Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 42

Locating Underground Assets
By NASSCO Technical Advisory Council Member Kaleel Rahaim, CIPP
Consulting, LLC
As municipalities and other agencies embrace the
concept of asset management for their
underground infrastructure, locating and identifying
those assets become more important. In the past,
the options for locating and identifying
underground assets were a challenge. Typical
resources were either scarce or unreliable, and the
training offered engineers in locating and identifying
those assets was even scarier. With technological
innovations, better training, and more wellestablished
guidelines now available, the
identification of underground utility locations
becomes less of a mystery.
Records available ranged from hand drawn
records on napkins to sophisticated CAD
drawings. Word of mouth from current and past
employees of a municipality, an engineering firm,
or even a local citizen were at times the only
source of information about the location of an
asset. Luckily, GPS capabilities and state of the
science geophysical tools available today allow
mapping of utilities to gain a higher level of
certainty.
One of the earliest methods of near surface
geophysical tools developed uses an
electromagnetic field (Figure 2.) These are
generally radio frequency electromagnetic types
commonly known as pipe and cable locators
(PCLs).
The handheld equipment consists of a transmitter
and a receiver. An operator " sweeps " the area of
interest to locate and find the approximate depth
of the facility. An operator can be easily trained to
use this equipment, and experience in using it
results in more confident output.
Figure 1. Witching Stick
Early in our history of attempting to locate anything
of value underground, witching sticks were used.
Depending on the quest, a branch of a particular
species of tree was used (Figure 1.). Believe it or
not, even today some still swear by the accuracy of
this method. The more sophisticated methods now
available, however, give all concerned a better
sense of certainty in the results.
In attempting a records search, engineers were at
times frustrated at the lack of records and did not
have confidence in the records that were available.
Since an electromagnetic wave is used in this
equipment, the underground pipe or cable sought
must be made of a conductive material.
This equipment cannot
detect plastic pipes
unless a tracer wire has
been installed with the
pipe. Detection of the
facility is by audible
means, and local
electromagnetic
interference may impede
the accuracy of this
method.
Figure 2. Electromagnetic Pipe
Detector

Underground Infrastructure - April 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Underground Infrastructure - April 2023

Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - Tip1
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - Tip2
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 1
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 2
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 3
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 4
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 5
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 6
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 7
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 8
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 9
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 10
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 11
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 12
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 13
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 14
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 15
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 16
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 17
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 18
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 19
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 20
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 21
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 22
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 23
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 24
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 25
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 26
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 27
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 28
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 29
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 30
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 31
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 32
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 33
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 34
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 35
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 36
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 37
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 38
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 39
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 40
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 41
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 42
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 43
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 44
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 45
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 46
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 47
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 48
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 49
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 50
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 51
Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 52
https://www.nxtbook.com/gulfenergyinfo/gulfpub/underground-infrastructure-november-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/gulfenergyinfo/gulfpub/underground-infrastructure-october-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/gulfenergyinfo/gulfpub/underground-infrastructure-september-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/gulfenergyinfo/gulfpub/underground-infrastructure-august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/gulfenergyinfo/gulfpub/underground-infrastructure-july-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/gulfenergyinfo/gulfpub/underground-infrastructure-june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/gulfenergyinfo/gulfpub/underground-infrastructure-may-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/gulfenergyinfo/gulfpub/underground-infrastructure-april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/gulfenergyinfo/gulfpub/underground-infrastructure-march-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/gulfenergyinfo/gulfpub/underground-infrastructure-february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/gulfenergyinfo/gulfpub/january-2023
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com