30 June 2006

Vision for future

Issued on behalf of the National Underground Assets Group

The National Underground Assets Group (NUAG) has set out the vision for the future of buried services. It aims to develop and implement standardised procedures on how location information is recorded and stored by the end of 2007.

This is to ensure that every organisation with an interest in buried services can access and share information easily, to help themselves as well as others carry out works more effectively. The ultimate goal is to have the ability to visualise and distinguish – on demand – all underground asset records in any one given area.

NUAG was set up last year to champion better coordination between different organisations, including highways agencies, utility companies, pipelines companies, civil engineers, surveyors and regulators. The group is now working with the Department for Transport to develop standard processes to help coordinate activities that underpin the Traffic Management Act.

“We want to ensure delivery of a more coherent approach to collecting, accessing, sharing and exchanging data on buried services,” says James Brayshaw of ICE/ICES. “We need defined data definitions, standards, protocols and processes in place so we can find the most effective and efficient means of displaying information on underground assets for the benefit of everyone.”

Currently, there is no national common approach to the way information such as the location of underground infrastructure is recorded or stored. There are varying degrees of accuracy and referencing approaches (relative and absolute) between companies. The amount of time it takes to store data, the way it is stored and the codes of practice followed also differ. Even scales of diagrams, the level of detail, and symbolism are not standard across industries.

NUAG wants to change that to ensure every organisation that deals with buried assets will, in the future, be able to share information. The first step will be to create a common achievable national platform for all to work towards. Only then will the progression to real-time intelligent data exchange using web-based technology be possible. Organisations will be able to plan their own progression towards the vision with confidence that the standards for referencing and display are agreed – and will be used – by all in the industry.

NUAG has recruited members from all sections of the industry for working groups, which are now starting to tackle issues over standardisation. These will enable ideas to be discussed and subsequently published and implemented. The candidates were chosen from highway authorities, utility companies and contractors to ensure that all stakeholders’ input is taken into account.

The vision for the group is to deliver standard protocols and procedures by the end of 2007.

 

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Chief Press Officer - Scott Sinclair

Email: scott.sinclair@ordnancesurvey.co.uk

Phone: (+44) 023 8079 2265

Senior Press Officer - Kate Kemp

Email: kate.kemp@ordnancesurvey.co.uk

Phone: (+44) 023 8079 2977

Press Office fax: (+44) 023 8030 5295