Global Positioning System Excavation Encroachment Notification System Implementation

The Global Positioning System (GPS) Excavation Encroachment Notification System Implementation project focused on developing and implementing technology to enhance situational awareness of excavators and to significantly reduce the risk of excavation damage to utilities’ infrastructure.
A GPS unit, in conjunction with communications and motion sensors, were assembled in one device and installed on excavators to provide utility operators with real-time accurate locations and operational status of excavating equipment. A dashboard interface provided the utilities with the excavator status and location in relation to their pipeline facilities.
This project:
 Installed 150 Excavation Encroachment Notification units on excavators and agricultural equipment within the utility’s service territories and provided the system architecture to support it. The utility communication protocols were developed to accommodate various levels of enterprise scaling and sustainability.
 Configured and deployed an operations dashboard. The dashboard displays excavator’s location, state of operation, right-of-way boundaries of pipeline infrastructure, and provided alerts in real-time in relation to the utility pipeline assets.
 Used the system architecture to enhance emergency response situational awareness by providing a platform for accurate incident location, targeted alerts, communications, and near real-time access to geographical information system asset maps.
The benefit of using the technology has already been initiated by installing about 150 units in the utility’s own equipment, as well as in participating contractors' excavators. Such deployment targeted 12 percent of the non-significant incidents in California which are caused by first- and second-party excavators and cost about $1,564,500 annually. Furthermore, deploying the technology to third-party contractors would result in further significant recognition of the benefits and impact on excavation safety.