GPS Application on Huge Construction Project- A Feasibility Investigation for Taipei MRT Long-Term Network

With numerous large-scale underground construction projects continuously carried out in Taiwan in recent years, a huge amount of excavated soil has been produced. However, legal dumpsites are scarce and the cost of dumping is relatively high. In order to save money, unethical contractors dumped the spoil maliciously into rivers and valleys, resulting in water pollution, blockage of surface flow and many other environmental problems. Taipei Metropolitan Area Rapid Transit Project is now in its second phase of construction and two new lines, i.e., the Hsinchuang / Luchou Line and the Neihu Line, with a total length of about 40.9 km, are to be constructed. Construction is to start in the early part of 2001. About 7 million-cubic meter of soil is to be produced and dumping of this amount of soil is indeed a serious problem. The Department of Rapid Transit Systems of Taipei Municipal Government has formed a task force to deal with the problem with the missions of reducing the quantity of excavated soil to be produced and stopping illegal dumping. One of the approaches studied is to monitor the movements of dump trucks by using global positioning system (GPS), in conjunction with geographic information system (GIS) and internet for telecommunication. The team also actively looks into the various ways of recycling soil and the possibility of developing new dumpsites. The results of study are presented herein with emphasis on the application of GPS system.