Available with Location Referencing license.
ArcGIS Pipeline Referencing supports three types of networks: linear referencing system (LRS) networks, LRS line networks, and LRS derived networks.
LRS Network
An LRS Network is a collection of routes measured to a specific linear referencing method (LRM).
Example
Odometer networks and county networks.
LRS line network
An LRS line network is a logical grouping of routes to a line where the measure can increase or decrease monotonically. This type of network supports events that span routes and also supports equations.
Example
An
Engineering Station Network feature class holds the required fields to be modeled as a line network.
| Route ID | Route Name | Line Order | Line ID | Line Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| {1838BE01-0BC9-4C58-9829-0F1D77717DCB} | Route 1 | 100 | {C043CAF0-2BF7-4598-8AC8-B382647AD490} | Line A |
| {26710A05-C499-42C1-BB73-D3A8D402B109} | Route 2 | 200 | {C043CAF0-2BF7-4598-8AC8-B382647AD490} | Line A |
| {5582FB08-84E3-49D4-8781-1D3EF7B4F2E2} | Route 3 | 300 | {C043CAF0-2BF7-4598-8AC8-B382647AD490} | Line A |
LRS derived network
A derived network is a network generated from a line network. In a derived network, routes that belong to the same line are merged together to create one route with a beginning measure of zero.
Example
Using an Engineering Station Network feature class as the parent network, the continuous network routes can be derived. A derived network is a collection of routes where the measures are continuous, a non-branching run of a physical pipe. These measures can then be used for length reporting and dynamic segmentation analysis.
Why are different types of LRS networks needed?
Pipeline Referencing supports multiple linear referencing in a single geodatabase. Business units in an organization may need to report measures in many different LRMs. For example, engineering and construction may need to collect, maintain, and report events in engineering measures (also known as engineering stations), whereas other business entities need to report measures based on the continuous length of the pipe.
Location Referencing currently does not have a limit for the number of networks that you can create in a linear referencing system (LRS). However, the type of LRS Networks you need depends on your organization’s business process. Consider the following business case:
In a pipeline organization, there are three business units that collect, manage, and maintain pipeline assets. These three business units are surveying, engineering and construction, and regulatory and compliance.
The surveying group is in charge of collecting inline inspection (ILI) data, whereas the engineering and construction group is responsible for new construction, realignments, and work order management. The regulatory and compliance group is tasked with submitting and generating reports for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and other government entities.
In this case, three types of LRS networks are needed to sustain each of the three business units.
- LRS Network—ILI runs can be loaded in this type of network using the Append Events tool and will maintain continuous, uninterrupted measures for ILI data based on odometer readings.
- LRS line network—Data such as anomalies can be extracted from ILI data using the Translate Event Measures tool and transformed into an LRS line network. You can then use anomaly events to report measures based on engineering measures for the work order management or operations group.
- LRS derived network—This type of network can be used for mileage or PHMSA reporting. Note that events can't be registered to this type of network.
When are different types of LRS networks required?
Every organization's business processes are different. If your business process only requires one type of network, you do not have to configure multiple LRS Networks. For example, if your business process requires continuous measures to be maintained and reported, then you can configure your LRS to only support a non-line LRS Network. Similarly, if your business process collects and maintains data with equation points or other engineering stationing, you can configure an LRS line network to maintain the data as it is collected and an LRS derived network for continuous measure reporting. In this scenario, you can also configure events to store derived measures.
Note:
The LRS derived network is generated from the LRS line network. If you don't configure an LRS line network, the LRS derived network can't be configured.