DFI Magazine May/June 2020 - 93

to the given project. These professionals
can be hired in-house or retained as
contractors, with several geotechnical
contractors currently in the industry.
Although these technologies require
specialized skills to develop and manage,
the computer software used is generally
inexpensive (e.g., renting an enterprise
database from a cloud computing provider
costs a few dollars per month) or open
source (not requiring software licensing
fees). These systems can usually be

developed using industry-standard or nonproprietary software, allowing significant
sharing and reuse by contractors. Importantly, these systems can be "transparent" in
some aspects of their data sources and
calculations, facilitating peer review or
audit by owners.
The cost of a PIMS entirely depends on:
* The number of data sources, or data
streams, involved (e.g., a single groutmonitoring device versus several
disparate field forms and instruments).

* The duration of construction (a PIMS
often requires a monthly or weekly
maintenance fee).
* The nature of any associated specifications (i.e., some projects require
formal submittals).
A PIMS developed for large projects,
including those developed for government
agencies or utilities with data management
specifications, can vary greatly in cost.
However, it's common for these systems to
cost over $50,000 to set up, and over
$20,000 per year to maintain and operate.
The projects described above range in cost
from U.S. $15,000 to $40,000, including a
development/deployment fee of about 80%
and an ongoing maintenance fee (about
$3,000 to $8,000). For more information
on project information management
systems, refer to the DFI white paper at
www.dfi.org/publications.asp?goto=1046.

Conclusion

Web-based profile to visualize grout stage data (water test and/or grout take) at scale

Interactive web-based reports to review grout information in real time

Project information management systems
are a crucial component of the analysis,
documentation and quality control
components of a construction project.
Today's PIMS technologies are declining in
price, and include field data entry forms,
geospatial visualization tools, interactive
data query tools, automated report and asbuilt drawing generators, and interactive
web-based dashboards. The advantages of
PIMS include their ability to facilitate field
data entry and the combining of this data
with data downloaded or streamed from
instruments and other equipment, to
permit visualization of all data in a common
context, and to serve up data to formatted
reports, interactive tools and CAD-based
drawings. By taking advantage of the good
data management tools and templates that
traditionally are used in larger projects,
smaller foundation projects can benefit
from the same construction efficiency and
quality improvements of a PIMS.
Jamey Rosen, P.Geo., is a senior principal geologist
with Geosyntec Consultants in Ontario, Canada.
For over 20 years, he has specialized in designing
and developing project information management
systems for environmental and geo-foundations
projects and has built systems used by contractors for
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Tennessee
Valley Authority and several municipalities.
DEEP FOUNDATIONS * MAY/JUNE 2020 * 93
DFI Magazine May/June 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DFI Magazine May/June 2020
