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IDENTIFYING, INVESTIGATING & CHARACTERIZING UNKNOWNS. WHAT ARE UNKNOWNS & HOW ARE THEY IDENTIFIED?. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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IDENTIFYING INVESTIGATING amp CHARACTERIZING UNKNOWNS
WHAT ARE UNKNOWNS amp HOW ARE THEY
IDENTIFIED
bull Unknowns are typically linear conductors or targets which can not be readily correlated to available record information utility related structures or positively identified utility configurations
bull Unknowns are typically identified through the employment of surface geophysical equipment during a Quality Level ldquoBrdquo (QL-B) subsurface utility engineering (SUE) investigation
bull Unknowns may also be discovered during the excavation of Quality Level ldquoArdquo (QL-A) test holes or while investigating utility related structures such as manholes vaults inlets cabinets and pedestals
bull In some cases unknowns may first show up as unidentified facilities on plans permits or record drawings
UNKNOWN CONDUCTORS vs UNKNOWN UTILITIES
NON-UTILITY CONDUCTORSOld Fencing
Typically found near existing or old ROW lines
Rebar
Typically found in curbs sidewalks amp
concrete paving
Railroad amp Trolley Tracks
Typically found in older urban
metropolitan and industrial areas
ConstructionDemolition Debris
Occurs randomly on a small percentage of projects
UNKNOWN UTILITIESUndocumented ldquoActiverdquo Utilities
Found everywhere they are most often communications traffic control and privately owned facilities
Abandoned Communications
Most often found in suburban and rural areas their number are growing rapidly
Abandoned Natural Gas amp Water
Most often found in older urban
metropolitan and industrial areas
Aban amp Gas Gathering Systems
Commonly found in regions with a history
of oil amp gas production
Steam amp Pneumatic Systems
Casings and Culverts
WHAT ARE THE PRIMARY GOALS OF INVESTIGATING UNKNOWNS
ATTEMPT TO DETERMINE THE FOLLOWINGbull What is it
Obtaining this information is critical because it is the only way to eliminate non-utility related targets It also allows for the narrowing of search parameters aimed at determining ownership
bull Who owns itThe determination of ownership is critical because it establishes a direct contact for obtaining additional facility specific information Direct contact with the owner also facilitates the timely negotiation design and planning of relocations
bull What is its operational statusThis information is critical regardless of the establishment of ownership The time and costs associated with removing ldquoabandonedrdquo facilities are far less than those associated with the design and relocation of ldquoinactiverdquo or ldquoabandonedrdquo facilities
HOW CAN WE DETERMINEWHAT IT IS
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to tie the target in to a utility related structure or positively identified utility configurations
This may require investigation beyond the strict limits of the project
bull Research additional sources of record and anecdotal information
These sources may include ldquoarchivalrdquo utility records permits deeds tax records public libraries county courthouses regulatory agencies property owners the internet etc
bull Employ non-destructive excavating techniques to expose the target
Exposure will allow for the elimination of non-utility unknowns It also allows for the collection of important physical information such as the size material type and general condition of unknown utilities
HOW CAN WE DETERMINE OWNERSHIP
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to tie the target in to a utility related structure or positively identified utility configurations
This may require investigation beyond the strict limits of the project
bull Research additional sources of record and anecdotal information
These sources may include ldquoarchivalrdquo utility records permits deeds tax records public libraries county courthouses regulatory agencies property owners internet etc
bull Post public notices as required by state and local statutes
bull Is there an owner
Abandoned utilities are often not included in the sales mergers etc of corporate interests In these cases ownership may have reverted to the surface owner
FROM THE TxDOT UTILITY MANUAL
Section 9 Unknown Utility Ownership Policy
Determining the ownership and authorized agent of the utility can be accomplished by
1048698 visiting with people being served by the facility1048698 checking with the owners or representatives of similar facilities in the area1048698 contacting the landowners where the utility is located1048698 reviewing TxDOT permits and Joint Use Agreements in the area1048698 investigate other adjacent roadway utilities or1048698 contacting county maintenance personnel or commissioners
Cooperative facilities may be used by consumers who are unaware that the facilities are consumer owned or that the original members of a cooperative may no longer exist Yet the cooperatives are responsible for the adjustment of utilities This situation may be remedied by the following methods
1048698 Call the consumers using the facilities to a meeting Have the TxDOT Utility Liaison explain the scope of the project and potential impact on the facilities
1048698 If the cooperative is unable to fund their portion of the required adjustment inform them of financing options These include SIB and States Hardship Financing Fund and other than State sources eg bond
bull When ownership cannot be determined and the utility is not abandoned or inoperative TxDOT will exhibit a good faith effort by publishing its intention to abandon the utility according to State or industry standards using a citation by publication This should be accomplished in the same manner as that for a right of way parcel refer to TxDOTrsquos right of way Manual Volume 4 Eminent Domain Guide Sections 3 and 8 Another method of handling this situation could be leaving the utility in place through highway design mitigation
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS
CHARACTERIZATIONS
ACTIVE ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational
status of this facility as ACTIVE
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is in regular use
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
INACTIVE ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational status of this facility as INACTIVE
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is not in regular use
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is serviceable or could be economically repaired and returned to ACTIVE status
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
ABANDONED ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational status of this facility as ABANDONED
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is not in regular use
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is unserviceable and could not be economically repaired and returned to ACTIVE or INACTIVE status
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
UNKNOWN ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner was unable or unwilling to characterize the operational status of this facility
bull There was insufficient physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to warrant a more specific status
HOW CAN WE DETERMINE OPERATIONAL STATUS
bull Employ surface geophysical to search for ldquoEOIsrdquo
EOIrsquos can indicate the cut ends of pipes or cablesbull Employ non-destructive excavating techniques to expose target
utilities
gt Physical exposure at an EOI can provide verification that a line has been cut
gtPhysical exposure at points of poor electronic information may yield additional telling information such as holes or other conditions which are indicative of operational status
gtPhysical exposure of pipes facilitates external testing for cathodic protection pipe wall thickness asbestos content and flowing liquid or gas
bull As a last resort and provided a number of prerequisite criteria have been met pipes can be ldquocold tappedrdquo This facilitates direct sampling inside of the pipe
DOCUMENTING amp REPORTING INFORMATION
bull Provide QL-B information in the appropriate CADD platform using the clientrsquos standards for line styles symbology etc
bull Add a unique non-embedded text label ie A-Z 2A-2Z 3A-3Z to each line
bull Provide a Utility Characterization Report which includes detailed information such as size material type depth general condition ownership operational status etc for each line
TYPICAL QL-B WORK PRODUCT
TYPICAL QL-BUC WORK PRODUCT
CI ASCE 38-02Standard Guidelines for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface
Utility Data bull National engineering standard published in Dec
2002
bull Utility ownership or type should be noted when known
bull 38-02 is silent on how much investigation should go into determining utility ownership or type
SCOPES OF WORK
bull Most scopes of work whether generated by the SUE consultant or the client fail to specifically address the issue of unknowns
bull Therefore individual SUE consultants will address these
issues in different ways based upon their perception of the ownerrsquos expectations pricing mechanisms project due dates and other factors
bull However lacking a scope of work to the contrary a majority of SUE consultants will take a relatively minimalist approach and simply label ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo as an ldquoUNKNOWNSrdquo and leave it at that
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 1
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo it is traced to the project limits mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 2
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo and it is traced to the project limits it is mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
bull If it is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 3
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 4
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 5
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced for some distance beyond the project limits and mapped within the limits If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
bull If unknown is thought to be relatively shallow a hand excavation is performed in an attempt to at least identify its size and material type
SUMMARYbull Unknown conductors can end up
being almost anything from buried railroad tracks to scraps of abandoned phone cables to active petroleum or natural gas pipelines
bull The amount of effort required to determine what they are who owns them and whether or not they are ldquoactiverdquo covers a large spectrum
bull Some courses of action are simple inexpensive and can be relatively effective
bull Other actions may be quite costly and time consuming with liability issues regarding environmental releases or property damage (eg to a line being tapped)
bull Good communications and a clear scope of work are critical to controlling costs mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to project timelines
bull Project owners may perceive a conflict of interest between the normal utility mapping scope and the costly measures necessary to identify some unknowns they may desire separate contracts to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest
WHAT ARE UNKNOWNS amp HOW ARE THEY
IDENTIFIED
bull Unknowns are typically linear conductors or targets which can not be readily correlated to available record information utility related structures or positively identified utility configurations
bull Unknowns are typically identified through the employment of surface geophysical equipment during a Quality Level ldquoBrdquo (QL-B) subsurface utility engineering (SUE) investigation
bull Unknowns may also be discovered during the excavation of Quality Level ldquoArdquo (QL-A) test holes or while investigating utility related structures such as manholes vaults inlets cabinets and pedestals
bull In some cases unknowns may first show up as unidentified facilities on plans permits or record drawings
UNKNOWN CONDUCTORS vs UNKNOWN UTILITIES
NON-UTILITY CONDUCTORSOld Fencing
Typically found near existing or old ROW lines
Rebar
Typically found in curbs sidewalks amp
concrete paving
Railroad amp Trolley Tracks
Typically found in older urban
metropolitan and industrial areas
ConstructionDemolition Debris
Occurs randomly on a small percentage of projects
UNKNOWN UTILITIESUndocumented ldquoActiverdquo Utilities
Found everywhere they are most often communications traffic control and privately owned facilities
Abandoned Communications
Most often found in suburban and rural areas their number are growing rapidly
Abandoned Natural Gas amp Water
Most often found in older urban
metropolitan and industrial areas
Aban amp Gas Gathering Systems
Commonly found in regions with a history
of oil amp gas production
Steam amp Pneumatic Systems
Casings and Culverts
WHAT ARE THE PRIMARY GOALS OF INVESTIGATING UNKNOWNS
ATTEMPT TO DETERMINE THE FOLLOWINGbull What is it
Obtaining this information is critical because it is the only way to eliminate non-utility related targets It also allows for the narrowing of search parameters aimed at determining ownership
bull Who owns itThe determination of ownership is critical because it establishes a direct contact for obtaining additional facility specific information Direct contact with the owner also facilitates the timely negotiation design and planning of relocations
bull What is its operational statusThis information is critical regardless of the establishment of ownership The time and costs associated with removing ldquoabandonedrdquo facilities are far less than those associated with the design and relocation of ldquoinactiverdquo or ldquoabandonedrdquo facilities
HOW CAN WE DETERMINEWHAT IT IS
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to tie the target in to a utility related structure or positively identified utility configurations
This may require investigation beyond the strict limits of the project
bull Research additional sources of record and anecdotal information
These sources may include ldquoarchivalrdquo utility records permits deeds tax records public libraries county courthouses regulatory agencies property owners the internet etc
bull Employ non-destructive excavating techniques to expose the target
Exposure will allow for the elimination of non-utility unknowns It also allows for the collection of important physical information such as the size material type and general condition of unknown utilities
HOW CAN WE DETERMINE OWNERSHIP
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to tie the target in to a utility related structure or positively identified utility configurations
This may require investigation beyond the strict limits of the project
bull Research additional sources of record and anecdotal information
These sources may include ldquoarchivalrdquo utility records permits deeds tax records public libraries county courthouses regulatory agencies property owners internet etc
bull Post public notices as required by state and local statutes
bull Is there an owner
Abandoned utilities are often not included in the sales mergers etc of corporate interests In these cases ownership may have reverted to the surface owner
FROM THE TxDOT UTILITY MANUAL
Section 9 Unknown Utility Ownership Policy
Determining the ownership and authorized agent of the utility can be accomplished by
