For decades High Mesa Consulting Group has established a reputation for Civil Engineering and Surveying excellence. Our years in service have allowed us to see deficiencies in different surveying and engineering trends that can prevent a client’s projects from being completed in a timely and sustainable fashion. Dated techniques that trust information from record drawings, basic surface evidence, or relying on the cooperation from utility owners are exact examples of why High Mesa Consulting Group was driven to develop an innovative and problem solving Subsurface Utility Consultation department to operate in conjunction with our clients and our Engineering and Surveying departments. Our public and private sector clients receive our appreciable years of experience, technical knowledge and state of the art locating technology to ensure each project HMCG approaches is handled with the highest level of expertise and professionalism. Each project, regardless of size, location, or obstacles, is approached with the same enthusiasm, drive and importance.
The Subsurface Utility Engineering & Consultation (SUE&C) services provided by HMCG vary from on-call/on-demand utility locating and mapping to hydro-excavation, and Subsurface Utility Engineering (Quality Levels A-D). Our SUE&C services are offered as a standalone service or as an additional amenity with our Surveying, Engineering or land use planning workflow. Below you can find a list of services we can offer for your next project:
- On-Call/On-Demand Utility Locating Services
- Hydro-Excavation (potholing and slot trenching)
- Ground Penetrating Radar
- Utility Clearance Surveys
- Concrete Imaging Inspections
- Detectable Duct Rodding
- Utility Mapping for Master Planning
- Subsurface Utility Engineering (Quality Levels A-D)
Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE)
Our comprehensive Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) techniques give utility owners, designers, engineers and contractors the opportunity to make informed decisions by incorporating the most modern and comprehensive utility data with planning and design phases. Utilizing SUE services have been proven to reduce construction costs, minimize costly obstacles, and prevent project delays and risks associated with inadvertent utility damage. The four recognized SUE quality levels enable the project’s manager to determine the level of information and accuracy they require on their venture. There are four recognized quality levels of underground utility information ranging from Quality Level (QL) D (the lowest level) to Quality Level A (the highest level). Each of the four quality levels is described as follows:
Quality Level D: QL-D Record Research / Data Collection is the most basic level of information and comes solely from existing utility records or verbal recollections, both typically unreliable sources.
Quality Level C: QL-C is probably the most commonly used level of information. It involves surveying visible utility facilities (e.g., manholes, valve boxes, etc.) and correlating this information with existing utility records (QL-D information).
Quality Level B: QL-B Utility Designation involves the application of appropriate surface geophysical methods to determine the existence and horizontal position of utilities within the project limits. This activity is called “designating”.
Quality Level A. QL-A, Potholing also known as “locating”, is the highest level of accuracy presently available and involves the full use of the subsurface utility engineering services. It provides information for the precise plan and profile mapping of underground utilities through the nondestructive exposure of underground utilities, and also provides the type, size, condition, material and other characteristics of underground features.
Our Technical Approach
Our team understands the characteristics of utilities, and just as each utility services a unique purpose, the methods that identify each may vary. Understanding and associating the right technology and method of locating a utility is one of our many specialties. At HMCG, we utilize state of the art locating equipment capable of detecting various types of utilities, regardless of material, depth, size, or accessibility. Our ability to identify the different utilities allows us to produce comprehensive results without depending on detailed utility facility maps.
Damage Prevention
Inadvertent utility damage is costly, results in project delays and can be hazardous to all site personnel. We ensure high profile utilities are identified in advance of excavation, so they can be relocated, abandoned, or safely avoided. Our service capabilities range from a single visit to locate a particular utility or designated area, to long term scheduled response to ensure underground utilities remain identified for the duration of your project.