industry insights

Texas Instruments (TI) and the U.S. Department of Commerce have signed a non-binding Preliminary Memorandum of Terms for up to $1.6 billion in proposed direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act.

According to a press release issued by Texas Instruments, this funding aims to accelerate the construction of semiconductor fabrication facilities in Texas and Utah, part of broader efforts to strengthen the domestic supply chain and enhance the nation's self-sufficiency in semiconductor production.

The funding will support the development of three 300mm semiconductor wafer fabrication facilities, with projects located in Sherman, Texas, and Lehi, Utah. This funding is part of the U.S. government's broader strategy to expand the semiconductor manufacturing base within the country, reduce reliance on foreign supply chains, and foster innovation in critical technologies. The projects are expected to have a transformative impact on U.S. manufacturing capacity, contributing to economic growth and job creation.

CHIPS and Science Act: A Nationwide Effort to Boost U.S. Manufacturing

The CHIPS and Science Act was signed into law to support semiconductor research, development, and manufacturing in the United States. Semiconductors are vital components used in countless electronic devices, including computers, smartphones, cars, and medical equipment. However, the U.S. has seen a decline in its share of global semiconductor manufacturing over the past few decades, making it reliant on foreign producers, particularly in Asia. The CHIPS Act seeks to reverse this trend by incentivizing domestic semiconductor production.

As part of the act's broader goals, the $1.6 billion in proposed funding is one of several measures intended to reinvigorate semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. This initiative, in combination with other government policies and industry investments, is expected to significantly expand the country's capacity for producing advanced semiconductors, which are crucial for a wide range of industries, including automotive, telecommunications, and defense.

Tax Incentives and Investment Credits

Alongside the proposed funding from the CHIPS Act, an estimated $6-8 billion investment tax credit is expected to be available through the U.S. Treasury. This tax incentive is designed to reduce the financial burden on companies involved in semiconductor manufacturing, encouraging further investments in infrastructure, research, and development.

The combination of direct funding and tax incentives is part of a concerted effort by the U.S. government to regain global competitiveness in semiconductor manufacturing. These financial supports aim to lower operational costs and make it more feasible for companies to expand their production facilities within the U.S. Such initiatives are seen as essential to creating a robust and resilient semiconductor supply chain that can withstand global market fluctuations and geopolitical challenges.

Strengthening Domestic Supply Chains

The semiconductor shortage that began in 2020 underscored the vulnerabilities in the global supply chain. The reliance on foreign semiconductor producers led to significant disruptions in industries ranging from automotive to consumer electronics, as manufacturing came to a halt due to a lack of components. The proposed funding for semiconductor facilities in Texas and Utah is a step toward building a more self-sufficient domestic supply chain, reducing the U.S.'s dependence on foreign manufacturers.

This expansion of U.S. semiconductor manufacturing capacity will also improve the country's technological leadership. Advanced semiconductors are critical not only for consumer products but also for national security applications, such as defense systems and telecommunications infrastructure. By enhancing domestic production capabilities, the U.S. is aiming to safeguard its access to these vital technologies and maintain its leadership in technological innovation.

Job Creation and Economic Impact

The construction and operation of new semiconductor fabrication plants are expected to generate significant economic benefits, including the creation of thousands of jobs. The semiconductor industry is known for its high-skilled labor demand, and the establishment of these new facilities will require engineers, technicians, and manufacturing specialists. This job creation is expected to have a positive ripple effect on local economies, particularly in regions like Texas and Utah, where the new plants are being constructed.

Moreover, the long-term benefits of increased semiconductor production are expected to extend beyond employment. By boosting local supply chains and encouraging further technological innovation, the semiconductor industry can drive broader economic growth in other sectors, such as automotive, healthcare, and telecommunications. The enhanced manufacturing capacity will also help stabilize prices and supply availability for industries that rely heavily on semiconductors.

Collaborating with Industry and Government

The success of the semiconductor manufacturing initiative will depend on collaboration between the U.S. government and private industry. While the government is providing substantial financial support through the CHIPS Act and related tax incentives, companies must also invest in the development of new technologies, workforce training, and research to ensure the long-term sustainability of the sector.

This collaboration between government and industry is expected to play a crucial role in maintaining the U.S.'s competitive edge in the global semiconductor market. As companies expand their manufacturing capabilities, they will also need to focus on innovation to stay ahead of international competitors. The CHIPS Act is intended to foster this spirit of collaboration, ensuring that both public and private stakeholders work together to secure the future of U.S. semiconductor manufacturing.

Long-Term Goals for the U.S. Semiconductor Industry

The broader goals of the CHIPS and Science Act go beyond immediate semiconductor production needs. By encouraging the development of advanced semiconductor fabrication facilities and fostering innovation, the act aims to establish the U.S. as a global leader in semiconductor research and development. This is especially critical as the demand for semiconductors continues to grow, driven by the rapid expansion of technologies such as artificial intelligence, 5G telecommunications, and electric vehicles.

The investments being made today in semiconductor manufacturing infrastructure are part of a long-term strategy to position the U.S. for sustained growth in these emerging industries. By building a strong domestic semiconductor industry, the U.S. is not only addressing current supply chain vulnerabilities but also preparing for the future demands of a highly connected and increasingly digital world.

GPRS Supports Construction Projects in the Manufacturing Industry

Whether you’re building a semiconductor manufacturing facility or retrofitting an office space into apartments, large-scale construction projects like this require meticulous planning and execution.

GPRS helps keep your projects not only on time, but on budget and safe, through our comprehensive suite of subsurface damage prevention, existing conditions documentation, and construction & facilities project management services.

Our concrete scanning, utility locating, video pipe inspection and leak detection offerings prevent the costly and potentially dangerous utility strikes that could derail your budget and schedule. 3D laser scanning and photogrammetry captures your site with 2-4mm accuracy to assist in efficient planning. And SiteMap^® (patent pending), our GIS-based infrastructure mapping solution, eliminates the mistakes caused by miscommunications.

From skyscrapers to sewer lines, GPRS Intelligently Visualizes The Built World^®. What can we help you visualize?

Frequently Asked Questions

What industries does GPRS serve?

GPRS has become a trusted partner to hundreds of clients for 3D laser scanning and modeling services. Our team works with integrity, passion and professionalism, upholding the highest standards in 3D laser scanning and modeling services. The foundation of our company’s success revolves around servicing the client. We work closely with every client to deliver the highest quality point clouds, 2D CAD drawings and 3D BIM models. We offer dynamic 3D laser scanning solutions to the following industries:

• Agricultural Facilities
• Architectural Documentation
• Concrete Construction
• Construction
• Clash Detection
• Design Build
• Energy & Utilities
• Engineering
• Government, Defense & Military Sector
• Healthcare & Pharmaceutical
• Historical Documentation & Preservation
• HVAC & MEP Coordination
• Industrial, Manufacturing, Assembly & Distribution Facilities
• Mixed Reality & 3D Projection Mapping
• Office & Commercial Buildings
• Overhead Clearances
• Oil & Gas Facilities
• Power Plants & Process Plants
• Real Estate
• Stadiums, Arenas & Theatre
• Telecommunications
• Schools & Universities
• Subsurface Utility Engineering
• Virtual Design and Construction
• Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant
• Accident Reconstruction
• 3D Video Gaming & Software DevelopmentT

What if my project is limited within the physical setting?

Some projects require special applications due to limitations within the physical setting. Often this is due to line-of-sight issues and when a scan must be done safely from the ground or with precautionary distance. Some of these applications would include above-ceiling MEP features in hospitals where it is necessary to maintain negative airflow or interstitial spaces that are congested with limited access. Since laser scanning is a non-contact measurement tool (i.e. we can scan from a safe distance or location) this becomes a powerful tool for solving these complex challenges.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has proposed expanding its Utility-Scale Solar Energy Development Plan, also known as The Western Solar Plan, to encompass the states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. The plan and its revision are part of the Federal government’s efforts to meet the benchmarks set by the Energy Act of 2020, which directs the Secretary of the Interior to issue permits and authorize the production of at least 25 gigawatts of electricity from wind, solar, and geothermal sources by 2025, through the administration of Federal laws governing public lands.

GPRS supports the renewable energy industry with existing conditions documentation, utility locating and mapping, and project data management solutions, nationwide. Learn more about how GPRS helps you Intelligently Visualize The Built World®, here.

Why BLM Decided to Expand the Western Solar Project

The idea is to provide expanded availability for projects on BLM-controlled lands within 15 miles of existing electrical transmission lines so that the new solar arrays can feed directly into the existing U.S. power grid. This is significant, because one of the biggest issues facing renewable energy sources and installers is that the U.S. energy grid was created to maximize the flow of electricity from fossil fuel sources like coal-fired plants, or hydroelectric dams, which makes connecting to the existing grid geographically challenging.

“The updated Western Solar Plan is a responsible, pragmatic strategy for developing solar energy on our nation’s public lands that supports national clean energy goals and long-term national energy security,” said BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning in a statement released on August 29, 2024. “It will drive responsible solar development to locations with fewer potential conflicts while helping the nation transition to a clean energy economy, furthering the BLM’s mission to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.”

The updated plan adds 9 million acres to the 22 million acres covered in the initial plan, taking the total acreage to 31 million. The idea is to expedite the permitting process by actively steering development away from spaces that could have environmental or other conflicts.

“This action will help expedite reviews of solar projects by steering them to areas with high solar potential and low wildlife and land conflicts, and ease burdens on solar developers,” said the White House in a statement issued on August 29, 2024.

The BLM’s planning effort does not authorize any solar development yet. Any proposed solar projects on Federal lands will still require full environmental review and a public comment period which will allow those in favor, and opposed, to any specific project to weigh in on its impact on the local ecosystem. The current protest period (public comment period) for the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Utility-Scale Solar Energy Development and Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendments (known within the industry as Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, or PEIS) began August 30, 2024. Public protest/comments will be accepted through September 30, 2024.

Why the Solar Industry Supports Expansion 

Official statements are being released by organizations who are invested in expanding renewable energy sources, and those concerned about potential environmental and species-specific impacts.

The Solar Energy Industries Association’s (SEIA) Vice President of Regulatory Affairs said, ““Today, the Bureau of Land Management opened 31 million acres of federal lands to renewable energy development, accepting many of SEIA’s recommendations to strike a better balance between its conservation and clean energy deployment goals… [W]e’re pleased to see that BLM listened to much of the solar industry’s feedback and added 11 million acres to its original proposal. While this is a step in the right direction, fossil fuels have access to over 80 million acres of public land, 2.5 times the amount of public land available for solar.”

The comparison between acreage already available for fossil fuel power generation v. solar is an important distinction because a prevailing complaint against solar power installations is that they eat up too much land. According to industry sources, to produce 1 gigawatt hour (GWH) of electricity requires just 2.8 acres. However, a 1 GW solar plant – one that produces 1 GW average power output annually – would require about 7,500 acres. So, to produce, say, half of the government’s 25 GW green energy benchmark (approx. 13GW), would require 97,500 acres. By comparison, the fossil fuel and nuclear plant-fueled current grid utilizes 74.5 million acres of land in the U.S.

How Close is BLM to its Renewable Energy Target?

The BLM reported in April 2024 that it had permitted more than 25 gigawatts of clean energy projects – meeting its permitting benchmark well ahead of 2025 – which includes enough solar, wind, and geothermal projects to power 12 million homes. This includes the gen-tie lines required to connect all those renewable energy sources to the existing power grid.

The Bureau stated, “The final Renewable Energy Rule will reduce capacity fees for these projects by 80 percent and facilitate development in priority areas by streamlining application review, delivering greater certainty for the private sector and the opportunity for more clean energy for American households… As the Department continues its momentum to spur a clean energy future, the BLM is currently processing permits for an additional 66 utility-scale clean energy projects proposed on public lands in the western United States. These projects have the combined potential to create thousands of good-paying jobs, add more than 32 additional gigawatts of renewable energy to the western electric grid and power millions of more homes.”

What Environmental Concerns Are Being Expressed & Considered?

Meanwhile, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TCRP) shared its concerns on its website, stating that “Unfortunately, as proposed, 1.8 million acres of migration corridors and 4 million acres of winter range for some of the West’s most well-known big game herds and hunting destination would be severely impacted.”

The TCRP has banded together with other hunting and fishing organizations to call for the BLM to exclude those big game migration corridors, winter range areas, and migration paths from any utility-scale installations.

The initial Western Solar Plan, released in 2012, covered BLM-controlled lands in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada New Mexico, and Utah. Washington, D.C. is also mentioned as in the Project Location list, but it is unclear if solar installations are planned for the district, or it is included for governmental purposes.

GPRS Intelligently Visualizes The Built World® for customers nationwide. What can we help you visualize?

Frequently Asked Questions

How does GPRS support green energy installations?

GPRS supports the entire renewable energy industry by locating and mapping all public and private utilities on any project, providing accurate as-builts, existing conditions, and construction progress capture documentation to keep solar projects on time, on budget and safe. All GPRS-captured data is delivered to our customers via SiteMap® (patent pending), our cloud-based GIS and data management platform. You can learn more about our efforts with solar energy installations below.

A Report on Floor Flatness and Levelness In Modern Construction

The flatness and levelness of concrete floors has become a big deal. If you've ever sat at a restaurant table that rocked up and down, slopping wine out of your glass and causing you to launch a cherry tomato across the room, you know how inconvenient a wavy floor can be. But in high-racking warehouses, factories, and industrial facilities, floor flatness and levelness (FF/FL) can be a make-or-break issue, affecting the very performance of the building for its intended use. Even in ordinary houses and commercial buildings, an un-flat floor can compromise performance, creating problems with floor coverings and potentially causing hazardous situations.

Levelness - how closely the floor conforms to the specified slope - and flatness - how much the surface deviates from a two-dimensional plane - have become important specifications in construction. Fortunately, modern measuring methods can detect levelness and flatness problems more accurately than the human eye. The newest methods allow us to do it nearly instantly- for example, while the concrete is still workable and can be fixed before it hardens. Flatter floors are now more attainable, faster and easier than ever before. It's achieved by the unlikely marriage of concrete and computers.

What’s So Great About Flatness?

That restaurant table was probably "fixed" by shimming up one leg with a matchbook, effectively filling a low spot in the floor — a flatness problem. If your breadstick rolled off the table by itself, you were probably dealing with a floor levelness issue, as well. But flatness and levelness have ramifications far beyond convenience.

Going back to the high-racking warehouses, an uneven floor cannot properly support a 20-foot tall shelving unit with tons of stuff on it. It may pose a lethal danger to people working with it or passing by. A more recent development in warehouses, air pallet-jacks, are even more dependent on flat, level floors. These manually-driven devices can lift pallet-loads up to 750 lbs., supporting all that weight on a cushion of compressed air, so that a person can push it around by hand. It requires an extremely flat, even floor to function properly.

