The culvert inventory geodatabase is a project that involves designing a prototype geodatabase to catalogue small culverts that are excluded from the Bridge Inventory Inspection and Analysis Program (BRINSAP). The components of the project include a geodatabase, graphical user interface and a user's manual for the geodatabase.

Needs Assessment and Data
The first stage of the project was to determine the project needs and expectations of both TxDOT hydrologic engineers and the TxDOT maintenance workers. The team conducted a series of conference calls with our client and met with local road maintenance workers to discuss the design of the project. Following these meetings, the group identified the data needs. The list below shows the data used:

Texas Reference Marker System (TRM)
- The TRM is a program used by TxDOT to inventory road features
San Marcos, Texas Orthoimagery 2008
- Obtained from the Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG)

Geodatabase Design
The design consists of two parts: an ArcGIS geodatabase and a Microsoft Access database with user interface. In ArcGIS, the user is able to examine the spatial distribution of culverts as point features in a road segment. The attributes of these features can also be accessed through attribute tables. In Microsoft Access, the user is able to open tables, run queries, and enter/edit data.

Graphical User Interface
A Graphical User Interface (GUI) was developed for inputting data into the geodatabase. The GUI consists of an electronic form in Microsoft Access where the maintenance worker can input the data gathered in the field. The form is very simplified and easy to use in order to accommodate those with little experience with Microsoft Access. Data entry through ArcGIS is another option, however for users with less technical training the GUI is easier to use.

Functionality Testing
To test the functionality of the geodatabase, road segment RM 150 was chosen from Hays County, Texas. Prior to inputting data, a unique ID was generated for each culvert feature. The culvert locations obtained from the TRM data were known to be inaccurate. The locations were corrected utilizing orthoimagery and the experience of the local TxDOT maintenance office.

User Manual
The final objective of the project was to develop a user manual for the geodatabase. The user manual demonstrates how to input data into the geodatabase through ArcGIS or Microsoft Access. The road segment RM 150 serves as an example in the user manual. The manual is easy to understand for users who are not familiar with ArcGIS and Microsoft Access because the language used for the guidelines is non-technical. The objective of the manual is to train the users on data entry in an understandable way.