cleaning up engineering tomorrow’s …/media/files/insightsnews/...consider how ar might transform...

Data is at the heart of strategic decision-making, so make sure it’s in good shape. 30

LIGHTS, CAMERA, INTERACTION!

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ENGINEERING TOMORROW’S

WORKFORCE 14

SECURING THE FUTURE AND THE INTERNET OF THINGS

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2017 / No. 2

CLEANING UP ASSET INTEL FOR SMART CITY APPEAL

2 BENCHMARK No. 2 • 2017

3BURNS & McDONNELL


The term "smart city" — and what it means — has garnered worldwide interest in its potential to deliver a smarter, cleaner, safer future. It’s an investment that cities and communities are choosing to make for their residents and visitors, each defining their own path toward an intended future.

That's precisely the reason behind the formation of innovation neighborhoods — scalable building blocks that come together to form a fully functioning smart city. As our cities and communities progress toward data-driven, forward-thinking solutions, the constant sharing of information and decision-making in real time will become the basis of new city life. See how the evolution of data is redefining communities on page 30.

From improving water infrastructure with smart metering and sensors to implementing intelligent transportation systems for better traffic flow, the smart city movement will shape infrastructure as we know it. Today, smart lighting is improving visibility (see page 24), distributed energy resources are changing the electric grid (read about their power on page 18), and increased security measures are keeping valuable data and networks safe (find comfort in knowing how on page 37).

Through innovative strategies and technological improvements, smart cities are starting to take shape. And with our customers driving transformation all around the world, a smart city is in your near future — Are you ready?

Ray Kowalik Chairman and CEO

burnsmcd.comOffices Worldwide

CONTENT MANAGERMandie Nelson

CREATIVE DESIGN MANAGERLee Orrison

CONTRIBUTING EDITORSAlan Burchardt Victoria Cherrie Brooke McGrath Erich Noack Abby Shields

GRAPHIC DESIGNERBrandon Guffey

PHOTOGRAPHERBryan Fairbanks

CONNECT:

CONNECTING THE WORLD, ONE SMART CITY AT A TIME

WELCOME

5BURNS & McDONNELL

THE FUTURE WILL SEE YOU NOW.

Your infrastructure deserves an upgrade. Our roadways, water and

power connect our community — and bring it to life. Experience

a design and construction approach redefining project delivery.

Begin today at burnsmcd.com/SmartUpgrade


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CONTENTS

CLEANING UP ASSET INTEL FOR SMART CITY APPEALData is at the heart of strategic decision-making, so make sure it’s in good shape.

COVER STORY

7BURNS & McDONNELL

IN EVERY ISSUE

PERSPECTIVES

14 ENGINEERING TOMORROW'S WORKFORCEA new breed has risen as an advocate for customer success: the next-generation engineer.

18 THE BIG SWITCHDistributed energy resources are causing utilities to rethink where and how to power the grid.

22 KEEP ON TRUCKINGHeavy-duty electric vehicles are paving the way for the advancement of smart transportation.

24 LIGHTS, CAMERA, INTERACTION!Updating streetlights with extra sensor perception, Wi-Fi connection and gunfire detection can be an important step in building an innovation neighborhood.

37 SECURING THE FUTUREWith hackers on the loose, the smart devices we love so much need to be secured. Here’s how we’re mitigating security risks.

CONCEPT TO COMPLETION Q&A SPOTLIGHT TECHBRIEFS TRENDING

TOPICS

8 10 12 40 44


AR offers a more innovative way of looking at reality by placing digital information over an image or map that's being viewed on a device. Think of a mobile device with apps that use GPS technology to identify user location. By adding a layer of projected digital information to our real-life experiences, these new technologies shift our attention from the screens in our hands to the world around us. Think of AR as a computer’s way of communicating with gestures.

Augmented reality: What is it?

The addition of sensors and internet connectivity to everything from airports to bus stops creates endless opportunities for cities to collect and analyze data that can be of great use to the public, explains Zach Wassenberg, an assistant electrical engineer who works with augmented reality technologies at Burns & McDonnell.

“The data generated by smart infrastructure is only valuable if a city can communicate it to people when and where they need it, and in a way that is meaningful to them,” Wassenberg says. “AR makes all that possible.”

Why are smart cities interested in AR?

AUGMENTED REALITYNew technologies that blend digital information with real life will change how cities communicate with the public.

Airports that alert travelers when to leave for a flight to minimize wait time. City maintenance departments that use crowdsourcing to create work orders for

road and streetlight repairs. These are two of the countless ways that smart cities can use intelligent infrastructure to make the world a more user-friendly place. And with the help of augmented reality (AR) technologies, it’s all closer than you might think.

CONCEPT TO COMPLETION

Consider how AR might transform the humble bus stop. By opening an AR-enabled smart city app on their mobile devices, passengers might someday find a floating image of the next bus’s current schedule. They’ll tap the virtual screen to indicate their destination.

The app will then notify the public transit computer navigation system about the waiting passenger. Adding this information to other passenger and bus data, the system will update bus schedules and optimize routes systemwide instantly. Drivers will learn of any route changes on their bus’s AR windshield. Back at the bus stop, the passenger will receive a notice of expected wait and travel times.

“The use of AR not only increases passenger satisfaction but also improves the efficiency of the city’s public transportation system,” Wassenberg says.

How does it work?

Once its population is enabled with AR smartphones and apps, a smart city has endless ways to create a digitized future. Smart windshields can be designed to display a driver’s best route to work each day. Tourists can tap into an AR app that serves as a virtual walking tour guide, complete with menus of the restaurants they pass by on their route. And that’s just the beginning.

It already is. Denver, Colorado, is implementing systems with the potential to route semis away from high-volume traffic. Columbus, Ohio, is looking at ways to allow emergency vehicles to interact with traffic signals to increase safety and reduce response time.

“Cities already are collecting data,” Wassenberg says. “The challenge is in creating the public-private partnerships with groups that have much to gain from everything smart city technology has to offer.”

How else might a city use AR?

When will this happen?

Interested in smart glasses? Read about their potential to enhance performance, productivity and safety at burnsmcd.com/WearAR


Q We've talked technology on a business level, but how about a

personal favorite?

A A cellar tracker app for wine collection. But as for an automatic wine preserver

stopper, “there’s no need for that," he says. "Once you open a bottle, you might as well find someone to help you finish it.”

11BURNS & McDONNELL

As president of the Transmission and Distribution Group at Burns & McDonnell and the lead behind companywide technology initiatives, John Olander talks about the future of technology and the transition to a smart city.

Q What does becoming a smart city mean to interested communities?

A As we become more connected, there's more opportunity to share info and make timely

decisions. It’s up to each community to decide where it needs to focus to get the most benefit for citizens and the people who visit the community. Taking advantage of real-time and trending data and analytics will help address what’s most important to that community.

For example, if you have a traffic problem in your city, then you’d probably focus on getting real-time data on how people are traveling and where and when bottlenecks occur. Once you determine the need, collectively find ways to approach it, which could be through sharing information or changing how you operate your traffic signals. It also might work into your long-term planning, where you need additional roads or alternate timing on traffic patterns, encouraging people to use your facilities in a different manner.

