When South Australia’s City of West Torrens developed its asset management system it found both a high tech and low tech solution. Under AAS27, Councils are required to identify infrastructure assets and their level of depreciation.
The diversity and spread of Local Government assets, as Terry Buss, Manager Engineering and Infrastructure points out, makes collecting the data the most expensive part of the exercise.
To capture the information West Torrens selected a GPS system, the Trimble Pro XL Rover Pack. This is an off the shelf unit designed specifically to collect field asset information. It comprises a satellite receiver, a TDC-1 Data Logger, a GPS receiver and a differential signal receiver.
These are usually carried around in a backpack but West Torrens had a better idea. The team found fitting the device to a mountain bike made getting from one location to the next much speedier and more cost effective.
Mountain bikes fitted with the GPS and data logger enable the user to collect information with ease from parks and other locations inaccessible to cars. The system is known as the satellite bike. Each year, final year engineering students from the Universities of Adelaide and South Australia collect the data for Council in an exercise of mutual benefit.
The bikes are much quicker than walking. They also avoid a major drawbacks of cars, which lose satellite signals, requiring the GPS unit to be reactivated each time the car is used.
Bikes chosen were light framed for speed and front suspension was designed to reduce vibrations on the equipment. Digital cameras are also carried to record images of the assets directly onto Council’s computer system. In terms of speed of collection, a trained operator is able to log all information within 15 seconds.
“Compared to other forms of collection, such as aerial photography and paper forms, the system is more accurate, less time consuming and more cost effective,” said Terry Buss. “Other benefits from the system include increased accountability, least life cycle costing, improved decision analysis and improved public safety.”
He added that the system is readily applicable for a variety of uses and is already being used by a number of other Councils.
For further information contact Terry Buss, telephone (08) 8416 6210.
