The Importance of Locating Utilities before Starting a Construction Project

[Andy L. Goff]

Water, natural gas, and sewer were the only utilities buried underground a few decades ago. However, the advancement of technology has made it necessary to bury more utility lines underground, resulting in a maze of underground pipelines, tanks, drains, ventilation shafts, sewers, and many more.

As people learned that burying utilities fosters safety and extends their useful life, concealing them underground became imperative. Especially in extreme weather conditions, overhead utilities such as electrical and telecommunication lines are vulnerable to the elements. Wind, sun, and rain can deteriorate utilities over time. Damage will result, resulting in repair and maintenance costs.

Why Locate Utilities before Digging?

Before beginning any construction project, it is necessary to locate buried utilities. The primary goal of locating utilities is to prevent damage and extend their useful life. Knowing the location of buried utilities before the start of any construction project can make the job run more smoothly. In addition, utility locating helps keep construction time and costs down by preventing damage to buried infrastructure and injuries to workers.

Utility companies typically mark underground infrastructure, but these markers must provide precise depth, horizontal location, and material information. Engineers and architects are very interested in this information. They avoid incurring unnecessary expenses due to damage to buried utilities and change orders. Restoration of damaged utilities will be your responsibility, as you will see. Having accurate information about buried utilities will prevent substantial unnecessary costs.

Experts estimate that 25% of underground utility damage is caused by contractors not consulting utility locators before excavating. Damage to buried utilities may also result from the excavation team needing to know or interpret the exact location of the utilities correctly.

How can underground utilities be located?

Professional utility-locating services contractors trust can help prevent the cost of damages caused by improper drilling or excavation. A locator can also indicate tolerance zones or areas that require manual digging.

It is helpful to locate utilities precisely. First, it prevents service disruptions to consumers and saves excavators from costs and delays related to utility damage. Damaged facilities must be restored by excavators as required by law.

Contractors must have accurate information about underground utilities. As a result, they are less likely to cause damage, which would undoubtedly add to their costs.

That said, contractors should hire experienced utility locators before starting a construction project, such as the utility locating contractors. You can avoid hitting utility lines when digging with their equipment and the ability to conduct accurate underground mapping. It speeds up digging and prevents unnecessarily long delays.

Underground Utility Maps and On-Site Inspections

Records and blueprints from the past can be helpful, but they cannot guarantee safe digging. For example, it may have been necessary to install new cables and cords due to natural or artificial causes.

On-site inspections are necessary for this reason. Professional utility locators like those contractors prefer can do sub-surface utilities in various ways. For example, locating utility lines can be done using underground camera inspections, electromagnetic detection, or concrete scanning. This review will result in the creation of an existing utility map. As a reference, you can use this map when digging.

Safe working environment = faster work with an accurate underground map

Contractors can adjust the layout of the construction or excavation plans with access to an accurate underground map. An underground map is invaluable before developing a construction plan.

Underground maps make work safer and faster for everyone. In this way, people know facilities that can cause severe injury or death when struck. For example, someone could be injured or even killed if they hit a power line accidentally. Using an underground utility map can prevent these incidents.

Underground utility maps reduce community interruptions caused by hazardous conditions.

In addition to injuries, workers may accidentally damage power lines. As a result, the area will undoubtedly have a significant power outage. The contractor of this project will be responsible for the inconvenience caused to residents/businesses and for restoring power. As a result, your revenues may be negatively affected. When planning a construction project, excavators recommend working with a trusted utility locator such as a provider of utility location services excavators recommend.

Locate and map underground utilities as part of your project plan to ensure your construction project runs smoothly, continuously, and cost-effectively.

It pays to be sure of the location, depth, and direction of buried utility lines that will interfere with your construction, even if you call 811 or the call-before-you-dig hotline.

Before starting a construction project, locate and map the subsurface utilities before beginning any digging.

If you want a safe, fast, damage-free excavation, work with a trusted company like the utility locating contractors.