The act of labeling and identifying of those utilities that are usually situated underground is what is known as utility location. The reason as to why a number of public utilities public utilities run below the surface is either for the purpose of conveniences or because of the temperament of their functions. Labeling and identification of these public utilities should be done before any form of excavation can be carried out. Even with simple activities such as hole-digging, Locating Underground Utilities Edmonton makes sure that safety measures are exercised.

There lies a possibility of destruction of underground utilities in an excavation site. These damages may be disastrous and costly considering the type of utility line. This is due to the reason that damages can bring about unnecessary delays in the project, disruption of services, repair costs, injuries and potential fines from the relevant authorities. To avoid these unwanted disruptions as well as unexpected expenses in Edmonton AB, it necessary to perform utility location checks ahead of any excavation.

There are different systems that run below the ground. Some of these schemes include fiber optics, traffic lights, waste water pipes, telephone lines, natural gas, electric grids and much more. As a result, the numerous materials conveyed in these systems, diverse detection as well as location methods are applied. Underground utilities may be made using plastic pipes, metal pipes, concrete or cables. Different techniques are applied to do accurate location that can be based on the type of material used in constructing the utility.

There are two ways in which methods of utility location can be classified, the conventional and non-conventional methods. A good example of the conventional techniques is the radioactive technique. This technique puts into practice the use of radio waves in utility location, and is mainly done on cables and metal pipes.

If the material cannot be detected using the conventional method, nonconventional techniques are employed. The nonconventional techniques are used for plastic pipes and concrete materials. One such method is the acoustic locating. This technique uses sound to determine the location of the utility. The method is commonly used to trace nonmetal water lines. A sound wave is normally introduced through a transducer in the water main, and the acoustic receiver listens to the sound emitted.

Another non-conventional technique used is the ground-penetrating radar. Normally, this method is used together with other techniques. The method utilizes radar pulses in taking a subsurface image. The GPR has transmitters and receivers in addition to profiling recorders. The signals received are then processed and graphic displays of data collected are generated. This method gives three-dimensional image of the underground utility.

Another form of nonconventional method is the use of magnetic locater which are used in tracing metallic objects that are buried in the ground other than pipes. It is mainly used in the location of substances such as metal tanks, manhole cover which are buried and other huge metal contents. This method shows the comparative amount ferrous-metal buried underground.

Locating underground utilities is very essential. It provides vital information necessary for upcoming plans like mechanical and electrical capacity enhancements, landscaping, road relocation and many more. Architects and engineers obtain crucial information concerning the systems below th ground that is important for the work that they do.