Presentation(s)

1. Use of GIS in Determination of the Probable Maximum Flood at Nuclear Plant Sites [download]

   The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requires determination of the Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) elevation at nuclear plants. This presentation will include a discussion of 1) the complexity of the hydraulic modeling effort involved to determine the PMF since TVA nuclear plants are located along the Tennessee River, a large watershed, 2) how GIS was used in various ways to provide inputs needed for the complex model, including channel geometry, reservoir storage, and critical storm selection, and 3) resolution of GIS-related technical issues that arose during the project.
    

   Presenters

   Carrie Stokes

   Monica Anderson

   ---

2. RTLS Enhancing Nuclear Safety [download]

   Radiation exposure of workers in the nuclear industry poses a significant health hazard to the workers, and imposes substantial costs to the utilities that employ them. Q-Track has developed two Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) products that enhance radiation safety: the Dosimulation™ Radiation Worker Training System and ALARMS (A Location Aware Radiation Monitoring System). The Dosimulation™ system uses Q-Track’s 55cm rms accurate Near-Field Electromagnetic Ranging (NFER®) RTLS to create a virtual radiation environment. Trainers can place simulated radiation sources throughout a training environment. The system calculates realistic simulated radiation doses and conveys them to a simulated radiation dosimeter. Q-Track’s nuclear utility customers have estimated an ROI of less than nine months thanks to reduced worker radiation dose and enhanced productivity. Q-Track has teamed with Mirion, a leading supplier of radiation dosimeters to create ALARMS. ALARMS generates real-time radiation maps of operational nuclear environments by merging Mirion’s teledosimetry data with Q-Track’s RTLS. This presentation will review and explain how Q-Track’s RTLS products for the nuclear industry enhance nuclear safety by enhancing location awareness.
    

   Presenters

   Dr. Hans Schantz

   ---

3. Coastal Flood Mapping Using Customized GIS Layers [download]

   With such an investment along our coast lines it is imperative that flood maps for these areas be kept as accurate as possible for proper hazard mitigation and community planning. AMEC has been contracted by the State of Alabama's Office of Water Resources to perform coastal modeling and create the Flood Insurance Rate Maps for both Baldwin and Mobile County. We created a tool that works inside ArcGIS that uses customized GIS layers to run both WHAFIS and RUNUP to create accurate coastal flood models. A large portion of this project was devoted to creating customized GIS layers as inputs. Examples of the customization of these layers are: 1) Building layer that groups similarly designed and spaced building structures and attributes their open space ratio that would allow or block flooding; 2) Vegetation layer that groups land cover along the coast based on WHAFIS recognized inputs with a special emphasis on distinction between rigid vegetation and marsh grass; 3) Primary Frontal Dune Crest and Heel which is used in determining the impact of dune erosion during the flooding event. Customizing and ensuring the accuracy of the GIS data posed the biggest hurdle for us. The layers were initially created using available data (which was of minimum use in the forms they were available in), GAP Land cover data, and by the latest available aerial photography. Field visits were performed along the coast to retrieve data to ensure the accuracies of these layers. Some areas were not able to be reached by land and required a trip by boat with the coordination help of local and state agencies. These field visits were made more efficient by the utilization of smart phone applications created by AMEC. These applications kept the field verification uniform and enabled pictures to be instantly tied to its pertinent data.

   Presenters

   Jeff Zanotti

   ---