1. We are WSP in the UK
  2. What We Do
  3. Projects

Ash Dieback, the most significant tree disease to hit the UK in 50 years, is a serious problem for local authorities. Ash is one of the most common trees in the UK landscape, which means dieback is a significant risk not only to biodiversity with tree loss, but also the health and safety concerns that come with the increase in dangerous, dead trees along roadsides and other non-woodland settings.

In May 2021, WSP was commissioned by West Sussex County Council (WSCC) to establish a methodology for quickly and efficiently capturing ash tree data across the county’s network of minor roads. With over 1200 kilometres of road network that needed surveying, building up a picture of the current levels of tree health to prioritise areas for intervention was a substantial undertaking. Traditional surveying methods would take far too long, risking a delay to starting the work, or missing key priority areas while starting on others that were less critical.

Location

  • West Sussex, UK

Client

  • West Sussex County Council
road surveyed in 20 days
1000+ km 1000+ km
photos taken, indexed and analysed
10,000 10,000
accuracy of algorithm output
97% 97%

Value from expertise and experience

In partnership with the arboriculture experts in WSP, the digital advisory team deployed their innovative field data capture capabilities for this survey, along with their GIS services expertise. In preparation for the survey, the combined team created a plan for 40 survey days that determined a route taking approximately 4.5 hours driving time per day. 

Each day, the arboriculturist would set out on this route with a driver in a vehicle equipped with a GPS-enabled camera. This provided a global position for every photo, which was interpolated and captured using the digital advisory team’s field data capture tools. The WSP team also created a workflow that allowed the arboriculturist to capture additional data points with associated photos, providing mapping outputs along with the tree canopy data.

full-width-banner-ash-diebeck-road-gis

Efficient and collaborative data collection and analysis

The collaborative and cross-disciplinary working approach meant the project team was able to design a data collection process that maximized efficiency without sacrificing requirements to meet the project goals. Areas for data capture were carefully specified, ensuring the quantity of data required for upload was streamlined while keeping a tracked and mapped record of progress. The data library was moved from a hosted WAN to a cloud solution, and field capture was streamlined to limit reliance on at times unreliable mobile data signals. A schema was also provided to aid quicker capture of future data, ensuring the project continues to deliver value.

This understanding of both the needs of the survey and the most efficient uses of data and technology were key to project success. 

At the end of each day, data was collated using a bespoke algorithm, which automatically extracted the location information from the photos and sorted the structure of the data. The data points were snapped to the nearest road line, providing a comprehensive mapped index which was then delivered to WSP’s review team online each week. They determined that the data coming out of the system was over 97% accurate, requiring minimal adjustments, which meant they could provide it back to WSCC quickly and meet the ambitious time scales.

 

Project outcomes

By working together to leverage WSP’s in-house expertise across arboriculture, digital advisory, and the needs of local governments, they delivered on WSPs promise of actionable innovation and provided the client with a cross-disciplinary solution that led to: 

  • Over 1000 kilometres of road networks surveyed for ash dieback in just 20 working days. 
  • Nearly 10,000 photos taken of an estimated 17,000 ash trees with data analysed, appended with the relevant information, and provided back to the client, WSCC. 
  • A rich legacy of data that can be referred to long into the future as the council continues their ash dieback mitigation programme. 

Read about how adding digital expertise can deliver additional value for your projects.

Visit the Digital Services and Solutions hub
Download the case study
thn-digital-services-hub

Digital Engineering Solutions

As business imperatives change, technological capabilities accelerate, and customer expectations grow, we need to look beyond traditional ways of working to drive business outcomes.

Read more
thumbnail-gis-surveying

Surveying, Mapping and GIS

Through comprehensive surveying, mapping and geographic information systems (GIS) services, WSP provides expertise in analysis methods and modelling techniques. We help clients across all sectors better understand environmental issues, make informed decisions, and apply the appropriate strategies and cost-effective solutions to mitigate them.

Read more
Catchment Mines Assessment 563x220

WSP’s integrated digital solutions help Natural Resources Wales preserve the future of natural waterways

WSP develops a digital platform for collecting, storing, appending, and analysing data that helps Natural Resources Wales preserve the future of their natural waterways.

Read more