[PPT] - TS A Utility S urvey Guidance Note unpacked Graham Mills 26th PowerPoint Presentation

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TS A Utility S urvey Guidance Note unpacked

Graham Mills Chair – TSA Technical Committee Peter Barker Vice Chair - TSA Technical Committee

26th November 2009

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TS A Utility S urvey Guidance Note unpacked

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2 What are guidance notes and how they apply to utility surveyors - 1

TSA are involved with both RICS and CICES via the Survey Liaison Group.
RICS recently produced a discussion paper concerning the naming of guides

and information papers with a view to establishing common terminology.

The definitions used below concerning our document are taken from this

discussion paper.

Guidance notes are usually of 40 pages + in nature, proscriptive and

generally outline how to ‘do’ som ething.

They do not usually contain com m entary or opinion and m ay allude but

not significantly state research findings.

They do not usually com e in leaflet or gatefold form at and are alw ays

A4.

Guidance notes provide advice on aspects of the profession.

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Where procedures are recom m ended for specific professional tasks, these

are intended to em body 'best practice', ie procedures w hich in the opinion

f the SLG m eet a high standard of professional com petence.
Mem bers are not required to follow the advice and recom m endations

contained in guidance notes. They should how ever note the follow ing points.

When an allegation of professional negligence is m ade against a surveyor,

the Court is likely to take account of the contents of any relevant guidance notes in deciding w hether or not the surveyor had acted w ith reasonable com petence.

In the opinion of the SLG, a Mem ber conform ing to the practices

recom m ended in guidance notes should have at least a partial defence to an allegation of negligence by virtue of having follow ed those practices.

How ever, Mem bers have the responsibility of deciding w hen it is

appropriate to follow the guidance. If it is follow ed in an appropriate case, the Mem ber w ill not be exonerated m erely because the recom m endations w ere found in a guidance note.

What are guidance notes and how they apply to utility surveyors - 2

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TS A Utility S urvey Guidance Note unpacked

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4 What are guidance notes and how they apply to utility surveyors - 3

On the other hand, it does not follow that a Mem ber w ill be adjudged negligent if

he has not follow ed the practices recom m ended in guidance notes. It is for each individual surveyor to decide on the appropriate procedure to follow in any professional task.

How ever, w here Mem bers depart from the practice recom m ended in guidance

notes, they should do so only for good reason. In the event of litigation, the Court m ay require them to explain w hy they decided not to adopt the recom m ended practice.

In addition, guidance notes are relevant to professional com petence in that each

surveyor should be up to date and should have inform ed him self of guidance notes w ithin a reasonable tim e of their prom ulgation.

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5 The background to the development of the guidance note - 1 I am now handing over to Peter Barker to take you through the guidance note itself.

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6 The background to the development of the guidance note - 1

In September 2006 a group of seven companies involved in utility

surveys met under the chairmanship of Nigel Knowles to discuss concerns over standards within the sector.

Initial thoughts were to set up a new association to represent the

interests of those working in utility survey.

Commonsense prevailed with a decision made to take forward the

issues under the patronage of TSA.

Some companies were already involved with the TSA but others,

including my own company, were not members. This was rectified soon the following year.

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7 The background to the development of the guidance note - 2

During 2007 it was

decided to produce two documents relating to utility surveys

A two page ‘executive

summary’ &

A detailed guidance

note

The executive summary

was published on the TSA website in January 2008

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8 The background to the development of the guidance note - 3

Work started on the detailed guidance note in February 2008. It’s taken twenty months to get to this!

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9 The development of the guidance note - 1 We were very keen to consult widely within the industry with two prim e objectives:

To ensure that we knew how the surveyors already active in

the market went about their work. This allowed us to establish what was ‘best practice’.

To ensure that the document, when published, would be

widely accepted by both surveyors and their clients.

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10 The development of the guidance note - 2 How did we go about the consultation?

We needed something for the consultees to look at so that they

had an idea of what the format and content of the final document would likely be.

We therefore produced a 17 page first draft which was sent out

for the first round of consultation in September 2008.

This was sent out to a number of TSA members including those

companies who took part in the NUAG / TSA focus group.

In addition survey companies and a number of equipment

manufacturers or their agents who were active in the market but not TSA members were consulted mainly through visits.

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11 The development of the guidance note - 3 Who responded to the consultation?

To date we have had 17 companies and organisations respond

to the consultation who are not represented on either the TSA Council nor technical committee.

This is in addition to the many responses from the TSA Council

members and the technical committee.

Respondees include other associations, professional

institutions, universities, HSE, the insurance industry and equipment manufacturers.

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12 The development of the guidance note - 4 What were the results of the consultation and how have we used them ?

The responses received have been well considered and wide ranging which have

enhanced the document immeasurably.

They have been received since September 2008 and are still being received in

November 2009.

