Utility surveying otherwise known as underground service involves carrying out a survey of buried infrastructure using such methods as ground penetrating radar and electromagnetic locators in delineating position and depth of either, known or unknown, metallic, non-metallic, live or abandoned infrastructure. An afterward analysis of results and presentation in a well documented and logical manner follows.

Background Synopsis

Over the decades, the methodology employed in detecting underground infrastructure has remained almost the same. However, the equipments used have evolved tremendously with time. The foremost equipment available at the earlier years of utility surveying was the electromagnetic (EM) equipment and the basic principle behind its working remains the same, detecting an electromagnetic field around buried conductors.

Nevertheless, the EM locator has undergone series of upgrade since the 1970s from a basic analog device to modern digital device with the ability to provide more information to its user ranging from signal strength, direction, current and so on.

As the year progressed, much development was experienced in the underground surveying world with a new piece of machine making it to the market in the 90s. The first set of ground penetrating radar systems (a machine that could see into the ground) started appearing during the 90s. This resulted in markedly extinction of cable detectors.

Nowadays, utility surveying has gone beyond collecting hard copies data to digitally retrieved data from cloud storage. With the aid of precision instrument such as global positioning system (GPS), pinpointing position accurately has been made easier. The combination of all these with the availability of computer software such as Computer Aided Design (CAD) useful for 3D modeling of the subsurface yields optimum output.

Safety measures to be taken by employees involved in excavation in order to avoid utility damages.

In the present ever-dynamic world we live in with cities and infrastructural growth at its acme, we are posed to hazards of hitting subsurface utilities as more cables are buried to meet the demands of the growing cities. The adeptness of an utility surveyor in precise mapping of subsurface utilities with safety practice a priority can never be over-emphasized. Unarguably, whilst land surveyor maps the obvious world, utility surveyor maps the obscured world.

Hitherto, the essential safety measures to be taken into consideration during excavation works to avoid utility damages are discussed below under the following headings;