GPRS Provides Accurate Utility Mapping for Major Roadway

A contractor needed to bore new power lines to supply some cities in a Northeastern U.S. state.

But first, they needed to find the optimal route. Because a utility strike in a major roadway can lead to traffic delays, service outages, costly repairs, and safety risks.

GPRS Project Managers Michael Layon and Zachary Boebel worked with a local contractor to provide comprehensive utility mapping between major power distribution hubs in multiple cities. The job required scanning 5.4 miles of roadway from city to city, working both day and night to accommodate traffic conditions.

“While scanning, I realized I was seeing double everything” – Zachary Boebel, Project Manager

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One major challenge was ensuring safety while working on active roadways. Unlike performing underground utility surveys at construction sites or existing facilities, roadway utility locates require additional layers of safety to protect the public, and our Project Managers. In roadway utility imaging, the presence of the public increases safety risks. Open manholes present a hazard, as pedestrians or vehicles may enter the work area at any moment. Safety precautions, including manhole protection and traffic control measures, are critical in these areas to mitigate the increased risks associated with active roadways.

"Someone, either a vehicle or pedestrian will end up in your work area," noted Boebel. To mitigate these risks, GPRS implemented stringent safety protocols, including the use of traffic cones, barricades, and coordination with local law enforcement to establish controlled work zones.

"We used every single tool at our disposal from ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to the electromagnetic (EM) locator," Boebel added. Multiple manholes were opened along the roadway, including electrical, storm, and sewer manholes, each of which was carefully inspected.

By identifying any type of surface features like manholes, gas meters, hydrants, and coordinating with law enforcement to implement strong traffic control measures, the GPRS team ensured that the work area remains safe, preventing potential accidents that could delay the project or lead to costly consequences.

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is the primary technology GPRS uses for underground utility surveys, providing detailed insights into subsurface features. It employs radio waves to detect and map subsurface features such as sanitary and storm sewer pipes, electric, gas, water, sewer, and telecom/fiber optic cables.

GPR, like any technology, has limitations, so to get a comprehensive survey of the subsurface facilities, GPRS employs complementary technologies. In such cases, electromagnetic (EM) locating plays a crucial role.

GPRS Project Managers utilize the EM locator to passively detect signals from live AC power or radio signals traveling along conductive utilities. When paired with a transmitter, it connects directly to accessible metallic pipes, risers, or tracer wires, complementing GPR’s capabilities. All GPRS Project Managers are certified in Subsurface Investigation Methodology, which allows them to deploy their technology and expertise anywhere to deliver comprehensive results with standardized mark-outs and reporting.

During the utility scanning, Boebel uncovered remnants of an old utility infrastructure. "A few years ago, a powerful tornado had flattened an entire street. And now, new houses had been built on the same property," said Boebel. "While scanning, I realized I was seeing double everything. That’s because they had left all those old utilities, alongside new ones going to these buildings." Our team had to carefully differentiate between the old and new systems, ensuring utility data was precise and up to date.

This extra level of attention helped the customer prevent the risk of encountering outdated or misplaced utilities during the power line installation process.

Boebel also went above and beyond the original curb-to-curb scope. In grassy areas beyond the curb, the contractor requested an approximately five-foot extension. However, to make sure that utilities were properly located to their sources, we extended our scans five to six feet beyond the sidewalks.

By proactively managing logistical challenges, GPRS ensured that the project remained on schedule and met the customer’s expectations. "The customer did not have to deal with the obstacles we ran into because we took care of them,” said Layon. "We made sure we had the right team on site at the right time, allowing the customer to complete their project within the expected timeframe."

All 5.4 miles of utility data was uploaded into SiteMap^® (patent pending), which is GPRS’ proprietary software application that provides customers with their GPRS-captured data, secured and available from anywhere, 24/7. Every GPRS customer receives complimentary SiteMap^® Personal access to view, download, and share their layered utility maps, CAD drawings, or other deliverables to keep their work on time, on budget, and safe.

Whether you need to locate roadway utilities to replace a main electric line or assess subsurface conditions before construction, GPRS Intelligently Visualizes The Built World^®.

What can we help you visualize?

Frequently Asked Questions

What deliverables does GPRS offer with a utility locate?

GPRS provides utility locating deliverables including physical flags or markings, like paint, pin flags, and stakes. Plus, we upload our findings in layered, geolocated utility maps to SiteMap^® for secure, shareable, 24/7 access. Clients also receive complimentary KMZ and PDF files, with PDFs showing utility locations and KMZ files containing geolocated points. GPRS can also provide 2D or 3D CAD renderings for creating or updating as-built drawings for preplanning, utility avoidance, and documentation across CAD and GIS platforms.

What are the benefits of utility mapping?

Utility mapping identifies subsurface infrastructure using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electromagnetic (EM) locating. This process mitigates risks by preventing utility strikes, service interruptions, and safety hazards in active roadways.

Approximately 400,000-500,000 utility strikes are reported in the United States per year.

Accurate utility mapping provides optimal routing, minimizes issues with outdated or misplaced utilities, and improves project safety, efficiency, and accuracy, keeping projects on time, on budget, and safe.