Evaluation of the positional accuracy of subsurface utilities

Since WWII, the urban underworlds have become a web of utility lines, including telecommunication lines, buried electricity lines, gas mains, watermains, cable TV, fiber optic cables, street lighting, and storm and sanitary sewers. From preliminary design stages to breaking ground on new construction projects; owners, designers, engineers, and contractors rely on existing underground utility records as an initial source of information. There is a constant need for underground utility information and most of the city's existing utility records are not only irretrievable, but are also out-of-date. According to research done in the past, records and visible feature surveys by site are a significant percentage off the mark and, in some cases, considerably worse. This study focuses on the evaluation of the positional accuracy of subsurface utilities within seven projects, within the City of Toronto, using an offset approach. It also aims to reveal the magnitude of the problem surrounding the obtainment, analyzation, and interpretation of information with respect to underground infrastructure facilities. None of the projects show any relationship or correlation with positional accuracy and the factors that are thought to affect the accuracy of underground utility information (e.g. type of soil, type of utility, date of installation, right-of-way, etc.). The analysis indicates a clear indication of no systematic patterns between the right-of-way parameters and utility type parameters. Based on the results of this study it can be stated that the process of obtaining subsurface utility information is still a time-consuming, inefficient, costly, and difficult process.

Evaluation of the positional accuracy of subsurface utilities

Since WWII, the urban underworlds have become a web of utility lines, including telecommunication lines, buried electricity lines, gas mains, watermains, cable TV, fiber optic cables, street lighting, and storm and sanitary sewers. From preliminary design stages to breaking ground on new construction projects; owners, designers, engineers, and contractors rely on existing underground utility records as an initial source of information. There is a constant need for underground utility information and most of the city's existing utility records are not only irretrievable, but are also out-of-date. According to research done in the past, records and visible feature surveys by site are a significant percentage off the mark and, in some cases, considerably worse. This study focuses on the evaluation of the positional accuracy of subsurface utilities within seven projects, within the City of Toronto, using an offset approach. It also aims to reveal the magnitude of the problem surrounding the obtainment, analyzation, and interpretation of information with respect to underground infrastructure facilities. None of the projects show any relationship or correlation with positional accuracy and the factors that are thought to affect the accuracy of underground utility information (e.g. type of soil, type of utility, date of installation, right-of-way, etc.). The analysis indicates a clear indication of no systematic patterns between the right-of-way parameters and utility type parameters. Based on the results of this study it can be stated that the process of obtaining subsurface utility information is still a time-consuming, inefficient, costly, and difficult process.

Costs and benefits of communicating vigor

Why do we run toward people we love, but only walk toward others? One reason is to let them know we love them. In this commentary, we elaborate on how subjective utility information encoded in vigor is read out by others. We consider the potential implications for understanding and modeling the link between movements and decisions in social environments.

4D BIM models for smart utility relocation management in urban infrastructure projects

Purpose The relocation of existing underground utilities in urban environments is complex because of the existence of multiple utility agencies being responsible for numerous utilities and over constrained space and time to execute maintenance works. Unfamiliar location and insufficient records of maintenance data hamper the flow of work, causing unnecessary delays and conflicts. The aim of the paper is to explore 4 dimensional Building Information Modeling as a smart solution for the management of multiple utility data for a relocation project in an urban setting. Design/methodology/approach An empirical case-based research methodology is used to collect data and develop the BIM models. Two ongoing construction projects in an urban city are empirically studied, and 4D BIM models of identified utilities are developed to assist management and relocation of existing utilities. Findings The developed BIM models enabled the location of existing sub-surface utilities through 3D visualization and also enabled clash detection. The 4D simulation of BIM model enabled the tracking of actual progress of relocation works and thereby helped in taking necessary actions to minimize forthcoming delays. The evaluation of the developed model showed that the application of 4D BIM improved communication and coordination during utility relocation works. Practical implications 4D BIM for utility infrastructure provides better management of utility information. They provide utility stakeholders an efficient way to coordinate, manage utility relocation processes through improved visualization and communication with a reduction in delays and conflicts. Originality/value Limited efforts were made using 3D BIM for sub-surface utility infrastructure in visualization and management of utility information. Efforts using 4D BIM in coordination and management of utility projects are left unexplored. This study adds value to the current literature through the application of 4D BIM for utility relocation projects.

Damage Identification Method of Beam Structure Based on Modal Curvature Utility Information Entropy

Generally, the damage of the structure will lead to the discontinuity of the local mode shape, which can be well reflected by the modal curvature of the structure, and the local information entropy of the beam structure will also change with the discontinuity of the mode. In this paper, based on the information entropy theory and combining the advantages of modal curvature index in damage identification of beam structure, the modal curvature utility information entropy index is proposed. The modal curvature curves of nondestructive structures were obtained by fitting the modal curvature curves of damage structures with the gapped smoothing technique to avoid dependence on the baseline data of nondestructive structures. The index comprehensively reflects the damage state of the structure by calculating mutual weight change matrix and the weight-probability coefficient. The performance of the new index was verified by the finite element simulation and model test of simply supported beam, respectively. The results show that the modal curvature utility information entropy index takes advantage of the modal curvature index which is sensitive to damage and can overcome its shortcomings effectively. The index proposed can identify the damage location and damage degree accurately and has certain noise immunity, which provides an effective damage identification indicator for beam structures.

Young children consider the expected utility of others’ learning to decide what to teach

Direct instruction facilitates learning without the costs of exploration, yet teachers must be selective because not everything can nor needs to be taught. How do we decide what to teach, and what to leave for learners to discover? Here we investigate the cognitive underpinnings of the human ability to prioritise what to teach. We present a computational model that decides what to teach by maximising the learner's expected utility of learning from instruction and from exploration, and show that children (age 5-7) make decisions that are consistent with the model's predictions (i.e., minimising the learner's costs and maximising the rewards). Children flexibly considered either the learner's utility or their own depending on the context and even considered costs they had not personally experienced to decide what to teach. These results suggest that utility-based reasoning may play an important role in curating cultural knowledge by supporting selective transmission of high-utility information.