Flatness is also essential for any slab that will be covered with a rigid floor covering material such as stone or ceramic tile. Even flexible coverings such as vinyl composite tile (VCT) have problems with uneven floors, tending to lift or detach completely, which may create trip hazards, squeaks, or voids underneath where moisture from floor washing can collect and support the growth of mold and bacteria. Old or new, a flat floor is better.

The Haunted Floor

Waviness in a concrete slab can be flattened by grinding off the high spots, but the ghost of the wave may continue to haunt the floor. You see it sometimes in warehouse stores: floors that are quite flat but appear wavy under the high-pressure sodium lights. If a concrete floor is intended to be left exposed – designed to be dyed and polished, for example - having a continuous surface of the same concrete material is vital. Filling low spots with a topping is not an option, because it won't match. The only other option is to grind off the high spots. But grinding into a slab can change that way it catches and reflects light.

A concrete surface is composed of sand (fine aggregate), rock (coarse aggregate), and cement paste. When the wet slab is placed, the troweling process shoves the coarser pieces of aggregate deeper under the surface, with fine aggregate, cement paste, and laitance concentrated at the top. This happens whether the surface is absolutely flat or quite sensuously curved. When you grind 1 /8" off the top, you remove fines and laitance, powdery material, and begin to expose sand in a matrix of cement paste. Grind further, and you expose cross-sectioned rocks, the larger aggregate. If you only grind into the high spots, those areas will show sand and rock, stripes of exposed aggregate that immortalize those high spots, alternating with stripes of un-ground smooth cement paste where the low spots were. The original surface has a different coloration than the layer 1/8” or 1/4” down, and they may reflect light differently.

Lighter-colored stripes will look like high spots, with darker stripes between them appearing as troughs, the visual “ghost” of the waviness that was removed with the grinder. Ground concrete is usually more porous than the original troweled surface, so the stripes will also probably respond differently to dyes and stains, making it difficult to end the haunting by coloring it. If you don't flatten the waves during concrete finishing, they may come back to haunt you.

Old School Flatness

For decades, the standard way to check FF/FL was the 10-foot straight-edge method. The straightedge was laid on the floor, and if there were any gaps under it, their height was measured. Typical tolerance was 1/8”. This fully manual measuring system was slow and could be quite imprecise since two people will often measure the same height differently. But that was the established method, and its results had to be accepted as “good enough.”

By the 1970s, that was no longer good enough. The advent of high-racking warehouses, for example, made FF/FL precision much more important. In 1979, a numerical method for evaluating these floor properties was developed by Allen Face, a system commonly referred to as floor flatness numbers, or more formally as the Face Floor Profile Numbering System.

A Profile of Profilers

Face also developed an instrument for measuring the floor's properties, a "floor profiler" whose tradename is The Dipstick. The number system and the measuring method were the basis for ASTM E1155 Standard Test Method for Determining FF Floor Flatness and FL Floor Levelness Numbers, which was developed in collaboration with the American Concrete Institute (ACI).

A profiler is a manual tool that an operator walks across the floor, taking data-points every 12 inches. It could, theoretically, profile a floor of infinite size (if you had an infinite amount of time to wait for your FF/FL numbers). It is more accurate than the straightedge method, and it represents the beginning of modern flatness measurement.

Profilers have distinct limitations, however. For one thing, they can only be used on hardened concrete. That means that any deviation from the spec has to be fixed as a callback. High spots can be ground off, low spots can be filled with a topping, but it's all remedial work, it costs the concrete contractor money, and it costs the project time. Moreover, the measurement itself is a slow process, adding even more time, and it is usually performed by a third-party specialist, adding even more cost.

The Modern World

Laser scanning has changed the pursuit of floor flatness and levelness. While the laser itself dates back to the 1960s, its adaptation for construction site scanning is relatively recent.

The laser scanner uses a tightly focused light beam to measure the location of all the reflective surfaces around it – not just the floor but a nearly 360º dome of data-points around and over as well as below the instrument. It locates each point in three-dimensional space. If the scanner’s location has been tied to an absolute location (like GPS data), those points are locatable as specific places on our planet. Scanner data can be integrated into the building information model (BIM). It can be used for a wide variety of needs such as measuring the room or even creating an as-built computer model of it.

For FF/FL compliance, laser scanning has several advantages over mechanical measurement. One of the biggest is that it can be performed while the concrete is still fresh and workable. The scanner records 300,000 to 2,000,000 data-points per second, and typically runs for 1-10 minutes, depending on the density of information. It works so quickly that flatness and levelness problems can be located immediately after screening, and they can be corrected before the slab sets. Typically: screed, scan, re-screed if needed, re-scan, re-screed if needed… all in a matter of minutes. No more grinding and filling, no more callbacks. It enables the concrete finishers to produce a flat, level floor on Day One. The savings in time and cost can be significant.

Manual Workflow

From the straight edge to the profiler to the laser scanner, the science of measuring floor flatness is now in its third generation; call it Flatness 3.0. The invention of the profiler represented a quantum leap in accuracy and detail of floor data compared to the 10-foot straightedge. The laser scanner not only increases accuracy and detail even further but represents a different type of quantum leap, as well. Both profiler and laser scanner are capable of accuracy to the level required by today's floor specifications. However, laser scanning raises the bar, compared to profilers, in terms of speed of measurement, detail of information, and timeliness and usefulness of the result.

A profiler takes measurements of elevation using an inclinometer, a device that measures angle relative to level. The profiler is a box with two feet on the bottom, exactly 12 inches apart, and a long handle so the operator can hold it while standing. The speed of the profiler is limited to the speed of a manual tool.

The operator walks in a straight line down the slab, moving the device 12 inches at a time, often covering a distance about equal to the width of the room on each run. Multiple runs in two directions are needed to accumulate the statistically significant sampling that meets the ASTM standard's minimum data requirements. The device takes a vertical angle measurement at each step and converts those angles into changes in elevation.

The profiler also has a restriction on timing: it can only be used after the concrete has hardened. Profiling the floor is usually done by a third-party service. They walk the floor, and then deliver a report the next day, or later. If the report shows any elevation problems that fall outside the spec, they need to be fixed. Of course, with hardened concrete, the fixing options are limited to grinding down, or filling up with a topping (assuming it's not intended to be decorative exposed concrete.) Both processes can entail days of delay. And then, the floor will have to be profiled again to document compliance.

Light Speed

Laser scanners work faster. They measure at the speed of light. A laser scanner uses reflections of laser light to locate all the visible surfaces surrounding it. It takes data points in the range of 0.1 - 0.5 inches apart (a much higher information density than the profiler's limited series of 12-inch samples). Each scanner data point represents a location in three-dimensional space, which can be displayed on a computer, much like a 3-D model.

The laser scan collects so much data that a visualization can look almost like a photograph. If it's desired, that data can create not only an elevation map of the floor but a detailed representation of the entire room. Unlike a photograph, it can be turned to display the space from any angle. It can be used to take precise measurements of the space or to compare the as-built condition to drawings or building models. However, despite the enormous information density, the scanner is fast, recording up to 2 million points per second. The entire scan usually takes only a few minutes.

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Time is More than Money

Time can be more than money. When placing and finishing wet concrete, timing is everything. It affects the permanent quality of the slab. And the time it takes for the floor to be completed and ready for traffic can change the timing of a lot of other process on the job-site.

When a new floor is placed, the near-real time aspect of laser scanning information has a tremendous impact on the process of achieving flatness. FF/FL can be evaluated and fixed at the best possible point in floor construction: before the slab hardens. That has a range of beneficial effects. First of all, it eliminates waiting for the floor to be completed by remedial work, which means that the floor will not tie up the rest of construction. If you want to validate the floor with a profiler, you first have to wait for the slab to harden then schedule the profiling service to come to the site and measure it, and then wait for the ASTM E1155 report.

Then you have to wait for any flatness problems to be fixed, and then schedule profiling again, and wait for a new report. Laser scanning happens as the slab is placed, problems are fixed during concrete finishing. The slab can be scanned for compliance as soon as it hardens and the report completed the same day. Construction can continue. Laser scanning allows you to get onto the floor as soon as possible. It also creates a concrete surface with greater consistency and integrity. A slab that is made flat and level while it's still workable will have a more uniform surface than one that has to be ground flat or leveled by filling. It will have a more consistent appearance. It will have more uniform porosity over the entire surface, which may affect response to coatings, adhesives, and other surface treatments. If the surface gets ground for staining and polishing, it will expose aggregate more evenly across the entire floor, and the surface will probably respond more consistently and predictably to coloring and polishing operations.

From the Scanner to You

A laser scanner collects millions of data-points, but that’s all they are, points in three-dimensional space. To put them to use, you need a piece of software that can process them and present them. Scanner software assembles the data into various useful forms, which it can present on the jobsite’s laptop computer. It offers the construction team a way to visualize the floor, pinpoint any problem, correlate that with the actual location on the floor, and tell how much the elevation must be reduced or increased. In near-real time.

A software package like ClearEdge3D’s Rithm for Navisworks offers several different ways to view the floor data. Rithm for Navisworks can present a “heat map” showing the highs and lows of the floor as different colors. It can display a contour map, similar to topographical maps made by surveyors, where a series of curved lines describe successive elevations. It can also provide documentation of compliance with ASTM E1155 in minutes, not days.

With these capabilities in software, a scanner can be put to good use for a variety of tasks, not just floor flatness. It provides a measurable model of the as-built condition that can be exported into other applications. For renovations, as-built can be compared to historical design documents to help determine if anything was changed. It can be overlaid onto new designs to help visualize the changes. In new construction, it can be used to validate conformance to design intent.

Flattening the Learning Curve

About 40 years ago, a new challenge entered many peoples’ homes, one that has, since then, turned out to be emblematic of modern life. The programmable video cassette recorder, or VCR, forced ordinary citizens to learn to interact with a digital logic system, and millions of unprogrammed VCR’s endlessly flashing “12:00, 12:00, 12:00” attested to the difficulties of learning that interface. With every new software package comes a learning curve.

If you’re doing it at home, you can tear your hair and curse as necessary, and the most that your new software education will cost you is a free afternoon. If you’re learning a new interface on the job, it can slow down a lot of other work, and could cause costly errors. The ideal situation for introducing a new software package would be to use an interface that is already widely in use.

Using What You Know

What is the fastest interface for learning a new computer application? The one you already know. Building information modeling took more than a decade to become firmly established among architects and engineers, but it has now arrived. And, by becoming a standard format for distributing construction documents, it has become an imperative for contractors on the jobsite.

A BIM platform that is already present on the jobsite offers a ready-made channel for introducing new applications, like scanner software. The learning curve gets considerably flatter because key players are already familiar with the platform. They just need to learn the new functions they can pull out of it, and they can more quickly start making good use of the new information – for example, scanner data - that the application provides.

ClearEdge3D saw an opportunity to make the highly-regarded scanner application, Rithm, available to a lot more construction sites by making it compatible with Navisworks. As one of the most widely-used packages for project coordination, Autodesk® Navisworks® has become a de facto industry standard. It is on jobsites across the country. Now, it can present scanner information for a wide variety of uses.

What Information Looks Like

When a scanner collects millions of data-points, that’s all they are, points in 3D space. Scanner software like Rithm for Navisworks is responsible for presenting that data in ways you can use. It can show you the room as data-points, which are scanned not only for their position, but the intensity (brightness) of the reflection and the color of the surface, so the view that looks something like a photograph. However, you can rotate the view and see the space from any angle, wander around through it like a 3D model, and even take measurements off it.

For FF/FL purposes, one of the most popular and useful visualizations is the heat-map, which shows the floor in plan view. The highs and lows are presented as different colors (sometimes called a false-color image) with, for example, red representing high spots and blue representing lows. You can take precise measurements from the heat-map, allowing you to locate exactly the corresponding spots on the actual floor. If the scan reveals flatness problems, the heat-map is a fast way to find them and fix them, and it is the preferred view for on-the-spot FF/FL analysis.

The software can also create a contour map, a series of lines representing different floor elevations, similar to topographic maps used by surveyors and hikers. Contour maps are good for export to CAD programs, which tend to be friendly to drawing-type data. This could be especially useful in a remodel or retrofit of an existing space. Rithm for Navisworks can also analyze the data and present answers. For example, the Cut-and-Fill function can tell how much material (e.g. cementitious topping) you need to fill the low end of an existing unlevel floor and get it up to level. With the right scanner software, information can look the way you need it to.

Owning Your Time

Of all the ways to lose time on a construction project, the most painful might be waiting. Bringing floor QA in-house can eliminate the scheduling problems, and the waiting for a third party consultant to come profile the floor, and the waiting while it's being profiled, and the additional waiting for a report to be turned around. And, of course, waiting for a floor can hold up a lot of other construction operations.

Owning your QA process eliminates that source of pain. The floor can be scanned in minutes when you want it. You know when it will be checked, and you know when you'll get the ASTM E1155 report (about a minute later). Owning this process, rather than relying on 3rd party consultants, means owning your time.

The Workflow

Using laser scanning for flatness and levelness of new concrete is a simple and straightforward workflow.

1. Pour and screed the concrete slab as usual.
2. Set up the scanner adjacent to the freshly-placed section and scan. A single placement is usually all that’s needed for this step. With a typical section size, the scan usually takes 3-5 minutes.
3. Upload the scan data to Rithm for Navisworks.
4. Load the “heat-map” display of the floor data to identify places that are outside the spec and need to be leveled or flattened.
5. Locate the corresponding places on the floor. This can often be done by eye using “landmarks” in the room such as a column, pipe, or wall feature. It can also be done with a tape measure using the measurements in the scan data.
6. Modify the problem spots on the slab.
7. Re-scan. If it’s fixed, complete finishing the slab. If it’s still out-of-spec, locate the remaining problems, work the slab some more, and scan again as necessary. Then complete finishing and cure.
8. After the entire floor has been finished and hardened, perform an as-built scan using multiple scanner placements, capturing the entire floor. If the scanner is localized to known coordinates, such as a surveyor’s control point, the scan data can be integrated into BIM for the project.
9. Upload the as-built scan to Rithm for Navisworks.
10. Generate the ASTM E1155 compliance report.

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AEC Industry Report -- June 2020 -- Sponsored by ClearEdge3D

Shortening The Learning Curve on Getting Flat

Thank you to ClearEdge 3D for allowing us to republish this article.

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently awarded $9 million in research grants to address knowledge gaps and better identify and manage the risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

According to a press release on the EPA’s website, the projects receiving this funding will measure the environmental health impact of AMR in wastewater and advance our understanding in AMR evolution and spread.

