Advanced Infrastructure Mapping, LLC

Advanced Infrastructure Mapping, LLC is an established SUBSURFACE UTILITY ENGINEERING firm, based in the Mid-Atlantic.

Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) is a branch of Civil Engineering that involves managing certain risks associated with utility mapping at appropriate quality levels. The SUE process begins with a work plan that outlines the scope of work, project schedule, levels of service vs. risk allocation and desired delivery method. Surface geophysical methods (Designating) are then utilized to determine the presence of subsurface utilities and to mark their horizontal position on the ground surface. Air/Vacuum excavation techniques are employed to expose and record the precise horizontal and vertical position of the found utility. This information is then typically presented in CAD format or a GIS-compatible map. The concept of SUE is greatly increasing in popularity worldwide as a framework to justify costs associated with project redesign and construction delays and to avoid risk and liability that can result from damaged underground utilities.

AIM’s Expertise and Competence Advanced Infrastructure Mapping, LLC is able to demonstrate a thorough knowledge and understanding of major SUE activities and is able to provide these services to the extent desired by the contracting agency.

Experience – Employees of Advanced Infrastructure Mapping, LLC are well-trained, experienced, highly motivated, and capable.

Equipment – A wide range of equipment is necessary to detect the variety of subsurface utilities that may be present. Equipment utilized by Advanced Infrastructure Mapping, LLC includes state of the art designating equipment; vacuum excavation or comparable nondestructive locating equipment; and software systems compatible with those of the contracting agency.

Timeliness – The Resources utilized by Advanced Infrastructure Mapping, LLC provide us with the ability to perform our services in a timely and professional manner.

Whether it be a small area that needs to be checked and cleared for private utilities or a large mapping project(Utilities Survey), our team can provide all the necessary utility locating services you could ever need. 

We use the most current and accurate utility locating equipment on the market. Our equipment is always calibrated and in good working order.

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Obtaining reliable underground utility information was quite a problem for Highway designers. Not only Highway engineers, it has been useful at airports, railways, military work, sanitation and any other projects related to the government concerned. In short whenever underground utilities problems are confronted subsurface utility Engineering has proven with great solution. Subservice surface utility engineering is the solution to the conflicts that take place in utility mapping. Locating, designating. New and existing processes are used to accurately map the future construction projects. Earlier the standard methods to locate underground utilities were not sufficient, were costly, inefficient and highly risky. Due to subsurface engineering vertical and horizontal locations are easily available quickly, without any difficulty and also inexpensive. Storage tank, septic tanks etc. that are underground are map by subsurface utility engineering for environmental purpose. This technology is very useful as it helps in avoiding utility relocations and other unpredictable problems during construction.

It helps in getting rid of project delays that otherwise consumes lot of time and turns out to be costly. Delays hamper the progress of a project construction. The combination of civil engineering, geophysics and surveying is what constitutes the study of subsurface utility. The use of SUE is very beneficial to the utilities underground as well as to the agencies that need it especially Highways, Roadways airport etc. The American Society of Engineers (ASCE) guidelines are considered by subsurface utility engineers as a source of information and regulations. It states that it is an engineering process and not a software or technology that is put to use. It requires study to understand the risk associated and efficiently managing them. Utility mapping ,utility coordination, utility relocation design, utility design, utility accommodation policies are the all areas  where  risks are associated and this is taken care by Subsurface Engineering.

The quality levels are designed to decide what and how much information is required by project owners to apply for risk Management. The ACSE’s standard guidelines defines quality levels of utility as  Quality level D, Quality level C, Quality level B, Quality level A.

·        Quality level D is the recording of information through gathering data. This is lowest level of information as the data could have limitations to it or source of data is unknown. The data is derived from oral i.e. through enquiring people or talking them about the site, past records, internet search, digital records etc.

·        Quality level C is done by whatever information is visible above ground and relating it with quality level D. If the surveying is already performed, the accuracy of the surveyed information is checked. Most of the time there is conflict between Quality level D and quality level C.

·        Quality level B is designating the underground utilities information obtained by applying geophysical methods to understand the existence and horizontal position of subsurface utilities

·        Quality level A is the physical involvement in locating utility which is done horizontally and vertically by survey measurements.

The major activities that are involved in SUE process are as follows:-

·        Scope of work: The SUE work plan is developed and then agreed upon by the SUE service provider and the client. The work plan mostly consists level of service, risk that is involved and its allocation, scheduling the project and the project delivery time.