1048698 visiting with people being served by the facility1048698 checking with the owners or representatives of similar facilities in the area1048698 contacting the landowners where the utility is located1048698 reviewing TxDOT permits and Joint Use Agreements in the area1048698 investigate other adjacent roadway utilities or1048698 contacting county maintenance personnel or commissioners
Cooperative facilities may be used by consumers who are unaware that the facilities are consumer owned or that the original members of a cooperative may no longer exist Yet the cooperatives are responsible for the adjustment of utilities This situation may be remedied by the following methods
1048698 Call the consumers using the facilities to a meeting Have the TxDOT Utility Liaison explain the scope of the project and potential impact on the facilities
1048698 If the cooperative is unable to fund their portion of the required adjustment inform them of financing options These include SIB and States Hardship Financing Fund and other than State sources eg bond
bull When ownership cannot be determined and the utility is not abandoned or inoperative TxDOT will exhibit a good faith effort by publishing its intention to abandon the utility according to State or industry standards using a citation by publication This should be accomplished in the same manner as that for a right of way parcel refer to TxDOTrsquos right of way Manual Volume 4 Eminent Domain Guide Sections 3 and 8 Another method of handling this situation could be leaving the utility in place through highway design mitigation
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS
CHARACTERIZATIONS
ACTIVE ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational
status of this facility as ACTIVE
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is in regular use
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
INACTIVE ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational status of this facility as INACTIVE
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is not in regular use
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is serviceable or could be economically repaired and returned to ACTIVE status
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
ABANDONED ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational status of this facility as ABANDONED
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is not in regular use
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is unserviceable and could not be economically repaired and returned to ACTIVE or INACTIVE status
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
UNKNOWN ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner was unable or unwilling to characterize the operational status of this facility
bull There was insufficient physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to warrant a more specific status
HOW CAN WE DETERMINE OPERATIONAL STATUS
bull Employ surface geophysical to search for ldquoEOIsrdquo
EOIrsquos can indicate the cut ends of pipes or cablesbull Employ non-destructive excavating techniques to expose target
utilities
gt Physical exposure at an EOI can provide verification that a line has been cut
gtPhysical exposure at points of poor electronic information may yield additional telling information such as holes or other conditions which are indicative of operational status
gtPhysical exposure of pipes facilitates external testing for cathodic protection pipe wall thickness asbestos content and flowing liquid or gas
bull As a last resort and provided a number of prerequisite criteria have been met pipes can be ldquocold tappedrdquo This facilitates direct sampling inside of the pipe
DOCUMENTING amp REPORTING INFORMATION
bull Provide QL-B information in the appropriate CADD platform using the clientrsquos standards for line styles symbology etc
bull Add a unique non-embedded text label ie A-Z 2A-2Z 3A-3Z to each line
bull Provide a Utility Characterization Report which includes detailed information such as size material type depth general condition ownership operational status etc for each line
TYPICAL QL-B WORK PRODUCT
TYPICAL QL-BUC WORK PRODUCT
CI ASCE 38-02Standard Guidelines for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface
Utility Data bull National engineering standard published in Dec
2002
bull Utility ownership or type should be noted when known
bull 38-02 is silent on how much investigation should go into determining utility ownership or type
SCOPES OF WORK
bull Most scopes of work whether generated by the SUE consultant or the client fail to specifically address the issue of unknowns
bull Therefore individual SUE consultants will address these
issues in different ways based upon their perception of the ownerrsquos expectations pricing mechanisms project due dates and other factors
bull However lacking a scope of work to the contrary a majority of SUE consultants will take a relatively minimalist approach and simply label ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo as an ldquoUNKNOWNSrdquo and leave it at that
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 1
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo it is traced to the project limits mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 2
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo and it is traced to the project limits it is mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
bull If it is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 3
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 4
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 5
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced for some distance beyond the project limits and mapped within the limits If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
bull If unknown is thought to be relatively shallow a hand excavation is performed in an attempt to at least identify its size and material type
SUMMARYbull Unknown conductors can end up
being almost anything from buried railroad tracks to scraps of abandoned phone cables to active petroleum or natural gas pipelines
bull The amount of effort required to determine what they are who owns them and whether or not they are ldquoactiverdquo covers a large spectrum
bull Some courses of action are simple inexpensive and can be relatively effective
bull Other actions may be quite costly and time consuming with liability issues regarding environmental releases or property damage (eg to a line being tapped)
bull Good communications and a clear scope of work are critical to controlling costs mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to project timelines
bull Project owners may perceive a conflict of interest between the normal utility mapping scope and the costly measures necessary to identify some unknowns they may desire separate contracts to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest
UNKNOWN CONDUCTORS vs UNKNOWN UTILITIES
NON-UTILITY CONDUCTORSOld Fencing
Typically found near existing or old ROW lines
Rebar
Typically found in curbs sidewalks amp
concrete paving
Railroad amp Trolley Tracks
Typically found in older urban
metropolitan and industrial areas
ConstructionDemolition Debris
Occurs randomly on a small percentage of projects
UNKNOWN UTILITIESUndocumented ldquoActiverdquo Utilities
Found everywhere they are most often communications traffic control and privately owned facilities
Abandoned Communications
Most often found in suburban and rural areas their number are growing rapidly
Abandoned Natural Gas amp Water
Most often found in older urban
metropolitan and industrial areas
Aban amp Gas Gathering Systems
Commonly found in regions with a history
of oil amp gas production
Steam amp Pneumatic Systems
Casings and Culverts
WHAT ARE THE PRIMARY GOALS OF INVESTIGATING UNKNOWNS
ATTEMPT TO DETERMINE THE FOLLOWINGbull What is it
Obtaining this information is critical because it is the only way to eliminate non-utility related targets It also allows for the narrowing of search parameters aimed at determining ownership
bull Who owns itThe determination of ownership is critical because it establishes a direct contact for obtaining additional facility specific information Direct contact with the owner also facilitates the timely negotiation design and planning of relocations
bull What is its operational statusThis information is critical regardless of the establishment of ownership The time and costs associated with removing ldquoabandonedrdquo facilities are far less than those associated with the design and relocation of ldquoinactiverdquo or ldquoabandonedrdquo facilities
HOW CAN WE DETERMINEWHAT IT IS
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to tie the target in to a utility related structure or positively identified utility configurations
This may require investigation beyond the strict limits of the project
bull Research additional sources of record and anecdotal information
These sources may include ldquoarchivalrdquo utility records permits deeds tax records public libraries county courthouses regulatory agencies property owners the internet etc
bull Employ non-destructive excavating techniques to expose the target
Exposure will allow for the elimination of non-utility unknowns It also allows for the collection of important physical information such as the size material type and general condition of unknown utilities
HOW CAN WE DETERMINE OWNERSHIP
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to tie the target in to a utility related structure or positively identified utility configurations
This may require investigation beyond the strict limits of the project
bull Research additional sources of record and anecdotal information
These sources may include ldquoarchivalrdquo utility records permits deeds tax records public libraries county courthouses regulatory agencies property owners internet etc
bull Post public notices as required by state and local statutes
bull Is there an owner
Abandoned utilities are often not included in the sales mergers etc of corporate interests In these cases ownership may have reverted to the surface owner
FROM THE TxDOT UTILITY MANUAL
Section 9 Unknown Utility Ownership Policy
Determining the ownership and authorized agent of the utility can be accomplished by
1048698 visiting with people being served by the facility1048698 checking with the owners or representatives of similar facilities in the area1048698 contacting the landowners where the utility is located1048698 reviewing TxDOT permits and Joint Use Agreements in the area1048698 investigate other adjacent roadway utilities or1048698 contacting county maintenance personnel or commissioners
Cooperative facilities may be used by consumers who are unaware that the facilities are consumer owned or that the original members of a cooperative may no longer exist Yet the cooperatives are responsible for the adjustment of utilities This situation may be remedied by the following methods
1048698 Call the consumers using the facilities to a meeting Have the TxDOT Utility Liaison explain the scope of the project and potential impact on the facilities
1048698 If the cooperative is unable to fund their portion of the required adjustment inform them of financing options These include SIB and States Hardship Financing Fund and other than State sources eg bond
bull When ownership cannot be determined and the utility is not abandoned or inoperative TxDOT will exhibit a good faith effort by publishing its intention to abandon the utility according to State or industry standards using a citation by publication This should be accomplished in the same manner as that for a right of way parcel refer to TxDOTrsquos right of way Manual Volume 4 Eminent Domain Guide Sections 3 and 8 Another method of handling this situation could be leaving the utility in place through highway design mitigation
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS
CHARACTERIZATIONS
ACTIVE ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational
status of this facility as ACTIVE
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is in regular use
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
INACTIVE ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational status of this facility as INACTIVE
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is not in regular use
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is serviceable or could be economically repaired and returned to ACTIVE status
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
ABANDONED ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational status of this facility as ABANDONED
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is not in regular use
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is unserviceable and could not be economically repaired and returned to ACTIVE or INACTIVE status
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
UNKNOWN ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner was unable or unwilling to characterize the operational status of this facility
bull There was insufficient physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to warrant a more specific status
HOW CAN WE DETERMINE OPERATIONAL STATUS
bull Employ surface geophysical to search for ldquoEOIsrdquo
EOIrsquos can indicate the cut ends of pipes or cablesbull Employ non-destructive excavating techniques to expose target
utilities
gt Physical exposure at an EOI can provide verification that a line has been cut
gtPhysical exposure at points of poor electronic information may yield additional telling information such as holes or other conditions which are indicative of operational status
gtPhysical exposure of pipes facilitates external testing for cathodic protection pipe wall thickness asbestos content and flowing liquid or gas
bull As a last resort and provided a number of prerequisite criteria have been met pipes can be ldquocold tappedrdquo This facilitates direct sampling inside of the pipe
DOCUMENTING amp REPORTING INFORMATION
bull Provide QL-B information in the appropriate CADD platform using the clientrsquos standards for line styles symbology etc
bull Add a unique non-embedded text label ie A-Z 2A-2Z 3A-3Z to each line
bull Provide a Utility Characterization Report which includes detailed information such as size material type depth general condition ownership operational status etc for each line
TYPICAL QL-B WORK PRODUCT
TYPICAL QL-BUC WORK PRODUCT
CI ASCE 38-02Standard Guidelines for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface
Utility Data bull National engineering standard published in Dec
2002
bull Utility ownership or type should be noted when known
bull 38-02 is silent on how much investigation should go into determining utility ownership or type
SCOPES OF WORK
bull Most scopes of work whether generated by the SUE consultant or the client fail to specifically address the issue of unknowns
bull Therefore individual SUE consultants will address these
issues in different ways based upon their perception of the ownerrsquos expectations pricing mechanisms project due dates and other factors
bull However lacking a scope of work to the contrary a majority of SUE consultants will take a relatively minimalist approach and simply label ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo as an ldquoUNKNOWNSrdquo and leave it at that
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 1
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo it is traced to the project limits mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 2
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo and it is traced to the project limits it is mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