Q Why the seemingly immediate need to replace and redesign our power

distribution systems?

A Original distribution systems were designed for a single purpose, which was to deliver power in

one direction and on demand, with low technology use. Over time, we are tasking our distribution system with more and more, and it’s not acceptable today for people to lose power at their home or place of business. We rely on power for just about everything we do these days, so maybe in the past when you dropped power for a couple hours, it made less of an impact, but now everyone loses connection with their lives.

In addition to the demand for a higher level of reliability, we have areas of the country that have generation on their distribution system, such as rooftop solar, where we’re using the distribution system to not only consume power but also deliver power to others. With the two-way power flows and the higher level of reliability required, we are using our distribution system like never before.

Q As the lead for the firm’s many technology initiatives, what is the plan to help fulfill the

vision of a smart city for customers?

A As we put technology platforms in place for ourselves, we also need to be aware of how the

industry is moving and how our customers' needs are evolving. As we make purchases to support our current needs, it’s always with a thought of how it will interconnect with our customers’ needs five years from now. Putting systems and tools in place where we can share and capitalize on that going forward is incredibly important.

Q What's the biggest technological change you've seen within the last 25 years?

A Mobile devices. The power that’s in your hand or in your pocket is incredible now compared to

anything we had back when I was in school.

Q What do you forecast is the biggest, most significant change to come in the

next 25 years?

A I really think it’ll be data analytics, the measurement, assessment and use

of data in ways we can’t even imagine yet.

Q&A


SPOTLIGHT

EMPOWERING A SMART COMMUNITYThat's just what an electric utility did with the launch of its smart grid pilot project.The future of utility grid technologies is unfolding in the urban core of Kansas City, Missouri, improving reliable service, reducing operational costs and enhancing opportunities for consumer management of energy costs.

The stats behind the SmartGrid Demonstration Project (SGDP) in Kansas City's Midtown area might not seem overly impressive at first glance: 14,000 customers, 150-block radius, 11 highly automated feeders, a modernized substation and a variety of customer programs. However, by connecting them all with the right equipment, integrated software and experienced personnel, Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L) created a model for the nation’s utilities to dream big.

Partially financed by the U.S. Department of Energy, the $58 million project provided a fully integrated smart grid demonstration within the economically challenged area.

“The goal of this project was to deploy end-to-end smart grid technologies to a small geographic footprint of the KCP&L service territory, focusing on interoperability and emerging smart grid standards,” says Meghan Calabro, an electrical engineer and department manager at Burns & McDonnell. “KCP&L then shared lessons learned with the industry so other utilities can benefit from the pilot project experience.”

This regionally unique area was turned into a controlled environment to test the impact of smart grid technologies, such as renewable generation, premise and grid energy storage resources, leading-edge substation and distribution automation and controls, energy management interfaces, and innovative customer programs and rate structures.

Based on data gathered, KCP&L identified and quantified resulting benefits and technology gaps and examined best practices from project insights. The results? A successful pilot project showing that the reliability, efficiency and flexibility of the grid can be improved through the implementation of enhanced monitoring and control functions using commercially available systems, technologies and resources that interoperate over a secure communications network.

Following completion of the SGDP, KCP&L shared its findings with utilities across the nation and is using them to guide its planning process for companywide deployment of smart grid technologies. With the right equipment and systems in place, there’s more to come soon with the communities of the future.

GET SMART ABOUT SECURITY.

Securing a city’s critical infrastructure is a must. Using smart technology to boost public safety creates

a better quality of life for residents — and you.

See how we’re doing it at burnsmcd.com/SmartSecurity

14 BENCHMARK No. 2 • 201714 BENCHMARK No. 2 • 2017

GAME-CHANGERS. NEXT-GENERATION ENGINEERS. Amidst the flurry of new technology, customers are often left to decipher which technology to choose, how to implement it and how to evaluate its effects on business. A new breed has risen as an advocate for customers to succeed in this changing market: the next-generation engineer. Not to be confused with the latest graduation class entering the workforce, next-generation engineers are adaptive, business-savvy professionals who are embedded with their clients to see the big picture firsthand.

Abderrahmane (Abder) Elandaloussi, an electrical engineer at Burns & McDonnell, followed the next-generation engineer philosophy to California with a project for Southern California Edison. Dedicated to an innovative distribution project that only a handful of utilities have taken past the pilot stage, Elandaloussi has found himself developing skills he never anticipated.

“Right now I’m dealing with statistics, and I never thought I’d use statistics to this extent in my life,” says Elandaloussi. “But here I am looking at complex models to analyze the system and results, and I really enjoy it.”

STAY HUNGRY. STAY FLEXIBLE. That ability to cherish challenges and embrace change is an important characteristic of a next-generation engineer.

“It’s not a linear learning path anymore,” says Jenny Macy, an electrical engineer at Burns & McDonnell. But as manager of the Networks, Integration & Automation department in Denver, which has grown with changing technology since she was hired eight years ago, Macy strives to hire next-generation engineers who can adapt.

“Engineers in our group need to learn as they go,” Macy says. “It’s a balance between being comfortable in not knowing everything but also doing the due diligence to learn as much as possible.”

Matt Olson, project director for the Networks, Integration & Automation department, agrees with Macy.

“An engineer’s capacity to learn is now more important than what you know, especially right out of college,” Olson says. “We’re moving past the days of having an engineer specialize in one area

Change is the new norm. Electric and natural gas vehicles are on the rise. Renewable energy is no longer a rookie in

the industry. Cities are becoming smarter. To keep pace with these frequent technological changes, companies, utilities and municipalities must adapt how traditional processes are addressed. But who will lead the charge?

ENGINEERING

TOMORROW’S WORKFORCE

Left: Jenny Macy, electrical engineer15BURNS & McDONNELL


of a discipline their entire career. Now is the time for cross-trained and cross-functional engineers.”

Often the full understanding of an industry can come together like pieces of a puzzle — the picture will always appear disjointed and confusing until all is in place. For the next-generation engineer, those pieces don’t appear simply from hands-on experience in one area. To have a broad understanding of an entire industry and each moving part, next-generation engineers take the discipline of self-directed learning to a new level, applying knowledge outside of the engineering norm, such as coding, statistics and interpersonal communications.

“We want to expose next-generation engineers to a variety of skill sets and focus areas,” Olson says. “We are adamant about instilling the confidence and comfort for a new engineer to lean on experience and peers to find answers for customers — even outside current knowledge base.”

But that drive must come from the engineers themselves.

“It all comes down to the individual,” Elandaloussi says. “Don’t be complacent. Don’t get comfortable. The minute you get comfortable is the minute you are being left behind — and it’s also the minute you cannot keep your customer ahead of the competition.”

GOOD BYE, NORMALCY. HELLO, ORIGINALITY.The need to keep moving forward is also essential for companies, utilities and municipalities across all industries nationwide. Even standardized areas can be optimized through innovation, but those solutions must be customized for each client.

“Dynamic systems require a dynamic solution, a dynamic process and dynamic engineers who can adapt their skill sets to different types of projects,

understand different types of pricing structures for utilities, and ascertain the necessary resources and assets to tackle any challenge that they may come across,” Elandaloussi says. “And, they must be able to move between these areas seamlessly.”

