August 2002
Review:
GIS Atlas and Database CD Provides Easy Access to Aggregates Industry Information
GIS Atlas and Database CD Provides Easy Access to Aggregates Industry Information
By Bob Drake
At first glance, the Aggregates Industry Atlas of the United States on CD appears to be just a desktop version of the free information and maps available online at the National Atlas web site (http://nationalatlas.gov). But in addition to providing faster access to the U.S. Geological Survey database of crushed stone and sand and gravel operations, the CD contains some information not found online, as well as a number of functions that enhance the value of the information source for anyone buying, selling, or specifying construction aggregates.
The Aggregates Industry Atlas CD was produced last year under a cooperative research and development agreement between the USGS and the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA). The self-contained CD has a searchable database of 2,695 crushed stone operations and 3,485 sand and gravel operations; LandView IV, a public domain GIS program developed by the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Census Bureau, and the USGS; a Quick-Start Tutorial and help menus; and multiple map layers that can be displayed, hidden or shown only within a defined scale range, as desired. Map layers, in addition to aggregate operations, include major roads, railroads, streams, watersheds, lakes, urban areas, cities, counties, states, congressional districts, schools, hospitals, and public lands, among others (Figure 1).
Figure 1: A layer list window allows customization of the map layers shown, the map scale range over which they will appear and the map symbols and colors used for each layer. It is also used to create and name new layers.
The database is built in File Maker Pro 5.0 and allows searches of either the crushed stone or sand and gravel records using values for individual fields or multiple fields, such as company name, operation name, state, type of stone and type of operation--surface, underground, dredge, sales yard, etc. (Figure 2). Boolean searches (AND, OR, NOT) and searches using operators such as “less than”, “greater than”, and “duplicates” also are possible. Results can be viewed and printed in a form format or as a list and also displayed on a map.
Figure 2: The crushed stone database form shows the types of information available for operations and is the starting point for database searches.
To maintain data integrity, all database records are locked and cannot be modified within LandView IV. Data on the current CD are from 1998. To update records, for example to change company names to reflect mergers and acquisitions, the databases can be exported to other applications, such as Microsoft Access or Excel, updated and then imported back into the Aggregates Industry Atlas, according to Valentin Tepordei, USGS crushed stone commodity specialist. It is not possible, however, to add or delete fields.
One minor drawback in the way the databases are configured is the inability to conduct simultaneous searches of the crushed stone and sand and gravel records. For example, to find all the aggregate operations belonging to a certain company, it is necessary to conduct two searches, one for crushed stone and one for sand and gravel. The results are returned in two separate lists, but can be displayed on a single map.
Applying the data
The real usefulness of the Aggregates Industry Atlas becomes apparent when conducting searches with the mapping component (MARPLOT) of the LandView IV GIS system. In the simplest search, double-clicking on an object (quarry, road, county, etc.) opens a window that identifies the object, the map layer it is part of and, where applicable, its location (latitude/longitude) and size (length or perimeter and area). Highlighting a number of quarries and/or sand and gravel pits and returning to the database menu provides the information on those highlighted sites in form or list format.
Another function in MARPLOT allows for more advanced searches. For example, by highlighting a county (or any defined polygon feature on the map), it is possible to search for all the crushed stone and/or sand and gravel operations within that defined area. It is also possible to search for operations within a specified distance from a feature, such as a road, railroad, stream, or city.
MARPLOT also allows on-screen creation of new map layers. Asphalt or concrete plant locations or construction project sites, for example, can be plotted and labeled in a new layer — using line, square, circle or polygon drawing tools — then used as focus points for searches or to show their geographic relationships to natural and cultural features.
Figure 3 shows a hypothetical project site added to a new layer. A MARPLOT search of crushed stone and sand and gravel operations within 20 miles of the project site highlights nine facilities, including several located along the railroad tracks that pass through the site. Checking the database provides two lists of the operations — one list of crushed stone operations, one of sand and gravel — including company names, type of operation and type of stone.
Figure 3: After plotting a hypothetical project site in a new map layer (green area near center), a search of crushed stone and sand and gravel operations within 20 miles of the site indicates that nine facilities meet the criteria.
