Case Study: Kansas Department of Transportation Strengthens Investment in Digital Orthos with Enterprise Imaging Distribution and Management System

The Challenge

For the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), maintaining and providing up-to-date data is an essential component of maintaining the statewide transportation system. Data access must be as simple as possible so end users throughout the organization can focus on their job rather than on locating and managing the information. With the development of a $1.137 million Digital Orthophoto Quarter Quadrangle (DOQQ) project in 2002, which covered the entire state of Kansas, KDOT partnered with other state and federal funding sources to update DOQQs that had been created more than a decade ago in 1991. Along with the earlier data, this resource comprised a data storage and management challenge approaching 12,000 images. Searching through the 650 CDs to view and find which DOQQ was needed in order to look at a particular area of the state quickly became a daunting task. In order to leverage the overwhelming volume of data and provide employees access across the enterprise, KDOT turned to the help of Z/I Imaging’s TerraShare.

The Objectives

• Develop an affordable system to quickly and easily provide useful functionality for image handling and distribution
• Give end users throughout the organization access to the data
• Enable customization as users became familiar with the system and discover other ways to use the data

The Solution

KDOT chose to implement an automated enterprise imaging distribution and management system from Intergraph to leverage its existing DOQQ system, sharing data access across the statewide enterprise. Designed to address image management and distribution needs, TerraShare handles large geospatial files from acquisition and processing to storage and distribution. KDOT’s system consists of TerraShare for client/server image management, TerraShare Ortho Manager for handling and processing the images, and TerraShare Ortho Manager Client for desktop viewing of the data.

For KDOT, TerraShare unites all the DOQQs from the 1991 and 2002 ortho coverage into separate mosaics (raster backdrops) of the entire state. Raster backdrops are also built for three differently scaled Digital Raster Graphics (DRGs). Users don’t need to know details of how the database or folders or files are named, structured, or organized. They just bring the mosaic up on their desktop and select the part of the state they wish to view. TerraShare automatically accesses the DOQQ or DRG files or portions of files necessary to fulfill the request.

“This technology allows KDOT to build large raster backdrops, and these appear to be a seamless mosaic image to the user,” said Robert Graham, President of Veretech, which helped in the TerraShare implementation. “That image is then broken down into many individual discreet files, but it’s assembled as a single image from a theoretical standpoint. There is a complex tiling structure behind the data.”

It became increasingly clear that implementing the TerraShare system made sense for KDOT. It provided simplified access to a valuable ortho data resource for KDOT end users. Taking advantage of this resource through more frequent and efficient use of the data provides a greater return on the investment required to create it and helps streamline work processes. Just as KDOT needed, the system allows many users to access, search, and use the ortho dataset much more easily than when they had to share the CDs where the information was once stored. Access is even available to users who are not using the department’s GIS.

TerraShare is now in the third phase of roll out. KDOT has the system up and running at its headquarters and at one district field office, and project coordinators at KDOT are excited about the potential to use the data more easily and effectively than before.

The Future Plans

KDOT bureaus currently are or will soon be using TerraShare to carry out asset management tasks, such as inventory building and data validation. Imagery will be used to geolocate over 20,000 local bridges and to assist in the creation of a KDOT right-of-way ownership inventory. KDOT will also use imagery data to better examine motor vehicle accident locations.

KDOT plans to construct a geo-referenced Web portal, which will integrate and present pertinent data to internal KDOT employees using Intergraph’s GeoMedia WebMap Professional. The display of imagery data using TerraShare will be an integral part of the information served via the portal.

About the Kansas Department of Transportation, USA

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) has a strong history dating back to 1917 when organizing intrastate travel was just beginning. Now, more than 3,000 employees continue the tradition with the agency’s primary activities being road and bridge maintenance; transportation planning, data collection, and evaluation; project scoping, designing and letting; contract compliance inspection of material and labor; federal program funding administration; and administrative support. Based in Topeka, KDOT has six district offices, 26 area offices, and 112 sub-area offices across the state.

Intergraph Mapping and Geospatial Solutions

Intergraph Mapping and Geospatial Solutions is a leading geospatial solutions provider for the following markets: local, state, and federal government; transportation; utilities; communications; location-based services; photogrammetry; remote sensing; cartography; and military and intelligence.

Intergraph Mapping and Geospatial Solutions is a division of Intergraph Corporation, Huntsville, Ala., and does business in more than 50 countries through its wholly owned subsidiaries and global distributor and partner network. For more information, visit http://imgs.intergraph.com/