Underground utility surveys are a crucial part of any construction project. They help identify potential risks and prevent expensive damage to existing underground infrastructure such as gas and water pipes. This article will examine the key reasons why utility surveys should be conducted before major construction projects.
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How are Utility Surveys Carried Out?
Utility surveys are carried out by specialist surveyors using various techniques. Common approaches include electromagnetic locating to detect buried metallic pipes and cables, ground penetrating radar to map non-metallic services, and vacuum excavation to safely expose utilities. Surveyors like csw-surveys.co.uk integrate these methods to build up a detailed 3D map of all underground assets within the survey area. The data enables accurate marking out prior to construction works commencing.
Reducing Health and Safety Risks
Striking an underground power cable or gas main poses serious risks to construction workers and the wider public. Electrocution, fire, explosion and collapse are all potential hazards if underground utilities are damaged accidentally. Thorough surveys pinpoint buried services, allowing designs to be altered to avoid them. Utility surveys are therefore an essential health and safety measure.
Preventing Expensive Utility Strike Damage
Damaging utilities like water pipes, fibre optic cables and gas mains during excavation works can be extremely costly. Not to mention disruptive. Emergency repair works, service disruption penalties, project delays and third party claims can easily amount to hundreds of thousands of pounds. Utility surveys allow buried assets to be located and marked, which prevents accidental strikes and avoids unnecessary damage costs.
Informing Designs to Avoid Re-routing Utilities
For new buildings and infrastructure, underground utility surveys allow designs to be developed with full knowledge of existing services. This means that service routes can be planned to avoid clashes with proposed foundations and other new works. Re-routing utilities is time-consuming and expensive, so designing around them is beneficial. Accurate information from surveys facilitates this.
Providing Asset Records to Utility Companies
Many utility companies have incomplete or inaccurate records of their buried infrastructure. High quality surveys provide them with detailed maps and information on asset locations, depths and conditions. This allows improved planning of future maintenance and renewal works. It also helps create more robust records of their networks.
Meeting Legal Responsibilities
UK legislation requires building owners to take all reasonable steps to establish if their proposals will affect or damage adjacent utilities. Utility surveys form part of this due diligence process. They help demonstrate that legal responsibilities have been met prior to commencing potentially disruptive works. Thorough surveys reduce liability if problems emerge.
Coordinating Multi-utility Projects
Major infrastructure projects often involve collaboration between various utility companies. For example, establishing connections to electricity, water, gas and telecoms networks. Comprehensive utility surveys allow the interdependencies to be understood and the work of different parties to be coordinated. This is vital for efficient delivery of complex multi-utility projects.
Underground utility surveys are an indispensable part of preparing construction projects. Investing in high quality surveys generates significant value and should be a priority for any major construction scheme.
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