Subsurface Utility Engineering Survey: Industry Practices, Challenges, and Opportunities
University of Waterloo: Centre for Advancement of Trenchless Technologies
The Centre for Advancement of Trenchless Technologies (CATT) has conducted a survey which highlights the understanding and awareness of Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) among infrastructure owners, consultants, and others in related industries.
Key Takeaways
- Making sure that the cost-benefit of SUE practices is quantifiable and clear for stakeholders is paramount for advancing the industry and lowering project risks. SUE benefits awareness could contribute to a shift in its adoption to the planning and design project phases. (page 19)
- Most organizations use Quality Level D and C information, when compared to Quality Level B and A information. (page 19)
- Quality Level D data (QLD) is used as the only source of utility data on approximately 35% of projects in the construction phase. (page 12).
- Utility information is mainly obtained during the construction phase, when stakes are higher regarding mitigation actions, project cost and quality. (page 19)
- The majority of survey respondents felt that an SUE consultant mitigated risks on their projects. (page 17)
