Efficiency of AlpineQuest navigation application as an alternative for GPS in river engineering field surveying (Case study: Rafsanjan flood on July 2022)

Advancements in technology have significantly facilitated fieldwork for engineers and researchers by providing new tools and methods. Utilizing tools and software designed for routing, orientation, and traffic management has proven highly efficient and effective in field surveys, particularly in river engineering. One such software is AlpineQuest. This application is easily installable on both Android and iPhone devices, granting users access to topographic maps, Google Earth imagery, slope maps, and more for any location on Earth. Additionally, AlpineQuest aids in determining the optimal route efficiently in terms of cost and time. This software offers various capabilities, including sketching, data collection in different formats, compatibility with other engineering software, and geometry calculations. In this study, AlpineQuest was used during a field visit to investigate the causes of the July 2022 flood in Rafsanjan. The software was used to register the accident locations, critical intersection structures, and the entrance to the floodway. The flood polygon was mapped and point data were defined within the application. Initial analyses of the field sites were conducted using Google Earth maps, Google Hybrid, and AlpineQuest slope maps. Subsequently, all data collected during the field visit were exported from AlpineQuest in GIS format. The findings indicate that factors such as long-term precipitation, urban development in the downstream alluvial fan, critical intersection structures near accident locations, and the presence of unregulated flood control structures upstream from Rafsanjan airport were responsible for the flood in Rafsanjan City.