Use of GIS to Facilitate Investigation and Remediation of the Sharjah Old Waste Disposal Site O. Habouch Department of Civil Engineering College of Engineering University of Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) A. Shanableh Department of Civil Engineering College of Engineering University of Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) M. Omar Department of Civil Engineering College of Engineering University of Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to present a case-study involving the use of GIS to manage the data needs for investigation and remediation of the Sharjah old waste disposal site. The old waste disposal site for Sharjah City caused many concerns due to its impact on the environment and human health especially after the expansion of Sharjah City towards the disposal site. A GIS database was developed to organize the investigation results of the old disposal site of Sharjah and suggest the remedial solutions. Using a GIS database, the disposal site dimensions and features were integrated, the investigation results which include water quality, soil and waste quantities data were integrated too into the GIS system, and all those integrated data were analyzed using the GIS effective capabilities. The development of GIS database of the Old Waste Disposal Site of Sharjah City has allowed the users to easily manage and pickup the needed information efficiently which was positively reflected on the suggested remedial options since all the spatial information and the none-spatial information were stored and analyzed in a single system. INTRODUCTION The use of GIS can be highly important in many situations, but essential in facilitating for the process of capturing, managing, integrating, manipulating, analyzing and displaying (McDonnell & Kemp. 1995) the waste disposal site investigation and remediation data for the project which is the subject of this study. Almost all of the data that related to the project were spatial, and GIS is the ideal form for this type of data compared to other forms of information systems, such as databases and spreadsheets. Spatial information uses locations as the reference base. In infrastructure and land development projects, the applications of GIS are clear and obvious. Few examples include GIS databases of pipes; GIS property boundaries, streets, buildings, emergency operations, and environmental resources. GIS is useful for provision of health care, education, recreation, and transportation services, by taking into account population distribution and needs. GIS is also being used to assist business establish spatial database of their customers. In this study, the major objective was to organize the investigation results of the old disposal site of Sharjah through developing an appropriate GIS database. The specific objectives are to:
DEVELOPMENT OF THE GIS DATABASE FOR THE DISPOSAL SITE The features and investigation results of the Old Waste Disposal Site in Sharjah City were integrated, manipulated, and managed using ArcView GIS as follows: 1. Site boundaries and features The base map was drawn based on the site visual inspection of the team and then modified according to progressive data collected from field visits. The site features were identified through the site visits which included positioning hundreds of locations using Global Positioning System (GPS) then connecting those locations to mark the site boundaries. The site features shown in (Figure 1) were then integrated into ArcView GIS to map site features and define locations by global coordinates. Each area of the different disposal site features was drawn in what is called (Theme) the area and parameter of each theme (Table 2) where calculated and stored in the corresponding attribute.  Figure 1 - Test Pit and Site Features Themes   2. Waste types and quantities identified from test pit details The base map shown in Figure 1 was used to develop further site investigation plans. For example, the waste types and quantities were determined from 3m × 3m test pits excavated at selected locations. The locations and numbers of the test pits (Figure 1, above) were defined on the GIS base map then the location on the field was identified using GPS device. The data collected from test pits (Example in Tables 3 and 4, below) were stored in the GIS database.   The test pits exploration data were collected, tabulated, stored, and linked into the GIS database to the attributes of the pits theme enabling the disposal site investigators to manage the tests results in an efficient approach. 3. Water Quality Data Similar to the waste characterization study, theArcView GIS base map in Figure 1 was used to define the locations of wells to be drilled (boreholes) to investigate the ground water quality. The locations and numbers of the boreholes (Figure 2, below) were defined on the GIS base map then the location on the field was identified using GPS device. The data collected from boreholes were stored in the GIS database and linked to each borehole location.  Figure 2 - Borehole Theme imposed on Site Features. The theme in Figure 2 contains the boreholes drilled in the site, which were used to observe the sub-soil composition and ground water level in the site. One of them (which is borehole A) was provided with screen and casing and was converted into a monitoring well. Water Quality Tests were conducted for this borehole. The attribute table contains the depth of ground water below existing ground. Water quality data were tabulated and entered to the database of the project for each pit as a Table, 4. Sub-Soil Details Sub-soil details are drawn using the data collected from the boreholes. Sections are taken along two or more boreholes and a subsurface profile is drawn. The Boreholes sections theme was established for the sake of presenting the sub-soil distribution in the site along the sections through the boreholes which is linked to each line by Hot Link as shown in (Figure 3). An example of the profile is shown in (Figure 4).  Figure 3 - Boreholes Sections Theme.  Figure 4 - Subsurface Profile Along Borholes A, B, & F CONCLUSIONS This study confirmed that GIS system is an effective tool in the remediation process of a waste disposal site due to its capabilities in storing, integrating, manipulating, and finally mapping the results giving a chance for the users or investigators to manage properly the collected data and decide accurately the suitable solution for the problem under investigation. In this Study, the site features were integrated with the GIS system and stored as colored maps that can show any of the disposal site data and dimensions. The soil data were stored in the GIS system and integrated with the different areas of the disposal site so that any area can be investigated and studied. Moreover, GIS is used in data analysis such as computing areas of different site features and their volumes as well as their dimensions. The created GIS database has provided quick access to the required data of a specific region; for instance, the area, the soil type, the topographic properties, etc… The integrity, mobility, and flexibility of the GIS system appear in its ability to support data from other software because it is enabled with extensions for those programs such as AutoCAD and MS-Excel files. The results of this study show the ability of GIS system in creating maps and providing spatial relationships for various environmental hazards. REFERENCES
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