Natural Hazard Database Application: A Tool for Pipeline Decision Makers

Author(s):  
Mark Leir ◽  
Michael Reed

Trans Mountain Pipe Line Company Ltd. (TMPL) owns and operates an 1146 km NPS 24 low vapor pressure petroleum products pipeline between Edmonton, Alberta and Burnaby, British Columbia. In 1998 TMPL retained BGC Engineering Inc. (BGC) to start a three-phase geotechnical and hydrotechnical hazard assessment of the right of way (ROW) from Hinton, Alberta to Kamloops, British Columbia. As part of this work GroundControl was asked to develop an electronic database with which to capture the information generated by BGC during the hazard assessment work. This paper describes the development and evolution of the database application that accompanied the study to quantitatively assess and prioritize the geotechnical and hydrotechnical hazard potential along the pipeline. This paper describes how the database provides TMPL employees across British Columbia and Alberta access to the current results of the hazard assessment plus supporting information such as multi-temporal images and internal and 3rd party reports about the pipeline. The purpose of the database and the unique architecture and functionality that accommodates ongoing monitoring and inspections of slopes and stream crossings is provided. Database security, access, and information sharing unique to TMPL are also described. Benefits and costs of the application plus technical and business challenges overcome by TMPL, BGC, and GroundControl are discussed. Recommendations from TMPL and GroundControl for similar information management initiatives are provided and future work is described. This paper is targeted to pipeline managers who are looking for economical, practical, and innovative information management solutions for managing their natural hazards.

Author(s):  
Mark Leir ◽  
Michael Reed ◽  
Eugene Yaremko

Terasen Pipelines (Terasen) owns and operates an 1146 km low vapour pressure petroleum products pipeline between Edmonton, Alberta and Burnaby, British Columbia. Its right-of-way passes through some of the most geotechnically, hydrotechnically, and environmentally challenging terrain in Western Canada. This paper describes the latest advancement of a natural hazards and risk management database application that has supported a 6-year hazard management program to quantitatively assess and prioritize the geotechnical and hydrotechnical risk along the pipeline. This database was first reported at IPC 2002 in a paper entitled “Natural hazard database application — A tool for pipeline decision makers” [1]. This second paper describes the advancements since then, including the addition of the Hydrotechnical Field Inspection Module (FIM), an add-on tool that allows field inspection observations to adjust hazard and vulnerability. This paper discusses the challenges in building a methodology that is practical enough for field maintenance personnel to use yet sufficiently comprehensive to accurately describe improving or worsening hydrotechnical hazard conditions. Functionality to enter hazard inspection data, review inspection results in the office, and authorize changes to the hydrotechnical hazard probabilities are described in the paper and demonstrated in the conference presentation. The relationship between revised hazard, vulnerability, risk, and response thresholds (such as inspection frequency, monitoring, site surveys, or mitigation) are demonstrated using a river crossing with a dynamic hazard history. As in previous years, this paper is targeted to pipeline managers who are seeking a systematic hazard and risk management approach for their natural hazards.


Author(s):  
Robert V. Hadden ◽  
Kevin J. De Leenheer

As part of its Integrity Management Program, Trans Mountain Pipe Line hydrostatically tests sections of its pipeline system with water transported to test sites through the pipeline. After completion of the testing, the water continues through the pipeline to a water treatment facility where it is treated and discharged to the municipal sewer system. Hydrostatic testing of an operating pipeline, although simple in concept, is a major undertaking. This paper will outline the technical aspects of Trans Mountain’s hydrostatic testing program including: test water transportation, environmental constraints, coordination of test activities and water treatment.


Author(s):  
Tom Morrison ◽  
Naurang Mangat ◽  
Guy Desjardins ◽  
Arti Bhatia

Enbridge Pipelines Inc. (“Enbridge”), together with U.S. affiliate Lakehead Pipe Line, operates the world’s longest crude oil and petroleum products pipeline system. These companies transport liquid hydrocarbons from their point of supply to refining markets in the Midwestern United States and Eastern Canada.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 952
Author(s):  
Lia Duarte ◽  
Ana Cláudia Teodoro ◽  
Joaquim J. Sousa ◽  
Luís Pádua

In a precision agriculture context, the amount of geospatial data available can be difficult to interpret in order to understand the crop variability within a given terrain parcel, raising the need for specific tools for data processing and analysis. This is the case for data acquired from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), in which the high spatial resolution along with data from several spectral wavelengths makes data interpretation a complex process regarding vegetation monitoring. Vegetation Indices (VIs) are usually computed, helping in the vegetation monitoring process. However, a crop plot is generally composed of several non-crop elements, which can bias the data analysis and interpretation. By discarding non-crop data, it is possible to compute the vigour distribution for a specific crop within the area under analysis. This article presents QVigourMaps, a new open source application developed to generate useful outputs for precision agriculture purposes. The application was developed in the form of a QGIS plugin, allowing the creation of vigour maps, vegetation distribution maps and prescription maps based on the combination of different VIs and height information. Multi-temporal data from a vineyard plot and a maize field were used as case studies in order to demonstrate the potential and effectiveness of the QVigourMaps tool. The presented application can contribute to making the right management decisions by providing indicators of crop variability, and the outcomes can be used in the field to apply site-specific treatments according to the levels of vigour.


