Areas of Expertise

The GIS staff includes both experienced application developers, skilled in integrating GIS and transportation models into decision support systems, and experienced spatial database developers, particularly in linear referencing systems (LRS). GIS Lab staff know not only how to create LRS data, but also how to use it effectively in a decision support system.

Staff Qualifications

Experience in implementing systems using both Intergraph and ESRI software for federal and state agencies. Each agency has data stored in a number of vendor formats, and they require easy-to-use mapping applications to view, model, and analyze the information.

Experience in integrating existing models into applications developed in the Laboratory.

A high degree of programming skill balanced with the ability to communicate with sponsors, resulting in the development of tools that are sophisticated but easy to use.

Considerable exposure to different GIS vendor formats and data structures as a result of work with the Federal Highway Administration, the Tennessee Department of Transportation, and the Military Traffic Management Command–Transportation Engineering Agency.

Current Projects

Transportation Roadway Information Management System
Development of a mapping system to efficiently view, query, and analyze the Transportation Roadway Information Management System spatial database. The project includes development of GIS decision-based software to do the following:
—Identify roadway deficiencies for Tennessee Department of Transportation
—Facilitate access to multiple GIS vendor formats of routing and congestion models

Geographical Data Warehouse Viewer
Development of a customized geographical data warehouse (GDW) viewer using Intergraph’s GeoMedia for the Military Traffic Management Command—Transportation Engineering Agency (MTMC). It allows MTMC to display and analyze data in multiple vendor formats, such as Intergraph MGE, CAD, ESRI coverages, and ESRI shape format. Users can access data layers in a Microsoft Explorer-like interface, which allows users to draw features quickly by automating many of the steps necessary to view the data using the standard GeoMedia interface. Thus users with limited GIS knowledge can create maps quickly, while more knowledgeable users can access the full GeoMedia toolkit. Other features of the GDW viewer:

It facilitates access to spatial databases such as transportation networks, ports, and military installations and facilitate the integration of routing and congestion models for analysis.

It is enhanced to identify infrastructure deficiencies for heavy equipment transports. This allows an analyst to identify bridges that may impede the transportation of extremely heavy equipment.

It provides manual calibration of the national bridge inventory (bridges > 20m) to power projection platform routes to facilitate infrastructure assessment and convoy routing for heavy equipment transports. This provides a more exact location of bridges so that alternate routing scenarios can be developed if a bridge is found to be deficient or out of service.

TDOT Mapping System for Planners
Adaptation of the GDW viewer for use at the Tennessee Department of Transportation planning division. TDOT users have the additional capability of displaying liner referencing data along with other databases such as bridges, accident locations, and intersections. In addition, attributes such as roadway geometry, traffic volumes, and other highway-related features can be viewed and analyzed using the application. Most of these features are stored in an Intergraph MGE project with Oracle. The viewer is being modified to display the results of TDOT models that calculate when and where roadway segments will become deficient; that information is then used to plan construction projects.

TDOT Network Evaluation Software
Development of GIS-based decision support system to identify roadway deficiencies. TDOT planners use the system to forecast future needs and then model recommended improvements to determine the cost/benefits of construction projects

TDOT Advanced Traffic Management Software
Development of the Advanced Traffic Management Software to store and manage traffic counts, WIM, ATR, vehicle classification, and coverage counts. The software automatically processes incoming traffic counts from the field, alerts the analyst to any inconsistencies in the data, and calculates growth factors and forecasts future traffic volumes.

TDOT InterAct
Development of the Interact software that uses TDOT accident data to calculate accident rates and determine high-hazard locations.

GIS Network Database Development and Linear Referencing Systems
Development of the National Highway Planning Network (NHPN) used by the Federal Highway Administration for planning applications and by the MTMC to model convoy routing and assess infrastructure. The NHPN uses linear referencing information to display traffic volumes, road widths, and pavement quality. It contains 10% of the roads that carry 90% of U.S. traffic. In addition to officially designating the national highway system, it is used to identify the Strategic Highway Network, which designates roadways that connect core installations and are designed to support 99.9% of the vehicles in the military inventory.

Past Projects

• Development of nationwide linear referencing system to support statewide transportation planning systems
• Development of GIS-based TRANSCOM nationwide vehicle tracking system for Department of Energy hazardous shipments
• Development of GIS-based Emergency Transportation Resource Management System to determine the likely impact of a catastrophic event

For More Information

For more information, see
University of Tennessee Center for Transportation Research.

Contact:

Mike Schultze
Phone: 865-946-1469
Email: mschultze@utk.edu

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