bull If it is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 3
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 4
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 5
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced for some distance beyond the project limits and mapped within the limits If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
bull If unknown is thought to be relatively shallow a hand excavation is performed in an attempt to at least identify its size and material type
SUMMARYbull Unknown conductors can end up
being almost anything from buried railroad tracks to scraps of abandoned phone cables to active petroleum or natural gas pipelines
bull The amount of effort required to determine what they are who owns them and whether or not they are ldquoactiverdquo covers a large spectrum
bull Some courses of action are simple inexpensive and can be relatively effective
bull Other actions may be quite costly and time consuming with liability issues regarding environmental releases or property damage (eg to a line being tapped)
bull Good communications and a clear scope of work are critical to controlling costs mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to project timelines
bull Project owners may perceive a conflict of interest between the normal utility mapping scope and the costly measures necessary to identify some unknowns they may desire separate contracts to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest
WHAT ARE THE PRIMARY GOALS OF INVESTIGATING UNKNOWNS
ATTEMPT TO DETERMINE THE FOLLOWINGbull What is it
Obtaining this information is critical because it is the only way to eliminate non-utility related targets It also allows for the narrowing of search parameters aimed at determining ownership
bull Who owns itThe determination of ownership is critical because it establishes a direct contact for obtaining additional facility specific information Direct contact with the owner also facilitates the timely negotiation design and planning of relocations
bull What is its operational statusThis information is critical regardless of the establishment of ownership The time and costs associated with removing ldquoabandonedrdquo facilities are far less than those associated with the design and relocation of ldquoinactiverdquo or ldquoabandonedrdquo facilities
HOW CAN WE DETERMINEWHAT IT IS
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to tie the target in to a utility related structure or positively identified utility configurations
This may require investigation beyond the strict limits of the project
bull Research additional sources of record and anecdotal information
These sources may include ldquoarchivalrdquo utility records permits deeds tax records public libraries county courthouses regulatory agencies property owners the internet etc
bull Employ non-destructive excavating techniques to expose the target
Exposure will allow for the elimination of non-utility unknowns It also allows for the collection of important physical information such as the size material type and general condition of unknown utilities
HOW CAN WE DETERMINE OWNERSHIP
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to tie the target in to a utility related structure or positively identified utility configurations
This may require investigation beyond the strict limits of the project
bull Research additional sources of record and anecdotal information
These sources may include ldquoarchivalrdquo utility records permits deeds tax records public libraries county courthouses regulatory agencies property owners internet etc
bull Post public notices as required by state and local statutes
bull Is there an owner
Abandoned utilities are often not included in the sales mergers etc of corporate interests In these cases ownership may have reverted to the surface owner
FROM THE TxDOT UTILITY MANUAL
Section 9 Unknown Utility Ownership Policy
Determining the ownership and authorized agent of the utility can be accomplished by
1048698 visiting with people being served by the facility1048698 checking with the owners or representatives of similar facilities in the area1048698 contacting the landowners where the utility is located1048698 reviewing TxDOT permits and Joint Use Agreements in the area1048698 investigate other adjacent roadway utilities or1048698 contacting county maintenance personnel or commissioners
Cooperative facilities may be used by consumers who are unaware that the facilities are consumer owned or that the original members of a cooperative may no longer exist Yet the cooperatives are responsible for the adjustment of utilities This situation may be remedied by the following methods
1048698 Call the consumers using the facilities to a meeting Have the TxDOT Utility Liaison explain the scope of the project and potential impact on the facilities
1048698 If the cooperative is unable to fund their portion of the required adjustment inform them of financing options These include SIB and States Hardship Financing Fund and other than State sources eg bond
bull When ownership cannot be determined and the utility is not abandoned or inoperative TxDOT will exhibit a good faith effort by publishing its intention to abandon the utility according to State or industry standards using a citation by publication This should be accomplished in the same manner as that for a right of way parcel refer to TxDOTrsquos right of way Manual Volume 4 Eminent Domain Guide Sections 3 and 8 Another method of handling this situation could be leaving the utility in place through highway design mitigation
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS
CHARACTERIZATIONS
ACTIVE ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational
status of this facility as ACTIVE
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is in regular use
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
INACTIVE ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational status of this facility as INACTIVE
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is not in regular use
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is serviceable or could be economically repaired and returned to ACTIVE status
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
ABANDONED ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational status of this facility as ABANDONED
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is not in regular use
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is unserviceable and could not be economically repaired and returned to ACTIVE or INACTIVE status
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
UNKNOWN ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner was unable or unwilling to characterize the operational status of this facility
bull There was insufficient physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to warrant a more specific status
HOW CAN WE DETERMINE OPERATIONAL STATUS
bull Employ surface geophysical to search for ldquoEOIsrdquo
EOIrsquos can indicate the cut ends of pipes or cablesbull Employ non-destructive excavating techniques to expose target
utilities
gt Physical exposure at an EOI can provide verification that a line has been cut
gtPhysical exposure at points of poor electronic information may yield additional telling information such as holes or other conditions which are indicative of operational status
gtPhysical exposure of pipes facilitates external testing for cathodic protection pipe wall thickness asbestos content and flowing liquid or gas
bull As a last resort and provided a number of prerequisite criteria have been met pipes can be ldquocold tappedrdquo This facilitates direct sampling inside of the pipe
DOCUMENTING amp REPORTING INFORMATION
bull Provide QL-B information in the appropriate CADD platform using the clientrsquos standards for line styles symbology etc
bull Add a unique non-embedded text label ie A-Z 2A-2Z 3A-3Z to each line
bull Provide a Utility Characterization Report which includes detailed information such as size material type depth general condition ownership operational status etc for each line
TYPICAL QL-B WORK PRODUCT
TYPICAL QL-BUC WORK PRODUCT
CI ASCE 38-02Standard Guidelines for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface
Utility Data bull National engineering standard published in Dec
2002
bull Utility ownership or type should be noted when known
bull 38-02 is silent on how much investigation should go into determining utility ownership or type
SCOPES OF WORK
bull Most scopes of work whether generated by the SUE consultant or the client fail to specifically address the issue of unknowns
bull Therefore individual SUE consultants will address these
issues in different ways based upon their perception of the ownerrsquos expectations pricing mechanisms project due dates and other factors
bull However lacking a scope of work to the contrary a majority of SUE consultants will take a relatively minimalist approach and simply label ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo as an ldquoUNKNOWNSrdquo and leave it at that
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 1
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo it is traced to the project limits mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 2
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo and it is traced to the project limits it is mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
bull If it is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 3
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 4
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 5
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced for some distance beyond the project limits and mapped within the limits If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
bull If unknown is thought to be relatively shallow a hand excavation is performed in an attempt to at least identify its size and material type
SUMMARYbull Unknown conductors can end up
being almost anything from buried railroad tracks to scraps of abandoned phone cables to active petroleum or natural gas pipelines
bull The amount of effort required to determine what they are who owns them and whether or not they are ldquoactiverdquo covers a large spectrum
bull Some courses of action are simple inexpensive and can be relatively effective
bull Other actions may be quite costly and time consuming with liability issues regarding environmental releases or property damage (eg to a line being tapped)
bull Good communications and a clear scope of work are critical to controlling costs mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to project timelines
bull Project owners may perceive a conflict of interest between the normal utility mapping scope and the costly measures necessary to identify some unknowns they may desire separate contracts to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest
HOW CAN WE DETERMINEWHAT IT IS
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to tie the target in to a utility related structure or positively identified utility configurations
This may require investigation beyond the strict limits of the project
bull Research additional sources of record and anecdotal information
These sources may include ldquoarchivalrdquo utility records permits deeds tax records public libraries county courthouses regulatory agencies property owners the internet etc
bull Employ non-destructive excavating techniques to expose the target
Exposure will allow for the elimination of non-utility unknowns It also allows for the collection of important physical information such as the size material type and general condition of unknown utilities
HOW CAN WE DETERMINE OWNERSHIP
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to tie the target in to a utility related structure or positively identified utility configurations
This may require investigation beyond the strict limits of the project
bull Research additional sources of record and anecdotal information
These sources may include ldquoarchivalrdquo utility records permits deeds tax records public libraries county courthouses regulatory agencies property owners internet etc
bull Post public notices as required by state and local statutes
bull Is there an owner
Abandoned utilities are often not included in the sales mergers etc of corporate interests In these cases ownership may have reverted to the surface owner
FROM THE TxDOT UTILITY MANUAL
Section 9 Unknown Utility Ownership Policy
Determining the ownership and authorized agent of the utility can be accomplished by
1048698 visiting with people being served by the facility1048698 checking with the owners or representatives of similar facilities in the area1048698 contacting the landowners where the utility is located1048698 reviewing TxDOT permits and Joint Use Agreements in the area1048698 investigate other adjacent roadway utilities or1048698 contacting county maintenance personnel or commissioners
Cooperative facilities may be used by consumers who are unaware that the facilities are consumer owned or that the original members of a cooperative may no longer exist Yet the cooperatives are responsible for the adjustment of utilities This situation may be remedied by the following methods
1048698 Call the consumers using the facilities to a meeting Have the TxDOT Utility Liaison explain the scope of the project and potential impact on the facilities
1048698 If the cooperative is unable to fund their portion of the required adjustment inform them of financing options These include SIB and States Hardship Financing Fund and other than State sources eg bond
bull When ownership cannot be determined and the utility is not abandoned or inoperative TxDOT will exhibit a good faith effort by publishing its intention to abandon the utility according to State or industry standards using a citation by publication This should be accomplished in the same manner as that for a right of way parcel refer to TxDOTrsquos right of way Manual Volume 4 Eminent Domain Guide Sections 3 and 8 Another method of handling this situation could be leaving the utility in place through highway design mitigation
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS
CHARACTERIZATIONS
ACTIVE ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational
status of this facility as ACTIVE
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is in regular use
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
INACTIVE ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational status of this facility as INACTIVE
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is not in regular use
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is serviceable or could be economically repaired and returned to ACTIVE status
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
ABANDONED ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational status of this facility as ABANDONED
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is not in regular use
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is unserviceable and could not be economically repaired and returned to ACTIVE or INACTIVE status
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
UNKNOWN ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner was unable or unwilling to characterize the operational status of this facility
bull There was insufficient physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to warrant a more specific status