“Grantees will study wastewater treatment systems across the country and review past literature and genomic data to assess AMR risk in wastewater,” the EPA said in its release. “Projects involve developing a risk assessment framework, conducting a systematic review of genomic data and evaluating the fate of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and genes in wastewater treatment processes.”

Antimicrobial resistance in the environment is an escalating public health concern, particularly regarding its spread into surface waters. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) can transfer between humans, animals, and the environment, making it harder to treat infections in both. The World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified AMR as one of the top threats to human health. Increasing evidence points to natural and treated water environments playing a significant role in the development and spread of AMR.

Wastewater treatment plants are a major potential source and receptor of ARB and ARGs. These facilities handle a mix of pathogens, resistance genes, and antimicrobial drug residues from diverse sources such as industrial waste, households, and hospitals. This creates a high concentration of pathogens entering treatment systems.

As treated wastewater is often discharged into aquatic ecosystems, these environments can become pathways for resistant pathogens and genes to spread to humans and animals via irrigation, recreation, or drinking water. Although drinking water treatment processes are generally effective at reducing ARB and ARGs, both have been detected in treated drinking water.

Because ARB and ARGs evolve rapidly and can transfer among humans, animals, and the environment, predicting when and where resistance will emerge is challenging. More research is needed to better understand the occurrence and impact of AMR in treated municipal wastewater effluent and biosolids. Additionally, new studies are essential to assess the effect of AMR on receiving waters and to evaluate the risks associated with AMR in treated wastewater discharge, water reuse, and biosolids.

About the Projects

Oregon State University, Corvallis, Ore.

Project Title: Prevalence, Abundance, and Fate of Antibiotics, Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, and their Determinant Genes in U.S. Wastewater Systems

Principal Investigator: Tala Navab-Daneshmand

Award Amount: $2,350,211

The goal of this project is to assess the fate of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs), and antibiotics in wastewater treatment plants across the U.S. Researchers will study 40 wastewater treatment facilities from five different regions, selected to represent diverse geographical conditions, population demographics, and wastewater sources, over a two-year period. Samples will be taken throughout the wastewater and biosolids treatment processes. The team will also perform a systematic literature review of U.S.-based wastewater metagenomic data, develop a comprehensive library, and conduct a meta-analysis to examine how seasonal and regional variations, as well as treatment processes, impact the wastewater resistome. This study will provide valuable insights into how wastewater treatment affects the spread and removal of AMR markers, considering different treatment methods, operational and site-specific factors, watershed geography, and socioeconomic variables.

View the research abstract from Oregon State University.

University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb.

Project Title: A Multistate Study to Establish a Risk Assessment Framework for the AMR in Surface Water Attributable to Municipal Wastewater and Biosolids

Principal Investigator: Xu Li

Award Amount: $2,374,999

Researchers will develop a risk assessment framework to estimate human health risks from antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) in surface waters affected by municipal wastewater and biosolids. The project will adopt an integrated approach, combining field data, model simulations, and risk assessment techniques. Collaborating with institutions in Hawaii, California, Nebraska, Iowa, and New Jersey, the research will identify the relative contributions of municipal, nonmunicipal, and natural sources to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the surface waters of river systems across these states. Fate-and-transport models for ARB and ARGs in runoff and rivers will be created, along with an exposure assessment model for ARB and a semi-quantitative risk characterization model for ARGs. These tools will enhance stakeholders' understanding of AMR risks and aid in the development and prioritization of mitigation strategies.

View the research abstract from the University of Nebraska.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wis.

Project Title: Understanding the Role of Wastewater Treatment for Mitigating Antimicrobial Resistance: Leveraging Historical Trajectories, Current Day Mass Balances, and Clinical Relevance

Principal Investigator: Ryan Newton

Award Amount: $2,038,572

Grantees will identify effective treatment processes for removing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and assess the risks posed by wastewater treatment systems compared to those from industrial and agricultural sectors contributing to AMR. Researchers will integrate ARG and ARB quantification with genomic and metagenomic DNA sequencing to track changes in clinically significant genotypes as wastewater moves from facility influent through the treatment process and into final outflows. The team will also compare current wastewater resistance profiles to those from samples collected over the past decade, as well as to ARBs and ARGs from hospital clinics and both upstream (sewer overflows) and downstream (river transect) environments. This project will provide essential insights into whether existing treatment systems are effectively eliminating AMR. Additionally, these analyses will help quantify and understand the clinical significance of AMR in discharged wastewater, thereby informing the risks associated with wastewater discharge.

View the research abstract from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

The Water Research Foundation, Denver, Colo.

Project Title: Quantifying Wastewater Sources of Antibiotic Resistance to Aquatic and Soil Environments and Associated Human Health Risks

Principal Investigator: Lola Olabode

Award Amount: $2,374,575

The team will conduct a comprehensive study on antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) in wastewater treatment plant effluent and biosolids to measure and model their behavior, including the potential for ARB/ARG increases or decreases in aquatic and soil environments. Researchers will compare AMR sources from wastewater with other community sources across the U.S., considering different wastewater effluent and management practices. A tailored risk assessment modeling framework will be developed to address the unique challenges of AMR. This framework will evaluate potential mitigation strategies, identify scenarios where AMR spread is most likely, and enhance exposure estimates.

View the research abstract from the Water Research Foundation.

GPRS Helps Protect Your Wastewater Systems

As researchers study ARB and ARGs in wastewater systems, maintaining the integrity of those systems is crucial to ensuring wastewater does not contaminate our soil.

GPRS provides a comprehensive suite of professional sewer pipe and sewer system inspection services to ensure your wastewater infrastructure continues working for you.

Our NASSCO-certified Project Managers utilize remote-controlled sewer inspection rovers equipped with sondes: instrument probes that we can locate from the surface utilizing electromagnetic (EM) locators so that we can map your sewer system while we’re investigating its integrity.

For smaller-diameter pipes, we utilize push-fed sewer scope cameras that are also equipped with sondes. And when flow can’t be suspended for an investigation, we offer dye tracing and smoke testing services to help you map your wastewater infrastructure.

From sewer pipes to skyscrapers, GPRS Intelligently Visualizes The Built World^® to keep your projects on time, on budget, and safe.

What can we help you visualize?

Frequently Asked Questions

What size pipes can GPRS inspect?

Our NASSCO-certified Video Pipe Inspection (VPI) Project Managers have the capabilities to inspect pipes from 2” in diameter and up.

What deliverables does GPRS offer when conducting VPI services?

GPRS is proud to offer WinCan reporting to our Video Pipe Inspection clients. Maintaining sewers starts with understanding sewer condition, and WinCan allows GPRS Project Managers to collect detailed, NASSCO-compliant inspection data. GPRS Project Managers not only inspect the interior condition of sewer pipes, laterals, and manholes – they can also provide a map of their location. The GPRS Mapping & Modeling Department can provide detailed GPS overlays and CAD files. Our detailed WinCan/NASSCO reports contain screenshots of the interior condition of the pipe segments that we inspect, as well as a video file for further evaluation, documentation, and/or reference.

Can you locate pipes in addition to evaluating their integrity?

Yes! Our SIM and NASSCO-certified Project Managers use VPI technology equipped with sondes, which are instrument probes that allow them to ascertain the location of underground utilities from an inaccessible location. This allows them to use electromagnetic (EM) locating to map sewer systems at the same time they’re evaluating them for defects.

Does GPRS offer lateral launch services?

Yes, we offer lateral launch capabilities as part of our standard Video Pipe Inspection services.

Cleanrooms are critical for industries ranging from pharmaceuticals to electronics. Maintaining a pristine cleanroom environment is not just about cleanliness. It’s also about ensuring the safety and quality of products and processes. This includes obtaining accurate measurements as efficiently as possible in these environments.

Industrial Safety & Hygiene News (ISHN) recently outlined effective strategies for achieving and sustaining a cleanroom's high standards.

Understanding Cleanroom Standards

Cleanrooms are specialized environments where particulate contamination is strictly controlled. The cleanliness of a cleanroom is often categorized by the ISO standard, which ranges from ISO Class 1 (the cleanest) to ISO Class 9. These classes are defined by the maximum allowable particle count per cubic meter of air, making the maintenance of a pristine cleanroom crucial for meeting industry-specific requirements.

Key Contamination Control Strategies

1. Design and Construction

a. Layout and Material Selection:

The design of a cleanroom must prioritize the control of contamination sources. The layout should minimize areas where particles can accumulate. Surfaces should be smooth, non-porous, and easily cleanable. Materials like stainless steel, epoxy-coated walls, and specialized cleanroom flooring can help in maintaining hygiene and durability.

b. Airflow Systems:

Proper air handling is essential. Cleanrooms use High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) or Ultra-Low Particulate Air (ULPA) filters to remove contaminants from the air. Airflow systems must be designed to prevent air from becoming stagnant and to ensure that filtered air circulates effectively throughout the cleanroom.

2. Gowning and Personal Hygiene

a. Proper Gowning Procedures:

Personnel entering a cleanroom must follow strict gowning procedures. This typically includes wearing cleanroom suits, gloves, face masks, and shoe covers. Gowning should be done in a controlled area, known as a gowning room, where contamination is minimized.

b. Personal Hygiene:

Employees should adhere to rigorous hygiene practices before entering the cleanroom. This includes thorough handwashing with antiseptic agents and ensuring that personal items are not brought into the cleanroom.

3. Cleaning Protocols

a. Regular Cleaning Schedules:

Cleaning protocols should be clearly defined and followed meticulously. This includes regular cleaning of surfaces, equipment, and floors using approved cleaning agents that do not leave residues or generate particles.

b. Cleaning Equipment:

The tools used for cleaning should be specifically designed for cleanroom environments. For instance, mop heads and wipes should be made from non-shedding materials and should be regularly replaced to prevent contamination.

4. Monitoring and Testing

a. Environmental Monitoring:

Regular monitoring of the cleanroom environment is essential for ensuring that contamination levels remain within acceptable limits. This includes measuring particulate counts, microbial contamination, and assessing the efficiency of air filtration systems.

b. Data Analysis:

Data collected from environmental monitoring should be analyzed to identify trends or potential sources of contamination. This helps in preemptively addressing issues before they escalate into more significant problems.

5. Maintenance of Equipment

a. Routine Maintenance:

Equipment used in cleanrooms must be maintained regularly to ensure optimal performance. This includes calibrating instruments, checking for wear and tear, and replacing parts as necessary.

b. Validation and Verification:

Regular validation and verification of cleanroom systems and equipment are crucial. This ensures that all systems are functioning as intended and that they meet the required cleanliness standards.

6. Training and Awareness

a. Staff Training:

Personnel should receive comprehensive training on cleanroom protocols and contamination control. This includes understanding the impact of their actions on cleanroom conditions and the importance of adhering to procedures.

b. Continuous Education:

Keeping staff updated on the latest industry practices and technological advancements helps maintain high standards of cleanliness and contamination control.

7. Incident Management

a. Immediate Response:

In the event of a contamination incident, immediate action is required. This involves isolating the affected area, identifying the cause, and implementing corrective measures to restore the cleanroom to its required standards.

b. Root Cause Analysis:

A thorough investigation should be conducted to determine the root cause of contamination. Addressing the underlying issue helps in preventing future occurrences and improving overall cleanroom management.

Challenges and Solutions

Maintaining a pristine cleanroom environment comes with its set of challenges. Common issues include particle contamination from external sources, human error, and equipment malfunction. Addressing these challenges requires a multi-faceted approach:

• Particle Contamination: External sources such as construction activities or nearby manufacturing processes can introduce contaminants. Solutions include proper air filtration, controlled access to the cleanroom, and using barriers to minimize the introduction of particles
• Human Error: Mistakes made by personnel, such as improper gowning or lapses in cleaning procedures, can lead to contamination. Continuous training and adherence to strict protocols are key to mitigating human errors
• Equipment Malfunction: Regular maintenance and validation of equipment are crucial to prevent failures that could compromise cleanroom integrity.

GPRS Captures Accurate Data in Cleanrooms

When you need to conduct operations & maintenance in a cleanroom environment, speed and efficiency are critical.

GPRS 3D Laser Scanning services provide precise as-built documentation for buildings, facilities, and sites. Our expert Project Managers use Leica scanners, Autodesk and Bentley software, and advanced scan-to-BIM processes to deliver 2-4mm accurate LiDAR point clouds, 2D floor plans, CAD drawings, 3D BIM models, 3D mesh models, 3D photogrammetry, 3D virtual tours, and more for effective project planning and collaboration across disciplines.

While the amount of space we can scan in a day can vary widely depending on the complexity of the environment being scanned, our highly trained Project Managers can typically scan a vacant spaces or smaller rooms in one day, and larger facilities within a few days depending on how densely packed equipment is. So, we’ll get the most accurate data possible as quickly as possible, ensuring your cleanroom stays clean.

GPRS created SiteMap^® (patent pending) to ensure your entire project team can access this accurate, field-verified data from anywhere at any time. This project & facility management application provides accurate existing conditions documentation to protect your assets and people. And you’ll be able to share it with your entire team, and access it from any computer, tablet, or smartphone.

What can we help you visualize?

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 3D laser scanning right for my project?

Almost any project that requires as-built information can benefit from 3D laser scanning services. Talk with our experts and start your 3D laser scanning survey project today.

What is a digital twin?

A digital twin is highly complex virtual model that is the exact counterpart (or twin) of a physical object. GPRS uses 3D laser scanners to collect real-time data for a building or facility and create a digital duplicate. Data can be easily visualized, measured and analyzed. Digital twins can be used to improve efficiencies, optimize workflows and detect problems before they occur.

What is the difference between a design intent and an as-built model?

DESIGN INTENT – deliverables will be shown as a "best fit" to the point cloud working within customary standards, such as walls being modeled 90 degrees perpendicular to the floor, pipes and conduit modeled straight, floors and ceilings modeled horizontal, and steel members modeled straight. This will produce cleaner 2D drawings and will allow for easier dimensioning of the scan area. The deliverables will not exactly follow the scan data to maintain design intent standards. Most clients will want this option for their deliverables.

AS-BUILTS – deliverables will be shown as close as possible to actual field capture. If walls are out of plumb, pipes and conduit show sag, floors and ceilings are unlevel, steel members show camber, etc., this will be reflected in the model. This will produce reality-capture deliverables, but 2D drawings may show “crooked” or out of plumb lines, floors will be sloped or contoured, steel members may show camber, twisting or impact damage. Dimensioning will not be as easy due being out of plumbness/levelness, etc. This option should be used when the exact conditions of the scan area is imperative. Clients using the data for fabrication, forensic analysis, bolt hole patterns, camber/sag/deformation analysis, and similar needs would require this option.

