coordinates if provided.

When neither were available, a general project location was

used.

Add New Bore Log Information

Generated automatically

Creative measures had be taken!

Historic maps and projects with old addresses or NO addresses

were harder to locate

NOAA Harbor Chart - 1972

Metro and Milwaukee Contract Profiles

1915 - 1987

Profiles contained valuable

geotechnical information

AND

accurate maps to help

locate

We have the data – now how do we use it?

• Need to query data spatially (i.e. pick a point on a map and query for all bore locations within a designated distance)

• Want to narrow search to include only bores of certain depth

• May wish to narrow further by other attributes– Date– Locational quality– Project name

• Generate reports of findings and print appropriate logs

Non-Spatial Search/Query – Bore LogsPlease select from all appropriate fields. The query will search for all bore logs and profiles containing each selection made. To make multiple selections within a field, hold down the control key while selecting. To deselect an entry, choose the blank (-) option located at the top of each field.

Project name:

Project/contractnumber originally

drilled under :

Enter any part of a project name. All projects that contain that word (or part of word) will be returned.

Drill date: From: To:

Flag:

Searches all MMSD contract numbers and assigned numbers of private projects that a log was originally drilled under (if known).

Min/max depthrange:

From: To:

Drill dates when known (project date if drill date unavailable), please enter a range surrounding the desired date.

Minimum and maximum depths of range or interest for bores. If a log has both soil and rock logs associated, the depth of the rock log is recorded.

Bore log #:

Bore type: Drop down

All spaces, dashes, etc. will be ignored. (i.e. B-1, B1 and B 1 will all return the same logs.

Soil, Rock or Soil/Rock

Flags are for administrative/maintenance personnel.

ResetQuery

Open ProjectQuery

Return toMain Menu

SubmitQuery

Spatial Queries

• MMSD is implementing an ArcIMS and ArcSDE within the next several months

• The ArcIMS will allow multiple users to access information throughout the District offices

• Final linking of the attribute tables with the spatial layers will need to be done after both the ArcIMS and ArcSDE are installed

• The interim solution will be ArcReader/ArcExplorer applications, allowing users to spatially query, link to logs and download information but not give them the full capabilities that the IMS will

ArcGIS Buffering and Linking to Logs

Center Point of New Project

500 Foot Buffer

.dbf table of all selected bore logs

Linked scan of one bore log

Editing the Database

• Require contractors to submit bore logs electronically• Have specifications spelled out for consistency• Move towards having contractors input other attribute

information over a secure web service (original interface is designed in “Cold Fusion” to allow this)

• GIS personnel may still have to do maintenance on adding spatial features into the geo-database or SDE

• Lock historic data so that attributes cannot be altered (some exceptions need to be allowed for updating data as it is discovered)

Lessons LearnedLessons Learned

• General Vs. Specific File Code SystemGeneral Vs. Specific File Code System

• Better Identification and Redefinition of Better Identification and Redefinition of information Vs. Time consuming for information Vs. Time consuming for retrieval retrieval

• Better Distribution of Data Set to the Better Distribution of Data Set to the Record CenterRecord Center

• Design Better System Map Collecting All Design Better System Map Collecting All Information:Treatment Information:Treatment Plant/Conveyance/WatercoursePlant/Conveyance/Watercourse

Future GoalFuture Goal

• Planning PurposesPlanning Purposes

• Complete the Database Within Complete the Database Within MMSD’s JurisdictionMMSD’s Jurisdiction

• Incorporate Municipal, DOT & County Incorporate Municipal, DOT & County Projects into DatabaseProjects into Database