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Utilities Business Review | Sunday, February 27, 2022
Utility locators can prevent contractors and excavators from damaging utility lines and causing injuries or delays in project completion.
A utility company identifies the location of its underground lines. Although they provide information on the line's depth and horizontal position, the materials may be excluded from the information they provide. Underground at the excavation site may be old water lines, sewer lines, and gas pipelines.
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When an excavator strikes a high-voltage electrical or gas line, it can cause serious injuries or even death to workers. Nearby communities can lose power and water when electrical, gas, or water lines are struck. This project can negatively affect businesses and residents in the surrounding area. The contractor can be sued in both cases.
GIS maps of utility locations based on the project layout are the most useful deliverable since they provide information to contractors
Using a utility locator has the following advantages.
Accuracy: By utilizing advanced technology and training, private utility locators can produce more precise results, such as digital maps, lowering the likelihood of costly mistakes and delays. Due to inadequate technology or training, a locator may miss a buried line, or a surface marker may have been removed, leading to more damage, injury, and construction delays.
In the age of advanced technology, locates are more accurate, data is more plentiful, and results are more precise. Recent electromagnetic (EM) locators use dual 3D antennas that improve accuracy over older equipment with just one antenna. When used in conjunction with locating equipment, GIS technologies capture and store verifiable and repeatable data that can be used to plan future projects.
Saves resources: The deliverables for utility locating range from 8-1-1 surface markers to GPS, GIS, and aerial mapping. It is possible to collect accurate, thorough, and high-quality field data with the help of expert locators equipped with the latest technology.
GIS maps of utility locations based on the project layout are the most useful deliverable since they provide information to contractors, their teams, and clients. By combining existing client data with GIS systems, locators can create comprehensive maps by collecting and interpreting new data. It is possible to repeat exact location marking within an inch or two even if weather or construction destroys the original field markers or if a builder adds on.
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