Steven R. Spengler Woodward-Clyde International, Inc. 1144 10 … · 2012-10-08 · 1998 Pacific Basin Conference on Hazardous Waste 1 Steven R. Spengler Woodward-Clyde International,

1998 Pacific Basin Conference on Hazardous Waste

1

Steven R. Spengler Woodward-Clyde International, Inc. 1144 10th Avenue, Suite 200, Honolulu, HI 96816 William E. Freeman Interactive Information Software Systems 140 Uwapo Road, 58-204 Kihei, Maui 96753 Donald W. Schlack U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Honolulu Engineer District Building 252, Fort Shafter, HI 96858 Ryan Y. Yamauchi Woodward-Clyde International, Inc. 1144 10th Avenue, Suite 200, Honolulu, HI 96816 ELECTRONIC PROJECT DATA MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS ABSTRACT Environmental professionals, facility managers, and regulators are becoming increasingly overwhelmed by the quantity and detail of information contained in environmental studies and reports. Fortunately, the information revolution is currently changing the way that data are presented as the environmental industry begins to make the transition from traditional paper reports to interactive multimedia reports. Recent developments in computer software and the rise in use and access to the internet allow environmental professionals opportunities to generate and present environmental data in various electronic formats to their clients, regulators or the general public. Three different interactive electronic deliverable formats were prepared by the authors for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the City and County of Honolulu. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) was used to link project data from four environmental reports for Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea; ArcView® GIS was used to manage and present data from an on-going baseline water quality monitoring project being conducted for the City and County of Honolulu; and custom-designed project data management software, Project Explorer, was used to assemble and present project data from two environmental reports for Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea. A comparison of the relative strengths and weaknesses of the electronic formats used demonstrates that no one approach is suitable for all situations. Although electronic deliverables have many benefits over traditional paper documents, the choice of approach employed will be based upon project specific requirements. INTRODUCTION Paper reports tend to present various forms of data (text, tables, maps, charts and photos) in a static and linear way. Links between different data types are done by simple reference. However, this format brings with it some inherent problems of the media. If tables and figures are included in the report body, short topics may run for pages and interfere with the easy flow of information. If they are placed in an appendix, the reader is constantly forced to go back and forth while trying to follow the subject matter. In addition, paper reports are organized by the


2

original author to suit the intent and purpose of the original project. Due to this static organization, it is generally difficult to access the project data in ways not anticipated by the writer, such as comparing data from different sites. Lastly, paper reports cannot incorporate new data types such as audio, video and dynamic modeling simulation results. Recent innovations in computer software and hardware allow developers to create electronic reports that let users interact with a wide range of multimedia products through simple point-and-click graphical interfaces. The electronic data is typically stored on a CD-ROM, which can then be played on any modern multimedia computer. Interactive electronic reports delivered on CD have several significant advantages over paper reports. Because of the large storage capacity of a CD (about 650 megabytes), multiple projects conducted at a site or for a facility can usually be incorporated onto a single CD. Thus, a number of reports that would normally fill an entire bookshelf can be condensed onto a single CD. An electronic deliverable allows the user to directly access all of the project data in the paper report in virtually any order or manner they wish. Project data can be easily searched using key words and concepts rather than by simply referencing a table of contents. Finally, the original parent electronic files can be easily stored on the CD for later retrieval and incorporation into future project reports. Working in conjunction with the Army Corps of Engineers and the City and County of Honolulu, the authors utilized three different approaches in preparing electronic deliverables: Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), ArcView® GIS, and project data management software, Project Explorer. In this paper, each project is briefly described, along with the relative strengths and weaknesses of each approach, in allowing easy access to project information. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). As a result of the rise in the use and access to the World Wide Web, many powerful tools have been developed which can be easily integrated into electronic reporting. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is a universal programming language which allows data to be used to link related text pages with photos, drawings, tables and even audio and video clips on the internet. Standard, widely available web browsers such as Netscape Navigator® or Microsoft Internet Explorer® can be used to access these data sets from any type of computer including a PC, Macintosh ™ or UNIX workstation. This format can be called a "Web-Report" in reference to the ability of placing it onto the World Wide Web. Using this concept, several environmental reports completed over the past three years at Osan Air Base were assembled into a database and placed on a CD. The user accesses the database by inserting the CD in their computer and by selecting the Osan homepage HTML file. The web browser software on the user's computer then opens the homepage, as shown in Figure 1. Project information for the four investigations placed on the Osan CD is then accessed by selecting the text box corresponding to the project of interest. For users unfamiliar with using a web browser, audio instructions are available to assist in accessing information throughout the database.