Next-generation engineers have the drive and big-picture scope to be highly efficient, accurate and produce quality deliverables. They can take a broad background of experience to identify the appropriate or ideal way to approach challenges because they know what the industry is doing now, the direction it is going, and the benefits and drawbacks of new ideas.

“We’ve adapted as technologies change, so we can offer value to our customers,” Macy says. “We don’t come in with one solution and say this is how to implement it. We help them adapt to change by showing in detail why a customized solution is better, why it will work and how it’s not a high-risk change to make — all to help customers stay ahead of the curve.”

Next-generation engineers possess similar qualities to drive innovation. When developed

and nurtured through immersion in the industry, hands-on experience and hard work, these game-changers can establish the tools

necessary to benefit clients.

+ Flexible and adaptable

+ Communication skills

+ Knowledge of business operations and finance

+ Deep interest in the digital world

+ Ability to work in a team environment

+ Understanding of regulations and requirements throughout industries

+ Openness to new ideas, technologies and directions

+ Deep passion for the work and benefits for clients

NE(X)T–(GEN)ERATION

ENGINE2RFORMULATHE=

17BURNS & McDONNELL

Don’t be complacent. Don’t get comfortable. The minute you get comfortable is the minute you are being left behind — and it’s also the minute you cannot keep your customer ahead of the competition.ABDER ELANDALOUSSI


THE

Large utilities are seeking to convert the grid to accommodate smaller, smarter power sources.

19BURNS & McDONNELL

FOR MORE THAN 100 YEARS, THE GRID

HAS BEEN THE COUNTRY’S LARGEST CONTINUOUSLY

OPERATING MACHINE.

Change is hard. Just ask anyone still holding onto a DVD — or worse, a VHS tape — collection.

But sometimes a significant advancement in technology, culture or human knowledge can transform our thinking. And then — sooner for some, later for others — we switch from our old way of doing things to a new and more efficient way.

That, in a nutshell, is what is occurring along the electric distribution grid, where the convergence of stringent environmental regulations, changes in how we consume electricity and a proliferation of alternate energy sources are leading utilities to rethink where and how to power the grid.

Until recently, the approach was largely uniform. Power generation was concentrated in large, coal-fired plants, often operated by local utilities and located far from population centers.

“For more than 100 years, the grid has been the country’s largest continuously operating machine,” says Brad Jensen, an electrical engineer at Burns & McDonnell. “If you added a new customer, you built a line. If equipment failed, you fixed it. But the system itself remained essentially unchanged.”

But that is changing. Technology and analytics are making the grid smarter and more flexible, and forward-looking providers are looking for ways to modernize their distribution networks to squeeze more value from them, he says.

In recent years, an evolution has begun, transitioning from large-gigawatt, centralized power plants located far from customers to smaller, more localized generation, including networks of rooftop solar panels and other renewables, storage, and smaller power sources that are pooled to meet demand. These distributed energy resources (DERs) are starting to be incorporated with new, more efficient natural gas-fueled peak units that can be ramped up quickly to serve as backup. Sometimes they are conceived as stand-alone microgrids as well.

These physical changes to the electric distribution network signal a larger shift in the energy economy as the industry prepares for, among many other things, the coming age of an electric-based transportation system.

“The electric utility industry's business model needs to change,” Jensen says. “Utilities are moving from providing kilowatt-hours to delivering energy solutions.”

BRAD JENSEN


REINVENTING THE MODERN DISTRIBUTION NETWORKReinventing the nation’s massive distribution network to accommodate this new vision won’t be easy, and it won’t be accomplished overnight.

For one thing, the addition of residential solar panels and other DERs means that power distribution will no longer be a one-way street, according to Kory Sandven, a development analyst at Burns & McDonnell. Relays and controls, for example, will need to be modified to interpret changes in power flows caused by the power that DERs send back to the grid.

Sensors with communication capabilities also will need to be added throughout the distribution network to monitor performance, says Meghan Calabro, an electrical engineer and department manager at Burns & McDonnell. “This data will need to be sent back to a centralized brain in real time so operators can make operational tweaks.”

The goal: keeping the grid stable and operating efficiently.

Perhaps an even bigger issue will be seeing that DERs are located where they can provide the most benefit to grid operations and energy costs.

“Today, an affluent neighborhood may have 100 residential customers who can afford to add rooftop solar to their homes. But if the load isn’t sufficient to make use of that much power, DERs can negatively impact the system,” Sandven says.

Meanwhile, nearby low-income neighborhoods that could benefit from DERs cannot afford to finance residential projects.

To better match supply and demand, utilities like Southern California Edison are conducting distribution modeling to identify the best places to install future DER. (See sidebar.)

“Modeling allows utilities to see both the load and the availability for power generation at any point or any given time,” Sandven says. “These complex models provide the information needed to plan future expansion and design incentive programs that encourage DER construction in less prosperous areas.”

By enabling utilities to measure the real cost of energy at various points in their networks, distribution models give utilities the ability to adjust electric rates based on a customer’s location and time of use, he says. This could eventually lead to privatized localized marginal energy markets, where solar, wind and other DERs compete, and a utility can draw on cost data to determine which generators to turn on at a given time to generate the cleanest power at the lowest cost.

THINKING EVEN BIGGERDrawing on new technologies that incorporate network data and communications, engineers can have an even more profound impact on long-term performance and energy consumption.

In a demonstration project for Kansas City Power & Light, for example, Burns & McDonnell created a

21

How does one of the nation’s largest power supply companies decide which of the hundreds of renewable energy applications to approve each year?

Until recently, Southern California Edison did what most other utilities did: if a project was small, it got approved.

“It costs more to analyze the impact any one project had on the grid than to make a repair if something went wrong,” says Kory Sandven, a development analyst at Burns & McDonnell.

An integrated capacity analysis being conducted by Burns & McDonnell will change all that. By sifting through millions of data points and modeling thousands of scenarios, the firm is establishing the capacity of every circuit on the utility’s distribution system to determine how the addition of a new rooftop solar panel or other DER would affect it.

When the analysis is complete in 2018, Southern California Edison will use it to determine where to expand to better serve its 14 million customers and provide quick answers to groups that want to get involved. It will be the first utility in the country to analyze capacity systemwide.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

distribution management system and control algorithms that make it possible to pinpoint the location of downed power lines and other faults when they occur. (Turn to page 12 for more details on the Smart Grid Demonstration Project.) “This system automatically reroutes electricity to minimize the percentage of customers experiencing outages while also taking steps to restore power,” Calabro says.

Other algorithms have been designed to manage voltage levels throughout another client’s distribution network.

“If you reduce voltage by 1 or 2 percent, you should reduce energy consumption by a comparable amount,” Jensen says.

That saves individual customers a few pennies every month, which might not seem like much. “But if you apply it across a large utility’s footprint, it saves tens of millions of dollars in energy consumption,” Jensen says. If similar algorithms helped cut the nation’s energy usage by just 1 percent, that would translate into hundreds of millions of dollars of savings, he adds.