What if my project is limited within the physical setting?

Some projects require special applications due to limitations within the physical setting. Often, this is due to line-of-sight issues and when a scan must be done safely from the ground or with precautionary distance. Some of these applications would include above-ceiling MEP features in hospitals where it is necessary to maintain negative airflow or interstitial spaces that are congested with limited access. Since laser scanning is a non-contact measurement tool (i.e. we can scan from a safe distance or location) this becomes a powerful tool for solving these complex challenges.

In 2021, one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, the sweeping illness, supply chain delays, material prices, and lockdowns that ground major construction projects to a halt, seemed to be easing.

“My theory about that is that a lot of projects that were postponed earlier in the pandemic are now coming back to life, and so contractors are getting busy again.” – Anirban Basu, ABC Chief Economist in mid-2021.

But residential construction rebounded much more quickly than commercial construction or infrastructure projects. It would take several years for those shelved and interrupted jobs to get back on track toward completion, with many large projects adding months or years to their completion dates, and millions of dollars in additional funds.

One of those large-scale projects was the Gordie Howe International Bridge. Begun in 2018 with an anticipated completion date of November 2024 at a cost of just over $4 billion, it is now expected to open in September of 2025 with a final price tag of $4.7 billion: adding 10 months and $523.6 million to its final project tally.

According to a press release issued by the Gordie Howe International Bridge Media Relations Team, “[T]he project, like many others, experienced unprecedented disruptions as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic. The disruptions were even more prevalent for the Gordie Howe International Bride project given the differing applicable restrictions in the US and Canada, combined with the ramping up of construction activities in early 2020.”

“After a three-year pandemic and considering the size and complexity of the Gordie Howe International Bridge project, our project team is pleased that the impact to the construction schedule is limited to only 10 months beyond the original contracted completion date and that we could agree on a reasonable adjustment to the contract value. With safety as our top priority, we will continue to work together to deliver this much needed infrastructure to the thousands of eager travellers ready to cross North America’s longest cable-stayed bridge,” said Charl can Neikerk, CEO Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, as part of the release.

In Windsor, Ontario, Canada, some of the additional time and money is going into the Sandwich Street Reconstruction project, that includes a $1 million (CAN) streetscape enhancement.

And on the Detroit side of the bridge, Michigan Department of Transportation Director Bradley C. Wieferich cited a pledge by the project consortium of expanded community benefits for Southwest Detroit with the addition of cycling lanes to streets on the Michigan side, expanding a multi-use path for pedestrians and cyclists on the bridge.

The Gordie Howe International Bridge By The Numbers

2018 – Construction commenced

69,000+ gals. – Amount of concrete used for the tower shafts

3,461 c.f. – Amount of concrete poured for each tower segment

55 tons – Amount of rebar in each tower segment

216 – Number of stay cables that will ultimately support the bridge

2,500 – Approximate number of workers involved in the project

721.8 ft. – Height of each tower

1.5 mi. – Total bridge span

55 – Number of bridge deck segments

$4.7 billion – Final projected cost in U.S. dollars

What is a Cable-Stayed Bridge?

A cable-stayed bridge is a form of design and construction that requires the weight of the concrete bridge deck to be supported by a number of diagonal cables that are tensioned, running to one or more vertical towers, that transfer the tension/force of the cables through the foundation via vertical compression. They are usually built in what’s known as cantilevered construction that begins with sinking concrete caissons deep into the riverbed to transfer that force into the earth.

One interesting facet of cable-stayed bridge building is that when a cable is installed, it’s opposing cable (the one that carries force in the opposite direction) must be installed immediately after to keep the deck level and properly supported. Each deck section is constructed thusly, and has to be prestressed before construction of the next deck segment can continue.

What Still Needs to be Done?

According to a recent article in Construction Dive, three elements of the project: the Canadian and U.S. ports of entry, and the Michigan Interchange are being constructed at the same time. That work includes;

Canadian Port of Entry – All building interior work & finishing

U.S. Port of Entry – Interior & finishing work on over 50% of the buildings

Michigan Interchange – Installing girders on the I-75 ramps leading to the U.S. port of entry

Who is Building & Who is Paying?

Construction is being run via a joint venture called Bridging North America (BNA), which includes Fluor, ACS Infrastructure Canada, and Aecon Group, Inc. BNA’s contract includes 30 years of bridge operation and maintenance, putting the final estimated contract amount at about $4.8 billion according to ENR Midwest.

Funding for the project was raised through a public-private partnership (P3) named the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA), a not-for-profit Canadian Crown corporation. This type of funding scheme has been on the rise in the U.S. on a state-by-state basis. The additional funding was approved in January 2024 to extend the project timeline and finish the job.

Ultimately, whether it took five years or six to complete, the bridge will stand as a monumental bi-lateral architectural, construction, and infrastructure achievement. The main deck, constructed in segments, topped out across the Detroit River in July of 2024, completing deck construction on the 1.5 mile, six-lane bridge. When finished, it will be the 10th largest bridge in the United States. Other work that remains to complete the entire project by fall of 2025 includes stressing the stay cables, installing fire suppression, drainage, and electrical systems, adding lights and signs, and paving and painting the bridge deck.

Every portion of a project of this size requires exceptional existing conditions documentation, damage control measures, and exceptional project management. From locating and mapping utility infrastructure on both sides of the river to providing cutting and coring clearances for post tension concrete and steel reinforced slabs, to capturing construction progress for stakeholders; one of the most challenging components is managing the sheer volume of data required to bring the job in safely. GPRS provides existing conditions documentation, subsurface damage prevention, and project management solutions for the AEC and related industries throughout the U.S.

GPRS Intelligently Visualizes The Built World® for customers nationwide. What can we help you visualize?

Frequently Asked Questions

What does topping out a bridge mean?

No one can trace the exact origins of calling connecting final bridge spans in the center “topping out,” but it has become a time-honored tradition among steel workers in the U.S. When the final I-beam installation or deck weld is completed for the frame of a steel reinforced project, a “topping out” ceremony is observed. Oddly, that ceremony often includes a small Christmas tree, erected at the tallest point.

Some in the AEC world claim the ceremony can be traced to 621 B.C. Rome, but their macabre celebration included tossing human sacrifices into the Tiber River. Others point to 700 A.D. in Scandinavia, where the custom was to hoist an evergreen onto the top ridgepole to welcome the “birth” of the new building.

To this day, construction crews the world over will still place a small (usually artificial) Christmas tree atop the area of their final framing. The addition of the American flag came in 1919, prior to unionization of construction and steel workers, as a protest against “The American Plan.” Over the last 30-40 years, most U.S. large and high-rise projects contain at least the American flag, and often a Christmas tree at their topping out.

How does GRPS support large-scale construction projects?

GPRS provides industry-leading subsurface damage prevention services, existing conditions documentation & data capture, and project management solutions for the architectural, engineering, construction, and related industries. Our services can help you build better, from planning through O&M, to keep you on time, on budget, and most importantly, safe. Learn more about GPRS, here.

Wastewater treatment is a critical component of modern infrastructure, ensuring that communities can handle sewage and wastewater in a safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible manner.

One of the key technologies enhancing the efficiency and reliability of wastewater treatment processes is the Variable Frequency Drive (VFD). VFDs help optimize the performance of wastewater pumps, enabling more flexible and responsive control over sewage transport and treatment operations.

The Role of VFDs in Wastewater Treatment

VFDs are electronic devices that adjust the speed and torque of electric motors by varying the frequency and voltage supplied to the motor. In the context of wastewater treatment, they are often applied to control the flow of sewage through pumps. These drives allow operators to modulate the pump speed in real-time, providing the exact amount of energy required to meet fluctuating flow demands. By doing so, VFDs help ensure efficient operation, reduce energy consumption, and extend the lifespan of equipment.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) deal with highly variable flow rates. Sewage flow can change significantly throughout the day, often peaking during morning and evening hours. Without VFDs, pumps must either operate at a constant speed—leading to inefficiencies during low-flow periods—or be turned on and off frequently, which can cause wear and tear on the equipment. VFDs enable operators to fine-tune the pump’s performance to match real-time flow conditions, ensuring optimal operation and reducing mechanical strain on the system.

How VFDs Improve Energy Efficiency

One of the most significant benefits of VFDs is their ability to reduce energy consumption. Traditional fixed-speed pumps operate at full capacity regardless of the flow rate, which often results in wasted energy when the system is running below its maximum capacity. VFDs allow for more precise control, enabling the pumps to run only at the necessary speed, thus reducing energy usage during lower demand periods.

According to industry estimates, incorporating VFDs into wastewater treatment systems can lead to energy savings of up to 50% when compared to fixed-speed systems. This not only reduces operational costs but also supports environmental sustainability efforts by lowering the carbon footprint of wastewater treatment facilities.

VFDs can optimize sewage transport when used correctly – but they can disturb the proper functioning of a well-designed pumping station if not used carefully. This is why it’s important to apply VFDs with detailed knowledge and thoughtful consideration of the overall system design.

Enhancing Pump Performance and Reliability

In addition to improving energy efficiency, VFDs help enhance the reliability and performance of wastewater pumps. One of the key challenges in sewage transport is the presence of solid materials, such as wipes, rags, and other debris, which can clog pumps and lead to costly downtime. VFDs can help mitigate this issue by allowing for more sophisticated pump control strategies, such as “de-ragging.”

What is De-Ragging?

De-ragging is a technique that involves temporarily reversing the pump's direction or adjusting its speed to dislodge any debris that may be stuck in the pump. This feature is particularly useful in preventing blockages caused by fibrous materials like wipes, which have become a more significant problem in recent years due to increased usage. Some VFD manufacturers have designed their drives with built-in de-ragging functions, making it easier to maintain smooth pump operation and minimize the risk of clogging.

However, it’s important to recognize that de-ragging has its limitations and must be used judiciously. Improper use of de-ragging can lead to issues in the pump system, particularly if the system design is not well-suited to handle the reversed flow or sudden changes in pump speed. Therefore, engineers and operators need to carefully program and monitor the VFDs to ensure that the de-ragging feature is implemented in a way that benefits the system without causing unintended disruptions.

Balancing Flow Velocities for Optimal System Performance

Another key consideration when using VFDs in wastewater treatment is maintaining appropriate flow velocities. In sewage transport, there is a minimum required flow velocity that must be met to prevent sedimentation and other issues in the pipeline. If the flow velocity drops too low, solids in the sewage can settle at the bottom of the pipes, leading to blockages and reduced system efficiency.

VFDs allow operators to adjust the pump speed to maintain the necessary flow velocity, even during periods of low sewage flow. By comparing the velocity of the actual flow with the recommended minimum velocity, operators can determine whether the system is working properly and adjust as needed to keep everything running smoothly. Implementing short ramp-up periods at the start of pump operations can also help ensure that the system is flushed properly and that flow velocities remain within the optimal range.

Reducing Mechanical Stress and Extending Equipment Life

By providing more precise control over pump operation, VFDs also help reduce mechanical stress on wastewater treatment equipment. Pumps that operate at fixed speeds or are frequently cycled on and off can experience increased wear and tear, leading to more frequent maintenance and shorter equipment lifespans. VFDs enable a smoother startup and shutdown process, minimizing the mechanical shock to the system and helping extend the life of the pumps.

Additionally, by allowing pumps to run at lower speeds when demand is low, VFDs help reduce the strain on other components of the wastewater treatment system, such as pipes and valves. This can result in lower maintenance costs and improved overall system reliability, contributing to more cost-effective and trouble-free operation.

The Role of Smart Programming in VFD Optimization

To fully realize the benefits of VFDs in wastewater treatment, it’s essential to implement smart programming strategies that optimize pump performance. This includes setting appropriate speed ranges for different flow conditions, incorporating ramp-up and ramp-down periods to prevent sudden changes in flow, and configuring the de-ragging function to operate only when needed.

Advanced VFDs can also be integrated with other control systems, such as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, to enable real-time monitoring and automatic adjustments based on changing conditions. This level of automation helps ensure that the system operates as efficiently and reliably as possible, with minimal intervention from operators.

VFDs as a Key Technology for Wastewater Treatment

Variable Frequency Drives have become an indispensable tool in modern wastewater treatment facilities. By allowing operators to precisely control pump speed and flow, VFDs help reduce energy consumption, improve system reliability, and extend equipment life. With the added benefits of de-ragging functions and smart programming capabilities, VFDs offer a powerful solution to the challenges posed by modern sewage transport, including the increased presence of wipes and other debris.

It is important to use VFDs with careful consideration of the entire system. When applied correctly, VFDs can support trouble-free operation, but improper usage can lead to inefficiencies or even system disruptions. For wastewater treatment plants looking to maximize their performance and efficiency, VFDs offer a valuable technology that can deliver significant operational and environmental benefits.

GPRS Offers Comprehensive Wastewater Infrastructure Management Services

GPRS Video Pipe Inspection is a sewer inspection service that uses industry-leading remote video cameras to assess conditions and prevent problems in water, sanitary and storm sewer, and lateral pipelines. Our NASSCO-certified Project Managers scope your sewers to locate clogs, identify cross bores, find structural defects & damages, and conduct lateral sewer line inspections. We provide you with comprehensive, interactive reporting that details every inch of your pipes to help you plan repairs, maintain your system integrity, and mitigate risk.

From skyscrapers to sewer lines, GPRS Intelligently Visualizes The Built World^® to keep your projects on time, on budget, and safe.

What can we help you visualize?

Frequently Asked Questions

What size pipes can GPRS inspect?

Our NASSCO-certified sewer inspection Project Managers have the capabilities to inspect pipes from 2” in diameter and up.

What deliverables does GPRS offer when conducting a VPI?

GPRS is proud to offer WinCan reporting to our Video Pipe Inspection clients. Maintaining sewers starts with understanding sewer condition, and WinCan allows GPRS Project Managers to collect detailed, NASSCO-compliant inspection data. GPRS Project Managers not only inspect the interior condition of sewer pipes, laterals, and manholes – they can also provide a map of their location. The GPRS Mapping & Modeling Department can provide detailed GPS overlays and CAD files. Our detailed WinCan/NASSCO reports contain screenshots of the interior condition of the pipe segments that we inspect, as well as a video file for further evaluation, documentation, and/or reference.

Can you locate pipes in addition to evaluating their integrity?

Yes! Our SIM- and NASSCO-certified Project Managers use VPI technology equipped with sondes, which are instrument probes that allow them to ascertain the location of underground utilities from an inaccessible location. This allows them to use electromagnetic (EM) locating to map sewer systems at the same time they’re evaluating them for defects.

Does GPRS offer lateral launch services?

Yes, we offer lateral launch capabilities as part of our standard Video Pipe Inspection services.