In addition to the on-screen capabilities, the Aggregates Industry Atlas can print or export search results and maps to other software programs for presentations or reports. The USGS and NSSGA suggest the CD is useful for construction materials distributors, sales and marketing personnel, equipment manufacturers and suppliers, contractors and estimators, architects and civil engineers working on projects, DOT specification writers, bid reviewers, land use planners, and permitting professionals.
It is not a full-featured GIS system, but then it’s only a fraction of the cost and designed to be more user friendly. If you have access to commercial GIS software and know how to use it, most of the data and map layers contained on the CD can be downloaded free from the National Atlas web site — although only a very limited amount of information on individual aggregate operations is included in the downloaded files. If a full-featured system is beyond your budget or expertise, however, the Aggregates Industry Atlas CD is a good, low-cost alternative.
| CD Aids Pennsylvania Mine Rescue Efforts
Shanksville, Pa.—The USGS CD-ROM Aggregates Industry Atlas had a key role in the successful rescue of nine coal miners at the Black Wolf Mine near Shanksville, Pa., in late July. Shortly after the miners were trapped in the flooded mine, the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA) received an urgent request from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to provide a list of nearby aggregates producers that might be able to assist in the rescue efforts. |
Bob Drake is editor of AggMan.
ICAR Marks 10 Years of Top Aggregates Research
The center celebrates superior scholarship in technical properties of aggregates
By Paula Kothmann
By Paula Kothmann
Ten years of investigation into the technical properties of aggregates by top researchers has yielded a wealth of information intended to guide the aggregates industry to characterize, evaluate, and treat aggregates optimally.
Established in 1992, the center represents a joint cooperation between The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University. Archrivals on the football field, the two institutions boast a team of expertise on asphalt and concrete issues, including Director David W. Fowler, Ph.D., P.E., Associate Director Dallas N. Little, Ph.D., P.E., and Managing Associate Director John J. Allen, Ph.D., P.E.
To meet the research needs of the industries that it serves, the center has adopted the following protocol. Problem statements are solicited from industry; government agencies, ICAR task forces, ICAR and AFTRE boards, NSSGA, and researchers. Problem statements are sent to the appropriate task force for review, and then sent to ICAR’s Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) for prioritization.
These recommendations are evaluated by ICAR’s Advisory Board, which makes funding recommendations to the AFTRE Board. ICAR researchers then implement the foundation’s decisions. Finally, upon approval by advisory panelists for each project, ICAR publishes findings for each project in the form of research summaries and full reports.
Research topics are also recommended to the technical advisory committee by task forces. Task forces include the following: Uses for New Product Fines, chaired by J. Donald Powell, Vulcan Materials Co.; Superpave Aggregate Specifications & Fine Aggregate Properties & Their Influence on End Products, chaired by David W. Jahn, Martin Marietta Aggregates; Alkali-Silica/
Alkali-Carbonate Reaction in Portland Cement Concrete, chaired by Norman R. Nelson, Lyman-Richey Sand and Gravel Co.; Criteria for Use of Recycled Materials with Natural Aggregates in Mixtures & Unbound Applications, chaired by Robert G. O’Brien, Florida Rock Industries, Inc.; Pavement Design & Performance, chaired by Richard D. Barksdale, consultant; Frictional Properties of Aggregates Used in Pavement Surfaces, chaired by Anthony I. Johnson, Edward C. Levy Co.; and Communications, chaired by Thomas R. Ransdell, Vulcan Materials Co.
| ICAR’s 11th Annual Symposium
In addition to the publication of technical reports, the center hosts an annual symposium. The theme of the symposia includes traditional aggregate applications in portland cement concrete, hot-mix asphalt, and highway base courses, as well as special topics of importance to the industry, such as the use of aggregate fines. ICAR’s Eleventh Annual Symposium will be held April 27-30, 2003, in Austin, Texas, at the Omni Hotel Downtown. For more information, call (512) 471-4498. |
Paula Kothmann is ICAR’s publications editor.