Integrating modelling and GIS for smarter renewals planning

The decision-making process relating to pipe renewal criteria is often complex and involves multiple factors to be considered simultaneously including pipe criticality, condition, and hydraulic performance. For larger catchments, there is a need to develop smart modelling outputs which can be easily exported, interpreted, and spatially located within a digital platform and integrated with other asset information to support the decision-making process.

Dunedin City Council (DCC) wishes to renew pipelines which service approximately 1,140 properties within the Pine Hill catchment based on the renewal criteria of age, condition, and capacity. The Infoworks WS Pro water supply modelling for the project considered hydraulic performance grading for both current (2018) peak day demand (PDD) and future PDD (50-year) along with fire flow for residential requirements base on a Fire Water Classification (FW2). Operational performance grading was derived from the Work Orders provided by DCC relating to pipe breaks and repairs and an overall performance grade was then generated from the weighted grading for operational, hydraulic and fire flow assessments.

The modelling outputs were represented spatially in a webapp on WSP’s ESRI Enterprise platform together with information relating to survey, pipe criticality, pipe condition and site constraints. The integration of modelling outputs with other asset information, presented in an interactive format, enabled the designers to make informed and efficient renewal decisions. The prioritization of renewals over a large catchment area became transparent which translated to an efficient and robust decision-making process as the modelling outputs could be quickly and seamlessly updated using the digital platform and viewed by the wider design team.

This presentation provides insight into our holistic approach to hydraulic performance modelling of water supply assets and the how combining the outputs from the modelling with the GIS platform provided a smart evidence-based renewal decisions process that successfully supported design delivery.