GIS

What is GIS?

A geographic information system (GIS) provides the capability to capture, analyse, interpret and present geographic data. It acts as a geographic repository, providing users with the ability to establish patterns, trends and relationships between data.

Applying GIS

RSK’s team of dedicated GIS professionals provides a range of support services to internal teams and external clients.

GIS is at the heart of our core project process and provides powerful data management and analysis tools to enable our specialists to review baseline data and survey data from the field to inform their assessments.

We help clients cost-effectively meet the challenge of managing the complex datasets necessary for environmental analysis. Sophisticated database management systems reduce information retrieval and analysis costs. Electronic data capture improves survey efficiency and accuracy. Data visualisation technology is used to create dynamic analysis and communicate project results. GIS can reduce analysis costs and offer flexible ways of presenting information to an organisation's decision makers, regulators, other agencies, planning boards, courts of law, and the public.

Linking geographic data to various documents and source data, GIS provides a live, updatable information management system (reports, photographs, laboratory results etc.) that can grow with the project. GIS can be used to link to any piece of information that may exist about an object from other systems. Tabular information can be stored about each object in a database, allowing the user to interrogate the features while viewing their spatial location.

Typical GIS applications are

Environmental impact assessment
Environmental consents management for construction projects
Emergency planning
Monitoring pollution
3D conceptual modelling of subsurface stratigraphy, transmission infrastructure and contaminant pathways
Network pressure management
Pipeline integrity management and risk analysis
Contaminated land and brownfield redevelopment
Site investigation and assessment
Due diligence reporting
Route planning and site investigation

GPS and data collection

We have the resources to develop a global positioning system (GPS) data collection system with your needs and budget in mind. GPS and field-based mapping applications allow real-time interaction and numerous functions.

Our GIS team can provide you with the tools to access, collect and update data in the field. Such tools can be configured to monitor, track and report events anytime and anywhere. Using hand-held devices like smartphones and tablets in the field, working online or offline, staff can access and update maps and view real-time information. Newly collected information is easily synchronised to the secure Esri cloud, where it is immediately viewable by colleagues in the office, boosting the team’s field-to office efficiency.

Web applications

In simple terms, a web application is a mapping-based webpage that provides interaction with project data in a very dynamic way. Depending on your needs, our GIS team is quickly able to design and put together a variety of different map-based web applications for you to interact with and present your project information.

Web GIS provides an effective way of communicating project information with clients and project teams, and engaging with the public. Web applications are powerful means of sharing information by showing aspects of past, present and future plans.

We can organise information and illustrate findings with rich multimedia content to tell the story of your work in a dynamic, interesting and visually appealing way.

3D visualisations

We have a diverse and longstanding experience of producing 2D and 3D graphics ranging from simple 2D schematics to iterative development work for complex 3D photomontages.

Our graphics facilitate the visualisation and assessment of proposed developments, for example, on- and offshore wind farms, power transmission lines and associated facilities, and the landscape elements of railway-infrastructure improvement schemes. Our experience spans both UK and international projects ranging in scale from urban housing to nationally significant power developments.