The application for CE3M4 uses GIS technology to aid students in the preliminary design, including flow rates, pipe sizes, pipe slopes, and sewer layout of a trunk sewer to be constructed for a hypothetical, mixed use development. This application exposes students to GIS technology, through hands on experience, using similar systems now found commonly in municipal engineering and public works departments. Information such as population design, flow rate, land-use, peaking factors, sewer, and manhole locations are being stored in GIS data layers. Students retrieve information about the development needed to solve the design problem with the software ArcView. Within ArcView, geographic data is stored in interactive maps called views.
Every view features a listing of the data and switches that can make each coverage visible.
Using the ArcView query tools, students may explore the attributes of different features present in the view. Through this procedure, students will determine the necessary information needed to complete the sewer design assignment. The ArcView software and data resides on the campus computer laboratories. The class views a 5 minute video presentation on Arc-View. This instructional video includes examples of feature types, visualizing themes, and the procedure for obtaining the data needed to solve the design problem.