Electronic Data Collection for Rockfall Hazard Evaluation

Rockfall field data collection traditionally has used conventional stationery tools, i.e. pencil and paper, for data collection. Traditional methodologies are being revisited with the advent of PDA’s (Personal Digital Assistants) or penbased computers. With the utilization of such technology, field data can be collected electronically. An electronic data collection system using PDA’s was developed for this thesis. The advantages of the PDA approach over pencil and paper data collection include automatic error and data integrity checks during data input, and the elimination of manual data entry. The PDA’s also allow automatic branching to solicit data input based on previous data entered, and support for code or scripting, which can be used to create unique files names based on the data entered. These advantages were implemented as part of an electronic data collection methodology within a rockfall hazard rating system for the TDOT (Tennessee Department of Transportation).