An automated roadworks planning tool is cutting connection times for customers in a trial led by UK Power Networks.
The company successfully used 1Streetworks software in phase one of a trial to quote for and connect small power connections for customers. It reduced the hours surveyors spent on labour-intensive street work design plans from hours to just minutes while maintaining high levels of safety, and accuracy and meeting regulations.
The average time taken to connect new or altered power connections was reduced by a quarter across approximately 300 Surrey roadworks sites where 1Streetworks was used. The trial was so successful that the technology is going to be rolled out on a larger Kent trial, testing to see if it can be used to benefit customers served by other workstreams across UK Power Networks.
1Streetworks has been developed by Cambridge headquartered 1Spatial, a Location Master Data Management (LMDM) software and solutions. A street works plan for a smaller power connection, overhead line or underground cable repair usually needs a surveyor to assess the site, take measurements, and plot signage on a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) system. Now this can take minutes instead of hours. Designs can be produced on-site, adhering to the ‘Red Book’ street works code of practice, enabling local highway authorities to approve traffic management permits quickly and with fewer modifications.
Once the user plots the location of the work on a map, the software instantaneously plans site-specific traffic management, integrating layers of maps with main roads, bus stops, lane rental and street works rules.
Paul Dooley, Streetworks Performance Manager at UK Power Networks, says, “Planning street works to the high standards we expect takes time and few have tried to revolutionise the process during my 23 years in the sector. So, I’m excited about the potential of 1Streetworks to streamline complex traffic management plans, enable better communication with customers and highway authorities and improve the speed and accuracy of street works plans.
“We are exploring how 1Streetworks can enable effective collaboration with interested parties, reduce delivery times and provide unprecedented levels of consistency, repeatability, speed and efficiency.”
During the first trial in Surrey, surveyors welcomed being able to show customers what the traffic management would look like and explain the costs, while they were still together on-site. The trials have been funded by the Surrey and Kent lane rental funds.
Not all roadworks jobs can be planned using 1Streetworks, but the system could enable street works surveyors to concentrate on more complex jobs, such as street works near roundabouts.
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