A client/server-based intelligent gis shell for transportation

This research investigates the potential use of client/server-based GIS technology as a way to manage transportation information and to manipulate GIS functions in a transportation agency. The investigation has resulted in the design and implementation of a client/server-based intelligent GIS shell. The intelligent GIS shell integrates the spatial analysis capabilities of a GIS with the knowledge reasoning procedures of a Knowledge-Based Expert System (KBES) using client/server computing technology. It creates an operational environment in which the representation and reasoning of spatial knowledge are implemented and GIS functions designed for spatial queries, spatial searches, and spatial operations are embedded and used in a KBES application where a conventional KBES function is allowed. Further, the intelligent GIS shell provides a transportation agency with decision support tools to handle locationally-referenced transportation data and to generate useful information for effective decision making. Being client/server-based, the system can also provide an open platform for GIS application development. Further, GIS applications developed under the system can share transportation-related data across various departments of an agency, thus eliminating the problem of data duplication, inconsistency, and fragmentation. This research also develops and implements a prototype client/server-based pavement management system (PMS) for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT). The PMS demonstrates that the client/server characteristics of the intelligent GIS shell is well suited into a user-centered enterprise-wide computing and management paradigm. The PMS consists of two major components: the GIS server and the KBES clients. The GIS server organizes the GIS databases of eighteen counties of Georgia and manipulates spatial analysis functions that can be used by various KBES clients in handling spatial knowledge. The KBES clients can provide solutions to pavement management at segment-, project-, and network-level. This research develops a KBES client which evaluates the conditions of pavement segments of a route, determines an effective treatment for each segment, and generates a treatment report for pavement engineers and decision makers.