HOW CAN WE DETERMINE OPERATIONAL STATUS
bull Employ surface geophysical to search for ldquoEOIsrdquo
EOIrsquos can indicate the cut ends of pipes or cablesbull Employ non-destructive excavating techniques to expose target
utilities
gt Physical exposure at an EOI can provide verification that a line has been cut
gtPhysical exposure at points of poor electronic information may yield additional telling information such as holes or other conditions which are indicative of operational status
gtPhysical exposure of pipes facilitates external testing for cathodic protection pipe wall thickness asbestos content and flowing liquid or gas
bull As a last resort and provided a number of prerequisite criteria have been met pipes can be ldquocold tappedrdquo This facilitates direct sampling inside of the pipe
DOCUMENTING amp REPORTING INFORMATION
bull Provide QL-B information in the appropriate CADD platform using the clientrsquos standards for line styles symbology etc
bull Add a unique non-embedded text label ie A-Z 2A-2Z 3A-3Z to each line
bull Provide a Utility Characterization Report which includes detailed information such as size material type depth general condition ownership operational status etc for each line
TYPICAL QL-B WORK PRODUCT
TYPICAL QL-BUC WORK PRODUCT
CI ASCE 38-02Standard Guidelines for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface
Utility Data bull National engineering standard published in Dec
2002
bull Utility ownership or type should be noted when known
bull 38-02 is silent on how much investigation should go into determining utility ownership or type
SCOPES OF WORK
bull Most scopes of work whether generated by the SUE consultant or the client fail to specifically address the issue of unknowns
bull Therefore individual SUE consultants will address these
issues in different ways based upon their perception of the ownerrsquos expectations pricing mechanisms project due dates and other factors
bull However lacking a scope of work to the contrary a majority of SUE consultants will take a relatively minimalist approach and simply label ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo as an ldquoUNKNOWNSrdquo and leave it at that
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 1
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo it is traced to the project limits mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 2
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo and it is traced to the project limits it is mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
bull If it is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 3
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 4
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 5
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced for some distance beyond the project limits and mapped within the limits If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
bull If unknown is thought to be relatively shallow a hand excavation is performed in an attempt to at least identify its size and material type
SUMMARYbull Unknown conductors can end up
being almost anything from buried railroad tracks to scraps of abandoned phone cables to active petroleum or natural gas pipelines
bull The amount of effort required to determine what they are who owns them and whether or not they are ldquoactiverdquo covers a large spectrum
bull Some courses of action are simple inexpensive and can be relatively effective
bull Other actions may be quite costly and time consuming with liability issues regarding environmental releases or property damage (eg to a line being tapped)
bull Good communications and a clear scope of work are critical to controlling costs mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to project timelines
bull Project owners may perceive a conflict of interest between the normal utility mapping scope and the costly measures necessary to identify some unknowns they may desire separate contracts to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest
HOW CAN WE DETERMINE OWNERSHIP
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to tie the target in to a utility related structure or positively identified utility configurations
This may require investigation beyond the strict limits of the project
bull Research additional sources of record and anecdotal information
These sources may include ldquoarchivalrdquo utility records permits deeds tax records public libraries county courthouses regulatory agencies property owners internet etc
bull Post public notices as required by state and local statutes
bull Is there an owner
Abandoned utilities are often not included in the sales mergers etc of corporate interests In these cases ownership may have reverted to the surface owner
FROM THE TxDOT UTILITY MANUAL
Section 9 Unknown Utility Ownership Policy
Determining the ownership and authorized agent of the utility can be accomplished by
1048698 visiting with people being served by the facility1048698 checking with the owners or representatives of similar facilities in the area1048698 contacting the landowners where the utility is located1048698 reviewing TxDOT permits and Joint Use Agreements in the area1048698 investigate other adjacent roadway utilities or1048698 contacting county maintenance personnel or commissioners
Cooperative facilities may be used by consumers who are unaware that the facilities are consumer owned or that the original members of a cooperative may no longer exist Yet the cooperatives are responsible for the adjustment of utilities This situation may be remedied by the following methods
1048698 Call the consumers using the facilities to a meeting Have the TxDOT Utility Liaison explain the scope of the project and potential impact on the facilities
1048698 If the cooperative is unable to fund their portion of the required adjustment inform them of financing options These include SIB and States Hardship Financing Fund and other than State sources eg bond
bull When ownership cannot be determined and the utility is not abandoned or inoperative TxDOT will exhibit a good faith effort by publishing its intention to abandon the utility according to State or industry standards using a citation by publication This should be accomplished in the same manner as that for a right of way parcel refer to TxDOTrsquos right of way Manual Volume 4 Eminent Domain Guide Sections 3 and 8 Another method of handling this situation could be leaving the utility in place through highway design mitigation
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS
CHARACTERIZATIONS
ACTIVE ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational
status of this facility as ACTIVE
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is in regular use
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
INACTIVE ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational status of this facility as INACTIVE
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is not in regular use
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is serviceable or could be economically repaired and returned to ACTIVE status
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
ABANDONED ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational status of this facility as ABANDONED
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is not in regular use
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is unserviceable and could not be economically repaired and returned to ACTIVE or INACTIVE status
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
UNKNOWN ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner was unable or unwilling to characterize the operational status of this facility
bull There was insufficient physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to warrant a more specific status
HOW CAN WE DETERMINE OPERATIONAL STATUS
bull Employ surface geophysical to search for ldquoEOIsrdquo
EOIrsquos can indicate the cut ends of pipes or cablesbull Employ non-destructive excavating techniques to expose target
utilities
gt Physical exposure at an EOI can provide verification that a line has been cut
gtPhysical exposure at points of poor electronic information may yield additional telling information such as holes or other conditions which are indicative of operational status
gtPhysical exposure of pipes facilitates external testing for cathodic protection pipe wall thickness asbestos content and flowing liquid or gas
bull As a last resort and provided a number of prerequisite criteria have been met pipes can be ldquocold tappedrdquo This facilitates direct sampling inside of the pipe
DOCUMENTING amp REPORTING INFORMATION
bull Provide QL-B information in the appropriate CADD platform using the clientrsquos standards for line styles symbology etc
bull Add a unique non-embedded text label ie A-Z 2A-2Z 3A-3Z to each line
bull Provide a Utility Characterization Report which includes detailed information such as size material type depth general condition ownership operational status etc for each line
TYPICAL QL-B WORK PRODUCT
TYPICAL QL-BUC WORK PRODUCT
CI ASCE 38-02Standard Guidelines for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface
Utility Data bull National engineering standard published in Dec
2002
bull Utility ownership or type should be noted when known
bull 38-02 is silent on how much investigation should go into determining utility ownership or type
SCOPES OF WORK
bull Most scopes of work whether generated by the SUE consultant or the client fail to specifically address the issue of unknowns
bull Therefore individual SUE consultants will address these
issues in different ways based upon their perception of the ownerrsquos expectations pricing mechanisms project due dates and other factors
bull However lacking a scope of work to the contrary a majority of SUE consultants will take a relatively minimalist approach and simply label ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo as an ldquoUNKNOWNSrdquo and leave it at that
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 1
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo it is traced to the project limits mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 2
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo and it is traced to the project limits it is mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
bull If it is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 3
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 4
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 5
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced for some distance beyond the project limits and mapped within the limits If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
bull If unknown is thought to be relatively shallow a hand excavation is performed in an attempt to at least identify its size and material type
SUMMARYbull Unknown conductors can end up
being almost anything from buried railroad tracks to scraps of abandoned phone cables to active petroleum or natural gas pipelines
bull The amount of effort required to determine what they are who owns them and whether or not they are ldquoactiverdquo covers a large spectrum
bull Some courses of action are simple inexpensive and can be relatively effective
bull Other actions may be quite costly and time consuming with liability issues regarding environmental releases or property damage (eg to a line being tapped)
bull Good communications and a clear scope of work are critical to controlling costs mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to project timelines
bull Project owners may perceive a conflict of interest between the normal utility mapping scope and the costly measures necessary to identify some unknowns they may desire separate contracts to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest
FROM THE TxDOT UTILITY MANUAL
Section 9 Unknown Utility Ownership Policy
Determining the ownership and authorized agent of the utility can be accomplished by
1048698 visiting with people being served by the facility1048698 checking with the owners or representatives of similar facilities in the area1048698 contacting the landowners where the utility is located1048698 reviewing TxDOT permits and Joint Use Agreements in the area1048698 investigate other adjacent roadway utilities or1048698 contacting county maintenance personnel or commissioners
Cooperative facilities may be used by consumers who are unaware that the facilities are consumer owned or that the original members of a cooperative may no longer exist Yet the cooperatives are responsible for the adjustment of utilities This situation may be remedied by the following methods
1048698 Call the consumers using the facilities to a meeting Have the TxDOT Utility Liaison explain the scope of the project and potential impact on the facilities
1048698 If the cooperative is unable to fund their portion of the required adjustment inform them of financing options These include SIB and States Hardship Financing Fund and other than State sources eg bond
bull When ownership cannot be determined and the utility is not abandoned or inoperative TxDOT will exhibit a good faith effort by publishing its intention to abandon the utility according to State or industry standards using a citation by publication This should be accomplished in the same manner as that for a right of way parcel refer to TxDOTrsquos right of way Manual Volume 4 Eminent Domain Guide Sections 3 and 8 Another method of handling this situation could be leaving the utility in place through highway design mitigation
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS
CHARACTERIZATIONS
ACTIVE ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational
status of this facility as ACTIVE
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is in regular use
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
INACTIVE ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational status of this facility as INACTIVE
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is not in regular use
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is serviceable or could be economically repaired and returned to ACTIVE status
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
ABANDONED ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational status of this facility as ABANDONED
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is not in regular use
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is unserviceable and could not be economically repaired and returned to ACTIVE or INACTIVE status
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
UNKNOWN ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner was unable or unwilling to characterize the operational status of this facility
bull There was insufficient physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to warrant a more specific status
HOW CAN WE DETERMINE OPERATIONAL STATUS
bull Employ surface geophysical to search for ldquoEOIsrdquo
EOIrsquos can indicate the cut ends of pipes or cablesbull Employ non-destructive excavating techniques to expose target
utilities
gt Physical exposure at an EOI can provide verification that a line has been cut
gtPhysical exposure at points of poor electronic information may yield additional telling information such as holes or other conditions which are indicative of operational status
gtPhysical exposure of pipes facilitates external testing for cathodic protection pipe wall thickness asbestos content and flowing liquid or gas
