If you have been wondering what is involved with underground service locating and how it is completed, this article is for you!
In Sydney, underground service locating isn’t a new thing. It has existed for many years and has increased in significance as the city’s infrastructure has expanded rapidly.
Underground service locating has evolved over time into an essential safety and quality control measure that safeguards Sydney’s citizens and companies from the potentially fatal effects of running into underground pipes and wires while performing construction or renovation work.
This is why it is very important to understand what is involved in underground service locating in Sydney.
Underground Service Locating
Underground service locating is a specialised field that requires highly trained underground service locators who are experienced in using the latest technologies to locate and mark underground services
Finding underground services is a crucial component of any excavation or building project. It entails the locating, mapping, and marking of underground utilities like telecommunication lines, gas pipelines, water mains, electrical cables, etc.
It is important to know the precise location of any underground cables and pipes before any construction project starts. Sydney’s underground service location calls for a high level of precision and attention to detail.
Why is underground service locating essential prior to beginning any digging on-site?
When you work on-site, the results of failing to uphold your duty of care might include service interruptions, construction delays, disasters, and possibly much worse.
That is why underground service locating is crucially being done prior to any digging or excavation to prevent any unanticipated utility strikes from harming any subsurface services, which could incur considerable expenses and delays or, worse yet, result in dangerous accidents or hazards because of insufficient knowledge of what lies beneath.
Now let us head over to the Underground Services below Sydney’s ground.
Underground Services in Sydney
There are various underground services in Sydney such as water pipes, sewers, gas pipelines, electrical cables, telephone lines, and other utility conduits.
These underground services help provide Sydney citizens with many necessary amenities from the ability to acquire clean drinking water, turn on the lights, or utilise household appliances.
These subsurface services also provide Sydney residents with a sense of protection and security since underground networks make sure that homes and businesses all throughout the city are always supplied with electricity, gas, and water. Without any of these subsurface services, living in Sydney would be much more difficult for its residents.
So, anyone planning to excavate or engage in construction work must be aware of all these different underground services, or else they risk causing potential disruption to the public and private services, as well as incurring financial and reputational damage.
Other things involved in underground services
With the increased safety regulations, awareness of underground services has become very crucial before any excavation or construction work is done.
Other things to consider when planning to avail yourself of underground service locating are the following:
- Scope of the project,
- The size, complexity, and type of services involved,
- The proximity of these services to other underground structures,
- The detailed knowledge of the area, like any existing utility lines or existing structures, such as roads and buildings,
- The type of underground service locating needed,
- The cost of hiring a professional locator,
- How to book an underground service locating company
- How long does underground service locating take?
Now, let us discuss each one of them.
Scope of Project
For the scope of the project, you are literally asking yourself how big or small the scope of the project is, whether you only need to locate certain individual utilities or you have to map out the entire underground services existing below the work site.
The complexity and type of services involved, as well as the size of the area that needs to be surveyed, should also be taken into consideration when determining the scope of the project.
The proximity of the depth of the excavation or digging in the project will also be an important factor to consider, as this could result in extreme danger or disaster if irresponsibly neglected.
For instance, if the work is being done in an urban area, you should take into consideration that the higher the population density, the more complex infrastructure, and the larger number of utility services are expected to be present underground. In contrast, when locating services in a rural area, you may have to deal with more diverse environmental conditions including soil type and vegetation In both instances.
Urban areas may require more detailed underground service locating with thorough attention to safety and precautions due to the complexity of infrastructures, such as sewers and powerlines, and the density of structures such as buildings, roads, footpaths, and city centre or residential areas as well as the need to conduct traffic control, etc. Additionally, the need for precision is higher in these areas due to the proximity of other services and underground utilities.
In rural areas, you may have to deal with more diverse environmental conditions including soil type and vegetation as well as acquiring different special permits if you are working on private property.
In both instances, it is also essential to determine if there are any utilities or cables that have not been mapped before, which will require extra work such as taking readings and conducting further investigations to get accurate information about the location of the underground services.
Regardless of whether you are in an urban or rural area, it is integral that you hire a certified underground service locator to ensure the safety and accuracy of the project
The type of underground service locating needed
One of the most important things to consider when planning to dig or excavate on your site is the type of underground service locating you need to avoid any accidental damage to underground services, such as GPR, Electromagnetic EM, Slit Trenching or other services.
You might be surprised to learn that you might only need a single pothole for your site, but that does not mean that you should only be interested in getting that type of underground service locating. As you may already be aware, not all projects call for all different kinds of underground service locating.