3

Figure 1 - Osan Homepage Audio Introduction Upon selecting the investigation of interest, the user enters a table of contents page. This page lists the various sections and appendices in the original paper report, as well as providing direct access links to report graphics. The user can then select a report section that contains the original text and “hypertext” links to referenced figures, tables, photos, videos or audio clips. These hypertext links are imbedded within the text, and are typically underlined and in a different color than the regular text. By simply clicking on the hypertext, the associated figure, table, photo, map or movie is displayed. These links allow the reader to directly access the referenced item as they read the report. This process facilitates reading the report since the reader doesn't have to hunt for citations or figures buried in an appendix, but rather jumps directly to the selected item.

Figure 2 - Screen view of HTML page showing links to figures, photos, and movies.


4

Starting from the table of contents page, the user can also directly access all of the multimedia data types available for a report. Thus, the user can access any figure, table, video clip or other graphic by either selecting it within the body of the original report or by selecting it directly from the viewer window present in the table of contents (see Figure 3).

Figure 3 - Viewer Window for Directly Accessing Various Multimedia Types Examples of linked graphics are shown in Figure 4. The user can easily transfer the selected graphic to their hard drive or a floppy disk by using the web browser's "Save As" function. This is very useful for users who may need to prepare additional briefs or reports which require integration of the results from previous studies.

Figure 4 - Examples of photographs and figures that appear when hypertext link is clicked.


5

Since a Web-Report is accessed from a CD on the user's computer rather than over the Internet, video clips and other graphic intensive maps and figures can be more easily incorporated into the report. These graphics would likely make an Internet web page very slow. However, the entire Web-Report or a graphically scaled-down report can be placed on a server linked to the World Wide Web, making the data available to coworkers located anywhere in the world. With the advent of electronic "instant translators", reports can also be quickly distributed to persons who are more comfortable reading or reviewing reports in another language. The conversion of a paper report into a Web Report is comparatively straight forward. Text and graphics from the original paper report are simply converted into electronic formats which can be viewed on a computer using a web browser. The resultant Web Report is organized in fundamentally the same way as the original paper report. Project data is accessed through a Table of Contents and typically presented in a linear fashion (beginning to end of the document). The addition of multimedia features is a strong point, but the reader is limited to looking at the information as presented, and not being able to manipulate or reexamine data in ways not anticipated by the author. Commercial Geographical Information System (GIS) Program. A commercial GIS software program, ArcView

®GIS, was used to prepare a deliverable which

allows the end user to visualize, explore, query, and analyze data geographically. ArcView is a product of Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc., and retails for about U.S. $1,200.00. ArcView creates maps using its shapefile format, but can also import ARC/INFO coverages, ARC/INFO grids, satellite images, Computer Aided Design (CAD) drawings, TIFF images, and MapInfo

® Interchange Format (MIF) format files.

Linked data files are stored as relational database (dBASE) files which are linked to a map of the study area. Users can then display, query, summarize and organize their data geographically by overlaying the data directly on the map. ArcView also comes equipped with its own integrated object-orientated scripting language and development environment called Avenue. The user can use Avenue to customize ArcView's user interface, to automate individual tasks, or to create complete ArcView applications. Individual components contained in an ArcView project file are accessed through a project window. After selecting a project file, the user can select from the available "views", "tables" and other project components. A "view" is an interactive map that lets the user display, explore, query, and analyze geographic data in ArcView. ArcView is currently being used in an on-going investigation being conducted for the City and County of Honolulu. The project involves determining the baseline water quality of groundwater and the nearshore marine environment in the Èwa Plain on the Island of Oàhu. During the course of the project, over 8,000 individual analytical data records will be generated during eight rounds of sampling. The analytical database was prepared in Microsoft Access and utilizes a user-friendly template for entering the analytical data. A base map of the Èwa Plain was imported into ArcView from an existing AutoCad File. Other


6

feature data, such as well locations, were then added to the base map (Figure 5).

