HR: 0800h
AN: IN51A-0316 [Abstracts]
TI: Development Of International Data Standards For The COSMOS/PEER-LL Virtual Data Center
AU: * Swift, J N
EM: jswift@usc.edu
AF: Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, USC, KAP 230A
Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of SOuthern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
United States
AB:
The COSMOS -PEER Lifelines Project 2L02 completed a Pilot Geotechnical Virtual Data Center (GVDC) system capable of both
archiving geotechnical data and of disseminating data from multiple linked geotechnical databases. The Pilot GVDC system
links geotechnical databases of four organizations: the California Geological Survey, Caltrans, PG&E, and the U. S.
Geological Survey The System was presented and reviewed in the COSMOS-PEER Lifelines workshop on June 21 - 23, 2004, which
was co-sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and included participation by the United Kingdom Highways
Agency (UKHA) , the Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists in the United Kingdom (AGS), the United
States Army Corp of Engineers (USACOE), Caltrans, United States Geological Survey (USGS), California Geological Survey (CGS),
a number of state Departments of Transportation (DOTs), county building code officials, and representatives of academic
institutions and private sector geotechnical companies. As of February 2005 COSMOS-PEER Lifelines Project 2L03 is currently
funded to accomplish the following tasks: 1) expand the Pilot GVDC Geotechnical Data Dictionary and XML Schema to include
data definitions and structures to describe in-situ measurements such as shear wave velocity profiles, and additional
laboratory geotechnical test types; 2) participate in an international cooperative working group developing a single
geotechnical data exchange standard that has broad international acceptance; and 3) upgrade the GVDC system to support
corresponding exchange standard data dictionary and schema improvements. The new geophysical data structures being developed
will include PS-logs, downhole geophysical logs, cross-hole velocity data, and velocity profiles derived using surface waves.
A COSMOS-PEER Lifelines Geophysical Data Dictionary Working Committee constituted of experts in the development of data
dictionary standards and experts in the specific data to be captured are presently working on this task. The international
geotechnical data dictionary and schema development is a highly collaborative effort funded by a pooled fund study
coordinated by state DOTs and FHWA. The technical development of the standards called DIGGS (Data Interchange for
Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists) is lead by a team consisting of representatives from the University of
Florida, Department of Civil Engineering (UF), AGS, Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA), UKHA,
Ohio DOT, and COSMOS. The first draft of DIGGS is currently in preparation. A Geotechnical Management System Group (GMS
group), composed of representatives from 13 State DOTs, FHWA, US EPA, USACOE, USGS and UKHA, oversees and approves the
development of the standards. The ultimate goal of both COSMOS-PEER Lifelines Project 2L03 and the international GMS working
group is to produce open and flexible, GML-compliant XML schema-based data structures and data dictionaries for review and
approval by DOTs, other public agencies, and the international engineering and geoenvironmental community at large, leading
to adoption of internationally accepted geotechnical and geophysical data transfer standards. Establishment of these
standards is intended to significantly facilitate the accessibility and exchange of geotechnical information world wide.
UR: http://geodata.cosmos-data.org/
DE: 6620 Science policy (0485)
DE: 8199 General or miscellaneous
DE: 9810 New fields (not classifiable under other headings)
DE: 9820 Techniques applicable in three or more fields
SC: Earth and Space Science Informatics [IN]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005