thinkWhere Online Mapper Connects Scotland’s Aberdeen Bypass Project

Working alongside the Construction Joint Venture, GIS company thinkWhere is helping to improve collaboration and communication on Scotland’s largest road infrastructure project. Providing online access to multiple layers of live project maps and geographical data, thinkWhere’s groundMapper software is an easy to use tool for a diverse and dispersed workforce. Using the web-based viewer, construction workers, managers and stakeholders on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, with Balmedie to Tipperty Extension (AWPR B-T), can instantly access up to date constraint maps saving valuable time and money.

“Due to the extensive area affected by the project and the vast array of datasets available, we needed a solution that would allow us to effectively access, share and communicate geographically referenced information in real time,” commented Angela Gardner, Environmental Manager for the AWPR Construction Joint Venture.

Developed by thinkWhere groundMapper is an online Geographical Information System (GIS) viewer that brings together location based data. Described by GIS specialist, Annie Meyer, managing the project as ‘Google Maps for the AWPR B-T’, groundMapper allows users to search for and view multiple datasets. Hosted on a dedicated website, data accessible via groundMapper includes aerial photographs, private water supplies, ecological features, blasting areas and site office locations, for example, all overlaid on the basic route layout. Users can search the online datasets by postcode, drawing sheet reference, chainage or structure and then quickly get an overview of all features within the vicinity.

“Using thinkWhere’s groundMapper tool we can instantly access the most up to date constraint data and we have dramatically reduced the need to produce costly and time consuming paper maps, and the associated paper waste,” continued Gardner. “Additional functionality such as the bookmarking tool, annotation and map management functions, combined with its easy online accessibility and integrated base maps, has made groundMapper one the key management tools for this project; useful from a site level right up to the board room.”

The AWPR B-T Construction, estimated at £550 million, will see the construction of 54 kilometres of new dual carriageway around the historic city of Aberdeen. Designed to create an alternative route from north to south Aberdeen – currently the only dual carriageway route is through the city itself along an original bypass built in the 1930s – the project is predicted to support more than 14,000 new jobs in region and provide £6 billion to the local economy over a 30 year period. Aberdeen Roads Limited was awarded the contract in 2014 and construction is expected to be completed in 2018.

Contacts:

Fiona Thomas, Business Development Manager

+44(0)1786 476060

Fiona.thomas@thinkwhere.com

www.thinkwhere.com