The ever-increasing need for larger and more powerful data centers is fueling new construction and design innovations.

According to a recent article in Propmodo, energy requirements for new data centers are growing along with investment in the construction of these facilities. Driven largely by the ongoing evolution of artificial intelligence technologies, tech companies like Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Amazon Web Services are testing the limits of energy grids.

“Hyperscale data centers have grown over the past several years from dozens of megawatts to hundreds, and some tech firms are looking for sites to power more than a gigawatt of capacity,” writes Propmodo’s Nick Pipitone. “To put that into perspective, one gigawatt is sufficient to provide a full year of energy to about 900,000 households, about the size of a major U.S. city.”

Data centers accounted for 19 gigawatts of power usage in the U.S. in 2023, and that’s expected to climb to 25 gigawatts by 2026 – about 6% of the country’s power.

Tech firms and their data center developers are getting creative to solve their power and cooling problems. Amazon’s newly acquired, 1,200-acre data center campus in rural Pennsylvania will reportedly be powered by the nearby, 2.5-gigawatt Susquehanna Steam Electric Station nuclear power plant. Meta is accelerating the implementation of liquid cooling as it restructures its data centers for high-performance computing. And IBM and Schneider are experimenting with rear-door, self-contained water cooling units.

Prefabrication: The Solution to Supply Chain Woes?

On the construction front, supply chain disruptions continue to cause extended lead times for equipment. In addition, limited land availability, permitting difficulties, and resistance from communities to new developments are further slowing the creation of new facilities. To counter these challenges, developers are increasingly adopting prefabrication techniques.

Prefabricated modular designs have significantly reduced construction timelines, lowered expenses, and boosted sustainability for many data center projects. According to Propmodo, one firm reported cutting the cost of building a 45-megawatt European facility by 20%, while trimming construction time from 17 months to 11 months with the use of modular building components, as well as modular systems for electrical and cooling.

Another rising need for hyperscale data centers is localized power generation. As with the Amazon project, nuclear power is emerging as a sustainable energy option for certain developments due to its near-zero emissions, once operational. While still in its infancy, nuclear power is gaining interest for large data centers, with companies showing optimism about small, factory-built modular reactors. These reactors are far smaller than traditional nuclear plants and can be safely located near population centers. Many feature safety systems that require no human intervention for shutdown, essentially eliminating the risk of a radioactive incident.

GPRS Keeps Data Center Projects on Track

As of March 2024, there were 5,381 data centers operating in the U.S., according to Statista.com. In comparison, Germany, which ranks second, has just 521. Even China and India, the two most populous nations, together account for only 612 data centers.

“The demand for data centers is expected to surge in the coming years as the world becomes increasingly interconnected,” The Birmingham Group’s President and CEO, Brian Binke, wrote in a blog post last fall. “With companies like Google, Amazon and Facebook leading the charge, data center construction will continue to thrive, supporting the digital infrastructure needed for a connected future.”

GPRS helps ensure data centers stay on schedule by offering a full range of services for subsurface damage prevention, existing conditions documentation, and construction and facility project management.

Our services include concrete scanning, utility locating, video pipe inspection, and leak detection — crucial for preventing subsurface damage during excavation or when drilling and cutting through concrete. We employ advanced technologies such as ground penetrating radar (GPR), electromagnetic (EM) locating, and remotely operated sewer pipe inspection rovers. Our SIM and NASSCO-certified Project Managers (PMs) provide detailed insights into your site’s subsurface structures.

For precise above-ground documentation and to capture our PMs’ findings, our 3D laser scanning and photogrammetry services deliver data accurate to 2-4 mm, supporting project design as well as future operations and maintenance (O&M) efforts. Our Mapping & Modeling Department can customize this data into any format or software as needed.

SiteMap^® (patent pending), our cloud-based platform for project and facility management, provides 24/7 access to this field-verified data, improving asset protection and team collaboration.

With SiteMap^®, you and your team can securely access and share critical data from any computer, tablet, or mobile device, ensuring smooth, real-time collaboration anytime, anywhere.

From skyscrapers to sewer lines, GPRS Intelligently Visualizes The Built World^® to keep you on time, on budget, and safe.

What can we help you visualize?

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What are the Benefits of Underground Utility Mapping?

Having an updated and accurate map of your subsurface infrastructure reduces accidents, budget overruns, change orders, and project downtime caused by dangerous and costly subsurface damage.

How does SiteMap® assist with Utility Mapping?

SiteMap^®, powered by GPRS, is the industry-leading infrastructure management program. It is a single source of truth, housing the 99.8%+ accurate utility locating, concrete scanning, video pipe inspection, leak detection, and 3D laser scanning data our Project Managers collect on your job site. And the best part is you get a complimentary SiteMap^® Personal Subscription when GPRS performs a utility locate for you.

Click here to learn more.

Does SiteMap® Work with my Existing GIS Platform?

SiteMap^® allows for exporting of data to SHP, GeoJSON, GeoPackage, and DXF directly from any user’s account that either owns or has a job shared to their account. All these file formats can be imported and utilized by other GIS packages if manually imported by the user. More information can be found at SiteMap.com.

Water managers are working to understand and mitigate the environmental and health risks posed by nanoplastics pollution.

In the meantime, researchers across the globe are devising ways to rid our waters of these microscopic particles.

A team from the University of Missouri recently published a study in ACS Applied Engineering Materials about how they removed over 98% of nanoplastic – also known as microplastic – particles from water using non-toxic hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (HDESs). When mixed into the water and then allowed to separate again, the solvent will rise to the surface, bringing over 98% of the nanoplastic pollutants with it, where they can be easily skimmed off. Due to its hydrophobic properties, there's minimal risk of the eutectic solvent causing further contamination.

The university’s approach works in both fresh and seawater and is a cost-effective solution to removing almost all nanoplastics in a water source while leaving clean water behind.

"Our strategy uses a small amount of designer solvent to absorb plastic particles from a large volume of water," Gary Baker, an associate professor in Mizzou’s Department of Chemistry, said in a recent article on New Atlas. "Currently, the capacity of these solvents is not well understood. In future work, we aim to determine the maximum capacity of the solvent. Additionally, we will explore methods to recycle the solvents, enabling their reuse multiple times if necessary."

True to their name, nanoplastics are tiny plastic fragments or particles that form from the degradation or disposal of plastic materials. They are found in food, soil, water, air, and personal care products, raising concerns about exposure and possible negative effects.

“Nanoplastics can disrupt aquatic ecosystems and enter the food chain, posing risks to both wildlife and humans,” Piyuni Ishtaweera, a recent alumna who led the study while earning her doctorate in nano and materials chemistry at Mizzou, said in a school press release. “In layman’s terms, we’re developing better ways to remove contaminants such as nanoplastics from water.”

Future studies will look to scale up Mizzou’s solution so that it can work in larger bodies of water. In lab conditions, a pipette was used to remove the nanoplastic-laden solvent from the water.

“These solvents are made from safe, non-toxic components, and their ability to repel water prevents additional contamination of water sources, making them a highly sustainable solution,” said Ishtaweera, who now works at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in St. Louis. “From a scientific perspective, creating effective removal methods fosters innovation in filtration technologies, provides insights into nanomaterial behavior and supports the development of informed environmental policies.”

GPRS Services Support Safe Water Infrastructure

Nanoplastics are just the latest water safety threat that water managers must tackle. And when it comes to managing water distribution infrastructure, you first need to know exactly where your lines are buried.

GPRS utility locating & mapping, and leak detection services give you a complete and accurate picture of your buried water infrastructure and its current state, so you know where everything is and what needs repaired.

We utilize ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electromagnetic (EM) locating to find and map buried utilities. GPR scanners emit radio waves into a surface or underground, then detect the interactions between those waves and any buried infrastructure to locate those items. EM locators detect the electromagnetic signals radiating from metallic pipes and cables, making it a perfect complement to GPR.

When it comes to identifying water loss, GPRS provides professional leak detection services using both acoustic technology and leak detection correlators.

Acoustic leak detection employs advanced microphones, headphones, control units, and complementary technologies to detect water leaks by amplifying sound waves through various pipe materials.

Leak detection correlators, powered by algorithms, use radio waves with a dual sensor system to capture and display leak vibrations that indicate potential pressurized water system leaks. Combined with acoustic tools, this method ensures precise detection in water and fire suppression systems.

The accurate, field-verified data gathered by our SIM and NASSCO-certified Project Managers is always accessible through SiteMap^® (patent pending), GPRS’ project and facility management platform designed to safeguard your assets and personnel.

SiteMap^® can be accessed from any device—computer, tablet, or smartphone—allowing seamless sharing of critical infrastructure data, which eliminates communication gaps that cause missteps and delays.

Water & Sewer Damage Awareness Week Returns October 21-25

To help water system operators take a more proactive approach to maintaining their infrastructure, GPRS hosts Water & Sewer Damage Awareness Week. From October 21-25, our safety experts will travel across the country delivering free safety presentations to municipalities, engineers, facility managers, property management groups, and anyone else who is ready to regain control of their fresh and wastewater infrastructure.

Click here to schedule your WSDAW presentation today!

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of informational output is provided when GPRS conducts a utility locate?

Our Project Managers flag and paint our findings directly on the surface. This method of communication is the most accurate form of marking when excavation is expected to commence within a few days of service.

GPRS also uses a global positioning system (GPS) to collect data points of findings. We use this data to generate a plan, KMZ file, satellite overlay, or CAD file to permanently preserve results for future use. GPRS does not provide land surveying services. If you need land surveying services, please contact a professional land surveyor. Please contact us to discuss the pricing and marking options your project may require.

Will I need to mark out the utilities that GPRS locates?

No, GPRS will locate and mark all utilities for you. We have a variety of tools and markers we can use to highlight the locations of utilities, underground storage tanks and whatever else may be hiding.

How many miles of pipe can GPRS test in a day?

Our professional leak detection specialists can test up to 10 miles of pipe a day on a metallic system (Cast Iron/Ductile). Experienced Leak Detectors can test a contact point (Hydrant/Valve) within a minute before moving on to the next one. Leak Detectors can work efficiently because they are trained to hear the specific tone that a leak produces compared to any other number of noises a general environment makes.

3D Laser Scanning for Overhead Clearances

3D laser scanning for overhead clearances is a powerful technique used to accurately measure and document the space around facilities, buildings, or sites. According to OSHA, nearly 30% of all crane-related accidents resulted in fatalities due to electric shock or fire from a boom and crane’s contact with energized power lines. It is important to inform excavator equipment operators of the presence of overhead wires and utilities, plus trees and other obstructions. Through the use of 3D laser scanning, measuring overhead obstructions is quick, safe, and accurate.

GPRS Project Managers can calculate the overhead clearance from the ground and do not have to worry about coming into contact with overhead lines, trees, and utility poles, etc. Furthermore, 3D laser scan technology is more accurate than traditional methods because it looks at thousands of points along the clearance plane, not just a few sample points.

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How Does 3D Laser Scanning Work?

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Laser Scanning: A 3D laser scanner emits LiDAR laser beams that bounce off surfaces and return to the scanner. By measuring the time it takes for the laser to return and the angle at which it returns, the scanner calculates the distance to the surface and creates a point cloud—a dense collection of points in the 3D space.

Data Capture: The 3D laser scanner is positioned at multiple locations around the facility, building, or site. Each positioning captures a set of 3D data points, which are combined to create a point cloud of the space.‍
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Point Cloud Processing: The collected point clouds are processed using specialized software to generate detailed 2D drawings and 3D models. These drawings and models can be analyzed for various measurements, including overhead clearances.

Clearance Analysis: The data captured allows contractors and engineers to measure vertical clearances with high precision. They can simulate the passage of vehicles or equipment through the space and assess if there are any potential obstructions.

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What are the Benefits of 3D Laser Scanning for Overhead Clearances?

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Accuracy: 3D laser scanning provides highly accurate measurements of overhead clearances and site obstructions, which are crucial for ensuring safe operation and passage for vehicles and machinery.

Speed: Compared to traditional manual measurements, laser scanning is much faster, allowing for quicker data collection and analysis.

Detailed Visualization: The 2D drawings and 3D models created from laser scanning offer a detailed visualization of the space, which can be useful for planning, design, and operational purposes.

Documentation: The data can be archived and used for future reference, helping in maintenance planning and any future modifications.

Risk Reduction: By providing accurate data, 3D laser scanning helps in identifying potential issues before they become problems, thereby reducing risks and improving safety.

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What are the Applications for 3D Laser Scanning for Overhead Clearances?

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Infrastructure: Used in the maintenance and inspection of bridges, tunnels, and overpasses to ensure they meet clearance requirements.
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Construction: Helps in verifying that new structures meet design specifications and clearances.
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Transport: Assists in ensuring that roads and railways are clear of obstructions and can accommodate the intended traffic.‍
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Power Lines: Allows workers to maintain a safe distance from the power lines. OSHA recommends a distance of at least 10 feet from overhead lines and more than 10 feet if the voltage to ground is over 50 kilovolts (50,000 volts).  This clearance distance must be increased by 4 inches for every 10 kilovolts over 50 kilovolts. The higher the voltage, the greater the distance that is needed between the lines and the workers.

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3D Laser Scanning Pricing

3D laser scanning for overhead clearances is a valuable tool for professionals involved in infrastructure management, construction, and transportation planning, offering precision and efficiency in managing complex spatial environments.

The cost of 3D laser scanning can vary widely depending on your project scope. GPRS customizes every quote specific to your project’s needs. GPRS Project Managers use 3D laser scanners to capture every detail of your site, delivering building dimensions, locations, and layout with millimeter accuracy. This can include the aboveground structural, architectural, and MEP features, plus overhead lines, trees, and utility poles. Our Mapping & Modeling Team can deliver point clouds, 2D CAD drawings, 3D BIM models, 3D Mesh models, TruViews, and Virtual Tours at any level of detail.

Contact us today to see the expertise and value that GPRS Laser Scanning can provide.

What can we help you visualize?

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Above and Below Ground 3D Data Capture

GPRS provides a variety of services to give you complete site and facility visualization, both above and below ground. We are the #1 service provider for 3D laser scanning, utility locating, concrete scanning, video pipe inspection, and leak detection. The combination of these services can provide your company precise documentation of existing as-built conditions and subsurface information.

You will receive clear and understandable findings of structural, MEP, and field markings in custom deliverables such as point clouds, 2D site plans, and 3D models. Accurate data allows our clients to expedite design planning, extract 3D coordinates and measure distances, along with the ability to mark-up and share this across project teams. Receiving critical site information will lower your project risks and increase project efficiency.

