The realities of roadway projects are not pretty ones. They usually involve late deadlines, logistical nightmares, and an angry neighborhood. Projects like these are incredibly tricky, especially getting the part where you have to get data and information located underground. Utilities located underground are challenging to manage, especially if you’re not knowledgeable about it. So how do you make everything easier?
You can turn down the project’s difficulty by hiring professionals, like subsurface utility engineering companies.
What can a subsurface utility engineering company do to help projects involving underground utilities?
Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE): A Brief Introduction
Chances are this is the first time you’ve heard of this branch of engineering. Subsurface Utility Engineering also referred to as SUE, is the engineering process of obtaining data through identification, location, relocation, and adjustment of existing utilities. They specialize in underground services that usually hamper the construction plans of public works and the likes.
They are not strictly working under public works, though. They are also involved in railroads, airports, sanitation, nuclear, and many other projects where subsurface utilities are present.
Responsibilities of a Subsurface Utility Engineering Company
For a long time, highway designers frequently encounter difficulties when it comes to obtaining data from underground utilities. This time, specialists arose to cater to their needs; thus, companies that specialize in Subsurface Utility Engineering came to prominence.
These are some of the responsibilities of a Subsurface Utility Engineering company.
- Determination of the work’s scope – they deliver a proposal that describes the project-specific plan covering all of the client’s concerns, such as risk allocation, the scope of work, and different levels of services.
- Designation of the spots where utilities are present – through the use of geophysics and other methods, SUE companies are responsible for marking the locations of the services that are present in the area underground.
- Locating the utilities themselves – SUE companies should be able to determine the precise x-and-y axial configuration of the services present in the area, providing the size, type, shape of the utilities, and other data necessary.
- Data Management – managing the data obtained involves designating, surveying, and locating the necessary information and sending it to clients for CADD, GIS, and other project uses.
- Conflict Analysis – SUE companies can solve conflicts between the proposed plan and the reality underground through the means of a conflict matrix. By doing so, the relevant information is delivered to the client to be subject to new decisions.
Subsurface Utility Engineering companies lift the heavy burdens of project managers and road designers. By putting their subsurface expertise to good use, they help their clients deal with potentially critical dilemmas.