EMMANUEL SIAW

ENG18A00019Y
CVE403 ASSIGNMENT

QUESTIONS are in RED and ANSWERS are in Black

1. A. Define GIS as a software package

Geographic Information System (GIS) technology is a software package that provides

the tools for creating, managing, analysing and visualizing and modelling data
associated with developing and sustaining the infrastructure.

B. Distinguish between data and information

Data can be any character text, word, number and, if not put into context, means little or
nothing to a human. While information is data formatted in a manner that allows it to be
utilized by human being in some significant way.

2. A. What does the term remote sensing mean ?

This is the acquisition of ifornation abou an object or phenomenon without making

physical conatct with the object

B. Mention 3 types of information GIS is designed to capture

 Location
 Pattern
 Trends

3. A. What does GIS hardware entil?

Computer, printer, data storage, scanner, digitizer

B. Mention 2 entities that make up GIS liveware

 Skilled people
 Organisational support

4. A. What is spatial data

Spatial data is the informatin about anything that is reference to the earth

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 B. Mention 4 sources of spatial data

 Satellites
 Aerial photographs
 Maps
 Field observation

5. Define the following:

A. A Map

This is a picture of all or part of the earth where things are located in relation to each
other. A map must contain a title, legend, scale statement and north arrow.

B. GIS as a toolbox

This is a powerful set of tools for collecting, storing, retriving at will, transforming and
displaying spatial data ftom the real world

6. Explain how GIS is useful in the following stages of infrastructure

building and operation:
a) Planning

It contains high-level planning functions for site location including

environmental impact mitigation, economic analysis, regulatory permitting,
alternative siting analysis, routing utilities, what-if scenarios, visualization of
concept options,data overlay, modelling, and benefit/cost alternative analysis

b) Data collection
It has specific functions to collect precise site data used for predesign analysis,
design and calculations including field survey, topography. Soil, subsurface
geology, traffic, lidar, photogrammettry imaging, sensitive environmental areas,
wetlands, hydrology and other site-specific design-grade data.

c) Environmental analysis

It provides analysis to support design including hydrology analysis,

volume calculation, soil load analysis, traffic capacity, environmental impact,
slope stability, materials consumption, runoff, erosion control and air emissions.
Analysis of the environment with a GIS allows you to view patterns, trends and
relationships that were not clearly evident without the visualization of data.

d) Design and construction

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 The design stage allows creation of new infrastructure data for new civil
works including grading, contouring, specifications, cross sections, design
calculations, mass haul plans, environmental mitigation plans and equipment
staging.
The construction stage provides the mechanics and management for building
new infrastructure including takeoffs, machine control, earth movement,
intermediate construction, volume and material and payment calculations,
materials tracking, logistics, schedules and traffic management.

e) Operation/Maintenance

It models utility and infrastructure networks and intergrates other related types
of data such as raster images and CAD drawings. Spatial selection and display
tools alow you to visualize scheduled work, on going activities, recuring
maintenance problems and historical information. The topological characteristics
of a GIS database can support network tracing and can be used to analyse
specific properties or services that may be impacted by such events as stoppages,
main breaks and drainage defects.

7. A). Describe how satellites acquire GIS information

You can use GIS to combine and interpret data from many different foormats. GIS allows you to
integrate satellite images, CAD drawings and parcel maps to create a visual overview of a
project and turn it into easily understood report. It accepts CAD data without conversion and
includes it as layer in geodatabase

B). Describe how GIS helps organizations and governments work together to develop
strategies for sustainable development.

GIS provides Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI) which enables the government and organisations
to work together. Data will be collected and placed on a platform. Both organisations and
government will have access to these data. When an information is modified, there will be an
update on the platform for both parties to access easily. The creation of an enabling platform
would lower barriers to access and the use of spatial data for government and the organisations.

C). Briefly describe the use of the following ArcGIS components

i. ArcCatalog

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Used to browse and manage geographic data sources
ii. ArcMap
Used to display and query geographic data on maps and to edit and output data
iii. ArcToolbox
Contain more powerful tools for performing geographic analysis and data conversion

8. Briefly describe how GIS is applied in the following civil engineering application.
a. Transportation
GIS technology has opened up new horizons in transportation planning and especially in travel
demand modelling. It provides the tool a transportation planner would need to convey ideas and
present implications of planning decision for non-planners visually. GIS provides a means of
communication that allows for an interactive understanding between the public and
transportation professionals. This technology has developed an essential tool for the most
effective use of spatial data yet.