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3D Laser Scanning

3D laser scanning uses LIDAR technology to accurately and efficiently capture 3-dimensional data of a project site. Without physically touching what is being measured, the laser scanner captures millions of data points in x, y and z coordinates in the form of a point cloud. The intricate detail of these points means that a client can get an exact measurement from any one point to any other point in the point cloud. Custom deliverables such as 2D CAD drawings and 3D BIM models can be created at any level of detail.

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Utility Locating

Utility hits and line hits are a project manager's worst nightmare. At best, these accidents stop a project in its tracks; at worst, they put workers in real danger. Utility detection is critical to any construction project where subsurface excavation is planned to ensure the overall timely success of your project. To achieve a comprehensive and safe utility locate, a private utility locator must be utilized to mark buried facilities on private property. The use of proper training, multiple technologies, and a field-tested methodology are essential to properly locating all site utilities.

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Concrete Scanning

Because concrete drilling comes with risk, our Project Managers are equipped with multiple technologies to clear areas before core drilling and anchoring. Our concrete scanning and imaging services can be completed on any surface, including concrete slabs, walls, columns, and beams. Upon completing the scanning process, you will have a clear layout of critical targets or impediments such as post-tension cables, rebar, beams, and conduit.

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Video Pipe Inspection

Video Pipe Inspection (CCTV) is a sewer inspection service using industry-leading video cameras to prevent problems by inspecting underground water, sewer lines, and lateral pipelines. Our NASSCO certified technicians can locate clogs, investigate cross bores, find structural faults and damages, and conduct lateral sewer line inspections.

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Leak Detection

We specialize in all types of leak detection services, including municipal, industrial, and residential. Our water loss specialists have the equipment to locate your leak and the expertise to provide many other insights into your water distribution system. We do this by utilizing a variety of equipment paired with an industry-leading SIM process. The equipment and methods used include acoustic leak detectors, leak noise correlators, video pipe inspection, ground penetrating radar, and electromagnetic locating, among others.

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GPRS Delivers Accurate Site Data

With GPRS, clients have access to complete site data with high-accuracy 3D laser scanning, utility locating, concrete scanning, video pipe inspection, and leak detection. We have the expertise to scan above and below ground and localize and store all of the data. The goal is to provide client access to all data and resources virtually.

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3D Laser Scanning Pricing

The cost of 3D laser scanning can vary widely depending on your project scope. GPRS customizes every quote specific to your project needs. GPRS Project Managers use 3D laser scanners to capture every detail of your site, delivering building dimensions, locations, and layout with millimeter accuracy. This can include the aboveground structural, architectural, and MEP features, plus underground utility and concrete markings. Our Mapping & Modeling Team can deliver point clouds, 2D CAD drawings, 3D BIM models, 3D Mesh models, TruViews, and Virtual Tours at any level of detail.

Contact us today to see the expertise and value that GPRS 3D Laser Scanning services can provide.

What can we help you visualize?

Soil testing is an integral part of site preparation and project planning, especially when it comes to digging and excavation work.

Whether it’s for utility installation, construction, or environmental assessments, understanding the soil beneath the surface can mean the difference between a successful project and one that is plagued with delays, structural issues, or even legal troubles.

Despite the critical nature of soil testing, it is often overlooked in dig policies.

The Role of Soil Testing in Digging Projects

A dig, or ground disturbance, policy typically outlines safety procedures, risk assessments, and compliance with regulations before excavation begins. It includes critical elements like identifying buried utilities, ensuring proper shoring, and maintaining site safety. However, soil testing is sometimes treated as an optional or secondary consideration. Given the central role soil conditions play in ensuring the stability and safety of any excavation or construction project, this could be seen as an oversight with significant consequences.

Soil testing provides crucial information about whether soil is contaminated, as well as its composition, moisture content, and load-bearing capacity. It can reveal whether the soil is prone to shifting, contains contaminants, or is at risk of liquefaction. Without these insights, projects may face significant risks such as ground subsidence, structural failure, or environmental hazards.

Why Precision in Soil Testing Is Critical

Precision in soil testing is the cornerstone of accurate site evaluation, as highlighted in this recent Dig Different article. Soil characteristics directly affect a project’s design, timeline, and cost. For instance, soil that is highly permeable may require additional drainage systems, while clay-rich soils may need stabilization to prevent shrinkage or swelling. Furthermore, the load-bearing capacity of soil determines the type and depth of foundations, which are essential for ensuring the longevity and safety of any structure.

Without soil testing, designers and engineers are essentially working in the dark. The entire project, whether it's a small utility installation or a large construction effort, can be jeopardized if the soil is not adequately understood. The cost of remediating issues that arise from poor soil conditions can far exceed the expense of the initial testing.

Key Components of Soil Testing

Soil testing isn’t a one-size-fits-all process. Different projects require different tests based on local conditions and the nature of the work. Here are some key tests that should be part of any comprehensive soil evaluation:

1. Soil Composition Analysis  

  This test identifies the types of particles that make up the soil, including sand, silt, clay, and organic material. It’s essential for determining the soil’s drainage capacity and suitability for construction.

2. Permeability Testing

  Soil permeability determines how well water can pass through the soil. For projects like septic systems, utility installations, or foundations, it’s important to know whether the soil will drain properly or retain too much water.

3. Compaction Testing

  Compaction testing measures the soil’s ability to withstand the weight of structures or equipment. Inadequate compaction can lead to settling, cracking, and even structural failure over time.

4. Moisture Content and Shrink-Swell Potential  

  Soils with high moisture content or those that swell and shrink (such as expansive clays) can cause foundations to shift and crack. Testing helps to predict and mitigate these risks.

5. Contaminant Testing

  In areas where industrial activity or pollution is a concern, soil testing for contaminants such as heavy metals, hydrocarbons, or pesticides is crucial. This ensures the safety of both the project and the surrounding environment.

Benefits of Including Soil Testing in a Dig Policy

Incorporating soil testing into a dig policy offers numerous benefits that can significantly improve project outcomes and mitigate risks. Here are the primary reasons why soil testing should be a mandatory element of any excavation policy:

1. Enhanced Safety and Risk Management

  Soil testing identifies potential hazards like unstable ground, contamination, or excess moisture, which can pose serious risks to workers and equipment. By addressing these issues in the planning phase, site managers can implement appropriate safety measures, reducing the risk of accidents or costly delays.

2. Accurate Project Design and Planning

  When engineers and designers have precise data on the soil’s properties, they can tailor the project to the conditions of the site. This results in more accurate designs, better material choices, and fewer surprises during construction. For example, a well-executed soil test may indicate the need for additional foundation supports or specialized drainage systems, which can be accounted for in the project’s initial budget and timeline.

3. Cost Savings Over the Long Term

  While soil testing adds upfront costs, it can prevent expensive issues later. For instance, discovering soil instability or contamination after construction has begun can lead to delays, redesigns, or even legal battles over non-compliance with environmental regulations. By testing the soil beforehand, these problems can be mitigated before they escalate.

4. Compliance with Regulations

  Many jurisdictions have stringent regulations regarding soil stability, contamination, and environmental impact. Failing to conduct proper soil tests can lead to non-compliance with local building codes and environmental laws, which can result in fines, project shutdowns, or costly remediation efforts.

5. Increased Longevity of Installations

  One of the most significant long-term benefits of soil testing is that it helps ensure the longevity of the installation. Whether it’s a utility line, a septic system, or a building foundation, proper soil testing ensures that the system is built to last, reducing the likelihood of future failures and maintenance costs. As the *Dig Different* article points out, precise testing protects the client’s investment by ensuring the system is designed for the specific conditions of the site.

Overcoming Resistance to Soil Testing

Despite its clear advantages, soil testing is often skipped due to cost concerns or a lack of awareness. Clients or contractors may be reluctant to invest in what they see as an unnecessary expense, especially for smaller projects. It’s essential to educate all stakeholders about the risks of foregoing soil testing and the potential for far greater expenses down the line if soil conditions aren’t properly understood.

Project managers and engineers should present soil testing as a risk management tool that benefits everyone involved. By demonstrating the connection between precise soil testing and a project’s long-term success, clients are more likely to see it as a valuable, even indispensable, component of the dig policy.

Let GPRS Help You With Your Dig Policy!

The GPRS team excels at preventing subsurface damage by following the Subsurface Investigation Methodology (SIM). SIM also plays a key role in enhancing dig policies by setting higher standards for utility mapping before excavation begins.

As the industry’s leading process for utility locates, concrete scanning, leak detection, and CCTV video pipe inspections, SIM requires utility locating contractors to use multiple technologies — such as ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electromagnetic (EM) locating — ensuring redundancy and consistency in their subsurface investigations.

To earn SIM certification—a requirement for all GPRS field personnel—our Project Managers undergo a rigorous training program that includes at least 320 hours of field training and 80 hours of classroom instruction. They face a wide range of real-world scenarios to prepare them for any unique challenges they might encounter in the field.

SIM is not just a training framework; it defines the expectations for utility locating companies in terms of data collection methods and the quality of subsurface information gathered. This ensures that the data provided is both precise and actionable.

Thanks to our unwavering commitment to SIM, GPRS Project Managers maintain a 99.8%+ accuracy rate across the more than 500,000 utility locating and concrete scanning projects we have completed since our establishment in 2001.

At GPRS, we aim for 100% subsurface damage prevention. Our goal is to help you keep your projects on track, your budget intact, and your teams safe. That’s why we offer complimentary ground disturbance policy reviews to help you implement the procedures necessary for successful outcomes.

Request your free ground disturbance policy review today!

Software platform, Autodesk, is on a sprint to the finish line for the Los Angles 2028 Olympics (LA28).

The U.S. company was officially named the Design and Make Platform for LA28 to help meet sustainability goals and streamline construction. Autodesk will also have the enormous task of being the software used by all architects and key stakeholders for retrofitting existing buildings to host the games and ceremonies, instead of constructing them from scratch.

The Billion Dollar Plan

More than $1 billion in investment have been reserved for the temporary overlay and construction plans, which include more than 40 venues. LA28, will mark the very first Olympic Games in history that will have no new permanent venues built to host the games. Instead, all sites being used will be existing world class stadiums and venues across the Los Angeles Region. Some of these stadiums, known around the globe, include the Staple Center, home of the Los Angeles Lakers, LA Memorial Coliseum, home of the University of Southern California (USC) football team, as well as SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Rams.

Adaptive Reuse, BIM, & Design Support Sustainability Goals

Autodesk’s technology tools including Construction Cloud and Building Information Modeling (BIM) will play a central role in achieving sustainability goals for LA28. These tools will be used by thousands of key stakeholders over the next four years including engineers, architects, general contractors, amongst other key contributors for better collaboration, planning, and design as projects begin to move forward.

With the goal of constructing no new permanent venues to host the next Olympic Games, adaptive reuse solutions by way of retrofitting existing structures will be critical. Amy Buzel, Executive Vice President, Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Solutions at Autodesk, shared in a comment on the companies press release of the partnership with LA28 “At Autodesk, we believe the most sustainable building is the one already built. That’s why we’re excited by LA28’s ambitious plan to retrofit existing structures to ensure sustainability is at the forefront of the LA28 Games venue plan.”

By focusing on adaptive reuse strategies, significant cost savings of up to 16% could be realized for LA28 when compared to new construction projects with methods supporting approximately 18% less work time helping enhance cost and time savings.

What is Adaptive Reuse?

Adaptive Reuse is defined as the process of repurposing or retrofitting an unused or existing building for a temporary or permanent new purpose instead of demolishing it. In this renovation process, it is important to preserve the historical and architectural features of the structure being renovated, if possible.

There has been a recent rise in adaptive reuse strategy not only for large events like the upcoming 2028 LA Olympic Games, but also in retail and corporate environments, where outdated and unused office spaces are being converted into spaces used for other potential uses. This approach supports sustainability goals to building development, because it can help reduce waste, preserve architectural heritage, as well as revitalize communities.

How GPRS Supports Adaptive Reuse & Retrofit Projects

On many adaptive reuse and retrofit projects, architectural firms in charge will first hire a company like GPRS or Existing Conditions (a GPRS Company) to 3D laser scan the building being retrofitted. This process of accurate reality capture allows for existing condition data and accurate as-builts to be developed and given to the architect to aid in planning and design.

Many projects face large amounts of downtime and costly reworks due to inaccurate data being used from the get-go, and this helps proactively mitigate those types of scenarios using 3D Laser scanning and BIM modeling.

How The Process Works

In the process of 3D laser scanning an existing facility, GPRS accurately identifies and documents all visible elements of a structure. These include walls, windows, HVAC, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing features. With this type of accurate data, architects can focus on design rather than verifying existing building conditions.

The GPRS Mapping & Modeling Team transforms point cloud data captured by the laser scanner into a 3D building information model (BIM) as shown in the image below. GPRS delivers the as-built model via SiteMap®, a cloud-based software enabling architects and project teams to securely view and share project data from any device.  

The BIM model empowers architects to explore design options and convey the project's vision. It can help the architect iterate and refine design changes in a virtual environment, offering innovative solutions for adaptive reuse and retrofit projects.

With this precise data, architects can decide on elements for reuse and materials requiring renovation, from the roof to doors, windows, and walls. The BIM model aids in preparing detailed construction plans specifying structural layouts, MEP system layouts, materials, and finishes. Additionally, architects can present design plans to the Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) team and contractors for accurate timelines and cost estimates.

LA Stadiums GPRS Has Scanned

An example of how this 2-4 millimeter accurate 3D laser scanning data ties in to the 2028 games and venues is from when our team at GPRS created an integrated Revit 3D BIM Model of Sofi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Rams.

This project involved 3.1 million square feet, 70,240 seats, 260 executive suites, and an additional 2.2 million-pound Infinity Screen by Samsung video board suspended from the roof over the field.

How Quickly 3D Laser Scanning Can Give Results

In just two days’ time, a GPRS 3D laser scanning Project Manager documented the entire stadiums as-built conditions with 2–4-millimeter accurate reality capture using a RTC360 laser scanner. This data included:

- field goal posts

- sidelines

- end zones

- walls

- tunnels

- scoreboards

- concourse

- stairs

- stands

- suites

As a result of the existing conditions documentation of the stadium, a high intensity map point cloud in .rcs format and a Revit 3D BIM Model of the stadium was delivered for our customer’s use.

These maps and models produced in house by GPRS’ Mapping & Modeling Team helped,

• Streamline workflows

• Avoid clashes, reworks, change orders

• Reduce or eliminate costly mistakes

• Prevent damages & injuries

• Eliminate communication bottlenecks and siloed information

Over 40 of Los Angeles’s premier stadiums and venues will be renovated and adapted for the use of the 2028 Olympic Games, and the team at GPRS, is ready and able to support our design build, architectural, engineering, and construction customers’ needs throughout the entire process.

