Abstract

If GPS Is So Cool, Why Aren't We Using It?
Track: Electric and Gas
Author(s): Garrett Topham

The traditional field method for identifying service line location is to describe its distance off property line. With the rise of free-form subdivisions, the offset method has become increasingly more complicated. Many would say the solution is GPS. That is not only costly, but creates problems in both data and workflow integration. The solution is Bearing/Distance. While not an entirely new concept, advancements in technology now allow us to take bearings within a half-degree of accuracy for a cost that would enable our entire workforce at the price of a single GPS unit. Also, this method requires much less training and upkeep. With the standards of field data collection we've developed, using either the Arc 8.3 Traverse Tool or the new Arc 9.2 tools make for efficient integration of Bearing/Distance data directly into our existing GIS even when that GIS is spatially 'less-than-perfect.'

Garrett Topham
City of Mesa
640 N. Mesa Dr.
P.O. Box 1466
Mesa , Arizona 85211-1466
United States
Phone: 480-644-5645
E-mail: garrett.topham@cityofmesa.org