The reinvention of the electric distribution grid should not only solve some of the nation’s current energy challenges but also change the nation’s energy economy.

“As the nation shifts from a centralized to a decentralized distribution system, everyone from independent power producers to your next door neighbor will have the opportunity to participate,” Jensen says. In addition to creating their own power and selling it back to the grid, they also could install new devices in homes and businesses that help control the system.

The end goal? A cleaner, more reliable and more economical energy landscape.

BURNS & McDONNELL

Curious as to how electric utilities are embracing the change? Visit burnsmcd.com/MoreDERs


Heavy-duty electric vehicles are accelerating change in the

landscape of smart transportation.

Smart city transportation infrastructure is backing drivers as they shift to a more sustainable lifestyle.

While light-duty electric vehicle (EV) sales increase, the adoption of medium- and heavy-duty EVs is expected to launch comprehensive transportation changes for urban areas and the nation. From transit buses to refuse trucks, shuttles to delivery vans, heavy-duty vehicles move people and goods throughout every city in the world.

What makes the medium- and heavy-duty vehicle market well-suited for electrification? The answer lies in the shared operating model of companies reliant on fleet services — city transit and school buses, municipal refuse trucks, urban delivery trucks and more, which utilize a similar transport model to capitalize on electric power.

23BURNS & McDONNELL

Return-to-base routes: Vehicles that drive a

defined route and return to a depot for EV charging can

benefit from electrification.

Stop-and-go driving: Heavy-duty trucks that stop-and-start as part of their mode of operation can utilize regenerative braking for ongoing EV vehicle charging.

Lower driving speeds: Urban transport and delivery vehicles tend to drive slower, which can be accommodated with current EV battery ranges.

Defined mileage: EV battery and engine

technologies are ideal for transport or delivery routes

in a 50- to 150-mile cycle range.

Vehicle size: Larger medium- and heavy-duty trucks and vans can accommodate EV battery size and weight.

Commercial companies can realize lower fuel costs, reduced maintenance spending and increased reliability with smart transportation planning using battery-powered vehicles.

For smart cities and utilities, evaluating the impact on the electrical grid, EV charging capacity needs, transmission and distribution upgrades, and grid stability measures are critical considerations. Thoughtful and strategic evaluation, planning and installation of the necessary supporting infrastructure are all key to unlocking opportunities.

Progressive organizations are embracing smart transportation strategies to accelerate sustainability and benefit the environments in which they operate.

Staples has added more than 50 all-electric Class 6 delivery trucks to its fleet.

Frito-Lay has incorporated more than 270 electric trucks into its fleet, with support from a company network of enhanced charging stations.

FedEx has incorporated more than 100 all-electric commercial trucks into its global fleet with plans to add more.

AT&T utilizes more than 3,000 hybrid-electric, all-electric and extended-range EVs.

23BURNS & McDONNELL


LIGHTS, CAMERA,

INTER- ACTION!

The humble and unassuming streetlight pole can be a guiding light in a smart city transformation when enhanced with an array of technology-driven safety innovations.

Visionaries see the potential to use interconnected technology in countless ways to provide unfathomable possibilities in the smart cities of tomorrow.

Those grand visions, however, sometimes can gloss over the immediate needs required to power and support future progress.

“If you think of the city as a platform for enhanced functionality, it’s always going to be internet-based or cloud-based,” says David Rowe, a project manager at Burns & McDonnell. “You cannot do that without building the infrastructure to make that happen. That’s where we are: building the infrastructure on which a city can evolve and advance.”

One promising avenue for first steps into this exciting new future is easily overlooked. It is so ubiquitous as to be

nearly invisible to the typical resident: streetlight poles.

Your average city has an existing infrastructure of thousands — even tens of thousands — of streetlights. Dallas has about 85,000 streetlights, and Chicago has more than 300,000. Typically owned and maintained by the municipality or the local utility, these poles have the additional benefit of usually being less cluttered with equipment than utility poles.

LIGHTING THE WAYOne improvement cities can make is accomplished by replacing the streetlights with LED lighting, which uses dramatically less energy.

“The cost savings associated with more efficient LED lights can be significant across thousands of lights,” Rowe says.

LIGHTS, CAMERA,

INTER- ACTION!

While cost savings can be achieved by swapping out older lamps, this type of upgrade also creates an opportune moment to add enhanced technology to the pole.

“The way some smart street lighting systems operate, they’re based on an algorithm that learns and detects ambient light,” Rowe says. These adaptive sensors minimize unnecessary illumination.

The more promising potential lies in establishing central control of these connected poles, enabling the lights to be set to a synchronized schedule and so much more.

It helps to first understand how the smart technology is added. Rowe sheds light from recent experience working for the City of Kansas City, Missouri, on a related pilot project that converted more than 170 poles.

“We switched out fixtures on streetlights to make them smart streetlights, which includes three components,” Rowe says. “The first is the LED light itself. Second is a core node sitting atop the fixture that can access the cloud via a Wi-Fi network. Then, on the bottom of the light, there’s an infrared sensor. Those three combine, enabling the city to turn lights up and down as needed.”

Increased central control creates additional possibilities for going beyond energy savings and using the lighting to enhance public safety. For example, in the event of an emergency incident, city managers could increase illumination in the affected area to assist emergency response activities.

EXTRA SENSOR PERCEPTIONThe potential of smart streetlight poles extends beyond lighting applications. Cities and their partners can leverage that infrastructure by adding a variety of additional sensors, most of which similarly rely on a wireless or internet-connected backbone.

Video cameras and video sensors are a logical fit.

“Cameras are a big part of security, but there’s a wide spectrum of camera types and uses,” says Scott Feuerborn, director of business consulting at Burns & McDonnell. “We have to ask how we can use different technology for security and public safety in combination with existing pole infrastructure while being mindful of privacy concerns.”

Rowe helped apply that technology to traffic challenges.

“On 125 poles, Kansas City installed a system of video sensors that are used to detect traffic counts and traffic speed,” he says. “More advanced intelligent transportation systems could leverage the data into an algorithm that makes sure your traffic signals are timed correctly.”

Residents might be concerned about potentially being monitored by video, but that is not the intent. According to Rowe, “the primary function of Kansas City’s sensor system is sending metadata back to a

That’s where we are: building the infrastructure on which a city can evolve or grow up.

David Rowe


STREETLIGHT POLES FACTOR INTO HOLISTIC SECURITY PLANSAmong a city government’s many responsibilities, providing for security and public safety is prominent. Doing it right means exploring every reasonable possibility.

“If you’re targeting public safety, you need to do it in a thoughtful, comprehensive, planned way,” says Scott Feuerborn, director of business consulting at Burns & McDonnell.

Adding security cameras and similar measures on existing lighting poles is an easy opportunity to overlook. Municipalities and their partners can explore whether there is adequate lighting and the potential for video coverage in desired public spaces.

“The placement of a camera is just as important as the type of camera itself, in coverage of what they’re in place to observe,” Feuerborn says.

Sometimes leveraging existing light poles can be beneficial to a city from a cost perspective, but it’s important to avoid becoming beholden to what’s already in place. “You also need to be aware that sometimes if it’s not done in the right manner, you might create a false sense of security in some environments,” Feuerborn says.

