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Frequently Asked Questions about SUE
Below you will see a series of questions. Click on the question to be brought down to the answer. If your question is more specific, or is not presented here please contact us.
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Q 1: |
What is Subsurface Utility Engineering?
Answer: Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) is a branch of engineering practice that involves managing certain risks associated with utility mapping at appropriate quality levels, utility coordination, utility relocation design and coordination, utility condition assessment, communication of utility data to concerned parties, utility relocation cost estimates, implementation of utility accommodation policies, and utility design. [This definition is contained in: Standard Guideline for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface Utility Data, CI/ASCE 38-02, American Society of Civil Engineers, 2002.]
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Q 2: |
What major activities are involved in Subsurface Utility Engineering?
Answer:
Major SUE activities are:
- Scope of Work – The process of developing a written project-specific w8ork plan package that consists of scope of work, levels of service vs. risk allocation, project schedule and desired project delivery method. The SUE work plan package is agreed upon by the SUE provider and the client, describing the SUE work to be performed.
- Designating – The process of using a surface geophysical method or methods to interpret the presence of a subsurface utility and mark its approximate horizontal position on the ground surface or on above-ground surface markers.
- Locating – The process of exposing and recording the precise vertical and horizontal location and providing utility size and configuration of a utility.
- Data Management – The process of surveying, designating and locating information to project control and transferring it into the client’s CADD system, GIS files, or project plans.
- Conflict Analysis – The engineering process of using a conflict matrix to evaluate and compare depicted designating information with proposed plans (highway, bridge, drainage, and other) in order to inform all stakeholders of potential conflicts, potential resolutions and costs to cure.
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Q 3: |
How does SUE work?
Answer: SUE generally works as follows:
- The project owner assumes responsibility for taking appropriate actions to consider and deal with utility risks. On small projects where few utilities are present, this may only involve making a conscious decision to proceed with the project using readily available information. On larger, more complex projects, the services of an engineer may be employed to provide expert advice and to use available technologies to provide better information.
- The engineer, when involved, will advise the project owner of utility risks and recommend an appropriate quality level of utility data for a given project area at the appropriate time within the project planning and design process.
- The project owner will then specify to the engineer the desired quality level of utility data.
- The engineer will furnish the desired utility quality level to the project owner in accordance with the standard of care and will be responsible for negligent errors and/or omissions in the utility data for the certified utility quality level.
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Q 4: |
What are the benefits of using SUE?
Answer: SUE provides many benefits. Proper use of this cost-effective professional engineering service will eliminate many of the utility problems typically encountered on highway projects, including:
- Delays to projects caused by waiting for utility relocation work to be completed so highway construction can begin;
- Delays to projects caused by redesign when construction cannot follow the original design due to unexpected utility conflicts;
- Delays to contractors during highway construction caused by cutting, damaging, or discovering utility lines that were not known to be there;
- Claims by contractors for delays resulting from unexpected encounters with utilities; and
- Deaths, injuries, property damage, and releases of product into the environment caused by cutting utility lines that were not known to be there.
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Q 5: |
Are there any standards of care for the use of Subsurface Utility Engineering?
Answer: The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has developed an important standard of care guideline, Standard Guideline for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface Utility Data, CI/ASCE 38-02. This standard guideline describes four quality levels of utility depiction:
- Quality Level D – Information derived from existing records or oral recollections.
- Quality Level C – Information obtained by surveying and plotting visible above-ground utility features and by using professional judgment in correlating this information to Quality Level D.
- Quality Level B – Information obtained through the application of appropriate surface geophysical methods to determine the existence and approximate horizontal position of subsurface utilities.
- Quality Level A – Precise horizontal and vertical location of utilities obtained by the actual exposure and subsequent measurement of subsurface utilities, usually at a specific point.
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Q 6: |
Where can copies of the ASCE standard guideline (ASCE 38-02) by obtained?
Answer:
Copies of ASCE Standard 38-02 can be obtained from the ASCE Bookstore: http://www.pubs.asce.org or by calling 1-800-548-2723.
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Q 7: |
Have AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) and FHWA (Federal Highway Administration) endorsed ASCE 38-02?
Answer:
Yes. AASHTO’s most current edition of A Guide for Accommodating Utilities Within Highway Right-of-Way states that: “Underground utilities should be accurately located using the American Society of Civil Engineer’s Standard Guidelines for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface Utility Data where the exact location of underground utility infrastructure is required. The survey information should be developed early in the design process so that the designer can show on the plans the accurate location of underground utilities that cause injuries and property damage.” The FHWA’s utility regulation, 23 CFR 645, recommends the use of the current edition of AASHTO’s A Guide for Accommodating Utilities Within Highway Right-of-Way and the FHWA memorandum that transmitted the most recent version of this document it to the field encouraged its use. This constitutes both AASHTO and FHWA endorsement of ASCE Standard 38-02. |
Q 8: |
Are federal funds available to pay for SUE?
