TransCanada Improves Pipeline Project Bidding Accuracy With Eagleview Imagery

High-resolution aerial imagery and analytical tools provide contractors with better visualization, tighter estimates, and reduced costs.

Background

TransCanada is one of North America’s largest providers of gas storage, and its $12 billion Keystone Pipeline project is the largest pipeline project in the U.S. When completed, the pipeline will link Canadian crude oil to the U.S.—running from Alberta, Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.

To cost-effectively manage construction on such an expansive project, the company needed better visualization tools.

Challenge

Alignment sheets are commonly used in pipeline construction to provide land information, specs, and visual information to contractors bidding on a proposed corridor. The imagery contained in these sheets is captured by helicopter and is costly to produce. More importantly, the visual information is very basic.

To get better visual information for estimating, contractors typically travel proposed routes to see terrain on foot, which is costly, time consuming, and often results in an inaccurate understanding of the land. TransCanada wanted to improve the visual information contained on the alignment sheets so contractors could refer to them for more consistent, tighter estimating.

Solution

A former colleague in the GIS field introduced Jesse Bajnok, project engineer at TransCanada, to Eagleview for professional-grade imagery and analytical tools. Better imagery would provide a solution to the alignment sheet dilemma, and Eagleview's imagery was designed to give contractors the ability to see around a location as well as measure directly on the imagery. Using Eagleview Intelligent Images, for example, contractors would be able to see the steepness of a river bank, or see and measure a utility pole—neither of which may be visible in a traditional orthogonal or overhead image. Over time, better visual information could lend itself to other sizable operational savings as well.

Bajnok began working with Eagleview to secure Eagleview imagery for Phase III alignment sheets. Within weeks, his team had the new imagery and had begun customizing measurement and annotation tools by working closely with Eagleview engineers. The company’s approach for finding an alternative image source was determined by value which Bajnok defines as “affordable, easy-to-use, detailed, and accurate imagery.” Another aspect to this value requirement was a “recommended, flexible and single-source provider” for geo-based solutions who could “collaborate and customize a technology quickly and to spec.”

Pictometry high-resolution aerial imagery integrates with GIS software to provide pipeline and gas professionals with accurate information regarding high consequence areas.

We were looking to see progress and results. We were looking for value, and we found it.

Pictometry high-resolution aerial imagery integrates with GIS software to provide pipeline and gas professionals with accurate information regarding high consequence areas.

Jesse Bajnok, Project Engineer at TransCanada

Impact

More Accurate Bids

With better imagery, contractors are now able to submit bids that are more accurate and on-spec.

Cost Savings

By reducing the need for travel and providing the ability to better plan and target field inspections, Eagleview helps TransCanada achieve cost savings.

Multiple Operational Benefits

With Eagleview, TransCanada contractors now have access to improved visual and analytical information. TransCanada personnel have likewise achieved improved monitoring of the pipeline radius and high consequence areas.

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