|
| Contents Page | Al-Khabar Home Page | CGIS Home Page |
After the successful development of its award-winning Drainage Information System (DIS), the GIS Section at Qatar's Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture's Drainage Division has released an enhanced version of the application known as DIS '97. DIS '97 uses ArcView Version 3.0 as the primary tool to provide simplified access to drainage data. It has a Microsoft Visual Basic front-end for integrating different ArcView views and carrying out some specialized tasks. DIS '97 is an easy-to-use tool that allows you to visualize, explore, query, and analyze data spatially.
DIS '97 has not only been enhanced but also
provides functionality that was not previously available in
the first version of the application. Managers, engineers
and technicians can now access drainage data in a more
meaningful way and are better able to provide quick
solutions to problems and make effective decisions with only
a few clicks of a button.
One of the features provided in DIS '97 allows users to generate on-the-fly contours and surface models for an area of interest using the digital elevation model from the CGIS database. This functionality allows design engineers to answer such questions as "Where should the next pumping station be constructed?" or "Which direction should an area be drained that needs to be provided with drainage facilities?" To further assist the engineer in his decision-making, it is now possible to see GIS data from other agencies by simply clicking on a button and adding features, such as road centrelines from the Roads Division or policy plans from the Planning Department.
A specially created Identify tool button allows users to access attribute data for any of the country's 19,000 manholes. A Feature Attribute Table in the form of a tab pops up on the screen allowing the user to not only see the attributes of the selected manhole but also to access information on the down- or upstream manholes. In addition, information about the sewers and laterals draining into the selected manhole is available. Managers can use the Identify tool button to get access to management tracking systems such as FABIS and PITS while maintenance engineers can use the tool to access one of the hundreds of As Built drawings and any of the 1,400 valve chamber sketches that have been scanned and stored in the database.
Obtaining statistics for catchment areas of a particular pump station is simply done by clicking on a button and then clicking on the pump station of interest. The number of manholes draining to the pump station, the total length of sewers connecting these manholes and the number of house connections in the catchment area are all displayed on the status bar. With yet another click of a button, an engineer is able to see a profile of a sewer of interest. The profile gives him the same information available from a engineering drawing, such as the various levels and gradients associated with the sewer. However, being digital it can be quickly displayed on his desktop computer.
Since extensive CCTV surveys of all of the country's foul sewers have been underway since December 1996, Drainage Division personnel can now access video tapes showing the internal condition of the pipes, through DIS '97, with the click of a button. Attribute details highlighting the various conditions are also available to allow management to organize rehabilitation and preventive maintenance programs more effectively.
Reporting procedures have also been made easier by providing users with the capability of attaching a view of interest to Microsoft Word templates whether it be an internal memorandum to a fellow engineer, a letter to the director or a fax to a consultant. Producing maps is also an added feature that allows users to create their own monochrome or colour maps from a selection of templates on A0, A1, A3 or A4 size paper.
Although DIS '97 has many capabilities, it comes with an on-line Help function that explains the various menu items and controls on the button and tool bars. In addition, there is a Users' Guide available which can be tapped into to obtain detailed explanations on any of the application's features and functionality.