Knowledge is power.
In the construction industry, knowledge gives you the power to keep people safe, and to keep your projects on time and on budget.
Two GPRS team members recently shared some of their knowledge of the utility locating and concrete scanning industry.
Chris Moore, GPRS’ Senior Vice President of Internal Operations, spoke with ISHN Magazine’s chief editor Benita Mehta for the ISHN Podcast.
John Incorvaia, GPRS’ Market Segment Leader for Renewable Energy & EV Charging, was interviewed by Tammy Klein, CEO and founder of the Transport Energy Strategies consultancy group, who wrote a blog post on transportenergystrategies.com about how utility locating can reduce development costs during installation of EV charging stations.
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Klein is an expert on regulatory frameworks, compliance and policy issues in the U.S., EU, China, India and Brazil. She founded the Transport Energy Strategies consultancy group to advise clients in the automotive, biofuels, fuel retailing, private equity, electrification, hydrogen, and other alternative fuel industries. She’s worked with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA), Energy Management Authority (EMA) of Singapore and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the International Energy Agency (IEA), and more.
Moore discussed with Mehta the importance of scanning and marking the location of subsurface utilities before beginning to dig or drill for a project.
“I think there are some common assumptions as to why it would be helpful to scan and mark to avoid damaging a utility, or for the safety of team members that might be working on that job site,” he said. “…A damaged utility obviously could impact the way in which a job is conducted, so productivity can be lost on a job site when a utility is struck or hit. Also, you could have cost overruns associated with repairing a damaged utility. And certainly, and most importantly as we already noted, the safety of team members on the job site that day. The industry really has come alive to this reality over the last two decades.”
Ground penetrating radar (GPR) technology is at the heart of GPRS’ utility locating and concrete scanning strategy. This non-destructive technology, combined with other tools such as Electromagnetic (EM) locating, accurately finds buried utilities and other subsurface obstructions. These tools allow our elite Project Managers to determine not only where these obstructions are located, but the type of obstructions that have been found, giving you a comprehensive picture of what’s beneath your feet before you ever put a shovel in the earth or a drill or saw to concrete.
“There is technology out there, and the technology field is growing by leaps and bounds on a yearly basis… to allow for safely marking, locating, and providing information as to where these subsurface features are found so they can be avoided in the future,” Moore said.
Incorvaia’s discussion with Klein centered around GPRS’ mission to drive policy and positive change in the EV space. Through our entire suite of services, which includes not only utility locating and precision concrete scanning but also leak detection, video pipe inspection, and mapping & modeling, GPRS ensures that EV charging station install projects do not interfere with any subsurface infrastructure.
“There’s 4,000 people injured a year from underground utility strikes,” Incorvaia said. “A strike happens across the country every 62 seconds. We want to improve that with the standards we have developed. But there is no policy or industry standard for utility locating. There are a lot of companies out there offering this kind of service, but there is no industry standard and there is no certification process for locators to ensure they are qualified, or that they’re using the right equipment or the right methodology.”
GPRS prevents subsurface damage by utilizing SIM, or Subsurface Investigation Methodology. These specifications combine the requirements of experienced-based training, tested technologies, and proven application methods to create an industry standard for non-destructive investigation of underground utilities and scanning concrete. SIM as a standard will ensure safety, limit damage to underground and structural assets, and increase location contractor accountability on site.
SIM focuses on three primary aspects of subsurface methodology: training, equipment expertise, and best methodology practices. Every GPRS Project Manager is required to…
“What GPRS is trying to do, especially for the EV space, is to push for the creation of a specification for Subsurface Investigation Methodology that would address these issues,” Incorvaia added. “It’s very important for EV charging because line strikes and having to redesign sites to match utility location is more common than people may think. This can get costly very quickly for owners.”
GPRS strives to increase public awareness of the services we offer because we want to eliminate subsurface damage, keeping you safe anytime you must break ground or penetrate concrete. Visit gp-radar.com to learn more about our services or schedule a job today, and we can Intelligently Visualize The Built World™ together!
