SUE Quality Levels: What You Need to Know + How UPI Helps
SUE Quality Levels: What You Need to Know + How UPI Helps
UPI follows the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) standards when performing Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) services. Under these standards, there are four different Quality Levels we provide:
Quality Level D provides utility records research and/or as-builts for the vendor or county/city research. This is preliminary work when you just want to know what companies have underground utilities within your site. Obtaining plans from utility companies on your own can be time-consuming and frustrating. UPI already has relationships with local utility companies, and we have the appropriate contacts needed to get plans—getting the information into your hands that much quicker.
Quality Level C is also preliminary work and identifies above-ground features such as pedestals, transformers, switches, fire hydrants, etc. This information is useful if you’re expanding your building and need to know what is conflicting and needs to be moved.
Quality Level B is the most widely used. This is when we’re out in the field utilizing advanced equipment to detect the underground utilities and putting paint marks on the ground. Quality Level B should be used on any type of project that involves excavation or simply needs accurate utility mapping in a given area. A special service UPI offers is a comprehensive, easy-to-interpret deliverable that maps out as many underground utilities as possible using geophysical methods. We provide the deliverable in PDF and CAD, so your project manager can use it when developing the site. It’s also a great resource to hang in your construction trailer during construction. Having the deliverable also means you have a record of what’s in the ground in case construction doesn’t start for several months.
Quality Level A is the most involved service that entails test pitting. UPI currently facilitates this service through a subcontractor; however, we are on-site for the duration of test pitting to assist with any complications. We also provide a test pit report to clients that details exactly where the utility is in the field, the depth and elevation we measured, a Northing and Easting to compute to CAD form, and more.
For any more information on the SUE quality levels we provide, or to get a project started with UPI, give us a shout at (703) 334-5657 or fill out our RFP form, and we will respond back in less than 12 hours.