Ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electromagnetic (EM) locators have the capability of locating any buried elements that could obstruct a trenching, boring or drilling project. Anything from a gas line, to post tension cables, to a 200-year-old time capsule can be picked up by these scanners.
But if someone who is not an expert scans a job site and doesn’t know what to look for, they can actually do more harm than good.
The operator’s attention to detail can be the difference between a clean locate and a utility strike. The best site results are accomplished when the utility locator is well-trained on multiple technologies and is an expert at analyzing the data that comes from them.
Ensuring the precision and expertise of utility locators is the guiding principle of Subsurface Investigation Methodology, or SIM.
What is SIM?
Subsurface Investigation Methodology is a standard operating procedure and set of professional specifications that work as a guide for utility locating experts when scanning for buried utility lines. It is also the standard GPRS requires for its Field Team and Project Managers.
SIM-certified utility locators provide superior results including GPRS’ industry leading 99.8% accuracy rate on scans from hundreds of thousands of projects.
SIM’s purpose is to yield precise results and lower hit rates through its three primary elements: experience-based training, technological strategies, and comprehensive methods.
Experience-Based Training
Experience-based training, the first and arguably most important element of SIM, is a three-step process that requires 80 hours of hands-on training in a classroom setting and 320 hours of mentorship in the field. For reference, The American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) recommends eight hours as a minimum for training and 60 hours practicing GPR to be certified NDT Level I in ground penetrating radar.
The first step of experience-based training is pre-classroom field mentoring. GPRS fulfills this requirement by placing each Project Management candidate in the field with a working SIM-certified Project Manager. Doing so exposes a candidate to the responsibilities and expectations of the position while also getting a feel for GPRS’ work culture and environment.
Once the pre-classroom field monitoring period is completed, the next step is classroom training which is two weeks with 40 hours of classes per week. The real-world applications the workers were taught in the field allows these 80 hours in class to be more effective. Some of the topics covered in training are:
- Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
- GPR Principles
- EM Principles
- Pre-Scan and Post-Scan Site Communication
- Target Mark Out
- Underground Utility Locating Procedures
The third step of the experience-based training is post-classroom mentorship. After spending the previous two weeks in the classroom, GPRS’ new Field Team members return to the field with a whole new understanding of the technology and the SIM process. These candidates are not considered Project Managers until they receive approval from their Area Manager.
Even though the three-step process of experience-based training may be over once the Project Managers gain that approval, there is also ongoing OSHA, safety, and technical training along with quality checks of their work.
Technological Strategies
SIM requires the use of multiple complementary technologies during subsurface utility investigations to obtain the most accurate findings. The more data the utility locating experts, in GPRS’s case, our Project Managers, collect, the more likely the findings are to be accurate, producing the best outcome. The most effective pieces of technology for this strategy are ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electromagnetic (EM) locators. Each scanner’s results are used to confirm the other’s findings to make sure those findings are accurate.
Comprehensive Methods
The third element of SIM is comprehensive methodology which is essentially the perfect combination of the experience based training and technological strategies. The methodology of SIM is developed through proper training in subsurface investigation techniques and advanced equipment knowledge to create a standardized and structured system for utility locating experts to adhere to.
GPRS’ Project Managers follow these proven protocols to achieve an industry-leading 99.8% accuracy rate and to keep projects on time, on budget, and safe.
What Are the Industry Standards for Utility Locating?
Despite SIM’s proven precision and accuracy, it is not the industry-wide standard. In fact, there is no industry-wide standard for utility locating, or concrete imaging. The utility locating industry is a bit like the wild west because anyone who can afford the equipment can offer to scan properties and work sites despite their lack of training or experience. The purpose of SIM is to tame the bucking bronco that is the utility locating industry to ensure professional utility locators are properly trained and educated to supply accurate results to each client.
How Are the Utility Scan Results Delivered to Clients?
When GPRS Project Managers finish a scan of underground utilities, the information is captured digitally for reference and future use on GPRS’ cloud-based platform SiteMap®.
SiteMap® is a project and facility management application that allows GPRS’ clients to have the data collected by Project Managers securely stored and shared. Thanks to the SiteMap® Mobile App, the industry leading 99.8% accurate scans are available 24/7 on smartphones or tablets.
Our SIM-certified Project Managers are trained to Intelligently Visualize The Built World® to help you keep your projects on time, on budget, and safe. What can we help you visualize?
