GIS and its Applications in

Civil Engineering
(CE-718)

by

Vijay Kumar Bansal

Department of Civil Engineering

National Institute of Technology Hamirpur, India-177005
Scheme

Course Type: Departmental Elective

Prerequisites: NA
Course Coordinator: Dr. Vijay Kumar Bansal

Grading:
Mid Term Examination :30 %
Class Tests/Quiz :10 %
Assignments + Group Project :10 %
End semester examination :50 %

Total :100 %
Syllabus

Basics of Remote Sensing

Introduction to Remote Sensing, data acquisition and
processing, sensor systems, Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR)
and its characteristics, Radiation principles, prosperities of
solar radiant energy, atmospheric windows. Interaction in the
atmosphere, nature of atmospheric interaction, atmospheric
effects of visible, near infra‐red thermal and microwave
wavelengths, interaction at ground surface, interaction with
soils and rocks, effects of soil moisture, organic matter,
particles, size and texture, interaction with vegetation, spectral
characteristics of individual leaf, vegetation canopies, effect of
leaf pigments, radiation geometry.
Introduction with GIS

Def. of GIS, Difference between GIS and CAD worlds, utility of

GIS, various GIS packages and their salient features, essential
components of a GIS, scanners and digitizers.

Map Projection and Coordinate Systems

Introduction, geographic Grid, Map projection, Coordinate systems.

Vector Data Models and Analysis

Vector data and its representation, topological data structure, non-
topological vector data structure, TIN, Region, vector data editing
and analysis.

Raster Data Models and Analysis

Acquiring and handling of raster data storage, function of raster
based GIS data analysis.
Books

Text Books:
1. Kang-Tsung Chang, Introduction to
Geographical Information Systems, and
2. T.M. Lillensand and R.W. Keifer, Remote
Sensing and Image Interpretation.

Reference Books:
1. C.P. Lo and Albert K.W. Yeung, Concept and
Techniques of Geographical Information Systems,
2. Stan Aromoff, Geographical Information
Systems‐ A Management Perspective, and
3. P.J. Curren, Principles of Remote Sensing.
 Text Information and
Text Information
Drawings/Graphics

Text Information and Text Information and

Building Drawing Hardcopy Maps

Text information (WordStar, MS Text information (WordStar, MS

Word,…..) Word,…..)
Building Drawing (AutoCAD..) Maps (Automated Maps..)

Independent Move Independent Move

Need of a Common Platform for Need of a Common Platform for

Graphical and non-Graphical Spatial and non-Spatial
Information information

Building Information Geographic

Modeling (Revit) Information System

BIM and GIS for AEC

(AutoCAD Map) 6
Isolated Planning

A new facility/building either big or small is an

important component in a locality.

It cannot remain in isolation but is closely

related to all other facilities in a
locality/surroundings.

7
How to understand the interaction
between natural ecosystems and
facility to be developed to make
the lifecycle of an infrastructure
environmentally sustainable…………...
Why Study GIS?

80% of local Government activities

estimated to be geographically based:
Plots, zoning, public works (streets, water
supply and sewers), garbage collection, land
ownership, valuation and public safety (fire and
police).

Significant portion of Government

infrastructure has geographical components:
Natural resource management and
Highways and transportation.
Why Study GIS?

80% of local government Businesses may

use GIS in their applications:
Site selection and customer analysis,
Logistics: vehicle tracking & routing,
Natural resource exploration (petroleum, etc.),
Agriculture and
Civil engineering and construction.

Military and defense:

Battlefield management and
Satellite imagery interpretation.
Geographic Information Systems

Geographic Information Systems

Systems Geographic Information Systems

A system is composed of many interrelated

parts, which operates individually to certain
rules of conduct.

Systems are constituted to achieve certain

basic objectives or functions.

The existence of a system depends upon the

ability to satisfy the objectives.
Information Systems

Geographic Information Systems

Information systems are the special class of

systems which are setup to achieve the specific
objectives of collecting , storing, analyzing and
presenting information in a systemic manner.
Information Systems

DBMS

Structuring

Formatting
Data Information

Conversion

Modelling

Transformation of data into usable information

using an information system.
System
Information
Systems

Non-Spatial Information Spatial/Locational

Systems (text) Information Systems

Not related to a geographical

Related to a geo-graphical
location on the surface of earth
location on the surface of earth
(Banking, Accounting, …….)