Figure 5 - Arc View base map showing the locations of wells in theÈwa Plain By connecting the map to the tabular database created in Access, we are able to easily display the analytical data generated during the study that involves analyzing more than 50 analytes present in water samples collected from sixteen wells and six near-shore monitoring sites during eight rounds of sampling. ArcView allows the user to easily juxtapose analytical data with spatial location and to color ramp the measured concentration ranges so that trends and/or patterns in the data can be discerned (see Figure 6 below).

Figure 6 - Chloride concentrations measured in study area in December 1997


7

By using ArcView to plot the analytical data, a user can click a mouse button to go back to the base map and view the concentrations and geographic distribution of an analyte during a single or multiple rounds of sampling. Although ArcView is not as complex as Arc/Info (ESRI's professional GIS system), ArcView does contain numerous features geared towards developing, displaying, and manipulating maps and allows external data types to be linked to map locations (see Figure 7). For instance, non map data types, such as photographs, movie clips, text and spreadsheets, can be attached as features to map locations. ArcView displays most of these non map data types by linking to external software programs in order to view these attached data types. For example, if a Microsoft Word text document is linked to a site on the base map, the appropriate version of this program must be present on the users hard drive in order to view the file.

Figure 7 - Example of a "linked" video to a particular well in the database For users not accustomed to a GIS system, there is a learning curve to use ArcView's features roughly equivalent to learning word processing or spreadsheet software. However, for producing a project report where only a limited set of the ArcView's features would be required, ArcView's scripting language, Avenue, can be used to create a complete application tailored with the capabilities and functions needed for a specific project. Commercial GIS systems, such as ArcView, are powerful software packages which allow the experienced user to access, manipulate and re-examine stored project data. Commercial GIS programs are very good for situations which require an understanding of geospacial relationships and can easily accommodate additions to the database. This approach is most useful when working with database data rather than blocks of text or figures. Many useful features (word searches, easy-to-understand file names, and easy transportability) are not currently available.


8

Project Data Management Program. A project data management software package, Project Explorer, was used to compile environmental investigation data collected at Kunsan Air Force Base in South Korea into a user-friendly, geographically-oriented database on CD-ROM. Project Explorer is a map-based program that allows the user to point and click on a map of the project area to review a multitude of products developed during various phases of site investigation work. The software is designed to run on any computer equipped with either the Windows 95 or Windows NT operating systems, and does not require any external software or plug-ins to be present on the computer on which the CD is being played. Viewable products include base maps, site maps, photographs, audio clips, video clips, data charts and tables, boring logs, modeling results and sections of text relevant to each area being queried. Each piece of information generated during the investigation is linked to the site with which it is associated. The user can then overlay various graphical or visual products (i.e. photos, tables, text) on to individual site base maps to produce a customized graphic. Graphical output from various proprietary Geographical Information System (GIS) and engineering software packages such as Arc-View and Auto-Cad can also be integrated into the database.

Figure 8 - Project Explorer Base Map for Kunsan Air Base


9

Project Explorer uses an exclusive MSDI (Multiple Single Document Interface) interface designed specifically to efficiently view and manage many windows of various data types. All open data windows in Project Explorer can "float" separately from the main window and can be managed independently from the main window. Window features such as selective scaling and scrolling, as well as window layering are managed directly at the window level. Project Explorer also has a window roll-up feature that allows data windows to be rolled up to display only their title bars and menus, allowing efficient management of the screen area. The user enters the software by clicking on an icon that is linked to an executable file that displays the project base map (see Figure 8). Areas on the base where information is available are indicated by different color squares that denote what type of environmental investigation was conducted at that site. The buttons in the upper left-hand corner allow the user to zoom, pan and select sites on the base map. Project information that is not site-specific is accessed from the toolbar. Sites are located either by left clicking on an icon or by using the Site Locator function in the Project menu item.

Figure 9 - Site Locator Application and Data Types Available for Command Building Site Project data are accessed by right-clicking on the site of interest. A pop-up menu appears listing the various categories of information available for a site (see Figure 9). In order to view the site maps available for the site selected, the user selects the Site Maps menu item. Note that Project Explorer uses descriptive file referencing when linking to data files in the database. Using descriptive text such as "Command Building-Maximum BTEX Concentrations" to reference all windows (instead of the file name btexmax.bmp) makes the data context readily discernible (see Figure 10).