·        Designating: Geophysical method is used in interpreting the subset of utility presence and then horizontal position on the ground surface is marked 

·        Locating: - Precise vertical and horizontal location is recorded.

·        Data management: Data gathered through survey designating and locating processes are managed by transferring them into client system 

While planning to start construction work, you need high quality utility location services to avoid damaging the underground water pipes, cables, or sewage system passing under the construction site. You can use any online search engine to collect information about various utility service location service provided.

But you cannot assess the quality of the utility service location services based on the provider’s search engine visibility. It is always important to opt for a provider who has built professional reputation by identifying underground utilities precisely and successfully.

6 Reasons Why You Must Choose a Reputed Utility Location Services Provider

1) Select and Combine the Right Variables

The reputed service providers trace underground utilities based on a number of variables. They combine multiple variables to decide the frequency that provides the clearest signal. The reputed utility service location services providers deploy skilled engineers to choose and combine the right variables.

2) Use Advanced Utility Locate Instruments

While scanning the construction site for underground utilities, the locators need to interact with the facility using a variety of frequencies –high, medium, low to low and very high. The need robust instruments and equipment to work with and switch between frequency range seamlessly. The reputed utility service location services providers enable locators to experiment with varying frequency ranges by providing sophisticated instruments.

3) Use Detailed Underground Mapping Solutions

The leading utility location service providers these days supplement the advanced locate instrument with sophisticated underground mapping solutions. The mapping solutions help locators to present underground utilities through 2D or 3D graphs. The mapping further enables the professionals to locate underground facilities accurately across varied construction sites.

4) Determine the Underground Utility's Elevation Exactly

Along with identifying location of various underground utilities, the locators also need to determine the exact elevation of the facilities. The leading private utility locating service providers determine the true elevation of an underground utility using vacuum excavation process. The process exposes the underground utility exactly by removing the material around it by shooting high pressure air or water into the ground.

5) Conduct Camera Investigation

The reputed private utility locating service providers use small fiber optic cameras to explore unpressurized pipes internally. The cameras assess condition of the unpressurized pipes with 360 degrees visibility. Hence, it becomes easier for locators to know if the particular pipe is clogged or damaged while locating underground facilities.

6) Leverage Experience and Expertise

No provider can build a professional reputation without handling projects of varying nature and scales successfully. The smarter people opt for reputed underground utility locating services providers to take advantage of their experience and expertise. The expertise helps them to detect and mark all underground facilities and structures passing under the construction site accurately.

As a specialized civil engineering process, Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) emphasizes on simplification of designing of construction sites through elaborate investigation of underground utilities. SUE identifies and describes location of individual utility lines through four distinct quality levels – A, B, C and D.

The quality level D emphasizes on collection of record data from various sources and in various forms. The quality level C focuses on checking if the utilities features are already surveyed and verify accuracy of the surveyed locations based on record data collected from various sources.

At the same time, the quality level B focuses on the process of designating the underground utilities. It also includes the process of getting the underground utilities surveyed by an individual utility company. Finally, the quality level A covers the process of locating the underground utility physically using survey measurements.

The four quality levels of SUE are interrelated and supplement each other. However, each of these four SUE quality levels has its own advantages and disadvantages. The engineers must keep in mind the pros and cons of each SUE quality level to assess quality and reliability of utility information accurately.

Advantages and Disadvantages of SUE Quality Level D      

Unlike other SUE quality levels, D does not require engineers to invest extra time, effort and resources. It further provides generic information about the underground utilities and their locations. But engineers cannot identify the location of an underground utility accurately and exactly if the publicly-available site information is not complete and accuracy. Hence, the quality level directly relies on the accuracy and completeness of the publicly-available site information.

Advantages and Disadvantages of SUE Quality Level C

Like quality level D, quality level C also does not require engineers to put extra time and effort. It further confirms the generic information about the underground utilities provided by quality level C. But the quality level cannot assess utility information reliable in the absence of accurate and complete publicly-available site information.

Advantages and Disadvantages of SUE Quality Level B

The quality level helps engineers to detect current, abandoned and previously unknown underground utilities using multiple geophysical technologies and based on electronic locate results. The independent utility companies can further detect utilities and surface features by surveying both private and public properties. But they need to use non-intrusive technologies to detect the utilities not indentified in quality levels C and D. Also, they find it difficult to identify the utility’s diameter and construction material accurately.

Advantages and Disadvantages of SUE Quality Level A

In addition to confirming presence of utilities in a specific area, the quality level helps engineer’s to identify the utility’s depth, diameter and construction material. It even helps engineers to distinguish between closed spaced underground utilities. But the processes involved in quality level A require utility service providers to put extra resources and funds. Also, the engineers to need to cut or core concrete surface while carrying out construction work on roadways.

