Utility Location

Contact us to mark the location of underground utilities before you dig, drill, or design your next project. We can provide you with just utility mark out or utility mark out with utility mapping.

 

RDM Surveying Consultants provides state-of-the-art utility locating for all pre-excavation and site planning needs as well as ground fault locating. We at RDM Surveying Consultants do quality work, NOT quantity. We strive to save you time and money by giving you the most complete information about utilities in your designated areas.

 

All our utility locating surveys are performed with the RD8000 cable and pipe locator. The RD8000, which is manufactured by the Radiodetection Corp., is widely recognized as the industry standard because it maintains the highest location performance, contains multiple location modes, and is easy to use. When necessary Ground Penetrating Radar may be used for locating underground utilities not found with the RD8000.

 

GPR is a non-invasive, non-destructive geophysical surveying technique that is used to produce a cross-sectional view of objects embedded within the subsurface. Quite often, non-metallic, inaccessible, unknown, or abandoned utilities cannot be located with traditional cable and pipe locators. When this occurs, GPR must be used.

 

GPR profiles are used for evaluating the location and depth of buried objects such as utilities (metallic and non-metallic), burial site location, tanks, and voids along with Geophysical and Environmental assessment.

 

GPR operates by transmitting pulses of ultra high frequency radio waves into the ground through an antenna. The transmitted energy is reflected from various buried objects or distinct contacts between different materials. GPR waves can reach depths of up to 100 feet in low conductivity materials such as dry sand. Clays, shale and other high conductivity materials, may attenuate or absorb GPR signals, greatly decreasing the depth of penetration to 3 feet or less. The depth that can be probed is a function of the earth’s conductivity in the area to be searched.

 

Whether you are looking to minimize the costly risks associated with excavations or need to locate underground utilities for design purposes RDM Surveying Consultants can provide you with THREE different quality levels of utility location.

 

The first provides the most basic level of information. This involves collecting data from existing utility records. Records may include as-built drawing, distribution and service maps, existing geographic information system databases, and construction plans. Engineers, architects, designers, and contractors must be very careful when using this data for any purpose.

 

The second quality level involves surveying visible subsurface utility structures such as manholes, hand-holes, utility valves and meters, fire hydrants, pedestals and utility markers, and then correlating the information with existing utility records to create composite drawings to establish potential utility routes. This method does not address utilities for which there are no records or utilities for which there is no visible above ground features. Again, you must be very careful when using this data.

 

The third quality level involves designating the horizontal position of subsurface utilities through appropriate geophysical methods. There are many different methods that can be used to identify the existence and horizontal locations of existing underground utilities. After the horizontal locations of the utilities are designated with field-markings, the locations are collected through survey methods and referenced to the project control. This information is than inserted into the project plans. Not all utilities may be found using surface geophysics. Of course, the best location of underground utilities is to locate them during construction or to dig them up and visually verify their location.

 

It takes more than just well trained technicians or high tech equipment to provide the client with an accurate survey of underground utilities. It takes a comprehensive and time proven process. All our utility locating surveys are performed by following a four-step process as shown below:

1. Research

a.     The State "One Call" center is contacted.

b.     Site maps or as-builts are obtained from municipalities, maintenance personal, superintendents, property owner, or contractor(s) that laid the utilities.

c.     The before mentioned individuals are interviewed.

2. Inspect

a.       Utility Structures – A visual inspection of the property and building is performed to search for utility poles, conduits, pull-boxes, site lighting structures, manholes, catch basins, sewer cleanouts, gas vents, and gas/water meters, valves, and caps.

b.      Anomalies –The ground is inspected for asphalt patches, cracks, or sinkholes.

3. Survey & Designation

a.       Cable and Pipe Locating

1. An active signal is applied to:
   1. Metallic pipes and conduits via connection leads
   2. Electric, telephone and cable lines connected via a transmitter clamp.
   3. Inaccessible, abandoned, and/or unknown lines via induction.
   4. Detectable duct rod or sonde are inserted into accessible manholes, handholes, catch basins, or cleanouts.

 

 

2. Passive sweep is performed to search for inaccessible, abandoned, and/or unknown lines.

 

b.      Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) Survey

                                i.            GPR survey is performed within entire survey area if necessary to search for non-metallic, unknown, abandoned and/or inaccessible lines.

c.       Location and depth of underground utilities are marked on the ground with colored paint and/or flags.

 

4. Report

a.       Consultation is performed with an onsite representative to discuss results of the survey.

b.      Written report (with or without a utility map) is prepared for documentation.

We at RDM Surveying Consultants believe in always giving you the best information to help save you time, money, and resources. Our job does not end when we drive off your site. Utility Mapping helps to leave you with something tangible from our work. After we have taken careful consideration in marking all of your underground utilities, the locations are collected through survey methods and referenced to the project control enabling us to provide you with an as-built plan, or both a hard copy and a computer CAD file. We do this to provide you with a great reference guide and to provide you with a much more defined starting point for any future projects you may have. Should you need our services again, we would be able to verify lines more quickly for you.

Everyone’s needs are different; please feel free to contact us to determine the best solution.