Geographic information system based roadway construction planning

Abstract

The planning process for roadway construction involves a large amount of information on design, construction methods, quantities, unit costs, production rates, and site conditions. Therefore, it is very important to acquire, manage, and process the necessary information efficiently to produce a rigorous construction plan. The geographic information system (GIS) is a very effective tool for integrating and managing various types of information, including spatial and nonspatial data, required for roadway construction planning. This paper proposes a GIS-based system for improving roadway construction planning with its "interactive space scheduling" and "operation level planning" functions, which are supported by the integration of various data required for planning. The proposed system can assist construction planners in a unique way by integrating design and construction information and creating modularized design elements for space scheduling in real time using its interactive space scheduling function. In addition, operation level planning on earthwork can be conducted via the ability of the system to analyze haul routes in three dimensions and selecting the best equipment combination. It is expected that the proposed system could improve the efficiency of roadway construction planning.