bull As a last resort and provided a number of prerequisite criteria have been met pipes can be ldquocold tappedrdquo This facilitates direct sampling inside of the pipe
DOCUMENTING amp REPORTING INFORMATION
bull Provide QL-B information in the appropriate CADD platform using the clientrsquos standards for line styles symbology etc
bull Add a unique non-embedded text label ie A-Z 2A-2Z 3A-3Z to each line
bull Provide a Utility Characterization Report which includes detailed information such as size material type depth general condition ownership operational status etc for each line
TYPICAL QL-B WORK PRODUCT
TYPICAL QL-BUC WORK PRODUCT
CI ASCE 38-02Standard Guidelines for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface
Utility Data bull National engineering standard published in Dec
2002
bull Utility ownership or type should be noted when known
bull 38-02 is silent on how much investigation should go into determining utility ownership or type
SCOPES OF WORK
bull Most scopes of work whether generated by the SUE consultant or the client fail to specifically address the issue of unknowns
bull Therefore individual SUE consultants will address these
issues in different ways based upon their perception of the ownerrsquos expectations pricing mechanisms project due dates and other factors
bull However lacking a scope of work to the contrary a majority of SUE consultants will take a relatively minimalist approach and simply label ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo as an ldquoUNKNOWNSrdquo and leave it at that
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 1
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo it is traced to the project limits mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 2
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo and it is traced to the project limits it is mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
bull If it is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 3
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 4
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 5
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced for some distance beyond the project limits and mapped within the limits If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
bull If unknown is thought to be relatively shallow a hand excavation is performed in an attempt to at least identify its size and material type
SUMMARYbull Unknown conductors can end up
being almost anything from buried railroad tracks to scraps of abandoned phone cables to active petroleum or natural gas pipelines
bull The amount of effort required to determine what they are who owns them and whether or not they are ldquoactiverdquo covers a large spectrum
bull Some courses of action are simple inexpensive and can be relatively effective
bull Other actions may be quite costly and time consuming with liability issues regarding environmental releases or property damage (eg to a line being tapped)
bull Good communications and a clear scope of work are critical to controlling costs mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to project timelines
bull Project owners may perceive a conflict of interest between the normal utility mapping scope and the costly measures necessary to identify some unknowns they may desire separate contracts to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest
Cooperative facilities may be used by consumers who are unaware that the facilities are consumer owned or that the original members of a cooperative may no longer exist Yet the cooperatives are responsible for the adjustment of utilities This situation may be remedied by the following methods
1048698 Call the consumers using the facilities to a meeting Have the TxDOT Utility Liaison explain the scope of the project and potential impact on the facilities
1048698 If the cooperative is unable to fund their portion of the required adjustment inform them of financing options These include SIB and States Hardship Financing Fund and other than State sources eg bond
bull When ownership cannot be determined and the utility is not abandoned or inoperative TxDOT will exhibit a good faith effort by publishing its intention to abandon the utility according to State or industry standards using a citation by publication This should be accomplished in the same manner as that for a right of way parcel refer to TxDOTrsquos right of way Manual Volume 4 Eminent Domain Guide Sections 3 and 8 Another method of handling this situation could be leaving the utility in place through highway design mitigation
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS
CHARACTERIZATIONS
ACTIVE ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational
status of this facility as ACTIVE
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is in regular use
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
INACTIVE ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational status of this facility as INACTIVE
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is not in regular use
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is serviceable or could be economically repaired and returned to ACTIVE status
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
ABANDONED ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational status of this facility as ABANDONED
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is not in regular use
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is unserviceable and could not be economically repaired and returned to ACTIVE or INACTIVE status
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
UNKNOWN ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner was unable or unwilling to characterize the operational status of this facility
bull There was insufficient physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to warrant a more specific status
HOW CAN WE DETERMINE OPERATIONAL STATUS
bull Employ surface geophysical to search for ldquoEOIsrdquo
EOIrsquos can indicate the cut ends of pipes or cablesbull Employ non-destructive excavating techniques to expose target
utilities
gt Physical exposure at an EOI can provide verification that a line has been cut
gtPhysical exposure at points of poor electronic information may yield additional telling information such as holes or other conditions which are indicative of operational status
gtPhysical exposure of pipes facilitates external testing for cathodic protection pipe wall thickness asbestos content and flowing liquid or gas
bull As a last resort and provided a number of prerequisite criteria have been met pipes can be ldquocold tappedrdquo This facilitates direct sampling inside of the pipe
DOCUMENTING amp REPORTING INFORMATION
bull Provide QL-B information in the appropriate CADD platform using the clientrsquos standards for line styles symbology etc
bull Add a unique non-embedded text label ie A-Z 2A-2Z 3A-3Z to each line
bull Provide a Utility Characterization Report which includes detailed information such as size material type depth general condition ownership operational status etc for each line
TYPICAL QL-B WORK PRODUCT
TYPICAL QL-BUC WORK PRODUCT
CI ASCE 38-02Standard Guidelines for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface
Utility Data bull National engineering standard published in Dec
2002
bull Utility ownership or type should be noted when known
bull 38-02 is silent on how much investigation should go into determining utility ownership or type
SCOPES OF WORK
bull Most scopes of work whether generated by the SUE consultant or the client fail to specifically address the issue of unknowns
bull Therefore individual SUE consultants will address these
issues in different ways based upon their perception of the ownerrsquos expectations pricing mechanisms project due dates and other factors
bull However lacking a scope of work to the contrary a majority of SUE consultants will take a relatively minimalist approach and simply label ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo as an ldquoUNKNOWNSrdquo and leave it at that
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 1
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo it is traced to the project limits mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 2
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo and it is traced to the project limits it is mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
bull If it is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 3
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 4
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 5
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced for some distance beyond the project limits and mapped within the limits If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
bull If unknown is thought to be relatively shallow a hand excavation is performed in an attempt to at least identify its size and material type
SUMMARYbull Unknown conductors can end up
being almost anything from buried railroad tracks to scraps of abandoned phone cables to active petroleum or natural gas pipelines
bull The amount of effort required to determine what they are who owns them and whether or not they are ldquoactiverdquo covers a large spectrum
bull Some courses of action are simple inexpensive and can be relatively effective
bull Other actions may be quite costly and time consuming with liability issues regarding environmental releases or property damage (eg to a line being tapped)
bull Good communications and a clear scope of work are critical to controlling costs mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to project timelines
bull Project owners may perceive a conflict of interest between the normal utility mapping scope and the costly measures necessary to identify some unknowns they may desire separate contracts to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest
bull When ownership cannot be determined and the utility is not abandoned or inoperative TxDOT will exhibit a good faith effort by publishing its intention to abandon the utility according to State or industry standards using a citation by publication This should be accomplished in the same manner as that for a right of way parcel refer to TxDOTrsquos right of way Manual Volume 4 Eminent Domain Guide Sections 3 and 8 Another method of handling this situation could be leaving the utility in place through highway design mitigation
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS
CHARACTERIZATIONS
ACTIVE ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational
status of this facility as ACTIVE
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is in regular use
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
INACTIVE ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational status of this facility as INACTIVE
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is not in regular use
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is serviceable or could be economically repaired and returned to ACTIVE status
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
ABANDONED ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational status of this facility as ABANDONED
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is not in regular use
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is unserviceable and could not be economically repaired and returned to ACTIVE or INACTIVE status
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
UNKNOWN ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner was unable or unwilling to characterize the operational status of this facility
bull There was insufficient physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to warrant a more specific status
HOW CAN WE DETERMINE OPERATIONAL STATUS
bull Employ surface geophysical to search for ldquoEOIsrdquo
EOIrsquos can indicate the cut ends of pipes or cablesbull Employ non-destructive excavating techniques to expose target
utilities
gt Physical exposure at an EOI can provide verification that a line has been cut
gtPhysical exposure at points of poor electronic information may yield additional telling information such as holes or other conditions which are indicative of operational status
gtPhysical exposure of pipes facilitates external testing for cathodic protection pipe wall thickness asbestos content and flowing liquid or gas
bull As a last resort and provided a number of prerequisite criteria have been met pipes can be ldquocold tappedrdquo This facilitates direct sampling inside of the pipe
DOCUMENTING amp REPORTING INFORMATION
bull Provide QL-B information in the appropriate CADD platform using the clientrsquos standards for line styles symbology etc
bull Add a unique non-embedded text label ie A-Z 2A-2Z 3A-3Z to each line
bull Provide a Utility Characterization Report which includes detailed information such as size material type depth general condition ownership operational status etc for each line
TYPICAL QL-B WORK PRODUCT
TYPICAL QL-BUC WORK PRODUCT
CI ASCE 38-02Standard Guidelines for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface
Utility Data bull National engineering standard published in Dec
2002
bull Utility ownership or type should be noted when known
bull 38-02 is silent on how much investigation should go into determining utility ownership or type
SCOPES OF WORK
bull Most scopes of work whether generated by the SUE consultant or the client fail to specifically address the issue of unknowns
bull Therefore individual SUE consultants will address these
issues in different ways based upon their perception of the ownerrsquos expectations pricing mechanisms project due dates and other factors
bull However lacking a scope of work to the contrary a majority of SUE consultants will take a relatively minimalist approach and simply label ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo as an ldquoUNKNOWNSrdquo and leave it at that
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 1
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo it is traced to the project limits mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 2
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo and it is traced to the project limits it is mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
bull If it is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 3
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 4
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 5
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced for some distance beyond the project limits and mapped within the limits If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
bull If unknown is thought to be relatively shallow a hand excavation is performed in an attempt to at least identify its size and material type
SUMMARYbull Unknown conductors can end up
being almost anything from buried railroad tracks to scraps of abandoned phone cables to active petroleum or natural gas pipelines
bull The amount of effort required to determine what they are who owns them and whether or not they are ldquoactiverdquo covers a large spectrum
bull Some courses of action are simple inexpensive and can be relatively effective
bull Other actions may be quite costly and time consuming with liability issues regarding environmental releases or property damage (eg to a line being tapped)
bull Good communications and a clear scope of work are critical to controlling costs mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to project timelines
