Abstract

Esri's Analysis Tools in Support of Borrow Material Allocation Analysis
Track: Analysis and Geoprocessing
Authors: Brian Coward, Brandon Jones

Esri Model builder and python programming capability enabled the development of a borrow allocation tool for assigning different areas within borrow pits to 7 different segments of a levee construction project in West Sacramento CA.    The problem was figuring out how to split up the borrow areas between the levee segments and at the same time minimizing the haul distance.  Model builder became an indispensable scaffold to use to construct the solution, test the solution, tweak the solution, and rerun the solution when there was updated source data.  The solution required a process of iteration that would buffer the levee segment, determine if the buffered area intersected with enough borrow material and if not the iteration would start over with a different size buffer. Python scripting was used to invoke more complex logic to significantly reduce the iterations (processing time) and increase the precision of the outcome.