Automating utility route design and planning through GIS

In trench construction, one of the tasks for engineers is to select a suitable route to minimize construction cost and obstructions. This paper discusses the development of a Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based system to automate the process of routing and design of an underground power supply system. In the system, surface and underground utilities are represented in several coverages. Using network analysis, the system determines the optimal paths for routing the utilities. Through database queries and spatial operations, the construction conflict points between the basic coverages and the selected route are not only identified, but a reallocation schedule is also determined.