Understanding the implications of physical security measures and the potential of advanced technology is important when it comes to making decisions that add value. Combining these into public safety and security master plans is how smart cities can make meaningful, cost-justifiable improvements.

We switched out fixtures on streetlights to make them smart streetlights, which includes three components.David Rowe

1

2

3

An LED light

A core node that can access the cloud via a Wi-Fi network

An infrared sensor

27BURNS & McDONNELL

central repository, where you can run operational analytics on that data.” Clear public communications and outreach beforehand are important steps to allay those fears.

As part of its winning submission to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Smart City Challenge, the City of Columbus, Ohio, proposed implementing this kind of technology and central control as a way to improve response time for emergency vehicles. Optimizing traffic flow and improving vehicle and pedestrian safety are additional benefits.

“The data analysis of real-time camera feeds is becoming more and more advanced,” Feuerborn says. “You can feed information to your city’s police department or emergency dispatch if there’s been an incident needing fast response. Software analytics can be utilized with surveillance cameras to rapidly review video for vehicles using criteria such as direction, color and size.”

Gunfire detection systems are beginning to be incorporated into smart street lighting systems as well. (See sidebar below.)

Kansas City, which implemented its initial program in coordination with the installation of a new downtown streetcar system, will use the sensors to detect when vehicles are obstructing the path of the streetcar. Faster response to any obstacles saves time and aggravation, providing both quantifiable and qualitative return on investment.

Another finalist in the Smart City Challenge is exploring adding air quality sensors on the light poles as part of its approach to addressing high air pollution levels. The goal in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is to collect real-time ambient air levels of pollutants to better understand air quality hot spots and how they correlate with transportation infrastructure. The same data could be used to measure the success of any emissions reduction efforts. FURTHER DOWN THE ROADMuch of the innovation being explored and developed for smart poles is dependent on internet connectivity.

“A smart system has to access the cloud,” Rowe says. “For that to happen, it needs to access the internet.”

Running hardline connections to thousands of poles can be cost-prohibitive and loses the advantages of utilizing existing infrastructure. Wi-Fi is the logical, simpler solution for enabling cloud-based systems.

Cities have to understand and plan for the additional bandwidth requirements, but once these systems are connected, the real potential for current and future

LIGHTING THAT’S LISTENINGGunfire detection systems already are being implemented in more than 90 cities nationwide, from New York to Chicago and Kansas City to San Francisco. These systems are constantly listening from placements in and around high-crime areas for the sound of gunfire.

When gunfire is detected, the system can use its numerous locations to triangulate where the

sound originated, speeding response time to help save lives and apprehend criminals.

Some manufacturers now are incorporating the sensors for these detection systems into smart streetlight equipment. Interested municipalities can install the lights while upgrading existing poles, then work with the gunfire detection system vendor to activate the sensors.

Urban environments vary considerably, so upfront testing and evaluation are important elements of any broader implementation plans.


implementations is unlocked. Yesterday’s science fiction becomes today’s reality.

“One of the trends people are thinking about more is that autonomous vehicles are coming online,” Rowe says. “They’re going to have to have vehicle-to-vehicle communication, as well as vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. All that data has to go somewhere and get there somehow, so increased connectivity is important.”

The same poles being utilized to connect the smart systems also could be used to support technology generating public Wi-Fi networks.

“Public Wi-Fi can be considered a tool to help break the digital divide,” Rowe says of the potential to offer internet access through wireless service and interactive kiosks to local community members who can benefit from additional access to job search tools and find social services. “A lot of times we take the internet for granted, but lots of people don’t have access or don’t know how to use it.”

THE POWER OF PRESENCECities are always looking for ways to improve the quality of life and make things run more smoothly. Breaking down social barriers, improving efficiency for energy and traffic, and enhancing public safety measures are big-picture challenges. Working with the infrastructure already in place reduces the number of potential complications and increases the functionality of existing assets.

“The data discussion is driving better decision-making,” Rowe says. “Cities get additional return on investment because they can make more informed decisions.”

Delivering enhanced services without taking up extra space? That’s an idea rapidly assuming the pole position.

We have to ask how we can use different technology for security and

public safety in combination with existing pole infrastructure while

being mindful of privacy concerns.Scott Feuerborn

29BURNS & McDONNELL

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“Data has infinite potential,” says Scott Parker, a project manager at Burns & McDonnell. “It can lead to smarter cities and more efficient facilities. But for many organizations — especially those with a massive number of assets to track — the sheer amount of information that comes in the door can make it difficult to get their data house in order.”

The right structure, systems and technology can provide the knowledge base that makes all the difference, opening the door for innovation and strategy to effect change — and then be captured in the bottom line.

“Everyone is looking for a better way to do business, whether you’re manufacturing a product or maintaining a city street,” says Brian Hiller, a project manager at Burns & McDonnell. Asset data can be the game-changer — once it’s gathered,

organized and structured in a system that’s easy to access and use.

WHY BIG DATA MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCEAccording to the IBM Systems Journal, digital data storage became more cost-effective than paper in 1996. Big data has become a driving force in business — and it shows no signs of slowing. To gain a competitive edge, organizations are investing more than ever in business intelligence. Global spending on big data hardware could grow at a compound annual rate of 30 percent through 2018, according to research from A.T. Kearney.

Many companies are relying on big data to provide a competitive edge, using it to drive almost every aspect of business strategy, from marketing to operations. Others, especially in the civic and manufacturing

CLEANING UP ASSET INTEL FOR SMART CITY APPEALFor all cities and businesses, data is at the heart of strategic decision-making. It jump-starts success, providing footing for the insights that drive informed, tactical planning.

But these days, data — in large volume — comes at such a fast and furious pace, it can be hard to keep up. How can organizations get data to a place where it can be accessed, understood and used to redefine functionality?

Left: Brian Hiller, project manager


During design, architects and

engineers detail measurements,

location, specifications and connected systems

in the BIM model.

The data is pivoted to meet the specific

information requirements of building operators

and synced with the maintenance

management system.

When service is required, the maintenance department can

click into the BIM model to see a graphic interface of the

part, when it was last serviced, view work orders and even

download the unit’s manual.

HOW A BIM MODEL DRIVES SMARTER OPERATIONAL DECISIONS

spaces, also are relying on the consistency smart data provides to fill the knowledge void left by retiring senior staff. Across the board, organizations are using smart data to inform decision-making, justify capital

expenditures and, in general, do more with less.

“Using staff to manually collect information about transformers is no longer feasible for many utilities because of reduction in field staff,” says Chrissy Carr, a project director

at Burns & McDonnell. “Yet the responsibility to maintain reliability hasn’t diminished. By relying on data and predictive analytics to anticipate and prevent failures, utilities can meet their customers’ expectations at reduced operational costs.”

QUALITY IN, QUALITY OUTOrganizations have access to more information and more ways of collecting it than ever. While some cities and companies have an excellent grasp of assets and processes, others are just beginning.

Hiller encourages clients to consider what information they want to get out of a system before they structure how data goes into it. A firm plan for how data will be used — for maintenance analysis or budget planning, for instance — will drive strategy for the collection of quality information.

