Government

Raw Water Modeling GPS Project for Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC)

GP used global positioning satellite and traditional surveying techniques to conduct a base-wide raw water modeling project at the Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) at Arnold AFB in Tennessee. The specific task was to locate, mark, and map the raw water lines for the entire base, including those lines going to base housing and from the primary pumping station to the secondary pumping station. The group's mission was to update old base maps that were drawn when the systems were originally put in and which had not been updated as changes were made to the system.

Additional Mapping Services

GP also created plan and profile drawings showing the ground and pipe elevations. This entailed going into the raw water lines and shooting elevation of the pipes using a rod and transit. Team members actually crawled through some 30-inch pipe to identify branches and location before the project ended. They obtained the elevation of the pipe at a manhole relevant to a known benchmark above ground and then continued down the pipe from that point observing elevation changes every 100 feet and at valves and branches.

Project Scope

The team documented 96,000 feet of pipe, including all valves, manholes, and every physical part associated with raw water lines. They actually physically walked and crawled through approximately 53,000 feet of pipe. The remainder of the pipe, too small to walk, was located using other methods. The project produced profile drawings giving topographical details so that anyone doing any future expansion or repair work will know where the raw water lines are.