bull Project owners may perceive a conflict of interest between the normal utility mapping scope and the costly measures necessary to identify some unknowns they may desire separate contracts to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS
CHARACTERIZATIONS
ACTIVE ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational
status of this facility as ACTIVE
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is in regular use
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
INACTIVE ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational status of this facility as INACTIVE
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is not in regular use
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is serviceable or could be economically repaired and returned to ACTIVE status
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
ABANDONED ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational status of this facility as ABANDONED
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is not in regular use
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is unserviceable and could not be economically repaired and returned to ACTIVE or INACTIVE status
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
UNKNOWN ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner was unable or unwilling to characterize the operational status of this facility
bull There was insufficient physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to warrant a more specific status
HOW CAN WE DETERMINE OPERATIONAL STATUS
bull Employ surface geophysical to search for ldquoEOIsrdquo
EOIrsquos can indicate the cut ends of pipes or cablesbull Employ non-destructive excavating techniques to expose target
utilities
gt Physical exposure at an EOI can provide verification that a line has been cut
gtPhysical exposure at points of poor electronic information may yield additional telling information such as holes or other conditions which are indicative of operational status
gtPhysical exposure of pipes facilitates external testing for cathodic protection pipe wall thickness asbestos content and flowing liquid or gas
bull As a last resort and provided a number of prerequisite criteria have been met pipes can be ldquocold tappedrdquo This facilitates direct sampling inside of the pipe
DOCUMENTING amp REPORTING INFORMATION
bull Provide QL-B information in the appropriate CADD platform using the clientrsquos standards for line styles symbology etc
bull Add a unique non-embedded text label ie A-Z 2A-2Z 3A-3Z to each line
bull Provide a Utility Characterization Report which includes detailed information such as size material type depth general condition ownership operational status etc for each line
TYPICAL QL-B WORK PRODUCT
TYPICAL QL-BUC WORK PRODUCT
CI ASCE 38-02Standard Guidelines for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface
Utility Data bull National engineering standard published in Dec
2002
bull Utility ownership or type should be noted when known
bull 38-02 is silent on how much investigation should go into determining utility ownership or type
SCOPES OF WORK
bull Most scopes of work whether generated by the SUE consultant or the client fail to specifically address the issue of unknowns
bull Therefore individual SUE consultants will address these
issues in different ways based upon their perception of the ownerrsquos expectations pricing mechanisms project due dates and other factors
bull However lacking a scope of work to the contrary a majority of SUE consultants will take a relatively minimalist approach and simply label ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo as an ldquoUNKNOWNSrdquo and leave it at that
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 1
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo it is traced to the project limits mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 2
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo and it is traced to the project limits it is mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
bull If it is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 3
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 4
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 5
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced for some distance beyond the project limits and mapped within the limits If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
bull If unknown is thought to be relatively shallow a hand excavation is performed in an attempt to at least identify its size and material type
SUMMARYbull Unknown conductors can end up
being almost anything from buried railroad tracks to scraps of abandoned phone cables to active petroleum or natural gas pipelines
bull The amount of effort required to determine what they are who owns them and whether or not they are ldquoactiverdquo covers a large spectrum
bull Some courses of action are simple inexpensive and can be relatively effective
bull Other actions may be quite costly and time consuming with liability issues regarding environmental releases or property damage (eg to a line being tapped)
bull Good communications and a clear scope of work are critical to controlling costs mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to project timelines
bull Project owners may perceive a conflict of interest between the normal utility mapping scope and the costly measures necessary to identify some unknowns they may desire separate contracts to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
INACTIVE ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational status of this facility as INACTIVE
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is not in regular use
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is serviceable or could be economically repaired and returned to ACTIVE status
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
ABANDONED ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational status of this facility as ABANDONED
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is not in regular use
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is unserviceable and could not be economically repaired and returned to ACTIVE or INACTIVE status
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
UNKNOWN ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner was unable or unwilling to characterize the operational status of this facility
bull There was insufficient physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to warrant a more specific status
HOW CAN WE DETERMINE OPERATIONAL STATUS
bull Employ surface geophysical to search for ldquoEOIsrdquo
EOIrsquos can indicate the cut ends of pipes or cablesbull Employ non-destructive excavating techniques to expose target
utilities
gt Physical exposure at an EOI can provide verification that a line has been cut
gtPhysical exposure at points of poor electronic information may yield additional telling information such as holes or other conditions which are indicative of operational status
gtPhysical exposure of pipes facilitates external testing for cathodic protection pipe wall thickness asbestos content and flowing liquid or gas
bull As a last resort and provided a number of prerequisite criteria have been met pipes can be ldquocold tappedrdquo This facilitates direct sampling inside of the pipe
DOCUMENTING amp REPORTING INFORMATION
bull Provide QL-B information in the appropriate CADD platform using the clientrsquos standards for line styles symbology etc
bull Add a unique non-embedded text label ie A-Z 2A-2Z 3A-3Z to each line
bull Provide a Utility Characterization Report which includes detailed information such as size material type depth general condition ownership operational status etc for each line
TYPICAL QL-B WORK PRODUCT
TYPICAL QL-BUC WORK PRODUCT
CI ASCE 38-02Standard Guidelines for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface
Utility Data bull National engineering standard published in Dec
2002
bull Utility ownership or type should be noted when known
bull 38-02 is silent on how much investigation should go into determining utility ownership or type
SCOPES OF WORK
bull Most scopes of work whether generated by the SUE consultant or the client fail to specifically address the issue of unknowns
bull Therefore individual SUE consultants will address these
issues in different ways based upon their perception of the ownerrsquos expectations pricing mechanisms project due dates and other factors
bull However lacking a scope of work to the contrary a majority of SUE consultants will take a relatively minimalist approach and simply label ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo as an ldquoUNKNOWNSrdquo and leave it at that
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 1
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo it is traced to the project limits mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 2
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo and it is traced to the project limits it is mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
bull If it is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 3
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 4
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 5
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced for some distance beyond the project limits and mapped within the limits If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
bull If unknown is thought to be relatively shallow a hand excavation is performed in an attempt to at least identify its size and material type
SUMMARYbull Unknown conductors can end up
being almost anything from buried railroad tracks to scraps of abandoned phone cables to active petroleum or natural gas pipelines
bull The amount of effort required to determine what they are who owns them and whether or not they are ldquoactiverdquo covers a large spectrum
bull Some courses of action are simple inexpensive and can be relatively effective
bull Other actions may be quite costly and time consuming with liability issues regarding environmental releases or property damage (eg to a line being tapped)
bull Good communications and a clear scope of work are critical to controlling costs mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to project timelines
bull Project owners may perceive a conflict of interest between the normal utility mapping scope and the costly measures necessary to identify some unknowns they may desire separate contracts to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
ABANDONED ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner has characterized the operational status of this facility as ABANDONED
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is not in regular use
bull There is physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility is unserviceable and could not be economically repaired and returned to ACTIVE or INACTIVE status
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
UNKNOWN ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner was unable or unwilling to characterize the operational status of this facility
bull There was insufficient physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to warrant a more specific status
HOW CAN WE DETERMINE OPERATIONAL STATUS
bull Employ surface geophysical to search for ldquoEOIsrdquo
EOIrsquos can indicate the cut ends of pipes or cablesbull Employ non-destructive excavating techniques to expose target
utilities
gt Physical exposure at an EOI can provide verification that a line has been cut
gtPhysical exposure at points of poor electronic information may yield additional telling information such as holes or other conditions which are indicative of operational status
gtPhysical exposure of pipes facilitates external testing for cathodic protection pipe wall thickness asbestos content and flowing liquid or gas
bull As a last resort and provided a number of prerequisite criteria have been met pipes can be ldquocold tappedrdquo This facilitates direct sampling inside of the pipe
DOCUMENTING amp REPORTING INFORMATION
bull Provide QL-B information in the appropriate CADD platform using the clientrsquos standards for line styles symbology etc
bull Add a unique non-embedded text label ie A-Z 2A-2Z 3A-3Z to each line
bull Provide a Utility Characterization Report which includes detailed information such as size material type depth general condition ownership operational status etc for each line
TYPICAL QL-B WORK PRODUCT
TYPICAL QL-BUC WORK PRODUCT
CI ASCE 38-02Standard Guidelines for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface
Utility Data bull National engineering standard published in Dec
2002
bull Utility ownership or type should be noted when known
bull 38-02 is silent on how much investigation should go into determining utility ownership or type
SCOPES OF WORK
bull Most scopes of work whether generated by the SUE consultant or the client fail to specifically address the issue of unknowns
bull Therefore individual SUE consultants will address these
issues in different ways based upon their perception of the ownerrsquos expectations pricing mechanisms project due dates and other factors
bull However lacking a scope of work to the contrary a majority of SUE consultants will take a relatively minimalist approach and simply label ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo as an ldquoUNKNOWNSrdquo and leave it at that
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 1
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo it is traced to the project limits mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 2
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo and it is traced to the project limits it is mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
bull If it is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 3
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 4
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 5
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced for some distance beyond the project limits and mapped within the limits If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
bull If unknown is thought to be relatively shallow a hand excavation is performed in an attempt to at least identify its size and material type
SUMMARYbull Unknown conductors can end up
being almost anything from buried railroad tracks to scraps of abandoned phone cables to active petroleum or natural gas pipelines
bull The amount of effort required to determine what they are who owns them and whether or not they are ldquoactiverdquo covers a large spectrum
bull Some courses of action are simple inexpensive and can be relatively effective
bull Other actions may be quite costly and time consuming with liability issues regarding environmental releases or property damage (eg to a line being tapped)
bull Good communications and a clear scope of work are critical to controlling costs mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to project timelines
bull Project owners may perceive a conflict of interest between the normal utility mapping scope and the costly measures necessary to identify some unknowns they may desire separate contracts to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS CHARACTERIZATIONS
UNKNOWN ndash Any or all of the following may apply
bull The utility owner was unable or unwilling to characterize the operational status of this facility
bull There was insufficient physical electronic record or anecdotal evidence found to warrant a more specific status
HOW CAN WE DETERMINE OPERATIONAL STATUS
bull Employ surface geophysical to search for ldquoEOIsrdquo