To learn more about how we can support your projects sustainability goals through our accurate 3D laser scanning, reality capture, and BIM modeling services, click the link below.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is 3D Laser Scanning?

Great question! 3D laser scanning is a construction, engineering, and architectural tool often used to document the existing conditions (as-builts) of any structure.

How Does 3D Laser Scanning Capture Existing Conditions Of A Job Site Or Building?

The primary way a laser scanner works is to send light pulses at high speed which reflect off objects and return to the scanner’s sensor (LiDAR). For each pulse, the distance between the scanner and object is measured by determining the elapsed time between the sent and received pulses. Each data point is converted to a pixel with a known x, y, and z coordinate.

Laser scans are taken in multiple positions around a site from varying viewpoints. Millions of data points are captured and processed into a point cloud, creating an accurate 3D as built data set of the job site or building. This all happens very quickly, with some scanners, like our Leica RTC360, capturing and calculating 2 million points per second with 2-4 mm accuracy.

UPDATE: September 11, 2024 - Price Tower is now listed for auction, expected to take place October 7-9, with a starting bid of $600,000.

Few American architectural projects are as cherished as those of Frank Lloyd Wright. That’s why the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy exists, to protect the properties’ “historic nature for the long term.” That may sound esoteric, but the Conservancy just proved it has teeth when it filed claims against the holder of the Price Tower collection and owner of the iconic Wright building, Green Copper Holdings.

On August 8, 2024, the Conservancy filed against Green Copper Holdings and an unnamed mid-century design dealer, alleging that items from the Price Tower collection were sold to the Dallas-based dealer without consent, which building owner, Green Copper’s, easement agreement with the Conservancy requires.

According to reporting in Architect Magazine, “Under the terms of the easement, the owner cannot sell easement-protected items without the conservancy’s consent.” Some of the items alleged to have been improperly sold include “a one-of-a-kind rolling directory board, architectural copper relief panels, an armchair, and copper tables and stools,” each of which was designed exclusively for Price Tower by Wright himself.

Preservation easements like these are powerful, legally binding tools providing “a higher level of legal protection and enforcement of preservation principles than any other method, including listing on the National Register of Historic Places landmark status, historic district restrictions or local regulations,” according to the Conservancy’s website.

Price Tower is not only significant for its Wright-designed collection. The building itself is a significant architectural icon – the only skyscraper that the architect ever created. Designed in 1952 and listed as both a National Historic Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places, it contains 19 concrete floors that “cantilever like the branches of a tree,” built around a “trunk” of four elevator shafts, anchored to a deep, central foundation. The walls were conceived as “ornamental screens decorated in copper ‘leaves’ and gold-tinted glass” to complete the tree analogy. Wright’s design originated as an “unrealized 1925 proposal” for an apartment building in New York City and was eventually erected in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

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It is one of only two Wright-designed structures created with a vertical orientation (the other being the Johnson Wax Research Tower, also known as the S.C. Johnson Administrative Complex in Racine, Wisconsin), and was purchased in 1981 by Phillips Petroleum, after which it became known as the Price Tower Arts Center, with a museum, hotel, and bar; until 2023, when the building sold to a consortium of five equity stakeholders structured as Copper Tree, Inc. The principal of the group is Cynthia Blanchard, who told the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise in 2023 that Copper Tree is “a locally based company with a desire to save Price Tower.”

On August 9, 2024, just one day after the Conservancy filed its lawsuit, it was reported that Green Copper Holdings (aka Copper Tree, Inc.) had informed tenants that they had until the end of August to relocate from the tower, and told employees that they were being laid off. Copper Tree, Inc. bought the building in 2023 when the beleaguered arts center transferred ownership on the promise of a $10 million cash infusion for upgrades and renovations. The new owners also assumed the non-profit Art Center’s debt on the building as part of the deal.

The tenants are understandably saddened by the turn of events because part of the cachet of the Price Tower address is the connection to the lion of American architecture. “We are just sad,” Keith McPhail, of Bartlesville Monthly Magazine, a long-time tenant told the Examiner-Enterprise. “We hate to see chains on the door of one of the best buildings in the world.”

According to local reporting, the current asking price on the iconic skyscraper overlooking the plains is $4 million.

Buildings like Price Tower, that have significant historical, architectural, and historical value, often require updates and renovations to bring them up to contemporary building codes, install efficient HVAC and MEP systems, or change their internal usage through adaptive reuse. GPRS and Existing Conditions (now a GPRS Company) specialize in providing 3D reality capture and as-built visualization services for the AEC industry, with a particular focus on historic buildings.

We provide comprehensive above and below-ground existing conditions documentation, subsurface damage prevention, and project management solutions for historical renovation and adaptive reuse projects, nationwide.

GPRS Intelligently Visualizes The Built World®. What can we help you visualize?

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I get accurate measurements on complex historical buildings for renovation or conservation?

The most efficient way to capture complex and hard-to-reach architectural details for historical buildings is via 3D laser scanning. A LiDAR scanner can capture as many as 2 million data points per second with 2-4mm accuracy, which can be used to produce a number of deliverables like point clouds, CAD drawings, and BIM models for preservation or renovation use.

How accurate is 3D laser scanning?

GPRS and Existing Conditions employ a variety of technologies in our reality capture services, the most common and efficient being 3D laser (LiDAR) scanners. These scanners can capture millions of data points per second with 2-4mm accuracy in just seconds, and allow for complicated measurements to be taken in difficult environments, often without disrupting regular operations.

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A cracked coupling in the City of Port Townsend, Washington’s water supply line leaked more than half a million gallons per day, and an estimated 40 million gallons total before it could be repaired.

Steve King, the city’s public works director, told the Port Townsend Leader that the leaking pipe was in a steep, hard-to-reach location near Snow Creek, which made it difficult to discover and contain the loss of water.

“We estimate that the leak at the time of discovery might have been flowing about 400 gallons per minute,” King told the paper. “There was no way to measure, so this is a visual assessment and estimate.”

As repairs were made to the water supply line, the city and mill both relied on the City Lake Reservoir, which typically provides water for about five days under normal conditions, according to an article in Underground Infrastructure.

The leaking line was part of the Olympic Gravity Water System (OGWS), which was constructed in 1905 and today provides an estimated 2 million gallons per day (GPD) of water to the city, and another 11 million GPD to the Port Townsend Paper Mill. The city owns the OGWS facilities and the water rights but leases the operation and maintenance of the source water collection and transmission system to the mill and its various owners.

According to The Leader, the original OGWS was already decaying and having difficulty supporting Port Townsend’s water needs by the mid-1920s. This led city officials to work to bring the Crown Zellerbach paper mill to the city, in an effort to revive the latter’s economy and generate the funds needed to renovate the water system.

The mill was constructed in 1927. The very next year, the city and Crown Zellerbach built a 29-mile wood-stave pipeline from the Big Quilcene River watershed to Port Townsend to replace the failing Snow Creek system. The wood-stave pipe would eventually be replaced, and other improvements to the OGWS would continue to be made over the decades through the continued partnership between the city and the mill’s owners.

The partnership between the city and the mill was most recently re-negotiated in December 2021. Per the agreement, “An estimated $161 million in current value infrastructure and other capital assets will need to be refurbished or replaced within the next 40 years, which includes setting aside funds beginning in 2037 to be held in reserve to implement a 125-year replacement schedule for the transmission pipeline installed between 1952 and 1972. This capital improvement program estimates an investment of $64 million in the next 20 years.”

City Manager John Mauro told The Leader that the greatest challenge to the water line in the coming 20 years “is likely the scale of investment and the uncertainty of pipeline failure.”

“Pipeline failure is inevitable but rarely predictable – which is why it’s critically important to everyone in our community and our future that we negotiated this agreement to provide the resources to [maintain the OGWS].”

Mauro also noted that the 2021 agreement was “the first time since 1956 there had been any substantive change to how we collaborate with the Mill to operate and repair the water line.” He also said that it also placed the city into the driver’s seat for handling repairs when leaks happen.

“[T]he recent pipe failure was a good and successful test of how we deploy resources and coordinate as the lead,” he said. “Indeed, there are other unknowns and challenges like climate impacts and geological/earthquake hazards to think about, but this can now all be done in the context of this agreement.”

GPRS Helps You Keep Your Water In Your System

6 billion gallons of treated water are lost daily due to untreated leaks in our buried infrastructure.

2.5 trillion gallons are lost annually to pipe defects – enough to fill 3.75 million Olympic-sized swimming pools.

There are at least 10 active leaks along every 100 miles of pipe in the United States. And 250,000-350,000 water main breaks occur annually.

When it comes to identifying water loss, GPRS provides expert leak detection services using both acoustic technology and leak detection correlators.

Acoustic leak detection employs advanced microphones, headphones, control units, and complementary technologies to detect water leaks by amplifying sound waves through various pipe materials.

Leak detection correlators, powered by algorithms, use radio waves with a dual sensor system to capture and display leak vibrations that indicate potential pressurized water system leaks. Combined with acoustic tools, this method ensures precise detection in water and fire suppression systems.

The accurate, field-verified data gathered by our SIM and NASSCO-certified Project Managers is always accessible through SiteMap^® (patent pending), GPRS’ project and facility management platform designed to safeguard your assets and personnel.

SiteMap^® can be accessed from any device—computer, tablet, or smartphone—allowing seamless sharing of critical infrastructure data, which eliminates communication gaps that cause missteps and delays.

To help water system operators take a more proactive approach to maintaining their infrastructure, GPRS hosts Water & Sewer Damage Awareness Week. From October 21-25, our safety experts will travel across the country delivering free safety presentations to municipalities, engineers, facility managers, property management groups, and anyone else who is ready to regain control of their fresh and wastewater infrastructure.

Click here to schedule your WSDAW presentation today!

Frequently Asked Questions

How many miles of pipe can GPRS test in a day?

The amount of pipe we can test often depends on the experience of the Leak Detector. Team members with many years of experience can test up to 10 miles of pipe a day on a metallic system (Cast Iron/Ductile). Experienced Leak Detectors can test a contact point (Hydrant/Valve) within a minute before moving on to the next one. Leak Detectors can work efficiently because they are trained to hear the specific tone that a leak produces compared to any other number of noises a general environment makes.

Why don’t I see any water at the location where you’ve pinpointed a leak?

Water finds the path of least resistance. Water can run through cracks in subsurface rock or make its way into storm, sanitary, and conduit piping. If the subsurface contains a high volume of sand, it will naturally flow farther down. There is no water visible on the surface in more than 99% of the leaks we locate.

Can you tell me the size of the leak you’ve located?

After analyzing thousands of previous leaks detected, we asked clients to send us pictures of the remediation. This information has helped us compare our final leak signal detected with the results of the actual leak. We determine the size of the leak by how far the leak signal travels between contact points and the pitch of the tone received. However, we do not produce formal leak estimations.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently awarded nearly $1.5 million in research funding to Clarkson University to develop and demonstrate nanosensor technology to detect, monitor and degrade Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in groundwater and surface water that may be used as drinking water sources.

According to a press release issued by the EPA, the team at Clarkson University will use this research funding to “develop a new portable nanosensing technology, developed as a stand-alone unit with interchangeable sensing and degradation units, to rapidly estimate the level of PFAS exposure, degrade the PFAS and measure the effectiveness of remediation efforts.”

Also known as “forever chemicals,” PFAS are a group of manufactured chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s because of their useful properties. There are thousands of different PFAS, some of which have been more widely used and studied than others. Perfluorooctanoic Acid and Perfluorooctane Sulfonate, for example, are two of the most widely used and studied chemicals in the PFAS group.

PFOA and PFOS have been replaced in the United States with other PFAS in recent years. One of the major concerns with PFAS is that many break down very slowly and can build up in people, animals, and the environment over time.

Current scientific research suggests that exposure to certain PFAS may lead to adverse health outcomes, including decreased fertility or increased high blood pressure in pregnant women, developmental effects or delays in children, an increased risk of some cancers, and a reduced ability of the body’s immune system to fight infections. Research is still ongoing to determine how different levels of exposure to different PFAS can lead to these and other health effects, and to better understand the ailments associated with low levels of exposure to PFAS over long periods of time, especially in children.

In April 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration issued the first-ever national, legally enforceable drinking water standard designed to protect communities from exposure to harmful PFAS. The final rule is part of EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap and is expected to reduce PFAS exposure for approximately 100 million people.

Simultaneously, EPA announced the availability of nearly $1 billion in funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help states and territories implement PFAS testing and treatment at public water systems and to help owners of private wells address PFAS contamination.

“Drinking water contaminated with PFAS has plagued communities across this country for too long,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “…Our PFAS Strategic Roadmap marshals the full breadth of EPA’s authority and resources to protect people from these harmful forever chemicals. Today, I am proud to finalize this critical piece of our Roadmap, and in doing so, save thousands of lives and help ensure our children grow up healthier.”  

Clarkson University will create, validate, and put into practice their integrated nanosensor technology for measuring and destroying PFAS in wastewater and groundwater. You can learn more about the project here.

“Advances in nanosensor technology can lead to innovative approaches and critical solutions for PFAS removal,” said Chris Frey, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “This research grant will improve our ability to find and address PFAS, which will in turn better protect communities and the environment from PFAS exposures.”

GPRS Environmental Services Expedite Site Investigations

As the nation looks to understand the true impact of PFAS contamination, environmental services such as soil boring and water testing will be critical.

GPRS supports the safe and efficient completion of these and other environmental tests with our comprehensive suite of infrastructure visualization services, including 99.8% accurate utility locating and concrete scanning, NASSCO-certified video pipe inspection, and pinpoint-accurate leak detection.

Anytime you dig – including when conducting soil borings – you run the risk of striking a buried utility. GPRS’ private utility locating services utilize ground penetrating radar (GPR), and electromagnetic (EM) locating to locate and map your subsurface infrastructure, mitigating the risk of subsurface damage during excavation. To map sewer lines, we combine EM locating with remote-controlled sewer pipe inspection rovers equipped with sondes: instrument probes that the EM locator can detect from the surface. This allows us to map these systems while we’re investigating them for defects such as cross bores, blockages, inflow/infiltration (I/I), and more.

When you need to know where you’re losing water, GPRS conducts leak detection services utilizing acoustic leak detection and leak detection correlators.

Acoustic leak detection involves using specialized microphones, headphones, and control units, as well as complimentary technologies to pinpoint water leaks by listening to amplified sound waves in a wide variety of pipe materials.

Leak detection correlators are algorithm-powered tools that utilize radio waves via a dual sensor system to process and digitally display leak vibrations that correlate to potential pressurized water system leaks. It is used in conjunction with acoustic devices to provide pinpoint leak detection in water and fire suppression infrastructure.

