What Lies Beneath? Utility Location Equipment Helps Contractors Navigate the Underground
Accurately locating and marking underground utilities prior to excavation is one of the most important tasks a contractor needs to perform to ensure a successful project. First and foremost, utility strikes can potentially result in serious physical injuries. Also, strikes can lead to downtime, lost profit, and reimbursement for damaged facilities.
Accurate utility locating is a group effort. Once a jobsite has been outlined and 811 notified, utilities will be marked using color-coded flags and paint to identify the path. For underground contractors, including boring and drilling contractors, verifying the location and depth of existing utilities is a must.
Despite our best efforts, utility strikes are on the rise. According to a 2022 DIRT Report published by the Common Ground Alliance, an industry association of professionals involved in the underground utility industry, damages increased from 2020 to 2022 both in terms of cost (per million dollars of spending) and number (per 1,000 811 requests).
Unmarked or mismarked utilities account for nearly one-quarter of all reported incidents, according to the DIRT Report, meaning that verifying utilities can substantially reduce these occurrences. In order to verify the presence and precise location of existing utilities, professionals need the right tools – and know how to use them properly. And with the utility construction market poised for growth, there will be an even greater need for accurate utility location in the coming years.