A program of this scale involves a huge volume of data, enhancing the need for proper data management to ensure the entire team can readily access accurate, up-to-date information. Mott MacDonald, working in a joint venture (futurerail) with engineering company SMEC, has provided its centralised digital data management solution, Moata Geospatial for use on the next stages of the project.
Moata Geospatial, our online GIS collaboration portal, has provided a comprehensive data repository for all project information, hosting data across all work packages. The UK Moata team can upload data during their working hours, meaning the data is readily available to the project team the following working day. The system can support a variety of data types, from detailed track alignment models converted from CAD, to layers embedded with photos and documents collected on site, all of which can be overlaid on a variety of basemaps to provide further context. All layers also have full metadata information against them with direct ProjectWise links allowing users to easily access the source data. Integration of editable datasets ensures that a single source of truth is maintained, with the system offering a full markup and comments system to track temporary markups in a central location.
Permission trimmed maps make the system available to both the futurerail project team and the client, allowing the client to view the options during the design phase so progress can be easily tracked. Additional custom tools and widgets have been added to enhance the user experience, with custom print templates available to allow consistent outputs to be produced for use in project reports. A full project risk register has also been added.
Moata Geospatial has been used extensively on MTMS, with over 230 active users and 350 data layers. The use of a centralised digital platform, where data is uploaded ‘overnight’ has resulted in more efficient and collaborative working, saving on time and resources. In practice, the project team have benefited during optioneering by overlapping the designs with ease, allowing on screen comparison and assessment of the options and their impact on the existing infrastructure and surroundings. Across one work package alone, there were 99 data layers referenced on Moata Geospatial with 500MB of collaboration recorded. Feedback from the joint venture has indicated that the use of digital technologies to aid collaboration has resulted in the project being 100% digital, with no paper involved during design or reporting. This would not have been possible without the use of Moata Geospatial.
“Thanks for your help. Overall, I found it a great first experience using Moata Geospatial to collaborate over 2D drawings through the design phase. I would definitely do it again.” – Pierre Kickhefer, Package Lead (futurerail)