The comments are progressively fed into the document as they were received.
We now stand at Draft 8.j ie eight major drafts of which the last has been

modified ten times.

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13 The development of the guidance note - 5 When and how will the docum ent be updated after this launch?

The document is to be considered as a ‘living draft’. It will continue to be

updated with new techniques, equipment, methodologies and advice so that it will continue to reflect ‘best practice’ as the industry advances.

This will be done by keeping it as a pdf document downloadable from

the TSA website. Issue numbers and dates will be shown on each page of the document so that there will be no doubt as to which version is being

used. Both high and low resolution versions will be available.
We anticipate updated versions will be produced and issued as required

but at a maximum interval of a year.

Comments will always be gratefully received!

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14 The structure and content of the guidance note - 1 The rest of the presentation looks at the structure and content of the guidance note. You can follow this in the printed copy distributed earlier as section and page numbers are given as well as a thumb-nail image of the relevant page.

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15 The structure and content of the guidance note - 1 How is the docum ent organised?

The document is to split up into 15

sections each addressing the various key aspects of a utility survey.

There are also 9 appendices with

charts, examples, commentaries etc. complementing and elaborating upon the main content.

Two of these appendices have yet to

be written.

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16 The structure and content of the guidance note - 2 Section 1 – Introduction, page 3 A key aspect of the document is the statement of its two objectives. The first addresses the clients:

To provide those com m issioning utility surveys w ith an understanding of w hat is involved so that the process of specifying, bidding, and executing utility surveys is efficient and appropriate. The client should have realistic expectations

f w hat can be achieved on site, w hat

tim escales are likely to be involved and the cost benefit of the chosen m ethodology. This in turn enables the client to quantify project risks associated w ith existing utilities on the site and the cost of m itigating these risks.

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17 The structure and content of the guidance note - 3 Section 1 – Introduction, page 3 A key aspect of the document is the statement of its two objectives. The second addresses the surveyors:

To provide practitioners w ith a yardstick

n w hat is best practice in this specialist

industry and set a fram ew ork w ithin w hich quality and appropriate surveys can be carried out. By receiving clear, w ell defined objectives and param eters from the potential client, the bids provided by contractors can be com pared know ing that they have been priced on a ‘like for like’ basis. It is not intended that this docum ent should be used as a ‘surveyor’s handbook’ nor that it should replace structured training of surveyors.

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18 The structure and content of the guidance note - 3 Section 1 – Introduction, page 3 The inevitable health warning!

“ For the avoidance of doubt, this docum ent has been prepared solely for use as a guidance note as to w hat is considered to be best practise in the industry at the tim e of issue. Practitioners should use and rely upon their

w n professional training and judgm ent w hen

adopting any of the practises described in the guidance note. The Survey Association accepts no responsibility or liability w hatsoever for any claim s against practitioners arising as a result of any practises included in the guidance note. Further, The Survey Association ow es no duty to those com m issioning utility surveys.”

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19 The structure and content of the guidance note - 3 Section 1 – Introduction, page 3

Definition

The term Utility Survey refers to the location, positioning, identification and m apping of buried pipes and cables beneath the ground. Other term s used for this type

f survey include:
a. Service Tracing
b. Underground Utility Survey
c. Underground Utility Mapping
d. Utility Detection Survey
e. CAT scan
f. Radar survey or GPR survey

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20 The structure and content of the guidance note - 3 Section 1 – Introduction, page 4

Benefits

There are m any benefits w hich com e from a w ell executed utility survey including:

a. The safety of the w orkforce and public
b. Minim ise utility dam age
c. Minim ise project delays
d. Save delay and dam age costs
e. Designing and planning know ing the

constraints

f. Saving costs w ith producing as built

records

g. Prom oting good relationships betw een

client and surveyor

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21 The structure and content of the guidance note - 3 Section 1 – Introduction, page 4

What is involved in a utility survey

The successful detection and m apping of buried utilities involves the com bination of several techniques, the results of w hich are synthesised dow n to a single interpreted

plot. The techniques and m ethodologies

used w ill prim arily depend upon the required outcom e for the survey, the site conditions and the type of pipes or cables being targeted.

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22 The structure and content of the guidance note - 3 Section 1 – Introduction, page 4

General considerations in procurement

More than just a m ethodology is needed.
A holistic approach is essential it

m axim ise the results.

An aw areness of other indicators such as

reinstatem ent scars.

Experience, w ell trained staff.
Make sure you (the Client) know w hat you

are trying to achieve and com m unicate this to the tenderers.

There should be no doubt as to w hat is

being purchased!

There are legal obligations on utility

com panies to record the location of their apparatus in three dim ensions.

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23 The structure and content of the guidance note - 3 Section 1 – Introduction, page 4

Limitations/ Expectations/ Misconceptions

A w ell designed and executed survey should

detect 95% of utilities. 100% m ay not be possible.