Answer:
Yes. Federal-aid highway funds may be used to reimburse States for the use of SUE. There are no special or earmarked funds for SUE, but regular funds may be used (i.e., funds available for National Highway System, Surface Transportation Program, Interstate Maintenance, and possibly other Federal-aid highway programs). In accordance with normal Federal-aid procedures, States must first pay for SUE with their own funds, and then request Federal reimbursement at the normal pro rata share for the project or projects for which it was used. The Federal pro rata share will normally be either 80% for non-Interstate or 90% for Interstate projects. |
Q 9: |
Are State contracts with SUE providers subject to the provisions of the Brooks Bill if Federal-aid highway funds are used?
Answer:
Yes.
On Federal-aid highway projects, SUE providers must be selected by evaluating and ranking interested firms based on their qualifications to perform the requested work, and then, starting with the highest ranked firm, negotiating with them until a firm is retained. The Brooks Bill is applicable to SUE because Title 23 U.S.C., Section 112(b)(2)(A) requires Brooks Bill procedures to be used for each contract for program management, construction management, feasibility studies, preliminary engineering, design, engineering, surveying, mapping, or architectural related services with respect to a Federally funded construction project performed by or supervised by a State transportation department. The FHWA considers SUE to be an engineering process for obtaining accurate and comprehensive information about underground utilities and for using that information in the development (i.e., planning, preliminary engineering, design, etc.) of highway projects. There are exceptions. For example, the Brooks Bill does not apply if (a) the State established its own procedures for contracting engineering services with Federal-aid funds prior to June 9, 1998, and these procedures are based on State statutes; (b) the State pays for SUE with its own 100 % State funds (this is true even if done on a project where Federal-aid highway funds are used for other purposes); and (c) the SUE contract is with an engineering firm working directly for the State. However, if the State contracts with an engineering firm to provide design support, construction support, and/or resource management support, this firm is considered to be an agent of the State, and any contracts this firm may enter into on behalf of the State for SUE services are subject to Brooks Bill procedures if Federal-aid highway funds are involved. The State may employ the services of a SUE provider by the low-bid method if the work is solely for the purpose of marking the approximate locations of underground utilities on the ground and/or exposing underground utilities (i.e., this activity is not considered to be an engineering service). However, if in addition to marking and/or exposing underground utilities, the SUE provider also surveys the locations and provides information to the State for highway planning or design purposes, this is considered to be an engineering service and Federal-aid highway funds cannot participate. |
Q 10: |
What qualifications should a provider of SUE services have to do the work properly?
Answer: The FHWA recommends that project owners consider the following, not necessarily all-inclusive, criteria when selecting a SUE provider:
- Providers of SUE services should be able to:
- Demonstrate a thorough knowledge and understanding of designating, locating, and data management activities,
- Provide designating and locating services to the extent desired by the contracting agency,
- Survey SUE data acquired during the designating and locating phases to project control and transfer it into the contracting agency's CADD system, GIS files, or project plans.
- Individuals assigned by the SUE provider to carry out the work should be well trained, experienced, and capable.
- Individuals in responsible charge of the work and responsible for certifying deliverables should be engineers and land surveyors employed by the SUE
provider in accordance with State professional registration requirements.
- The project manager should have previously been involved in the management of one or more SUE contracts and must be available to commit sufficient time to the project.
- Other team members should have previously been involved in SUE designating, locating, surveying, and/or mapping activities.
- Resources of the provider should be adequate to carry out the SUE work in a timely manner, considering other possible commitments of work and the contracting agency's anticipated needs, including a possible need for work on several projects to take place simultaneously.
- A wide range of equipment is necessary to detect the variety of underground utilities that may be present. Equipment available for utilization by the provider should include, but not be limited to, the following:
- ELF, VLF, LF electromagnetics, magnetometers, terrain conductivity meters, resonant sonics, and other geophysical designating equipment,
- Vacuum excavation or comparable nondestructive locating equipment,
- State-of-the-art surveying and data recording equipment, Software systems compatible with the contracting agency's CADD system.
- Providers of SUE should have:
- The financial capacity to provide the required services,
- Measures of protection for the contracting agency against errors and omissions of data collection, interpretation, and management.
- Providers of SUE services should be able to provide:
- Vertical data accurate to within ± 15 mm (0.05 ft),
- Horizontal data accurate to applicable survey standards.
- Providers of SUE services should carry adequate insurance covering all aspects of the work. Minimum amounts should be in accordance with the contracting agency's requirements.
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Q 11: |
Do you offer sample documents? I'm not sure how to write a scope of work for your services.
Answer: Yes we offer sample documents. Please click here for a sample "Scope of Work" |
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