A.M. Thomas

Smart Pipes—Instrumented Water Pipes, Can This Be Made a Reality?

Several millions of kilometres of pipes and cables are buried beneath our streets in the UK. As they are not visible and easily accessible, the monitoring of their integrity as well as the quality of their contents is a challenge. Any information of these properties aids the utility owners in their planning and management of their maintenance regime. Traditionally, expensive and very localised sensors are used to provide irregular measurements of these properties. In order to have a complete picture of the utility network, cheaper sensors need to be investigated which would allow large numbers of small sensors to be incorporated into (or near to) the pipe leading to so-called smart pipes. This paper focuses on a novel trial where a short section of a prototype smart pipe was buried using mainly off-the-shelf sensors and communication elements. The challenges of such a burial are presented together with the limitations of the sensor system. Results from the sensors were obtained during and after burial indicating that off-the-shelf sensors can be used in a smart pipes system although further refinements are necessary in order to miniaturise these sensors. The key challenges identified were the powering of these sensors and the communication of the data to the operator using a range of different methods.

A Stakeholder Led Accuracy Assessment System for Utility Location

In the UK alone there are many millions of miles of underground utilities and records concerning their location are often inaccurate, incomplete, or non-existent. As well as posing significant health and safety problems to construction personnel, this problem brings with it large social and financial costs. This has led to increasing use of Ground Penetrating RADAR (GPR) for utility location, but without detailed consideration of its efficacy in terms of location accuracy. Therefore, Mapping the Underworld (MTU), a multi-university research project aimed at ensuring improved accuracy in utility location, has been actively engaged in stakeholder consultation. As well as providing much useful data on stakeholder needs, this is also providing a methodology for the assessment of GPR utility location in terms of the factor of most importance to them - the degree to which the equipment provides location within their own accuracy requirements. Also, in order to provide consistency in the assessment methodology, MTU intends to construct a state-of-the-art test facility for assessing location equipment accuracy within tight tolerances. This will yield a combined methodology for reliable testing of location equipment, coupled to an accuracy assessment system weighted in a manner acceptable to stakeholders.

Monitoring Patients with Mental Disorders

Mental disorders impose significant socio-economic and geo-political challenges which, if not addressed, have the potential to overwhelm the ability of healthcare systems globally to accommodate the growing demands both in human and resource management terms. From a treatment perspective there is a need to implement multi-modal systems where patients can be diagnosed, treated, and monitored. Such systems must incorporate triage and treatment capabilities in both hospital settings with monitoring in the community. This paper considers the practical challenges in realising the goal of achieving the effective monitoring of patients with mental disorders in Smart-Psychiatric Intensive Care Units and in the community. Illustrative scenarios are presented. We conclude that effective patient monitoring will provide benefits for all stakeholders in the management of mental disorders.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions due to Highway Subgrade Improvements

Improving poor subgrades is essential to facilitate highway construction and ensure long-term stability. Improvements include enhanced load distribution by using crushed rock “capping” layers or increasing the sub-base thickness if the bearing capacity of the subgrade remains unchanged, and lime stabilization of soft clay subgrades improves the subgrade stiffness and strength to reduce or remove the need for additional crushed rock. However, the relative sustainability of subgrade improvement options as determined by indicators such as carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is not immediately apparent. If capping is used, the relative depth requirements, together with variations due to different aggregates, make the lowest emissions option unclear. Lime production incurs far greater CO2 emissions than aggregates production, but it is used in smaller quantities and the quantity truly required, as opposed to that commonly specified, requires consideration. To address these decision-making dilemmas, a methodology is presented that allows the relative sustainability, according to CO2 emissions, to be evaluated. This methodology is illustrated through analysis of available improvement options for a typical low California bearing ratio clay subgrade by using capping, subbase thickening and lime stabilization, or a combination of these solutions. It is concluded that analysis of the relative sustainability of subgrade improvements can be informed by emissions calculations and that the lowest emissions option is heavily dependent on associated highway haulage vehicle movements. However, wider appreciation of financial, social, and environmental factors and a fundamental understanding of the role of lime stabilization are necessary if road foundations are to be constructed sustainably.

MINIMISING STREETWORKS DISRUPTION BY MAPPING THE UNDERWORLD

The problems associated with inaccurate buried utility location are causing increased traffic congestion in cities worldwide, so are of concern to all stakeholders involved in utility service provision. Therefore, a small group of key UK stakeholder representatives have been attempting to raise awareness and, following significant industry lobbying and government acknowledgement of the research needs, academic funding was obtained through a novel UK system drawing together a highly multidisciplinary mix of participants. This identified a need for a multi-sensor location tool, improved mapping technologies, integration of existing and newlyderived data, and asset tagging, resulting in a research programme entitled Mapping the Underworld (MTU). This paper describes MTU and its belief that what is largely hidden as a result of its burial should not be forgotten when setting priorities for funding. It is also described as an important example of how a coherent research strategy can lead to an acceptable solution if it is not treated as a single, stand-alone project - as so many classically academic research projects are. It will conclude that an holistic approach is required to address the complex problem of utility location, which requires collaboration between disciplines, with other research projects and, most importantly, with the stakeholders intended to benefit from the research.