A baseline assessment can help organizations define what assets are owned, what condition they are in and what it costs to maintain them. Data gathering — typically into an asset management software system — can happen through historical inventories, manual collection with mobile tools or even sensors that continually send information through a secure, wireless connection to the cloud. Once data is in place, it can begin delivering on its promise.

“The end goal is to help clients get the most value out of the assets they’ve put into service,” Hiller says. That could mean analyzing a wastewater pump’s performance to anticipate and prevent failure. Or it could be finding a more efficient way to air-condition a building, water a city park or optimize driving routes to save fuel.

DATA COLLECTION WITH A DOUBLE-DUTY TOOLThe ability to make data-driven strategic decisions relies on the availability of clean data, which is often challenging to collect and organize. But for new building or renovation projects, that data can be hidden in plain sight — in a building information model (BIM) that architects develop during the design process.

“The tools we use to design buildings are heavily data-oriented,” says Vicky Borchers, a senior architect at Burns & McDonnell. “BIM drawings are visual tools, but behind the scenes is a rich store of data that drives the graphics.”

Digital data storage became more cost-

effective than paper in

1996


Technology is glamorous, but it

doesn’t work without a strategic framework

for the data.SCOTT PARKER

33BURNS & McDONNELL


Borchers and her colleagues are using BIM models in an innovative way by pivoting the data within the models to be useful to building operators long after the project is completed. They structure that data to migrate to a computerized maintenance management system, resulting in an incredibly detailed picture of a building’s systems.

For building owners and operators, that level of information means more informed and strategic decisions on how to run and maintain a facility. For instance, the performance of a crucial asset could be closely monitored to understand the optimal time for replacement instead of waiting for it to fail and experiencing a long-lead time for a part to arrive.

“These BIM drawings are simply data visualized — and they can do double duty,” Borchers says. “It’s a better way of helping operators take ownership of data once the building is complete.”

MAKING SENSE OF 1.5 MILLION SQUARE FEET WORTH OF DATAArchitects and engineers have long been required to submit documentation, but the format can vary. It can be frustratingly old school — scanned PDFs in dozens of physical binders. Or it can be structured in a way that makes sense to the builder but not the building’s eventual operator.

Many companies across the country face these types of data collection problems. For instance, when 1.5 million square feet of manufacturing capacity was completed for a multinational company, building operators received 3 terabytes of documentation data. The next step was to understand what the data was to be used for and train the operator on implementation for smooth facility operation.

“Owner participation is key to making a BIM model work for asset management data collection,” Borchers says. “We needed to know how they planned to use the data so we could understand how to structure it.”

The team met with dozens of stakeholder groups, then organized the data by building, system and discipline to create a building management guide.

The BIM model also was aggregated into the facility’s computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), an action that saved hundreds of thousands of dollars over typical collection methods. It costs $150-$200 per asset to input data into a CMMS — and this facility has nearly 10,000 assets. Using the

restructured BIM model, the team delivered a database, saving time and money.

SMART CITIES THROUGH DATA ANALYTICSA smart city isn’t just one with fast internet, it’s one that can rely on data analytics to run efficiently and optimally. An increased knowledge base means smarter decisions on how to prioritize public funding, an especially useful tool for managing aging infrastructure. Parker, who spent 15 years in city government before joining Burns & McDonnell, saw firsthand the positive impact asset management has on communities.

“The real art is how to take hundreds of thousands of data points and make them actionable and scalable,” he says. “Technology is glamorous, but it doesn’t work without a strategic framework for the data. What’s the philosophy, the methodology? What makes it applicable for the context you are working in?”

In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, that meant uniting city departments — previously using several separate software systems — into a single coordinated enterprise asset management (EAM) platform. It also meant capitalizing on a knowledge of asset needs and life cycles to help build EAM into a business strategy, helping the city increase operational efficiency.

In Kansas City, Missouri, data collection and analysis helped maximize public investment in a massive overflow control program. After a report showed half the rainwater entering the sewer system came from improperly connected private plumbing connections, geographic information system (GIS) data was used to pinpoint 50,000 properties where cost-effective plumbing corrections could make a substantial difference. (Read about the benefits and efficiency of mobile technology on page 40.)

Property evaluation teams used digital forms directly integrated into the asset management system, enabling

Global spending on big data hardware could grow at a compound annual rate of 30 percent

through 2018

35BURNS & McDONNELL

effective data sharing. Organizers even used data analytics to track the right method of public outreach. Based on the data provided by sensors installed in the sewer system, the program is expected to save millions of dollars in future capital improvements.

PREDICTIVE PROBLEM-SOLVINGReliability is paramount in the electric utility world. But, sometimes a transformer is run to failure — and once one fails, it can take up to a year to get a new one of the right class and size. There’s a better path, and it’s paved with data analytics.

“Most utilities only have the capacity to do a dissolved gas analysis (DGA) once a year, and the results might go into a basic spreadsheet,” Carr says. But if utilities can collect DGA information remotely and review performance over time, they can make proactive decisions about replacement.

Predictive analysis is especially valuable for fiber optics because cable age isn’t always a determinant for failure. Duke Energy, Southern Company and Burns & McDonnell are researching the health of fiber-optic cable, including the review of cable performance over time for indicators of deterioration, with support from an asset health center that’s collecting and analyzing the data. Additional analysis will come from an algorithm that Carr and teammates are currently in the process of building to help determine the health of the fiber-optic cable.

PREPARING FOR THE ONGOING DATA REVOLUTIONCompanies are facing profitability expectations. Cities have smaller budgets to meet ever-changing needs of the citizens. Data can be the difference maker.

“Every decision can be backed up with numbers, not anecdotal information,” Hiller says. “Managers can apply their instincts to data analysis. A strong asset data structure makes organizations stronger, more adaptable and more confident in their strategic directions.”

Big data offers enormous potential for every city and business — to make smarter decisions, increase efficiency, reduce costs, drive proactive innovations, improve sustainability and continually enhance the customer experience.

1 After assessing your

assets, select or develop asset management and

maintenance software to house your data

2 Develop a plan to catalog your assets, including an

asset hierarchy or registry

3 Compile a data

structure by defining what you want to get

out of the system

4 Collect, analyze and prioritize information

using mobile tools, historical records and

BIM models

5 Incorporate data- driven lessons into decision-making

5 STEPS FOR GETTING YOUR DATA TO AN ACTIONABLE PLACE


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37BURNS & McDONNELL

SECURING THE FUTURE

AND THE INTERNET OF THINGS

37BURNS & McDONNELL

The “internet of things” comprises countless devices — from your coffeemaker to your thermostat and dishwasher — that use Wi-Fi to connect to the internet and each other. This fast-growing convenience simplifies virtually every aspect of everyday life with the touch of a button on a mobile device.

But the simplicity and ease have the potential to compromise our security by impacting networks and infrastructure.

IDENTIFYING CONCERNS LEADS TO SOLUTIONS

The biggest security concerns with the internet of things center on a lack of updated software, opening devices up to hacking and data breaches.

