Subsurface Utility Engineering.....

22 December 2008, 10:42pm

Subsurface Utility Engineering. A proven method providing cost-savings on
infrastructure projects

Research carried out by universities in U.S. and Canada suggests Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE), brought to the UK by TBE (UK) Limited, provides substantial cost savings down the construction line. Ultimately, SUE is a highly recommended pre-design, underground utility mapping solution to the industry.

In the current economic climate, where 'tightening the belt' has become a prerequisite of construction budgets, TBE's alternative to underground utility mapping and detection is widely known for its accuracy, eliminating not only unexpected costs, but project risk.

However in general terms, the cost saving benefits of SUE surveys is particularly subjective. Therefore to identify and demonstrate just how valuable it can be to a construction project, two separate research studies were conducted and showed significant results.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in America has encouraged the use of SUE on major highway construction projects for several years. It believes that when information on the horizontal and vertical location of underground utilities is obtained early in a project's development, projects can be designed
around the utilities, avoiding costly utility conflicts and relocations. Knowing just how beneficial SUE is to a project, the FHWA commissioned a study in 2000 which was conducted by Purdue University researchers. It found that project owners could save, on average, $4.62 for every dollar spent on SUE.

In a similar study in Canada from 2005 and commissioned by the Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Association, the University of Toronto's Centre for Information Systems in Infrastructure and Construction discovered an average savings of $3.41 (Canadian) for every dollar spent on SUE.

With this research in mind, there is no doubt that SUE can benefit UK projects in industries such as transportation, civil engineering and the utility infrastructure, especially when project deadlines and budgets are getting tighter and with buried infrastructures becoming more complex networks.

The key to getting the most cost effective benefits out of this process however, is getting the SUE survey done as early in the design phase as possible. Nicholas Zembillas, Senior Vice President of the utilities division and Principal of TBE Group explained:
"Having accurate utility information up front before pre-design and not waiting until the 60% plan stage, allows "smart" design decisions to be made before it's too late and helps reduce costly redesigns, unnecessary utility relocations or unknown utility complications during construction."

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