Pinpointing risks , averting project crises
In April 2017 , a gas explosion in a home in Firestone ,
Colorado , killed two people and severely injured another . The tragic incident could have been prevented had accurate underground utility documentation been gathered and consulted before construction of homes on a former gas and oil production field .
“ The incident reminded people that there are utilities out there , they ’ re dangerous , and that just one shovel into the ground could cost you your life immediately or someone else ’ s life years later , as happened in this case ,” said Kasey Hayes , subsurface utility engineering leader for Ayres in Fort Collins , Colorado .
811 gas utility markings , workers would likely have hit the gas lines .
Unexpected discoveries
Because of the age of some utilities , sometimes SUE professionals discover the unexpected . That was the case when Quality Level A test holes uncovered clear plastic gas lines that dated back to the 1940s . They had been installed during WWII , when all steel was being diverted to support the war effort . The clear lines extended for two city blocks , and because they did not have tracer wires as are used on more modern utility lines , they would have been otherwise undetectable — and a dangerous digging hazard .
The following are just a few examples of utility risks discovered – and possibly crises averted – by Ayres SUE professionals :
Inaccurate 811 markings
When Ayres SUE services team arrived on one project site , utility owners ’ 811 markings had been done , including a gas company ’ s markings of intermediate- and high-pressure lines . After performing Quality Level B designating work and Quality Level A test holing , the Ayres team discovered the gas lines were actually four feet from the markings left by the gas company . Had digging been done on the project based on the
Abandoned but still dangerous
On other project sites , abandoned water lines made of asbestos cement have been discovered . If this happens during the preconstruction SUE process , when project design can still be modified , the asbestos cement lines can be safely left in the ground undisturbed . However , such a discovery during excavation can be costly both in terms of time and money . If the location of the abandoned lines conflicts with the project design , environmental regulations for removing and disposing of them must be followed .
– Juliana Poquette
www . AyresAssociates . com 11