If you want to know the different methods of locating services, you can check out this article
Locating Underground Services: The Expert Guide to Utility Locating Equipment and Procedures
Regarding the type of underground service locating, it is always safe to seek advice or help from a certified utility locating professional to know which type of underground service your project really needs. Knowing what type of underground service locating your project needs can help you determine the right course of action.
If you would like to book a certified underground service locating professional, feel free to book a call with us by clicking “Contact us”
Contact Geoscope
It is also essential to determine if there are any utilities or cables that have not been mapped before, which will require extra work such as taking readings and conducting further investigations to get accurate information about the location of the underground services.
All these aspects must be taken into consideration before starting any excavation or construction project in order to ensure accuracy and minimize the possibility of any potential risks associated with hitting or striking any underground services.
The cost of hiring a professional locator
Whether we agree on it or not, the cost of hiring a certified underground service locator is another major concern for all project managers out there. But as we always say to our clients at Geoscope,
“It always costs less to do things right the first time.”
Neglecting your duty of care while trying to save money won’t benefit your project in the long term. If you try to hire ANY underground service locator, you might be able to save a little money, but the cost to you and your project could be immense.
Imagine employing an underground service locator not equipped with the right training, expertise, and experience required to ensure the job is done safely, accurately, and efficiently. We could be talking about low-quality work, potential accidental damage or even disaster to the underground services that could possibly result in costly repairs, project delays, safety issues on-site and worse, you might even be subject to fines for breaking the laws governing the protection of underground services.
If you are interested to know further details as to what could happen if you cause accidental damage to an underground service, this article is perfect for you!
Accidental Damage to Underground Services
Since we already discussed the cost of hiring a professional locator, why not let’s head over the process of how to book an underground service locating company?
How to book an underground service locating company
When booking an underground service locating it is important to read reviews and check client feedback before making a reservation for an underground service locator to get a true sense of the level of service provided by the underground service locating company.
The booking process is simple, you call an underground service locating provider and then supply them with information about the project location, the project scope, the purpose of the digging, the time you plan to dig, and other relevant project details and information.
Then you let them do their work and provide you with the report which will help guide you when taking the course of action for your project.
If you are interested in booking a reputable underground service locating company that has all the necessary qualifications, expertise, and experience you seek and more, Geoscope is here for you. Feel free to give us a call at +61-1300-750-350 or request a quote from us by clicking the link below.
When conducting underground service locating you should take into serious consideration hiring a Certified Underground Service Locator as they need to be thoroughly trained and certified to ensure that they understand the risks of underground works and are aware of all applicable laws and regulations governing the industry because breaking or violating any of them can cause unwanted consequences.
Working with an experienced and certified underground service locator can help to ensure that the project is completed safely and efficiently and most importantly, with quality.
Book a job with the most trusted Underground Service Locating Provider in Sydney, book with Geoscope
Now, that you have an idea of the booking process, we can also touch on how long underground service locating takes.
How long does underground service locating take?
Knowing how long underground service locating takes depends on four primary factors.
First is the project’s nature.
It talks about where the underground service locating will take place, such as if the work is being done on the road, on a footpath, or on private property, or if it is in the city centre, a residential neighbourhood, or a rural area, or if it is in a congested area with DBYD utility plans, or if there are a large number of fibre optic cables from non-Telstra asset owners, or if the sewer and stormwater are required to be located as well.
Second is the scope.
As we have already discussed, it is mainly about if it is necessary to locate everything on-site, or if the client simply wants a quick scan of individual utilities.
Third is the type of equipment that will be used to locate the underground services.
We are talking about the traditional and modern techniques and tools used for locating underground services.
Last but not least, is the type of underground service locators who will do the job.
We have already talked about this, underground service locators play a vital role in the extent of how long locating underground services will take.
If you want to learn further about how long underground service locating takes and if you want an in-depth explanation of the four primary factors affecting the duration of underground service locating, then you should jump over this next article.
Utility Locating | How long does it take?
Finally, it is true, there are numerous things involved in underground service locating and how it is completed, but keep in mind that all are necessary components that will contribute to the success of your project. Aside from this, safety is of utmost importance and it should never be compromised. Taking shortcuts in underground service locating can be dangerous for everyone involved and can lead to potentially catastrophic consequences, both for individuals and the environment, therefore, all this information you have learned is at your disposal to help you ensure that underground service locating is understood and done in accordance with the highest and ethical standards.
At last, if there are other things you think are involved in underground service locating that we have not mentioned yet, feel free to comment them in the comment section below so we can write or provide more information about them.
Patricia Cupiado
Contributor Author of this article