Geographic information system management tool for underground electrical and telecommunication networks : case of the University of Zambia.

Abstract

The university of Zambia’s electricity provides power to operate campus infrastructure such as hostels, lecture rooms, library etc. While telecommunication utilities provide telephone, intranet and internet services. The power and communication utilities are supplied by underground cables. However, the current management system lacks spatial information about these cables. This due to the fact that the current system is based on out dated maps and drawings that lack locational data. This problem has resulted in the cutting of these utility cables during day to day construction of new infrastructure within campus. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a spatial model for managing the underground electrical and telecommunication networks at the University of Zambia using Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). To achieve this the first objective was to map the electrical and telecommunication networks and was addressed by using GPS. The second objective was to design a centralized desktop based GIS system for the mapped electrical and telecommunication networks. This objective was addressed by creating a spatial database using PostgreSQL with PostGIS extension to digitally store the mapped networks. QGIS software was used to develop the GIS model. The third objective was to develop prototypes based on web and mobile based GIS technology. This was addressed by developing a web-based GIS application using Leaflet Java Script library. The proposed management system will provide digital storage of spatial information which would allow for easy access, querying and analysis of spatial data as well as provide easy way of updating new data into the system. This study proposed the development of the underground electrical and telecommunication utility management system using GIS technology. The underground cables were mapped and stored digitally. The desktopGIS and WebGIS management systems were also developed. The mobileGIS application was developed for field work purposes. The developed system provided tools that could help in decision making concerning modifications and updates in future. This study proposed the development of the underground electrical and telecommunication utility management system using GIS technology. The underground cables were mapped and stored digitally. The Desktop, Web and Mobile based GIS management system prototypes were also developed. Keywords: Electrical, Telecommunication, QGIS, PostgreSQL, PostGIS, WebGIS, MobileGIS