Geotechnology Wins ACEC Award

Geotechnology Inc. has received a "Grand Award" from ACEC-Missouri (American Council of Engineering Companies) for its Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) program for MoDot's Safe and Sound Bridge Improvement Program.

Geotechnology implemented a complex Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) program as part of MoDOT's Safe and Sound Bridge Improvement Program, one of the first design-build projects for MoDOT.

The SUE project resulted in comprehensive utility maps for 226 bridges located throughout 20 counties in Missouri -- all developed in only 70 days from notice to proceed.

The purpose of this project was two-fold: 1) To provide the two proposing design-build teams for the Safe and Sound Bridge Improvement Program with comprehensive site utility information that affects estimating, scheduling and prioritizing sites for the bridge program; and 2) To provide the awarded team with the necessary utility information needed to design and construct around or incorporate into their rehabilitation plan, which will result in safer project execution and will likely result in lower overall budgets.

The challenge of this project was the scheduling and maneuvering of field crews in order to provide MoDOT with an immense amount of site information in a very short time. The proposal timeline and development were dependent upon the utility map deliverable. To provide MoDOT with comprehensive utility maps for each of the 226 bridge sites, Geotechnology applied Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE), a combination of techniques used for documenting the location of subsurface utilities prior to construction. SUE is performed to various Quality Levels based on the amount of effort performed which can include a combination of record searches, geophysical surveys, and air excavation. SUE can provide precise horizontal and vertical locations, three dimensional data, and accuracy set to 15mm vertically to the top of the utility. Geotechnology implemented Quality Level B SUE services by performing geophysical surveying, designating and mapping of utilities at each of the 226 bridge sites.

SUE is a significant tool for a construction project for a few reasons. SUE helps eliminate unexpected conflicts with utilities, because the exact location of virtually all utilities is known and accurately shown on the construction plans. Unnecessary utility relocations are avoided, because accurate utility information is available to designers early enough in the development of a project to design around many potential conflicts. Safety is enhanced. When excavation or grading work can be shifted away from existing utilities, there is less possibility of damage to a utility that might result in personal injury and property damage.

For this project, Geotechnology implemented a tactical approach, coordinating six production geophysical crews, one quality control geophysical crew, and six different land survey crews from three different subcontractors. Due to logistical efforts, strong project management, responsible field crews and quick-thinking support staff, the field work was completed in just 12 days. All 226 utility maps were submitted by the February 1, 2007 deadline and MoDOT was enabled with comprehensive site-specific information that helped keep the Safe and Sound Bridge Program on track.

Columns