All the field-verified, accurate data collected on your job site by our SIM and NASSCO-certified Project Managers is at your fingertips 24/7 thanks to SiteMap^® (patent pending), GPRS’ project & facility management application designed to protect your assets and people.

Accessible from any computer, tablet, or smartphone, SiteMap^® allows you to share your critical infrastructure data with whoever needs it, allowing you to eliminate the communication silos that lead to miscommunications, mistakes, and delays.

From skyscrapers to sewer lines, GPRS Intelligently Visualizes The Built World^® to keep your projects on time, on budget, and safe.

What can we help you visualize?

Frequently Asked Questions

Does GPRS perform S.U.E. work?

Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) reduces the risk and improves the accuracy of subsurface utility readings. It is broken down into four levels of quality, governed by ASCE Standard 38-02.

GPRS does not provide a fully comprehensive in-house SUE service. We use SUE Level 2-equivalent methodology and equipment to locate utilities with an accuracy rate of 99.8%, and our services allow a SUE Level 1 investigation to be performed more efficiently, eliminating the need to waste thousands of dollars on exploratory potholing.

What type of informational output is provided when GPRS performs a utility locate?

Our Project Managers flag and paint our findings directly on the surface. This method of communication is the most accurate form of marking when excavation is expected to commence within a few days of service.

GPRS also uses a global positioning system (GPS) to collect data points of findings. We use this data to generate a plan, KMZ file, satellite overlay, or CAD file to permanently preserve results for future use. GPRS does not provide land surveying services. If you need land surveying services, please contact a professional land surveyor. Please contact us to discuss the pricing and marking options your project may require.

How does GPRS reinforce its commitment to safety?

At GPRS, safety is always on our radar. That’s why we host and/or sponsor a series of safety-related programs throughout the year.

Concrete Sawing & Drilling Safety Week (CSDSW) sees our safety experts traveling to job sites across the country to deliver free informational sessions on how your workers can keep themselves and each other safe when working with and around concrete.

Construction Safety Week tackles safety topics such as mental health awareness, fall protection, and more.

And Water & Sewer Damage Awareness Week (WSDAW) is focused on the best practices for protecting our water and wastewater infrastructure, so it can keep working for us.

The Colorado River is an essential water source for millions of people across seven U.S. states and Mexico. But region is now facing an acute water crisis exacerbated by climate change, population growth, and outdated water management policies.

In their research paper, Closing Loopholes in Water Rights Systems to Save Water: The Colorado River Basin, a team of researchers presents a comprehensive plan for reforming water rights and addressing the growing concerns over water scarcity in the Colorado River Basin.

This study focuses on the century-old Colorado River Compact, which governs the allocation of water between the Upper and Lower Basin states, and how this agreement, in its current form, is unable to address modern-day challenges. By identifying legal loopholes and proposing targeted reforms, the paper aims to promote sustainable water management, ensuring the survival of the river and the communities that depend on it.

Historical Context and the Problem with Current Water Rights

The Colorado River Compact was signed in 1922, dividing the river’s water between the Upper Basin (Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and New Mexico) and the Lower Basin (Arizona, California, and Nevada). At the time, water demands were much lower, and the climate was far more favorable to sustaining higher river flows. The agreement allocates 7.5 million acre-feet of water to each basin, with no built-in mechanisms for adjusting water allocations based on annual variability in river flow.

The report posits that this allocation structure has led to numerous issues in the current era. For one, the Upper Basin states are not penalized when they exceed their water use allocations, and there are no enforcement mechanisms to ensure that water use stays within sustainable limits. Additionally, the Lower Basin states have the right to issue a “compact call” to limit Upper Basin usage, but this provision has never been invoked due to its complex legal and economic ramifications. As the researchers point out, these legal loopholes enable excessive water use, contributing significantly to the river’s depletion.

The demand for water has skyrocketed in the region due to population growth and the expansion of agriculture. The Colorado River provides drinking water to about 40 million people and irrigates over 5 million acres of farmland. With the added pressure of climate change leading to prolonged droughts and reduced snowpack (a crucial source of water for the river), the future of the Colorado River is uncertain. To avoid ecological collapse and safeguard the livelihoods of millions, reforming the outdated water allocation system is critical.

Key Reforms Proposed

The authors of the paper propose several targeted reforms aimed at closing the loopholes in the water rights system and creating a more flexible, sustainable approach to managing the Colorado River’s resources.

1. Introducing Flexible Water Sharing Mechanisms

One of the primary recommendations is to replace the fixed water allocation system with more flexible sharing mechanisms that can adjust based on actual river flows. Instead of allocating a set amount of water to each basin annually, the new system would consider variability in precipitation, snowpack, and overall water availability.

By making water allocations more adaptable to changing environmental conditions, this reform would help ensure that water usage is more closely aligned with the river’s capacity. In years of low flow, states would automatically receive less water, encouraging conservation and reducing the risk of over-extraction.

2. Enforcing Usage Caps and Monitoring

Another key recommendation is the enforcement of water usage caps for both the Upper and Lower Basin states. Under the current system, there are no penalties for states that exceed their water allocations. The proposed reforms would introduce strict monitoring of water usage and impose penalties for exceeding these limits.

This could be achieved through enhanced data collection technologies such as remote sensing, satellite imagery, and ground-level monitoring systems that track water usage in real-time. Implementing such a system would enable authorities to enforce water allocations more effectively, preventing overuse and encouraging compliance with water-sharing agreements.

3. Stakeholder Collaboration and Public Engagement

The success of any water reform depends heavily on the involvement and cooperation of local stakeholders, including farmers, municipal water managers, policymakers, and the public. The researchers emphasize the importance of engaging these groups in the decision-making process, ensuring that water management strategies are equitable and consider the needs of all users.

Farmers, for instance, account for a significant portion of water usage in the Colorado River Basin, particularly for irrigation of crops. Collaborating with the agricultural sector to implement more water-efficient practices could have a major impact on overall water savings. Similarly, educating the public on water conservation and providing incentives for reduced water usage at the household level are key strategies for reducing demand.

4. Closing Legal Loopholes in Water Rights Systems

Perhaps the most critical aspect of the proposed reforms is closing the existing legal loopholes that allow for overuse of the river’s resources. By introducing stricter regulatory frameworks and modernizing the legal foundation of the Colorado River Compact, the authors argue that water usage can be more effectively controlled.

One specific loophole mentioned in the paper involves the lack of enforcement mechanisms when states exceed their water allocations. The authors propose the introduction of legally binding contracts between states that would include clear consequences for exceeding water use limits. These consequences could range from financial penalties to reduced water allocations in subsequent years.

Broader Implications and Global Relevance

While this research focuses on the Colorado River Basin, its implications extend far beyond the American Southwest. Water scarcity is a global issue, affecting regions from the Middle East to sub-Saharan Africa. Many of the recommendations in this paper—such as the need for flexible water allocation systems, enhanced monitoring, and stakeholder engagement—could be applied to water management systems worldwide.

The study also highlights the importance of integrating scientific research with policy reform. As the effects of climate change become more pronounced, policymakers around the world will need to rely on scientific data to make informed decisions about water management and conservation. This research provides a blueprint for how such reforms can be implemented, offering a pragmatic approach to addressing one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time.

GPRS Helps You Keep Your Water in Your System

Researchers and government officials will continue exploring ways to refine our laws governing water use.

But billions of gallons of this precious natural resource are disappearing into the earth as we speak.

6 billion gallons of treated water are lost daily due to untreated leaks in our buried infrastructure. 2.5 trillion gallons are lost annually to pipe defects – enough to fill 3.75 million Olympic-sized swimming pools.

There are at least 10 active leaks along every 100 miles of pipe in the United States. And 250,000-350,000 water main breaks occur annually.

To help water system operators take a more proactive approach to maintaining their infrastructure, GPRS hosts Water & Sewer Damage Awareness Week. From October 21-25, our safety experts will travel across the country delivering free safety presentations to municipalities, engineers, facility managers, property management groups, and anyone else who is ready to regain control of their fresh and wastewater infrastructure.

Click here to schedule your WSDAW presentation today!

A proactive, positive approach is needed to ensure safety on construction sites, according to a recent article.

Industry publication Construction Dive interviewed Randy Dombrowski, director of safety services for Wisconsin-based Sentry Insurance’s West region.

Dombrowski said the premier construction companies are monitoring safety-related metrics to gauge how they’re doing in that element of their work.

“…I think a well oiled machine is monitoring that,” he said. “It’s not having a safety plan that’s collecting dust, it’s revisiting that safety plan and that other element of how safe are we, what is our incident rate? What is our track record?

“When I’m out on a project site or I’m presenting at a safety meeting, that’s one of my conversations,” Dombrowski continued. “Do you know what your company’s track record is? Do you know how safe you guys are? And that’s really based on your loss experience and claim experience, right? Well, what’s driving losses?”

Ensuring safety on construction sites is crucial for protecting workers, reducing accidents, and maintaining project efficiency. The construction industry, due to its inherently hazardous nature, requires a proactive approach to safety management. Here are the best practices to ensure a safe and secure work environment on construction sites.

1. Comprehensive Safety Training

Effective safety training is the foundation of any successful safety program on a construction site. Workers must be equipped with the knowledge to recognize and mitigate hazards specific to their tasks. This training should cover essential topics such as fall prevention, proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and emergency response procedures. Regular refresher courses are equally important to keep safety protocols fresh in the minds of workers, ensuring they are up-to-date with the latest safety standards and regulations.

“You can only be lucky so long before accidents and injuries start to surface,” Dombrowski said. “And they’re going to surface. Because luck runs out. And that’s where those superior safety programs and policies and reinforcement make a big difference.”

2. Risk Identification and Assessment

Identifying potential hazards before they cause accidents is a critical step in ensuring site safety. Conducting thorough risk assessments at the beginning of each project, and continuously updating them as work progresses, helps in pinpointing areas that require additional safety measures. This proactive approach allows for the implementation of appropriate controls, such as installing guardrails or implementing safety protocols for handling hazardous materials.

3. Proper Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

PPE is a crucial defense against many construction site injuries. Ensuring that workers have access to and properly use items such as helmets, gloves, safety boots, and goggles can prevent a significant number of injuries. It’s not enough to simply provide PPE; workers must be trained on its correct use, and equipment must be regularly inspected and maintained to ensure its effectiveness.

4. Fall Prevention Strategies

Falls are one of the leading causes of fatalities in the construction industry, making fall prevention a top priority. Implementing robust fall protection systems, such as safety nets, guardrails, and personal fall arrest systems, is essential. Additionally, workers must be trained on how to properly use these systems and understand the importance of inspecting their equipment regularly. Ensuring that scaffolding is correctly installed and maintained is also critical to preventing fall-related injuries.

5. Maintain a Clean and Organized Worksite

Good housekeeping practices are fundamental to preventing accidents. A clean and organized worksite reduces the risk of trips, slips, and falls. This involves regularly clearing debris, properly storing tools and materials, and ensuring that walkways are free of obstructions. Regular site inspections should be conducted to enforce these practices and identify any potential hazards that could lead to accidents.

6. Effective Communication and Supervision

Clear communication is key to maintaining safety on a construction site. Regular safety meetings and briefings ensure that all workers are aware of potential hazards and understand the safety protocols in place. Supervisors play a crucial role in enforcing safety standards and should be trained to recognize unsafe practices and intervene when necessary. Encouraging workers to report unsafe conditions without fear of reprisal can help in identifying issues before they lead to accidents.

7. Emergency Preparedness

Accidents and emergencies can happen despite the best preventive measures, so being prepared is vital. Developing and regularly practicing emergency response plans ensures that all workers know how to respond in case of an incident, such as a fire, chemical spill, or serious injury. Emergency drills should be conducted periodically to test the effectiveness of these plans and to make necessary adjustments.

8. Leveraging Technology

The use of modern technology can significantly enhance safety on construction sites. For example, safety management software can help track incidents, manage compliance, and analyze data to predict and prevent future accidents. Drones and wearable devices can monitor site conditions and worker safety in real-time, providing an added layer of protection. Embracing these technologies can lead to more efficient safety practices and a reduction in workplace accidents.

9. Foster a Culture of Safety

A strong safety culture begins with leadership. Management must demonstrate a commitment to safety by setting clear expectations, leading by example, and promoting safe work practices at all levels of the organization. Recognizing and rewarding safe behavior can further reinforce this culture, encouraging workers to prioritize safety in their daily tasks.

Dombrowski acknowledged that it can be difficult for a contractor to get follow-through on safety practices but said that a negative safety message is never the answer.

“We always want to take a proactive, positive approach,” he said. “I’ve seen the other side of that too, where the leaders start complimenting and recognizing what they’re doing well, and then maybe lead to a message of, ‘Here’s areas of improvement we need to focus on.’ But you allow it to be interactive during those meetings.”

10. Continuous Improvement

Safety is not a one-time effort, but a continuous process. Regularly reviewing and updating safety policies to reflect the latest industry practices, technological advancements, and regulatory changes is essential. Encouraging feedback from workers can provide valuable insights into potential safety improvements and help in adapting safety measures to evolving site conditions.

GPRS Services Help Ensure Safety on Your Job Sites

At GPRS, we say, “Safety is always on our radar.”

Safety is always our top priority. Our SIM-certified Project Managers conduct 99.8%-accurate utility locating and concrete scanning, pinpoint-accurate leak detection, NASSCO-certified video pipe inspections, and 2-4mm-accurate 3D laser scanning to prevent subsurface damage when you need to break ground. And we host and/or sponsor several safety programs throughout the year to educate you and your team on the best practices for ensuring everyone leaves the job site in the same condition they arrived.

From skyscrapers to sewer lines, GPRS Intelligently Visualizes The Built World^® to keep your projects on time, on budget, and safe.

What can we help you visualize?

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of informational output is provided when GPRS conducts a utility locate?

Our Project Managers flag and paint our findings directly on the surface. This method of communication is the most accurate form of marking when excavation is expected to commence within a few days of service.

GPRS also uses a global positioning system (GPS) to collect data points of findings. We use this data to generate a plan, KMZ file, satellite overlay, or CAD file to permanently preserve results for future use. GPRS does not provide land surveying services. If you need land surveying services, please contact a professional land surveyor. Please contact us to discuss the pricing and marking options your project may require.

What types of concrete scanning does GPRS provide?

GPRS provides two specific but different scanning services: elevated concrete slab scanning and concrete slab-on-grade locating. Elevated concrete slab scanning involves detecting embedded electrical conduits, rebar, post-tension cables, and more before core drilling a hole through the slab. Performing a concrete slab-on-grade locating service typically involves scanning a trench line for conduits before conducting saw cutting and trenching to install a sanitary pipe, water line, or something similar.

Learn more