Utility Surveys Utility information is required, especially in the urban areas, to determine the type and extent of utility protection, relocation or reconstruction needed. This information is obtained from surveys commissioned for the project, and from existing utility maps normally available from the owners of the utilities (utility companies, municipalities, utility districts, etc.). Utility surveys are performed to collect new data, corroborate existing data, and composite all data in maps and reports that will be provided to the tunnel designer. The requirement for utility information varies with tunneling methods and site conditions. Cut-and-cover tunnel and shallow soft ground tunnel constructions, particularly in urban areas, extensively impacts overlying and adjacent utilities. Gas, steam, water, sewerage, storm water, electrical, telephone, fiber optic and other utility mains and distribution systems may require excavation, rerouting, strengthening, reconstruction and/or temporary support, and may also require monitoring during construction. The existing utility maps are mostly for informational purposes, and generally do not contain any warranty that the utility features shown actually exist, that they are in the specific location shown on the map, or that there may be additional features that are not shown. In general, surface features such as manholes and vaults tend to be reasonably well positioned on utility maps, but underground connections (pipes, conduits, cables, etc.) are usually shown as straight lines connecting the surface features. During original construction of such utilities, trenching may have been designed as a series of straight lines, but, in actuality, buried obstructions such as boulders, unstable soil or unmapped existing utilities necessitated deviation from the designed trench alignment. In many instances, as-built surveys were never done after construction, and the design map, without any notation of as-constructed alignment changes, became the only map recording the location of the constructed utilities. In well-developed areas, it may not be realistic to attempt to locate all utilities during the design phase of a project without a prohibitive amount of investigation, which is beyond the time and cost limitations of the designers budget. However, the designer must perform a diligent effort to minimize surprises during excavation and construction. Again, the level of due diligence depends on the method of excavation (cut-and-cover, or mined tunnel), the depth of the tunnel, and the number, size and location of proposed shafts.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 03:40:43 +0000
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