What is GIS in construction?

GIS is used in industries ranging from public health for trend analysis of diseases within communities to marketing for market segmentation. In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at how GIS is applied in construction.

Like pins on a map, each point holds a history of geographically related data that tells a story about the area. While a map application helps users navigate from each point and alerts them of the different levels of traffic along the way, GIS allows users to understand how each geographic feature is connected, why different levels of traffic occur, and find a solution to manage this occurrence.

Applications of GIS in Construction

GIS is used for various purposes including site selection, surveying land, tracking building permits and zoning regulations, plotting proposed projects on existing infrastructure maps, and environmental risk assessment. It is a way to provide context to the construction site. With accurate records about historic environmental impacts and detailed geospatial information, professionals can evaluate potential environmental impacts associated with new developments.

Benefits of GIS in Construction

Whether it is renovating infrastructure projects or building new mixed use developments, there are many obstacles that GIS technology can help navigate. Leveraging GIS technology for these applications brings a host of benefits.

Most of the data points involved have a component of geography attached to them, so once each layer of data is connected to the map, organizations can easily collaborate with different stakeholders, conduct further analysis, and improve decision-making all before starting a project.

Here are some examples of construction teams leveraging GIS technology for benefits in reporting, transparency, and collaboration.

With the help of GIS technology, Muscatine found a solution that enhances collaboration and transparency. By implementing dashboards that display project information from Appia, all stakeholders from the city can view each project’s progress and how each project can impact their day to day.

Similarly, the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration has a website that uses GIS technology to increase transparency and communication with the residents of Maryland. Residents can view real-time updates on ongoing roadway projects and any roadblocks that may impact their day. The Project Portal includes an event calendar, drone imagery of the updated work, a searchable map and project information. With the calendar feature, residents can access virtual meetings about specific projects.

By combining GIS with other applications, construction firms can streamline workflows/lifecycle. Real-time updates from field activities like surveying … allows firms to track the progress, and provides accuracy/ transparency and better communication between stakeholders. All project data is in one location and accessed from different devices. GIS integrations make it easier to analyze the project status and how each update or future change will impact the budget and schedule.

With its wide range of applications ranging from mapping out sites to analyzing site conditions before starting a project-it’s no wonder why this has become a staple for organizations who began implementing new technologies in the construction industry.

Are you interested in geo-enabling your construction project data through GIS? Explore our Construction Data Visualization tool to learn more.