Geographic Other Information

Information System Systems (CAD, CAM, ….)

Application Level Application Level

Classification-I Classification-II

Environmental
Land Information
Information
System
Systems
15
GIS: Convergence of Technologies

Computer Science Application Area

•MIS, •Public admin,
•Graphics, •Planning,
•Visualization, GIS •Geology,
•Database and •Mineral exploration,
•System administration •Forestry,
•Site selection,
•Marketing,
•Civil engineering,
•Surveying.
Geography
• Cartography,
• Geodesy,
• Photogrammetry and
• Spatial statistics.
Geographic Information Technologies:

Remote Sensing (RS):

Use of satellites or aircraft to capture
information about the earth’s surface.
Global Positioning Systems (GPS):
A system of earth-orbiting satellites which can
provide precise (100 meter to few Cms.) location
on the Earth’s surface (in lat./long. coordinates or
equiv.).
Geographic Information Systems (GIS):
Software systems with capability for input,
storage, manipulation/analysis and output display
of geographic information.
GPS/RS as Inputs in GIS

GPS and RS are sources of data input for a

GIS.

GIS provides a medium for storing and

manipulating GPS and RS data.
GIS: A Formal Definition

A system for capturing, storing, checking,

integrating, manipulating, analysing and
displaying data which are spatially
referenced to the Earth.

GIS is normally considered to involve a

spatially referenced computer database
and appropriate applications software.
Components of GIS

Hardware: includes computers for data

processing, data storage, and input/output;
printers and plotters for reports and hard-copy
maps; digitizers and scanners for digitization of
spatial data; and GPS and mobile devices for
fieldwork.

Software: GIS software, either commercial or

open source, includes programs and applications to
be executed by a computer for data management,
data analysis, data display, and other tasks.
People/Organization: Define the purpose and
objectives for using GIS and interpret and
present the results.

Data: Data collection and dissemination, and

data standards.
GIS Software (Commercial)

. Environmental Systems and Research Institute (ESRI)

(http://www.esri.com/): ArcGIS,
• Autodesk Inc. (http://www.autodesk.com/): AutoCAD Map3D
and Autodesk Geospatial,
• Bentley Systems, Inc. (http://www.bentley.com/): Bentley Map
•Intergraph/Hexagon Geospatial (http://www.intergraph.com/):
GeoMedia
• Blue Marble (http://www.bluemarblegeo.com/): Global Mapper
• Manifold (http://www.manifold.net/): Manifold System
• Pitney Bowes (http://www.mapinfo.com/): MapInfo
• Caliper Corporation (http://www.caliper.com/): Maptitude
• General Electric (https://www.gegridsolutions.com/GIS.htm):
Smallworld
• Clark Labs (http://www.clarklabs.org/): TerrSet/IDRISI
 GIS Software (Free)

• Quantum GIS Project (http://www.qgis.org/): QGIS

• Center for Spatial Data Science, University of Chicago

(http://spatial.uchicago.edu/): GeoDa

• Open Source Geospatial Foundation (http://grass .osgeo.org/): GRASS

• gvSIG Community (http://www.gvsig.com/en): gvSIG

• International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences, the

Netherlands (http://www.itc.nl/ilwis/): ILWIS

• MapWindow GIS Project (http://mapwindow.org/): MapWindow

• Open Jump (http://www.openjump.org/):OpenJump

• SAGA User Group (http://www.saga-gis.org):SAGA GIS

a. Vector-Based GIS

Smallworld Systems (Englewood, CO)

• first to use OO (early ‘90s), but failed to compete
as established vendors did same.
• emphasis on FM & utilities.

Manifold (CDA International Corp):

• low cost, but low market share.

Maptitude (Caliper Corp, Newton, MA):

• another low cost one.
b. Raster-Based GIS

ERDAS/Imagine
• long established leader
• acquired by Leica Geosystems in 2001

ER MAPPER
• aggressive newcomer originating in Australia

PCI Geomatica
• long-term Canadian player

GRASS (Rutgers Univ.)

• Classic old-timer originally developed by US Army Construction
Engineering Research Lab(CERL) in Champaign.

IDRSI (Clark Univ.)

• pioneering, university-developed package
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