b. Watershed analysis
Watershed analysis requires the integration of knowledge, data and simulation models to solve
practical hydrological problems. The GIS technologies nowadays occupy a prominent place
among the modern computer tools and constitute an invaluable support in the solving of
problems with a spatial dimension. GIS provides the framework within which spatially-
distributed data are collected and used to prepare model input files and evaluate model results.
GIS-based tools, such as the Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment - Soil and Water
Assessment Tool (AGWA - SWAT), can be used to illustrate the effects of land use practices on
runoff, and to support watershed analysis. The AGWA tool is a multipurpose hydrologic
analysis system for use by watershed, water resource, and land use. It was developed by the
U.S.D.A. Agricultural Research Service’s Southwest Watershed Research Center. AGWA is a
standalone desktop application that uses widely available standardized spatial data sets. The
required data sets include topography (DEM data), soils, and land-cover data. These data are
used to develop input parameter files for watershed runoff model - Soil and Water Assessment
Tool (SWAT) (Arnold et al., 1994). SWAT, developed at the USDA-ARS is a physically based,
distributed parameter continuous simulation model that runs on daily time step. Input parameters
for this model were obtained using AGWA in conjunction with available topographic, soil and
land cover data.

c. Urban development
Land suitability maps are very useful in the development of planning options. They can be used

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to identify the solution space for future development. The association of spatial optimization
models with GIS can help to formulate and develop planning options which try to maximize or
minimize some objective functions. The simulation of different scenarios of development with
GIS can help in developing planning options.

A key function of planning is the projection of future population and economic growth. GIS can
be used for prediction and projection. Spatial modeling of spatial distributions makes it possible
to estimate the widest range of impacts of existing trends of population, and of economic and
environmental change. For example, a range of environmental scenarios can be investigated
through the projection of future demand for land resources from population and economic
activities, modeling of the spatial distribution of such demand, and then using GIS map overlay
analysis to identify areas of conflict. Using socioeconomic and environmental data stored in
GIS, environmental planning models have been developed to identify areas of environmental
concern and development conflict.

d. Natural hazard assessment

Geographic Information Systems (GISs) provide a powerful tool in managing and analysing
spatial data. Geographic Information System has been applied successfully to large variety of
fields, one field of particular interest is the field of disaster mitigation. The island of Taiwan is
well known for the typhoons and earthquakes which in recent past has claimed lives and caused
significant damage. It is well understood that hazard identification and land management play a
major part in the reducing the impact of natural disasters. This is a role GIS is well suited to
especially when combined with remote sensing data. This concept has been used throughout the
world for purposes including identification of risk areas, real-time modelling of events and
scenario modelling. Where this has the greatest potential in Taiwan is in the steep and rugged
mountain areas of the Central Mountain Range which are sparsely populated and often difficult
to access making conventional ground-based investigations impractical over large areas.
Geographic Information System combined with remote sensing data provides the ability to
effectively analyze various risk factors over large areas or inaccessible areas to identify localities
which have the potential to be at higher risk from the impact of natural disasters.

e. Pollution monitoring
GIS can be used for the monitoring of pesticide pollution in groundwater. Data such as
properties, presence of erosion, slope angle, crop type and density or presence of buffer zones

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soil texture, slope, land use, well depth and rainfall, are entered into GIS software, and
reciprocal relations between them may be analysed. These data are converted into Vector and
Raster Data then sent to a Geographical Data Base, Transformation stage and then Output stage

9. a. List 3 rules for using ArcGIS

 Always back up your work

 Use ArcCatalog to manage your data
 When backing up, copy your entire working
directory-not just a map file

b. Explain why spatial referencing is necessary

The earth is not completely round or spherical. Thus is difficult to have

coordinates of certain areas on the earth. Spatial referencing system
picks data in space as such can be used for complex exercises. It suits
different areas on the earth.

c. Mention 3 GIS analysis that can be performed with the ArcToolbox

 Spatial analysis
 Projecting your data
 Converting your data into usable GIS formats

d. What are the types of vector data?

 Shapefile (most common)

 Coverage (older format – stil useful)
 Features clas (in the Geodatabase environment)

10. a) What are the types of data used by ArcGIS?

 Vector; Shapefile, coverage, features class
 Table; dBase or Excel
 Raster; Grid
 Mapfile

b)List 3 general good practise when using ArcGIS

 Always connect to the relevant folders on your computer, as well
as where you will backup yourr work (’connect to folder’ button)

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  Always have ArcCatalog open
 Check (using ’right-click’, ’properties’) that you have sufficient
space in your drive to save your work.

c) Mention 3 uses of data management tools.

 Projecting
 Working on attribute tables
 Generating topology

d) Explain why saving a map in ArcGIS would not save a change in

spatial data
ArcMaps let you query your spatial data and perform some spatial
analysis (on certain types of spatial data). The mapfile in ArcMap (.mxd)
contains no actual data. It only contains directions to yout data with
instructions on how to present it in a particular map