As a free service, the 811 system helps homeowners to avoid hitting and breaking buried utilities while carrying out digging activities. While planning a construction project, property owners call 811 to get the public utilities identified and marked. But the 811 system currently do not cover a variety of underground utilities including electric and gas lines.

The law still requires homeowners to keep the underground utilities intact and safe throughout the construction project. The private utility locating services help homeowners to identify and locate all underground utilities in a fast, accurate, and convenient way. There are also a number of reasons why private utility locating services are important for every homeowner.

5 Reasons Why Private Utility Locating Services are Important for Every Homeowner

1. Locate All Underground Utilities

The 811 system currently does not cover a wide range of private utilities – gas lines, chilled water lines, irrigation lines, chemical lines, ash lines, vent lines, empty conduit and low-voltage control wire. Hence, the property owners cannot call 811 to identify and locate these private utilities. The private utility locating services help homeowners to identify and locate all types of underground utilities before starting the digging process.

2. Keep the Underground Utilities Safe

The law requires homeowners to upkeep and protect the underground utilities continuously. The homeowners have to face dire consequences of damaging underground utilities while carrying out a digging project. The private utility locating services help homeowners to complete the digging project without damaging the underground utilities.

3. Leverage New Age Underground Locating Equipments

The utility locating services have been evolving consistently.  The latest technologies help homeowners to locate and mark underground utilities quickly and accurately. No homeowner can identify and leverage the latest utility locating technologies and tools without availing professional private utility locating services. The leading providers even accelerate utility locating process by keeping the equipments and tools in good working order.

4. Deploy Skilled Technicians

The new age utility locating equipments generate 3D images of underground utilities using pulsating radar. They even use GPR to locate the underground utility accurately and reliably. The private utility locating service providers deploy skilled and certified technicians to verify and analyze the data collected by these tools. The skilled technicians can use the latest utility locating equipments optimally.

5. Reduce Underground Utility Locating Time and Cost

Many homeowners still identify and locate underground utilities by deploying excavating crews. The excavating crews have to put extra time and effort to identify exact location of the utility. Also, they damage the private utility and its surrounding structure by digging the entire area. The private utility locating services help homeowners to locate various properties accurately without putting extra time, effort, and money.

The laws related to underground facility maintenance and management differ across states. Some states require property owners to maintain underground facilities on their own. Hence, the property owners often need to upkeep a variety of private lines - irrigation lines, chilled water lines, chemical lines, process sewers, gas lines and low-voltage control wire. The property owners need specific technologies to locate private utilities.

Also, they need to services of skilled technicians to identify location of the private utilities accurately. They cannot locate private utilities using the technologies and skillsets used for detecting location of public utilities. The private utility locating services help property owners to locate private utilities precisely by overcoming constraints related to technology and skill. The services even help property owners to address one of the major challenges in private utility locating – utility records.

4 Reasons Why Property Owners Need Private Utility Locating Services

1. Use Sophisticated Locating Technology

The utility locating technologies have been evolving consistently. The property owners often lack the skills required to evaluate and compare various utility locating technologies. The leading providers detect the location of the underground utility quickly, efficiently, and accurately using modern utility locating technologies. Many providers these days locate private utilities by combining frequency locating technology and ground penetrating radar (GPR).

2. Deploy Trained and Certified Technicians

The GRP help property owners to locate underground utilities quickly and accurately. But the GPR often detect a variety of materials including plastic and metal. The data collected by the GPR need to be assessed and analyzed by skilled technicians to identify unknown underground utilities and collect information about them. The leading utility locating service providers deploy certified and experienced technicians to gather information about the utility and locate underground utilities seamlessly.

3. Protect the Underground Utilities

As noted earlier, the property owners need to manage and maintain underground utilities on their own. Hence, it becomes essential for the property owners to explore ways to protect the underground utility throughout the excavation process. The property owner cannot protect the underground utility without detecting its location exactly and accurately. The utility locating services use GPR to detect the location of the underground utility accurately and efficiently without causing any damage to the surrounding structures.

4. Reduce Utility Locating Time and Cost

Traditionally, property owners locate private utilities by deploying excavating crews. The excavating crew lack the expertise to locate the expected locations of the private utilities. Hence, the crewmen spend additional time and effort to locate the private utilities. The excavation process often causes damage to the underground utility. The utility locating services help property owners to save both time and money by detecting exact location of the underground utility.