EOIrsquos can indicate the cut ends of pipes or cablesbull Employ non-destructive excavating techniques to expose target
utilities
gt Physical exposure at an EOI can provide verification that a line has been cut
gtPhysical exposure at points of poor electronic information may yield additional telling information such as holes or other conditions which are indicative of operational status
gtPhysical exposure of pipes facilitates external testing for cathodic protection pipe wall thickness asbestos content and flowing liquid or gas
bull As a last resort and provided a number of prerequisite criteria have been met pipes can be ldquocold tappedrdquo This facilitates direct sampling inside of the pipe
DOCUMENTING amp REPORTING INFORMATION
bull Provide QL-B information in the appropriate CADD platform using the clientrsquos standards for line styles symbology etc
bull Add a unique non-embedded text label ie A-Z 2A-2Z 3A-3Z to each line
bull Provide a Utility Characterization Report which includes detailed information such as size material type depth general condition ownership operational status etc for each line
TYPICAL QL-B WORK PRODUCT
TYPICAL QL-BUC WORK PRODUCT
CI ASCE 38-02Standard Guidelines for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface
Utility Data bull National engineering standard published in Dec
2002
bull Utility ownership or type should be noted when known
bull 38-02 is silent on how much investigation should go into determining utility ownership or type
SCOPES OF WORK
bull Most scopes of work whether generated by the SUE consultant or the client fail to specifically address the issue of unknowns
bull Therefore individual SUE consultants will address these
issues in different ways based upon their perception of the ownerrsquos expectations pricing mechanisms project due dates and other factors
bull However lacking a scope of work to the contrary a majority of SUE consultants will take a relatively minimalist approach and simply label ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo as an ldquoUNKNOWNSrdquo and leave it at that
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 1
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo it is traced to the project limits mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 2
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo and it is traced to the project limits it is mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
bull If it is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 3
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 4
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 5
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced for some distance beyond the project limits and mapped within the limits If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
bull If unknown is thought to be relatively shallow a hand excavation is performed in an attempt to at least identify its size and material type
SUMMARYbull Unknown conductors can end up
being almost anything from buried railroad tracks to scraps of abandoned phone cables to active petroleum or natural gas pipelines
bull The amount of effort required to determine what they are who owns them and whether or not they are ldquoactiverdquo covers a large spectrum
bull Some courses of action are simple inexpensive and can be relatively effective
bull Other actions may be quite costly and time consuming with liability issues regarding environmental releases or property damage (eg to a line being tapped)
bull Good communications and a clear scope of work are critical to controlling costs mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to project timelines
bull Project owners may perceive a conflict of interest between the normal utility mapping scope and the costly measures necessary to identify some unknowns they may desire separate contracts to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest
HOW CAN WE DETERMINE OPERATIONAL STATUS
bull Employ surface geophysical to search for ldquoEOIsrdquo
EOIrsquos can indicate the cut ends of pipes or cablesbull Employ non-destructive excavating techniques to expose target
utilities
gt Physical exposure at an EOI can provide verification that a line has been cut
gtPhysical exposure at points of poor electronic information may yield additional telling information such as holes or other conditions which are indicative of operational status
gtPhysical exposure of pipes facilitates external testing for cathodic protection pipe wall thickness asbestos content and flowing liquid or gas
bull As a last resort and provided a number of prerequisite criteria have been met pipes can be ldquocold tappedrdquo This facilitates direct sampling inside of the pipe
DOCUMENTING amp REPORTING INFORMATION
bull Provide QL-B information in the appropriate CADD platform using the clientrsquos standards for line styles symbology etc
bull Add a unique non-embedded text label ie A-Z 2A-2Z 3A-3Z to each line
bull Provide a Utility Characterization Report which includes detailed information such as size material type depth general condition ownership operational status etc for each line
TYPICAL QL-B WORK PRODUCT
TYPICAL QL-BUC WORK PRODUCT
CI ASCE 38-02Standard Guidelines for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface
Utility Data bull National engineering standard published in Dec
2002
bull Utility ownership or type should be noted when known
bull 38-02 is silent on how much investigation should go into determining utility ownership or type
SCOPES OF WORK
bull Most scopes of work whether generated by the SUE consultant or the client fail to specifically address the issue of unknowns
bull Therefore individual SUE consultants will address these
issues in different ways based upon their perception of the ownerrsquos expectations pricing mechanisms project due dates and other factors
bull However lacking a scope of work to the contrary a majority of SUE consultants will take a relatively minimalist approach and simply label ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo as an ldquoUNKNOWNSrdquo and leave it at that
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 1
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo it is traced to the project limits mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 2
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo and it is traced to the project limits it is mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
bull If it is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 3
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 4
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 5
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced for some distance beyond the project limits and mapped within the limits If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
bull If unknown is thought to be relatively shallow a hand excavation is performed in an attempt to at least identify its size and material type
SUMMARYbull Unknown conductors can end up
being almost anything from buried railroad tracks to scraps of abandoned phone cables to active petroleum or natural gas pipelines
bull The amount of effort required to determine what they are who owns them and whether or not they are ldquoactiverdquo covers a large spectrum
bull Some courses of action are simple inexpensive and can be relatively effective
bull Other actions may be quite costly and time consuming with liability issues regarding environmental releases or property damage (eg to a line being tapped)
bull Good communications and a clear scope of work are critical to controlling costs mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to project timelines
bull Project owners may perceive a conflict of interest between the normal utility mapping scope and the costly measures necessary to identify some unknowns they may desire separate contracts to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest
DOCUMENTING amp REPORTING INFORMATION
bull Provide QL-B information in the appropriate CADD platform using the clientrsquos standards for line styles symbology etc
bull Add a unique non-embedded text label ie A-Z 2A-2Z 3A-3Z to each line
bull Provide a Utility Characterization Report which includes detailed information such as size material type depth general condition ownership operational status etc for each line
TYPICAL QL-B WORK PRODUCT
TYPICAL QL-BUC WORK PRODUCT
CI ASCE 38-02Standard Guidelines for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface
Utility Data bull National engineering standard published in Dec
2002
bull Utility ownership or type should be noted when known
bull 38-02 is silent on how much investigation should go into determining utility ownership or type
SCOPES OF WORK
bull Most scopes of work whether generated by the SUE consultant or the client fail to specifically address the issue of unknowns
bull Therefore individual SUE consultants will address these
issues in different ways based upon their perception of the ownerrsquos expectations pricing mechanisms project due dates and other factors
bull However lacking a scope of work to the contrary a majority of SUE consultants will take a relatively minimalist approach and simply label ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo as an ldquoUNKNOWNSrdquo and leave it at that
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 1
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo it is traced to the project limits mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 2
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo and it is traced to the project limits it is mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
bull If it is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 3
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 4
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 5
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced for some distance beyond the project limits and mapped within the limits If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
bull If unknown is thought to be relatively shallow a hand excavation is performed in an attempt to at least identify its size and material type
SUMMARYbull Unknown conductors can end up
being almost anything from buried railroad tracks to scraps of abandoned phone cables to active petroleum or natural gas pipelines
bull The amount of effort required to determine what they are who owns them and whether or not they are ldquoactiverdquo covers a large spectrum
bull Some courses of action are simple inexpensive and can be relatively effective
bull Other actions may be quite costly and time consuming with liability issues regarding environmental releases or property damage (eg to a line being tapped)
bull Good communications and a clear scope of work are critical to controlling costs mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to project timelines
bull Project owners may perceive a conflict of interest between the normal utility mapping scope and the costly measures necessary to identify some unknowns they may desire separate contracts to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest
TYPICAL QL-B WORK PRODUCT
TYPICAL QL-BUC WORK PRODUCT
CI ASCE 38-02Standard Guidelines for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface
Utility Data bull National engineering standard published in Dec
2002
bull Utility ownership or type should be noted when known
bull 38-02 is silent on how much investigation should go into determining utility ownership or type
SCOPES OF WORK
bull Most scopes of work whether generated by the SUE consultant or the client fail to specifically address the issue of unknowns
bull Therefore individual SUE consultants will address these
issues in different ways based upon their perception of the ownerrsquos expectations pricing mechanisms project due dates and other factors
bull However lacking a scope of work to the contrary a majority of SUE consultants will take a relatively minimalist approach and simply label ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo as an ldquoUNKNOWNSrdquo and leave it at that
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 1
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo it is traced to the project limits mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 2
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo and it is traced to the project limits it is mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
bull If it is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 3
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 4
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 5
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced for some distance beyond the project limits and mapped within the limits If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
bull If unknown is thought to be relatively shallow a hand excavation is performed in an attempt to at least identify its size and material type
SUMMARYbull Unknown conductors can end up
being almost anything from buried railroad tracks to scraps of abandoned phone cables to active petroleum or natural gas pipelines
bull The amount of effort required to determine what they are who owns them and whether or not they are ldquoactiverdquo covers a large spectrum
bull Some courses of action are simple inexpensive and can be relatively effective
bull Other actions may be quite costly and time consuming with liability issues regarding environmental releases or property damage (eg to a line being tapped)
bull Good communications and a clear scope of work are critical to controlling costs mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to project timelines
bull Project owners may perceive a conflict of interest between the normal utility mapping scope and the costly measures necessary to identify some unknowns they may desire separate contracts to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest
TYPICAL QL-BUC WORK PRODUCT
CI ASCE 38-02Standard Guidelines for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface
Utility Data bull National engineering standard published in Dec
2002
bull Utility ownership or type should be noted when known
bull 38-02 is silent on how much investigation should go into determining utility ownership or type
SCOPES OF WORK
bull Most scopes of work whether generated by the SUE consultant or the client fail to specifically address the issue of unknowns
bull Therefore individual SUE consultants will address these
issues in different ways based upon their perception of the ownerrsquos expectations pricing mechanisms project due dates and other factors
bull However lacking a scope of work to the contrary a majority of SUE consultants will take a relatively minimalist approach and simply label ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo as an ldquoUNKNOWNSrdquo and leave it at that
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 1
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo it is traced to the project limits mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 2
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo and it is traced to the project limits it is mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
bull If it is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 3
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 4
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 5
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced for some distance beyond the project limits and mapped within the limits If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
