A leading provider of healing services for children and families in central and southwestern Ohio planned construction activities in sections of their property. The client knew unmapped subsurface utilities existed on the site and wanted detailed maps showing the location of buried public and private utilities to avoid potential damage during construction.

Using state-of-the-art equipment and technology, RETTEW employed multiple conventional means of subsurface utility locating and collected GPS data for integration into facility base mapping. Aging and newer non-metallic utilities presented challenges, as the signal either would not emit the entire length of the line, or was unable to trace because of broken or nonexistent tracer wire. RETTEW used ground penetrating radar to locate utility lines without a tracer wire and inserted a traceable rodder into the deeper, larger buried pipes to trace them.

RETTEW’s Subsurface Utility Engineering group offers more than 30 years of combined experience locating public and private utilities. This experience, combined with enhanced technology, enables us to locate the most complex subsurface infrastructure. We identified the different utilities on the ranch property and the best point of contact to assist in troubleshooting efforts (e.g., maintenance personnel, managerial staff). We provided the client with a kmz file showing the location of all subsurface utilities, helping the design and construction crews to avoid facilities and utilities in conflict. Contractors bidding on work will have a clear understanding of the property and be able to submit more accurate bids, which will reduce the risk of damage to underground utilities and keep workers, employees, and the property safe.