“Product functionality and ease of use are top priority with little to no demand for security patching and maintenance,”

When it comes to technology, convenience is expected, but that comes at a heavy security price. Protecting these nationwide systems requires affordable tools and strategies to minimize risks for clients and the community.

says Bernadette Murray, a senior cybersecurity project manager at Burns & McDonnell.

Some vendors provide maintenance if there's a financial incentive for them to do so. But, as devices and systems age, many vendors might stop providing support.

“It’s a constant effort to secure your systems against vulnerabilities, and depending on who discovers the vulnerability, it may or may not be referred to the vendor to patch,” she says.

“From the business spectrum, we use the internet of things significantly across all industries,” Murray says.

The challenge, she says, is that the devices themselves, such as meters, sensors and controllers that connect to a network or the internet via Wi-Fi or some other means, need to be secure.

Many times, these devices and the network infrastructure used are not securely configured and have other pieces of software inside that could be harmful if accessed. In addition, the devices that comprise the internet of things could be collecting more data than an owner or user realizes.

“These devices are not all passive,” Murray says. “Some can control and make changes to what they're attached to. A hacker could do some significant damage to the device or other devices on the same network.”

For example, several years ago, the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems at a Houston water utility underwent a penetration study in an effort to demonstrate the system's vulnerability.

While these security risks can be frightening, there are tools and strategies to secure the systems and minimize the risk in a fiscally responsible manner.

“A cyber incident could significantly impact our most critical infrastructure,” Murray says. “We're talking about data centers, microgrids, even control systems, so think about a water production facility or command center. These systems were never designed to touch the internet and sometimes they shouldn't, but depending on the business needs, there may be a business case for interconnecting these devices.”

In these scenarios, applying defense in depth protects and secures the environment while allowing an owner or vendor to still get information from its devices.


UNIQUE STRATEGIES COMBAT SECURITY RISKS

Each client is unique and typically requires a customized plan based upon maturity level to manage the risk to an acceptable level without expending an unreasonable financial investment.

For instance, Burns & McDonnell recently assessed and recommended security enhancements for the network at the Tulsa International Airport. The airport had become increasingly aware of the potential for cyber threats and the need for risk management. An audit of its network devices resulted in a set of recommendations to further bolster its security posture.

As part of the process, the airport enhanced the security posture of its wired and wireless networks, as well as some of its tenants’ wireless networks and devices. Another portion of the assessment provided results of a simulated phishing attack to demonstrate the human factor of cybersecurity. The holistic assessment provided the airport with data points on the cybersecurity risks associated with networks, systems and people.

“You've got to plan for protection, and it all goes to the level of risk you are willing to take,” Murray says.

The most pertinent planning framework is used to tailor a cybersecurity plan to each client, starting by hardening the network infrastructure and ending with securing the applications and services.

“Our team members securely architect, install, integrate and configure devices in a manner that minimizes risk while enabling — and sometimes enhancing — functionality and resiliency of the system,” she says. “This process involves every layer of the enterprise, from control systems to laptops. For example, in some devices, many communication ports are open that aren’t necessary, similar to having more doors and windows on your house than necessary or, in this example, a glass house. We usually close all communication ports, then reopen them bit by bit to gain the functionality desired. We work with clients to harden systems based upon their risk tolerance and functional requirements.”

Murray recommends that cybersecurity should be considered and a strategy should be developed to manage the risk for any project that includes internet-capable devices.

Whether it's done initially or retroactively, this is something that can't be ignored.

“You have to plan out how you want to protect your system, identify which devices are the most critical, secure and segregate those most vulnerable to attack, and implement a strategy to mitigate the risk to an acceptable level,” she says.

39BURNS & McDONNELL

YOU'VE GOT TO PLAN FOR PROTECTION, AND IT ALL GOES TO THE LEVEL OF RISK

YOU ARE WILLING TO TAKE.Bernadette Murray

Get a game plan together for implementing a cybersecurity risk management program at burnsmcd.com/ProtectYourAssets


Our technical breakdown of industry-specific topics, TechBriefs provide up-to-date information and insight on some of our world's most compelling issues.

X MARKS THE SPOT:USING MOBILE TECHNOLOGY TO MAP AND SURVEY ASSETS

In 2016, after a little less than a decade of releasing the product to the market, Apple sold its 1 billionth iPhone. Compare that to the length of time it took to sell 1 billion personal computers — approximately 25 years — and it’s clear that the usage and acceptance of mobile devices is growing at an extraordinarily fast rate.

Smartphones and tablets entered the market as consumer products intended for communication and entertainment, but they quickly transitioned into something more purposeful.

“By leveraging the adaptable nature of the features and capabilities unique to mobile devices,

professionals around the world are finding efficiency and accuracy by adopting them on the job site,” says Brian Hiller, a project manager at Burns & McDonnell.

Of all these features and capabilities, mobile location services are one of the most applicable to workplace applications. Location services allow certain applications and websites to gather information from a mobile device, including GPS location, to determine a device’s approximate position on the Earth.

Connections with external GPS receivers and the workforce’s growing familiarity with mobile technology make it possible to use

these devices to map assets down to the centimeter, such as the location of each fire hydrant throughout a city. This extremely high level of accuracy — combined with the ease of use and portability of modern smartphones and tablets — gives cities and businesses the ability to efficiently build inventories of their assets by mapping their locations and details with survey-form and map-centric software.

“As this technology continues to expand and become smarter, developers and engineers will continue to find ways to make it even more applicable, taking strides toward higher accuracy and further job automation," Hiller says.

TECHBRIEFS


41BURNS & McDONNELL

SOUNDS SIMPLE ENOUGH, RIGHT? But mobile-enabled technologies are changing the landscape. See how the same challenges you face have been answered in the case studies at burnsmcd.com/MobileData

While this technology is being utilized in a variety of ways, there are three key areas garnering some of the greatest return on investment:

CREATE OR UPDATE AN INVENTORY OF FEATURES OR ASSETS It's easier than getting your map out and counting paces. Using a mobile device to create a map or catalog of assets is being deployed outside and inside of structures to gather the location of assets owned and managed by an organization.

LOCATE A PREVIOUSLY MAPPED ASSET Most of us are familiar with using mobile devices to route ourselves to a restaurant or address. This same concept is being applied to locating assets and equipment, whether they are buried underground or located in a large facility.

SUBMIT A FORM OR PERFORM AN ASSET INSPECTION With the use of mobile data collection forms, staff in the field efficiently can log details about the work they are doing, whether it’s documenting the condition of an asset during an inspection or filling in details of a daily log.

41BURNS & McDONNELL


EYES IN THE SKY:DRONE INFO IS SHAPING THE FUTURE

From inspecting critical infrastructure to fighting forest fires and assisting in search-and-rescue operations, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), commonly known as drones, are revolutionizing the way organizations do business. Their intricate technology promises to play a major role in how smart cities operate in a safe and efficient manner.

Pairing an increased demand for connectivity with the technological benefits that come with using a drone, it’s no wonder that their sales have more than tripled during the last year, according to a report released by the NPD Group. More specifically, Navigant Research predicted annual sales for drones and robotics technologies — just within the transmission and distribution industry — to reach $4.1 billion by 2024, up from $131.7 million in 2015.

