Utility Location

GeoModel, Inc. has over 20 years of experience locating underground utilities. GeoModel, Inc.’s professional utility location experts use only the latest equipment and methods to locate underground utilities. These utility location methods include ground penetrating radar (GPR), electromagnetic conductivity (EM) and frequency location. GeoModel, Inc. is known for locating utilities and pipelines that other locating companies cannot.

Ground penetrating radar can locate underground utilities that other utility location instruments cannot. GPR can locate plastic or PVC pipe and other types of nonconductive pipe such as concrete and terra cotta pipe. GPR yields an underground image of the pipes and utilities so that the utility location can be mapped and, also, depth and size of the buried utility can be determined in optimal soils conditions. Images of an example GPR profile from an underground utility location survey and the ground penetrating radar cart are seen below:

GeoModel, Inc. also uses electromagnetic conductivity (EM) instruments for utility location. An EM survey can locate public and private utilities that are conductive, including all types of metal pipes and electrical duct banks to depths of up to 20 feet deep. GPS and a data logger can be combined with the EM utility location detector to produce color maps of the subsurface metal, electrical, and other conductive underground utilities on a site. GeoModel can overlay the EM color contour image onto a Google Earth file for utility location and pipeline location and mapping, as seen below:

Frequency locators are also used by GeoModel, Inc. to locate underground utilities using a specific frequency applied to a pipe or utility using a frequency transmitter. This transmitted frequency can be traced for considerable distances across a site for underground utility location and marking and for utility mapping.

GeoModel, Inc. typically conducts utility line location survey services using a combination of all these methods, which are complementary in their capabilities to detect buried utilities. GeoModel, Inc. is often hired to locate and map buried utilities and pipelines before digging that other utility locating companies have missed. GeoModel, Inc. provides utility mapping and pipeline mapping services by marking the locations of detected utilities and pipes on the ground surface with survey flags or marking paint in the standard industry colors or a single color for unknown buried utility locations.

 

Contact GeoModel, Inc. today for our underground utility location services or for a 4-way sweep of your property or facility.

Additional Images

Click on an image for a larger view.