Utility Detection Surveys: Saving You Time, Money and Hassle
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Posted On :
Dec-09-2011
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Article Word Count :
559
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Utility detection surveys offer a in depth report of underground utilities and critical surface details. For those planning building work, utility mapping minimises disruption to the public, reduces the risk of utility strikes, and keeps your project on time and on budget.
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Many of our towns and cities have been around for hundreds or thousands of years, so anyone doing work on them needs to be careful of what has gone before. In an aesthetic sense, this can mean considering the historic importance of certain sites. In a practical sense, it means knowing what lies underneath a road before you start digging it up. Utility mapping allows excavations to be made of streets and roads without running the risk of damaging vital parts of the local infrastructure, e.g. water mains, power lines, telephone lines, etc.
Even trained workers can make blunders. How many of us have had our day disrupted by work crews cutting through a power line or water pipe? Such disruptions aren’t only a mild inconvenience; even a power outage that only lasts for an hour or so can cost the local economy hundreds - if not thousands - of pounds in lost revenue and man hours. Utility mapping ensures the effectiveness of operations and that all vital services can nonetheless be delivered: or at least, that any necessary interruption can be properly planned for and minimised. Utility detection surveys could also form part of the early stages of construction work. Many building projects may require you to undertake utility mapping as part of the initial feasibility study; the feasibility of a new underground car park may be greatly affected if the work will call for the diversion of a major water main or the rewiring of a city centre’s electrical grid.
A utility detection survey offers a permanent record of all detected utilities in a certain area and key topographic features. You, as the client, will be presented with a colour coded survey clearly marking out the location and describing all underground utility lines, as well as other key features (e.g. street furniture, valve boxes, fences). Additional geographical information (e.g. street names, house numbers, building names) are included to make site navigation as simple as possible.
It's standard practice for the data from the utility detection survey to be mapped to an arbitrary grid and level datum. If you have any precise requirements for the utility mapping (e.g. that it be referenced to a certain scale, or that the grid should be divided along certain lines) then a specific grid and level datum can be used. Alternatively, the utility detection survey could be overlaid on an pre-existing topographical survey, making cross referencing with other studies simple.
Utility mapping can also save councils money in the long term. Knowing the lay of the land in advance means fewer disruptions; fewer strikes, fewer unexpected diversions and less chance of damaging utilities. A reduction in disruptions means your work can be quick and efficient, avoiding the spiralling costs of work running out of control and over time: not to mention the addition of penalties for missing delivery targets.
Utility mapping doesn't require any additional digging up of the roads; it's all done from the surface using GPS and radio detection techniques.
Utility detection surveys save you time and money. Disruption to the public is minimised and you reduce the risk of running into any unexpected surprises. Give yourself the strategic advantage by knowing the lay of the land before you begin your work.
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Article Source :
http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Utility Detection Surveys: Saving You Time, Money and Hassle_116832.aspx
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Author Resource :
SUMO Services provide a number of utility services nationwide. If you are planning construction or excavation work, contact them for a detailed and bespoke utility detection survey.
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Keywords :
Utility mapping, utility detection, utility detection survey ,
Category :
Home and Family
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Home Security
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