bull If unknown is thought to be relatively shallow a hand excavation is performed in an attempt to at least identify its size and material type
SUMMARYbull Unknown conductors can end up
being almost anything from buried railroad tracks to scraps of abandoned phone cables to active petroleum or natural gas pipelines
bull The amount of effort required to determine what they are who owns them and whether or not they are ldquoactiverdquo covers a large spectrum
bull Some courses of action are simple inexpensive and can be relatively effective
bull Other actions may be quite costly and time consuming with liability issues regarding environmental releases or property damage (eg to a line being tapped)
bull Good communications and a clear scope of work are critical to controlling costs mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to project timelines
bull Project owners may perceive a conflict of interest between the normal utility mapping scope and the costly measures necessary to identify some unknowns they may desire separate contracts to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest
CI ASCE 38-02Standard Guidelines for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface
Utility Data bull National engineering standard published in Dec
2002
bull Utility ownership or type should be noted when known
bull 38-02 is silent on how much investigation should go into determining utility ownership or type
SCOPES OF WORK
bull Most scopes of work whether generated by the SUE consultant or the client fail to specifically address the issue of unknowns
bull Therefore individual SUE consultants will address these
issues in different ways based upon their perception of the ownerrsquos expectations pricing mechanisms project due dates and other factors
bull However lacking a scope of work to the contrary a majority of SUE consultants will take a relatively minimalist approach and simply label ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo as an ldquoUNKNOWNSrdquo and leave it at that
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 1
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo it is traced to the project limits mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 2
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo and it is traced to the project limits it is mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
bull If it is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 3
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 4
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 5
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced for some distance beyond the project limits and mapped within the limits If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
bull If unknown is thought to be relatively shallow a hand excavation is performed in an attempt to at least identify its size and material type
SUMMARYbull Unknown conductors can end up
being almost anything from buried railroad tracks to scraps of abandoned phone cables to active petroleum or natural gas pipelines
bull The amount of effort required to determine what they are who owns them and whether or not they are ldquoactiverdquo covers a large spectrum
bull Some courses of action are simple inexpensive and can be relatively effective
bull Other actions may be quite costly and time consuming with liability issues regarding environmental releases or property damage (eg to a line being tapped)
bull Good communications and a clear scope of work are critical to controlling costs mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to project timelines
bull Project owners may perceive a conflict of interest between the normal utility mapping scope and the costly measures necessary to identify some unknowns they may desire separate contracts to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest
SCOPES OF WORK
bull Most scopes of work whether generated by the SUE consultant or the client fail to specifically address the issue of unknowns
bull Therefore individual SUE consultants will address these
issues in different ways based upon their perception of the ownerrsquos expectations pricing mechanisms project due dates and other factors
bull However lacking a scope of work to the contrary a majority of SUE consultants will take a relatively minimalist approach and simply label ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo as an ldquoUNKNOWNSrdquo and leave it at that
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 1
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo it is traced to the project limits mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 2
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo and it is traced to the project limits it is mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
bull If it is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 3
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 4
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 5
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced for some distance beyond the project limits and mapped within the limits If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
bull If unknown is thought to be relatively shallow a hand excavation is performed in an attempt to at least identify its size and material type
SUMMARYbull Unknown conductors can end up
being almost anything from buried railroad tracks to scraps of abandoned phone cables to active petroleum or natural gas pipelines
bull The amount of effort required to determine what they are who owns them and whether or not they are ldquoactiverdquo covers a large spectrum
bull Some courses of action are simple inexpensive and can be relatively effective
bull Other actions may be quite costly and time consuming with liability issues regarding environmental releases or property damage (eg to a line being tapped)
bull Good communications and a clear scope of work are critical to controlling costs mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to project timelines
bull Project owners may perceive a conflict of interest between the normal utility mapping scope and the costly measures necessary to identify some unknowns they may desire separate contracts to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 1
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo it is traced to the project limits mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 2
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo and it is traced to the project limits it is mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
bull If it is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 3
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 4
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 5
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced for some distance beyond the project limits and mapped within the limits If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
bull If unknown is thought to be relatively shallow a hand excavation is performed in an attempt to at least identify its size and material type
SUMMARYbull Unknown conductors can end up
being almost anything from buried railroad tracks to scraps of abandoned phone cables to active petroleum or natural gas pipelines
bull The amount of effort required to determine what they are who owns them and whether or not they are ldquoactiverdquo covers a large spectrum
bull Some courses of action are simple inexpensive and can be relatively effective
bull Other actions may be quite costly and time consuming with liability issues regarding environmental releases or property damage (eg to a line being tapped)
bull Good communications and a clear scope of work are critical to controlling costs mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to project timelines
bull Project owners may perceive a conflict of interest between the normal utility mapping scope and the costly measures necessary to identify some unknowns they may desire separate contracts to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 2
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm only these ldquoutilities of recordrdquo
bull If they happen across an ldquounidentified conductorrdquo and it is traced to the project limits it is mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN
bull If it is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 3
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 4
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 5
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced for some distance beyond the project limits and mapped within the limits If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
bull If unknown is thought to be relatively shallow a hand excavation is performed in an attempt to at least identify its size and material type
SUMMARYbull Unknown conductors can end up
being almost anything from buried railroad tracks to scraps of abandoned phone cables to active petroleum or natural gas pipelines
bull The amount of effort required to determine what they are who owns them and whether or not they are ldquoactiverdquo covers a large spectrum
bull Some courses of action are simple inexpensive and can be relatively effective
bull Other actions may be quite costly and time consuming with liability issues regarding environmental releases or property damage (eg to a line being tapped)
bull Good communications and a clear scope of work are critical to controlling costs mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to project timelines
bull Project owners may perceive a conflict of interest between the normal utility mapping scope and the costly measures necessary to identify some unknowns they may desire separate contracts to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 3
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 4
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 5
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced for some distance beyond the project limits and mapped within the limits If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
bull If unknown is thought to be relatively shallow a hand excavation is performed in an attempt to at least identify its size and material type
SUMMARYbull Unknown conductors can end up
being almost anything from buried railroad tracks to scraps of abandoned phone cables to active petroleum or natural gas pipelines
bull The amount of effort required to determine what they are who owns them and whether or not they are ldquoactiverdquo covers a large spectrum
bull Some courses of action are simple inexpensive and can be relatively effective
bull Other actions may be quite costly and time consuming with liability issues regarding environmental releases or property damage (eg to a line being tapped)
bull Good communications and a clear scope of work are critical to controlling costs mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to project timelines
bull Project owners may perceive a conflict of interest between the normal utility mapping scope and the costly measures necessary to identify some unknowns they may desire separate contracts to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 4
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced to the project limits and mapped If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 5
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced for some distance beyond the project limits and mapped within the limits If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
bull If unknown is thought to be relatively shallow a hand excavation is performed in an attempt to at least identify its size and material type
SUMMARYbull Unknown conductors can end up
being almost anything from buried railroad tracks to scraps of abandoned phone cables to active petroleum or natural gas pipelines
bull The amount of effort required to determine what they are who owns them and whether or not they are ldquoactiverdquo covers a large spectrum
bull Some courses of action are simple inexpensive and can be relatively effective
bull Other actions may be quite costly and time consuming with liability issues regarding environmental releases or property damage (eg to a line being tapped)
bull Good communications and a clear scope of work are critical to controlling costs mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to project timelines
bull Project owners may perceive a conflict of interest between the normal utility mapping scope and the costly measures necessary to identify some unknowns they may desire separate contracts to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest
Range of Practices ndash Consultant 5
bull Research records of the major ldquoknownrdquo utilities
bull Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm the ldquoutilities of recordrdquo and actively sweep the projects to search for others
bull If ldquounidentified conductorsrdquo are found they are traced for some distance beyond the project limits and mapped within the limits If no structures are found within the project limits they labeled as an UNKNOWNS
bull If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility related structure (eg a telephone pedestal) it is labeled based upon it association with that structure (eg telephone)
bull Perform additional records research and meet or correspond with owners of ldquoknownrdquo utilities in an attempt to obtain additional anecdotal information leading the identification of unknowns and their ownership
bull If unknown is thought to be relatively shallow a hand excavation is performed in an attempt to at least identify its size and material type
SUMMARYbull Unknown conductors can end up
being almost anything from buried railroad tracks to scraps of abandoned phone cables to active petroleum or natural gas pipelines
bull The amount of effort required to determine what they are who owns them and whether or not they are ldquoactiverdquo covers a large spectrum
bull Some courses of action are simple inexpensive and can be relatively effective
bull Other actions may be quite costly and time consuming with liability issues regarding environmental releases or property damage (eg to a line being tapped)
bull Good communications and a clear scope of work are critical to controlling costs mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to project timelines
bull Project owners may perceive a conflict of interest between the normal utility mapping scope and the costly measures necessary to identify some unknowns they may desire separate contracts to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest
SUMMARYbull Unknown conductors can end up
being almost anything from buried railroad tracks to scraps of abandoned phone cables to active petroleum or natural gas pipelines
bull The amount of effort required to determine what they are who owns them and whether or not they are ldquoactiverdquo covers a large spectrum
bull Some courses of action are simple inexpensive and can be relatively effective
bull Other actions may be quite costly and time consuming with liability issues regarding environmental releases or property damage (eg to a line being tapped)
bull Good communications and a clear scope of work are critical to controlling costs mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to project timelines
bull Project owners may perceive a conflict of interest between the normal utility mapping scope and the costly measures necessary to identify some unknowns they may desire separate contracts to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest
