Many people know about what goes into utility locating. It’s helpful for finding obstructions that could impede progress on a construction site and is important for preserving the safety of workers. With that said, some misconceptions are revolving around utility locating. Find out about some of the misunderstandings people have about utility locating.
Private Utility Locators Mark Out All Utilities
While private utility locators look to satisfy your needs and will mark as many utilities as they can, the technology that is available has limitations. This means that you should still be cautious when proceeding with any ground-intrusive construction projects.
If There Are no Utilities Found on a Utility Map, Utility Locating is not Needed
Utility locating is still vital even if you don’t find utilities on a utility map. Many obstructions that aren’t initially detected can be found when you use utility locating. It’s highly uncommon that everything is found without utility locating being needed.
Ground Penetrating Radar Can Find All Underground Utilities
GPR has its limitations. One of them is how deeply it can penetrate underground. It also has more difficulty detecting items the deeper those obstructions are. It’s also difficult to detect things under certain subsurface conditions.
After a Utility Mark is Finished, It Doesn’t Need to Be Done Again
Many factors influence the outcome of utility locating. The weather could be a factor that influences the soil conditions. There may not be full access to the worksite because of obstructions in the midst of survey time. Utility locating is also impacted by whether or not there is access to utility rooms or utility records.
GPR Cannot Find Non-Metallic Utilities
GPR doesn’t see everything by any means. However, it can be used to find some non-metallic obstructions under ideal subsurface circumstances. Also, if you can, you can put a metallic trace wire into a conduit or a hollow pipe to help you trace it by using a cable or pipe locator system.
No Preparations Are Needed Before a Utility Mark Out Service Arrives
For complex construction sites, you need to make sure there are as few obstructions as possible around the survey area. There also needs to be access to places that are around the survey area. There may be barricaded utility rooms that have to be accessible for utility locating to go well. You also want to see if you can get a hold of any utility records or maps because they could be the difference in whether or not certain utilities get found.
Concrete Visions Will Get The Job Done Right
Concrete Visions has been working with clients for over 25 years. Our G&M Services installers are certified with the industry’s major firestop product manufacturers. As part of our firestop service, we can assess abnormal field conditions and, with the manufacturer’s technical support assistance, provide engineering judgments in a timely fashion to comply with contract specifications. Our Field Mechanics undergo ongoing training, including mandatory monthly safety meetings, weekly Toolbox Talks where safety and equipment information is shred, and trainings on safe work standards and safety best practices.