Along with the ability to capture high-resolution images and sweeping video, drones use sensors to target specific parts of the light spectrum to collect valuable data. And that data is helping companies make important decisions by uniquely identifying possible areas of concern, such as when inspecting remote parts of a transmission structure, wind turbine or solar panel for maintenance and operational functionality.

Drones Revolutionize How Projects Are Designed and Built Engineers across the country are using data pulled from custom flight missions — using

fixed-wing aircraft for large job sites and hovering quadcopters for smaller spaces — to provide cost-effective solutions for their clients spanning multiple industries.

Certain types of post-processing software allow companies to invest in flight and GPS data to create specific data sets, including aerial imagery, 3-D models, 3-D point clouds, digital surface and terrain models, near-infrared imagery and thermal imagery, which is considered a prevalent feature.

Thermal imagery provides the ability to identify thermal footprints that can help solve certain challenges or enhance certain situations. For example, when examining the roof of a building, an owner can utilize thermal image technology to see the varying roof temperatures, which helps identify a potential leak or HVAC issues. With aerial imagery, Santovasi’s team stitches thousands of images together into one photograph that shows a project’s surface location. Going a step further, the team interpolates the elevation of each pixel to generate a 3-D model, allowing the client to walk through a corridor or inspect a gas pipe virtually to detect areas of improvement.

“Clients are using this type of walk-through to replace constructability reviews, and many have made it standard procedure for how they do business,” says Steve Santovasi, geospatial manager at Burns & McDonnell.

Discover how drone technology is shaping the future by visiting burnsmcd.com/UAS

TECH BRIEFS

43BURNS & McDONNELL 43BURNS & McDONNELL

Zooming in on Smart CitiesAs drones revolutionize design-build projects, their cutting-edge technology is proving to be a game-changer for future cities already using them — and the data they’ve collected — to inform decisions on smart infrastructure, safety and security.

In the coming years, UASs are expected to use multiple platforms while operating simultaneously to run missions. The City of Philadelphia is already considering using drones to aid in its public safety and improve government services, such as emergency crews responding to storms, fires and other emergencies. And, according to The Charlotte Observer, Duke Energy was granted permission by the Federal Aviation Administration to start testing drone technology at the Marshall Steam Station in Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, to research how

drones can help in surveying power lines and solar facilities, among other entities.

But, like everything else, there’s always room for improvement. The Smart Cities Council informed the public about a solar-powered fleet of high-altitude drones that’s in the works. Companies like AT&T and Facebook currently are testing sites and flights, with plans to use drones to restore communications following natural disasters, as well as to simply provide cost-effective internet coverage to millions of people who don’t have access today.

“Soon, drones will be programmed for completely autonomous missions, allowing them to repeatedly deploy themselves and redock for charging after completion,” Santovasi says. “The drones will use advanced detection and avoidance systems, as well as intelligent recognition systems, to safely carry out their tasks.”


LIVING IN AN INNOVATION NEIGHBORHOOD

URBANIZATIONFor the first time in history,

a majority of the world’s population is in cities —

and this number is anticipated to grow to close to 70 percent

by 2050, adding 2.5 billion people to our flourishing

urban communities.

LIGHTING With a digital network on a scalable platform, smart lighting not only can adapt to movement and improve

visibility on the streets but also bring efficiency (and electricity savings) to entire communities.

TRENDING TOPICS

The smart city movement is creating a vision for improved communities with updated infrastructure that caters to sustainability,

new technology, cleanliness and convenience. With this push for more, innovation neighborhoods are popping up around the world. Here are some key factors to focus on while in pursuit of a smarter community.

Information from Cisco, Edison Electric Institute and IT Business Edge.

WATERUsing real-time monitoring

of water usage or real-time control of stormwater

and wastewater, smart infrastructure allows existing

investments to be used in new and creative ways to save time

and money.

45BURNS & McDONNELL

METERING & SENSORSInformation collected from

smart meters and sensors can measure how much energy is

used, water consumed and gas guzzled, informing decisions

on city resources and community infrastructure.

CYBERSECURITYFrom home electronics to security, devices and

systems are at risk of being compromised. Protect

your most valuable assets, networks and systems with

increased security measures.

TRANSPORTATIONIntelligent transportation

systems use info from integrated sensors and

monitors to improve traffic flow, public transit and

parking. Other upgrades to the road come in the form of

streetcars and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

HIGH-CAPACITY BROADBAND

Underlying networking and broadband infrastructure allows users to take full

advantage of the internet of things.

To see what cities are leading the charge, visit burnsmcd.com/SmartHood

BUILDINGSAutomated buildings

can regulate their core operations, including

air conditioning, heating and lighting, to better

coordinate electric grid loading and operations.

POWERDistributed energy resources

— wind, solar, natural gas, electric vehicles and storage —

can improve resiliency and sustainability for cities

and consumers.


A SMART CITY STARTS WITH SMART PEOPLE. THAT’S YOU.

You cherish an all-inclusive community — a place to call home —

and you’re constantly seeking ways to preserve its worth and enrich its

surroundings. So are we, and we’d like to share our perspective with you.

Sign up to read our blog posts by key industry leaders on timely hot topics at burnsmcd.com/Subscribe

47BURNS & McDONNELL

GETTING REAL WITH AUGMENTED

REALITYZach Wassenberg /zacharywassenberg

EMPOWERING A SMART

COMMUNITYMeghan Calabro

/meghan-lyons-calabro

ENGINEERINGTOMORROW'SWORKFORCE

Abder Elandaloussi /abderelandaloussi

Jenny Macy /jennymacy

Matt Olson /matthewolsonpe

THE BIG SWITCH

Meghan Calabro /meghan-lyons-

calabroBrad Jensen

/btsjensenKory Sandven

/korysandven

KEEP ON TRUCKING

Mike Beehler /mikebeehler

LIGHTS, CAMERA,INTERACTION!Scott Feuerborn

/scottfeuerbornDavid Rowe

/d-rowe

CLEANING UP ASSET INTEL

Vicky Borchers /vborchers

Chrissy Carr /chrissyacarrBrian Hiller

/brianhillerScott Parker /scott-j-parker

SECURING THE FUTURE

Bernadette Murray /berniemurray

TECHBRIEFSX Marks the Spot:

Brian Hiller /brianhiller

Eyes in the Sky:Steve Santovasi /stevensantovasi

LIVING IN ANINNOVATION

NEIGHBORHOODMike Beehler /mikebeehler Ron Coker

/roncoker1

CONTRIBUTORS

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FEELING FRIENDLY? We must know what kept you engaged from cover to cover.

Which stories did you connect with? Or did they leave you

wanting more? (Be brutally honest, our people don’t have

feelings.) What about the design? Too riveting for words?

Or could you care less?

For us to get smarter, we need you.

burnsmcd.com/HelpUsHelpYou

EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, A NEW TECHNOLOGY, AN OLD

PROBLEM, AND A BIG IDEA TURN INTO AN INNOVATION.

Dean Kamen

burnsmcd.com/BenchMark

cleaning up engineering tomorrow’s …/media/files/insightsnews/...consider how ar might transform...

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