Subsurface Utility Engineering in Practice: Scope of Service Focus
Publication: Pipelines 2022
ABSTRACT
Subsurface utility engineering (SUE) is a method to assign a quality level to locate designations of subsurface utilities. It was introduced by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) as a performance standard in 2002, and a new revision is currently up for public comment. The standard aims to address the lack of reliable standard procedures regarding the locations of underground utilities. SUE calls for utilizing new and existing technologies and engineering judgment to identify, characterize, and map accurately the underground utilities that goes beyond the current practice of one-call systems. Several Departments of Transportation (DOTs) have adopted SUE to reduce utility conflict, construction delays, design changes, claims, and injuries through better utility geolocation. Historically, DOTs have utilized a mix of utility owner records, the one-call system, and private locating firms to geolocate facilities in their designs. This study investigates the current SUE’s scope of work that is currently adopted by Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). Highlighting the similarities and differences between the two scopes of work would help DOTs utilize a robust scope of work that is compatible with the current SUE standard.
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Pipelines 2022
Pages: 166 - 170
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Published online: Jul 28, 2022
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