10

Figure 10 - List of Site Maps Available for the Command Building If the user is interested in what levels of Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) were detected in the groundwater at the Command Building, they would simply click on the corresponding Site Map menu item and the following diagram would appear (Figure 11):

Figure 11 - Example of Figure in the Database In a similar way, the user can view Microsoft Excel pictures, spreadsheets, movie clips, audio clips, and model simulations, and other graphics. For instance, the user might want to see a video which shows the speed at which the contaminant plume is simulated to migrate away or towards potential receptor end points of concern (Figure 12).


11

Figure 12 - Single frame of video depicting the simulated migration of a plume of benzene. The user can overlay various graphical or visual products (i.e. photos, tables, text) atop individual site base maps to produce customized graphics. The advantage of this approach is that clients can view and print all text and graphics produced during a project without training in or possession of the associated software. Project Explorer allows the user to easily access a wide variety of project information. By using a graphical approach, the user simply points and selects the site of interest from a base map of the project site. The fact that the software is very intuitive and requires almost no training to operate, makes it possible for new personnel to quickly retrieve the specific project data required. The customized approach is both a strength and liability for this format. While it allows for organization in nearly any way, a large amount of interaction with the end user is required when preparing the deliverable. The manner in which data is organized, such as by location, category, temporally, should be based on the end-users background and predilections. When the deliverable is properly organized, the user will be able to quickly and intuitively make connections between documents, figures, and multimedia presentations. Comparative Strengths and Weaknesses of the Three Technologies Employed The relative strengths and weaknesses of the three technologies discussed above are summarized in the table below. These are subjective designations and will change as each of the technologies evolve with future upgrades.


12

Criteria Paper Web-Report ArcView Project Explorer HARDWARE/SOFTWARE Stand Alone ☺ ☺ Platform Independent (PC, Unix or Macintosh) NA ☺

Industry Standard ☺ ☺ ☺ USER FRIENDLY Access to Electronic Data Files ☺ Use Without Training ☺ ☺ ☺ Ease of Transfer to Internet ☺ Query/Word Search ☺ Language Translation ☺ Capability ORGANIZATION Geographically Based ☺ ☺ Descriptive File Referencing NA ☺ ☺ SUMMARY It will be increasingly common to prepare environmental reports in an electronic format as a result of on-going advances in computer software, hardware and the use of the internet. With the on-going development of cross-platform programming languages, such as Java, increasingly complex tasks will be able to be accomplished with simpler, more intuitive software applications in the near future. We focused on the electronic deliverables applicability to delivering environmental and engineering reports. The same technology also has great potential in a wide array of other fields such as cultural resources surveys, EISs, land-use surveys, project planning, and construction projects. The presentation of environmental or engineering data to regulators, the general public and supervisors is facilitated by the ability to juxtapose visual and audio information, such as photographs and videos, with graphical and text information. Electronic deliverables greatly reduce the amount of resources consumed in preparing reports and reduce the amount of office space required to store reports. This technology is also extremely useful for archival purposes. The contents on the CD effectively record all documentation and data available at a given point in time for an investigation. By converting from a paper to an electronic storage medium, the


13

user avoids the problems associated with degradation and yellowing of the paper product. A comparison of the relative strengths and weaknesses of each approach demonstrates that no one approach is suitable for all situations. Although electronic deliverables have many benefits over traditional paper documents, the choice of electronic approach would likely be determined by the specific types of data that need to be displayed. Other considerations include the time and effort required for each approach, ease of use of the product, portability of the product, costs of resident software, Internet compatibility, and the assumed background and product uses of the end-user audience. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to acknowledge the military personnel with Base Civil Environmental Engineering (8th CEV/CES) at Kunsan Air Base for funding the development of Project Explorer. The authors would like to especially express their gratitude to Captain Richard Houghton for his enthusiasm in creating an electronic deliverable. The Department of Wastewater Management of the City and County of Honolulu is funding the Èwa Baseline Water Quality Study in which ArcView is being used. Mr. Keith Sugihara is the project manager for the City and County of Honolulu. The Web-Report was prepared for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Honolulu Engineer District.

Documents

Steven R. Spengler Woodward-Clyde International, Inc. 1144 10 … · 2012-10-08 · 1998 Pacific Basin Conference on Hazardous Waste 1 Steven R. Spengler Woodward-Clyde International,