The difference betw een m ains w ithin the street

and services to properties.

The high cost of repairing fibre optics and the

expectation of their detection.

m etal sheathing
laid w ithin ducts
laid directly into the ground
A utility survey is not a condition survey but

CCTV and trial holes can provide som e additional inform ation.

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24 The structure and content of the guidance note - 3 Section 1 – Introduction, page 5

Survey intensity and the ‘Law of Diminishing Returns’

Specifying a high level intensity survey w ill

ensure nearly all detectable utilities are m apped .

But can the cost of such a specification be

justified over the w hole of large area sites w here, for exam ple, open spaces such as playing fields exist?

Consideration should be given to restricting

the high level searches to high risk, new build

r know n com plex areas.
It m ay w ell be appropriate to specify low er

levels of survey in low risk areas.

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25 The structure and content of the guidance note - 3 Section 1 – Introduction, page 5

Depth ranges and determination

Depths can be determ ined using both EML and GPR (see Appendix 6 for their capabilities) A rule of thum b for GPR from The Am erican Society of Civil Engineers: ‘In good ground conditions and w ithin the depth range of tw o m etres the ability to detect a utility w ill reduce in diam eter by 1m m for each 10m m of depth. i.e. a 200m m pipe can be detected at 2m and a 50m m pipe at 0.5m but a 25m m plastic w ater service pipe to a house cannot be detected at 1.2m w ith radar’

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26 The structure and content of the guidance note - 3 Section 1 – Introduction, page 5

What to look for in a utility survey contractor

Ultim ately it is the client’s responsibility to ensure their chosen contractor is com petent to carry out the task required. How ever, if the survey contractor is a m em ber of a recognised institution or trade association, such as RICS, ICES, TSA or the European GPR Association then a clear com m itm ent to quality can be seen to have been m ade and provides the client w ith recourse in the event of a poor quality

f survey.

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27 The structure and content of the guidance note - 3 Section 1 – Introduction, page 5

What to look for in a utility survey contractor

Considerations:

accreditation by, for exam ple, Achilles Verify

and ISO 9001 etc.

an understanding of draw ings, legal

requirem ents and obligations.

proper levels of insurance.
suitably trained staff.
dem onstration of appropriate experience of

carrying out sim ilar com m issions. A list of surveyors is available on the TSA w ebsite http:/ / w w w .tsa-uk.org.uk/ m em berlist.php

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28 The structure and content of the guidance note - 3 Section 2 – Equipm ent & Techniques, pages 6, 7, 8 & 9

Electrom agnetic locators EML

Different m odes of use:

direct connection
tracer cable
sonde
clam p
induction
passive
frequencies
positioning

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29 The structure and content of the guidance note - 3 Section 2 – Equipm ent & Techniques, pages 9, 10 , 11 & 12

GPR Technology - Different types of systems and their relative cost:

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30 The structure and content of the guidance note - 3 Section 2 – Equipm ent & Techniques, pages 9, 10 , 11 & 12

GPR Technology - Systems Single scan line – single frequency system s

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31 The structure and content of the guidance note - 3 Section 2 – Equipm ent & Techniques, pages 9, 10 , 11 & 12

GPR Technology - Systems Single scan line – m ultiple frequency system s

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32 The structure and content of the guidance note - 3 Section 2 – Equipm ent & Techniques, pages 9, 10 , 11 & 12

GPR Technology - Systems Multi-scan line w ith either single or m ultiple frequency system s

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33 The structure and content of the guidance note - 3 Section 2 – Equipm ent & Techniques, pages 9, 10 , 11 & 12

GPR Technology - Systems High density single frequency array system s

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34 The structure and content of the guidance note - 3 Section 2 – Equipm ent & Techniques, pages 9, 10 , 11 & 12

GPR Technology - Systems High density m ulti-frequency array system s

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35 The structure and content of the guidance note - 3 Section 2 – Equipm ent & Techniques, pages 12 & 13 GPR Technology – Methodologies The main methods of deployment are:

on-site data analysis,

interpretation and m ark-out

office analysis and interpretation

involving post processing

(N.B. A com m entary on GPR m ethodologies provided by the European GPR Association is included in Appendix 7).

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36 The structure and content of the guidance note - 3 Section 2 – Equipm ent & Techniques, pages 12 & 13

Other detection technology

Gyro based pipe location logging
Magnetics
Ground conductivity
Earth resistance
Metal detectors
Infrared (therm al im aging)
Seism ics
Optical (laser)
Microgravity
Acoustic
Drain tracing dye

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37 The structure and content of the guidance note - 3 Section 2 – Equipm ent & Techniques, pages 12 & 13 Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)

A w hole industry in it’s ow n right
It can have a useful role in utility

surveying

Push rod system s
Investigation of EOT w ith sondes

and line tracers

Sim ple condition survey

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