Underground Construction - May 2020 - 31

utilities underneath it might be considered
a strong "attractant" for the pipeline route.
This software then uses a "quadruple
bottom line" approach - environmental,
technical, regulatory and social factors - to
evaluate the desirability of various options
and trade-oﬀs, to ﬁnd the optimal solution.
The result is a transparent process, easily
understood by all stakeholders, that helps
determine the best - or least-bad - choices
in pipeline routing.
All the hard data, including technical and
nontechnical risks, give project proponents
something credible and transparent to
use not just in costing the project, but in
understanding the constraints on building
it. For example, a cut-and-cover section in a
roadway might have to be carried out only
at night, and the work covered over with
steel plates each morning before commuter
traﬃc starts to build. This aspect needs
to be factored into the ﬁnancial budget,
timeline and work plan.

Network of possibilities
One of the growing areas of focus in
pipeline route planning is the idea that the
choices do not form a single line, or are
even among several possible, competing
routes. Rather, potential routes together
may comprise a network of individual
sections meeting at nodal points on a map.
If a segment between two nodes is found
to be problematic due to some constraint,
another route can be chosen. This means
that planners can assemble a best-possible
route, combining the most workable segments between nodes, to meet the purpose
of the pipeline.
The objective is to maximize "optionality" - generate a wide range of options, all
pre-screened for quadruple bottom-line
factors - partly to demonstrate to all
involved that every practical alternative
has been considered, and to allow the best
combination of segments to emerge.

Project 'de-risking'
One of the trends in large projects today
is a greater and earlier role for stakeholder
consultation.
Experience has shown that people
aﬀected by urban pipeline projects take a
keen interest in the work and how it will
be done, often because they live, work or
play nearby. It's their roads that will be

Ottawa pipeline construction must be planned to cause minimal disruption to pedestrian and
vehicle traffic.

torn up for pipeline installation, and they
will be aﬀected by the noise of construction
equipment. On the other hand, these people are also aware that the buildings they
use would be uninhabitable in the winter
without access to natural gas, so they are
willing to put up with the disruption - as a
necessary evil.
Face-to-face meetings and presentations,
open houses and other in-person communications are desirable. The proponent's
message can be spread further by current
information technology. Interactive informational kiosks set up in the meeting area
can provide information on the project,
the routing choices under consideration,
and public invitations for the community
to give feedback. Websites and apps can
support this process, or even replace it if
in-person sessions are not feasible.
Stakeholders can try out various
scenarios by changing the weights assigned
to aspects of the project. They can consider
the advantages of faster completion, for
example, that might involve more road
closures, versus a longer schedule that will
have less impact on traﬃc.

Sometimes, there are win-wins, such as
having the project proponent add some
high-quality green space to be completed
after the pipeline is installed.
This focus on public consultation can
help "de-risk" the project. By providing a
forum for identifying and voicing opinion,
public protest is less likely. For all operators, risk and delay equal unnecessary cost
that may otherwise have been avoided.
This process for pipeline route planning helps uncover no-go areas from any
perspective. It also helps uncover "caution"
areas, such as those for which strategic
public engagement is particularly important, or where studies may need to be done
to determine the pipeline's impact.
The result is a route that is workable
from all perspectives and can be built relatively quickly, because potential problems
have already been discovered and risk
management steps taken. *
KEVIN SEEL is senior consultant and project
director with Golder. He holds a Ph.D. in
geographic information systems and modeling
from the University of Calgary.
UConOnline.com | MAY 2020

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Underground Construction - May 2020

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