Cloud-based data management system provides vital supports for infrastructure improvement activities

Natomas Reach E Levee Improvements

For more than 60 years, we have worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) on dam and levee safety design solutions to support resiliency and effective flood management.

As a joint venture with Kleinfelder, we provided geotechnical engineering during construction and created a comprehensive data system for the Natomas Reach E levee improvements, part of the American River Common Features (ARCF) Project north of Sacramento.

The levee improvement effort included the construction of three miles (five kilometres) of adjacent levees and inspection trenches. It also included a seepage berm, replacement of five culverts through the existing and proposed levees, and approximately one mile (two kilometres) of open-trench soil bentonite cutoff wall.

Our team undertook the advanced data modeling activities—a USACE initiative to create an integrated approach for collecting, cataloging, and reviewing of the immense amount of testing and monitoring data collected during and following levee construction. We also adopted a holistic data management approach by establishing a dedicated and secure cloud-based platform built around ArcGIS Enterprise to manage, analyze, and visualize data migrated from field tablets, instrumentation, and the lab using extract-transform-load processes.

Along the way, our team closely collaborated with USACE database personnel to leverage their extensive knowledge and experience. By using our web services in apps like ArcGIS Experience Builder and Power BI, engineers and managers can securely access data distilled into impactful visuals and analytics.

The methods, processes, and IT resources developed and documented provide USACE with a scalable and secure foundation for data modeling activities vital to current and future levee and other infrastructure improvement activities.