March 20, 2008 -- Oxford, UK - Highway surveying specialist Yotta DCL is helping Nottinghamshire County Council to improve their highway maintenance process with road surface condition surveys performed using state-of-the-art laser technology. Yotta DCL will survey 1505km of the County’s A, B and C roads using its US$2 million ARAN survey vehicle which incorporates ground-breaking laser scanning and GPS systems.

Yotta DCL is just one of three UK companies equipped to perform these surveys as part of a Government-specified programme called Surface Condition Assessment for the National Network of Roads (SCANNER). Yotta DCL’s SCANNER surveys will provide Nottinghamshire with the accurate consistent data that will enable the Highways team to target planned maintenance programmes and budgets to where they will deliver most benefit.

“We make extensive use of the SCANNER data from Yotta DCL to develop our work programmes and also keep all our highway area teams informed. We are able to incorporate the condition information within our Highway Asset Management System to produce maps and this allows our area operational people to easily access this information whenever they need it. All of this helps us to target planned maintenance schemes where they will deliver maximum benefit,” says Mike Barnett, Principal Officer, Highways Department (Highways Assets Team), Nottinghamshire County Council.

The highly specialised ARAN vehicle is an Anglo-Canadian development equipped with an advanced surface laser scanner that captures surface data with its precise location identified by a military-grade satellite positioning system. The accurate location information allows the survey data to be matched with other highways data such as records from on-foot highways defects surveys. Data captured by the ARAN vehicle shows defects such as wheelpath rutting, edge deterioration and cracks as well as the road geometry and longitudinal profile. Once processed, Nottinghamshire loads the data into its UKPMS-accredited Pavement Management System.

“Following a competitive tender, Yotta DCL was selected as our chosen independent specialist SCANNER survey contractor. Yotta DCL was able to provide a competitive price and also prove that it could conform to national specifications and meet our time scales. The Yotta DCL team members are helpful and responsive to our needs. We simply send them the network details and they plan and carry out the survey. Any discrepancies are dealt with quickly by staff at both the County Council and Yotta DCL, which helps keep our projects on schedule and ensures the delivery of high quality data,” says Mike Barnett.

Highway maintenance and management is a high priority for Nottinghamshire. It is a mixed region with both industrial and rural areas that are very reliant on the roads. The area also attracts tourists and so the roads have to accommodate high traffic volumes throughout the year.

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Reader enquiries to David Lowe, Yotta DCL, +44 (0)1865 261 826,
david.lowe@yotta.tv

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