Proceedings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Garth Davies ◽  
Madison Reid

Many existing programs for countering violent extremism focus on either end of the radicalization spectrum. On one hand are prevention programs aimed at deterring individuals from starting down the path to violent extremism. On the other hand are disengagement/de-radicalization programs designed for assisting individuals who have been fully radicalized. Conspicuously absent are programs for those who fall in-between, into what might be referred to as the pre-criminal space: individuals who have begun to exhibit signs of radicalization, but for whom radicalization is not yet complete. The British Columbia Shift (BC Shift) initiative was created to assist individuals determined to be in this pre-criminal space; that is, those deemed to be in danger of radicalizing. The goal of BC Shift is to stop individuals from traveling further down the path of radicalization, and, ideally, to turn individuals away from the path. BC Shift operates as a navigational model, connecting at-risk individuals with services and supports in the community. BC Shift is a government initiative supported by the Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence. It is a civilian organization that partners very closely with, but is separate from, law enforcement. In addition to its primary CRVE mandate, BC Shift has rapidly evolved and expanded into several other responsibilities, including coordination on national CVE standards; liaising with other CVE programs across Canada; maintaining stakeholder relationships; and helping create capacity through dialog and training. Although the program only began accepting referrals in 2019, its operation has already revealed many important lessons for CRVE programs. First, it is critically important to have the right people in the room. There has to be buy-in from the highest levels of partner agencies and stakeholders, particularly early on. Second, programs of this sort should leverage existing resources wherever possible. BC Shift has been lucky enough to coordinate with situation tables, such as the CHART program in Surrey. There are already many organizations doing excellent work in their respective communities; it is very helpful to plug into those resources. Third, even though BC Shift operates as a navigational hub, it has benefitted greatly from having a social worker as part of the team. This skill set is important in helping referred individuals feel comfortable with the process of accessing services and supports. Finally, marketing matters! CRVE programs such as BC Shift have to navigate a complex reality. The very concept of violent extremism is disconcerting to a lot of people in the community; these fears have to be addressed, and difficulties related to differences in perspective and language have to be overcome. BC Shift’s first year-and-a-half of operation has also highlighted several issues that have not yet been satisfactorily resolved. There is, for example, the “low hanging fruit” problem; agencies are typically referring less severe cases. Trying to get agencies to refer more serious cases has proved challenging. We hope that, by outlining these lessons and issues, this presentation proves to be useful to other CRVE initiatives.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 43-49
Author(s):  
Sukartini ◽  
Firman Surya ◽  
Welsi Haslina ◽  
Yusnani ◽  
Ulfi Maryati

This study aims to create a database application program that is able to process data on lecturer course activities and generate reports on the calculation of teaching fees periodically during the pandemic which requires lecturers to report lecture activities online. The system design method approach used is prototyping, namely by creating a program that most closely resembles user needs in a relatively short time. The prototype was generated using the Microsoft Access 2010 database application. The selection of microsoft access to create a prototype was based on the availability of complete facilities in Microsoft Access to design table relations, input forms, query processing, reports and the visual basic programming language for applications. Google Forms used to receive lecture data input online. The application development stages consist of design, testing and implementation stages. This application has succeeded in providing the right solution for the Padang State Polytechnic Accounting Department during the pandemic in calculating and reporting lecture activities and lecturers teaching fees.


2003 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise Whitelock ◽  
Stuart Watt ◽  
Yvonne Raw ◽  
Emanuela Moreale

Virtual Learning Environments provide the possibility of offering additional support to tutors, monitors and students in writing and grading essays and reports. They enable monitors to focus on the assignments that need most attention. This paper reports the findings from phase one of a feasibility study to assist the monitoring of student essays. It analyses tutor comments from electronically marked assignments and investigates how they match the mark awarded to each essay by the tutor. This involved carrying out a category analysis of the tutors' feedback to the students using Bales's 'interactional categories' as a theoretical basis. The advantage of this category system is that it distinguishes between task-orientated contributions, and the 'socio-emotive' element used by tutors to maintain student motivation. This reveals both how the tutor makes recommendations to improve the assignment content, and how they provide emotional support to students. Bales's analysis was presented to a group of tutors who felt an electronic feedback system based on this model would help them to get the right balance of responses to their students. These findings provide a modest start to designing a model of feedback for tutors of distance education students. Future work will entail refining these categories and testing this model with a larger sample from a different subject domain.DOI:10.1080/0968776030110304


2021 ◽  
Vol 54 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 197-206
Author(s):  
Zoran Najdanović ◽  
Natalia Tutek

Successful information management is big challenge for any organization. In this paper the emphasis is on information management in new product development in bank. Under strong pressure from competition and new technological changes, as well as the turbulent changes in the environment, financial institutions must continuously develop new products and services. In order to make the services more interesting to the users, it is necessary to collect data about the users, their wishes and preferences. The data should then be converted into useful information that will result with developing the right product or service that users will recognize as necessary. Products become personalized, user-friendly, and the emphasis is on the importance of long-term company relationships with customers. Only with well-organized information, managers can make the right business decisions and companies can react in time to market changes. When creating their strategy, successful companies analyze and identify elements that significantly contribute to creating a competitive advantage and ensuring long-term growth and development. The paper presents an empirical research of customer preferences which lead to new product development in bank.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-86
Author(s):  
Anggy Giri Prawiyogi ◽  
Aang Solahudin Anwar

In an organization, there are three main targets for the application of information systems and information techniques that will be applied. In the information management process, automation is needed. This will help work efficiency. It is necessary to fulfill the need for information that will be used in decision making in management to increase effectiveness. There needs to be a change in the style and way of doing business in the company in order to increase competitiveness with competing companies. The goals or goals of a company and strategies in IT will enable us to achieve the 3 targets above, therefore it is necessary to have the right organizational business strategy that leads to the company's goals, as well as support that comes from designing IT infrastructure that is in accordance with the organization's business strategy in IT strategy.An understanding of the organization's business strategy needs to be mastered in order to be able to develop an appropriate IT strategy so that it can be a supporter of achieving the company's vision and mission. The ward and peppard methodologies will be used in the explanation of the following IT/IS strategic planning stages.  


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