IDENTIFYING, INVESTIGATING

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IDENTIFYING, INVESTIGATING CHARACTERIZING
UNKNOWNS
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WHAT ARE UNKNOWNS HOW ARE THEY IDENTIFIED?

• Unknowns are typically linear conductors or
  targets which can not be readily correlated to
  available record information, utility related
  structures or positively identified utility
  configurations.
• Unknowns are typically identified through the
  employment of surface geophysical equipment
  during a Quality Level B (QL-B) subsurface
  utility engineering (SUE) investigation.
• Unknowns may also be discovered during the
  excavation of Quality Level A (QL-A) test holes
  or while investigating utility related structures
  such as manholes, vaults, inlets, cabinets and
  pedestals.
• In some cases, unknowns may first show up as
  unidentified facilities on plans, permits or
  record drawings.

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UNKNOWN CONDUCTORS vs. UNKNOWN UTILITIES

• NON-UTILITY CONDUCTORS
• Old Fencing
• Typically found near existing or old ROW lines.
• Rebar
• Typically found in curbs, sidewalks
• concrete paving.
• Railroad Trolley Tracks
• Typically found in older urban,
• metropolitan and industrial areas.
• Construction/Demolition Debris
• Occurs randomly on a small percentage of projects.

• UNKNOWN UTILITIES
• Undocumented Active Utilities
• Found everywhere, they are most often
  communications, traffic control and privately
  owned facilities.
• Abandoned Communications
• Most often found in suburban and rural areas,
  their number are growing rapidly.
• Abandoned Natural Gas Water
• Most often found in older urban,
• metropolitan and industrial areas.
• Aban Gas Gathering Systems
• Commonly found in regions with a history
• of oil gas production.
• Steam Pneumatic Systems
• Casings and Culverts

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WHAT ARE THE PRIMARY GOALS OF INVESTIGATING
UNKNOWNS?

• ATTEMPT TO DETERMINE THE FOLLOWING
• What is it?
• Obtaining this information is critical because
  it is the only way to eliminate non-utility
  related targets. It also allows for the narrowing
  of search parameters aimed at determining
  ownership.
• Who owns it?
• The determination of ownership is critical
  because it establishes a direct contact for
  obtaining additional facility specific
  information. Direct contact with the owner also
  facilitates the timely negotiation, design and
  planning of relocations.
• What is its operational status?
• This information is critical regardless of the
  establishment of ownership. The time and costs
  associated with removing abandoned facilities
  are far less than those associated with the
  design and relocation of inactive or
  abandoned facilities.

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HOW CAN WE DETERMINEWHAT IT IS?

• Employ surface geophysical equipment to tie the
  target in to a utility related structure or
  positively identified utility configurations.
• This may require investigation beyond the strict
  limits of the project.
• Research additional sources of record and
  anecdotal information.
• These sources may include archival utility
  records, permits, deeds, tax records, public
  libraries, county courthouses, regulatory
  agencies, property owners, the internet, etc.
• Employ non-destructive excavating techniques to
  expose the target.
• Exposure will allow for the elimination of
  non-utility unknowns. It also allows for the
  collection of important physical information such
  as the size, material type and general condition
  of unknown utilities.

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HOW CAN WE DETERMINE OWNERSHIP?

• Employ surface geophysical equipment to tie the
  target in to a utility related structure or
  positively identified utility configurations.
• This may require investigation beyond the strict
  limits of the project.
• Research additional sources of record and
  anecdotal information.
• These sources may include archival utility
  records, permits, deeds, tax records, public
  libraries, county courthouses regulatory
  agencies, property owners, internet, etc.
• Post public notices as required by state and
  local statutes.
• Is there an owner?
• Abandoned utilities are often not included in
  the sales, mergers, etc. of corporate interests.
  In these cases, ownership may have reverted to
  the surface owner.

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FROM THE TxDOT UTILITY MANUAL

• Section 9 Unknown Utility Ownership Policy
• Determining the ownership and authorized agent of
  the utility can be accomplished by
• ?? visiting with people being served by the
  facility
• ?? checking with the owners or representatives
  of similar facilities in the area
• ?? contacting the landowners where the utility
  is located
• ?? reviewing TxDOT permits and Joint Use
  Agreements in the area
• ?? investigate other adjacent roadway utilities
  or
• ?? contacting county maintenance personnel or
  commissioners.

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Cooperative facilities may be used by consumers
who are unaware that the facilities are consumer
owned, or that the original members of a
cooperative may no longer exist. Yet, the
cooperatives are responsible for the adjustment
of utilities. This situation may be remedied by
the following methods ?? Call the consumers
using the facilities to a meeting. Have the TxDOT
Utility Liaison explain the scope of the project
and potential impact on the facilities. ?? If
the cooperative is unable to fund their portion
of the required adjustment, inform them of
financing options. These include SIB and State's
Hardship Financing Fund and other than State
sources, e.g., bond.
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• When ownership cannot be determined and the
  utility is not abandoned or inoperative, TxDOT
  will exhibit a good faith effort by publishing
  its intention to abandon the utility according to
  State or industry standards using a citation by
  publication. This should be accomplished in the
  same manner as that for a right of way parcel
  refer to TxDOTs right of way Manual, Volume 4,
  Eminent Domain Guide, Sections 3 and 8. Another
  method of handling this situation could be
  leaving the utility in place through highway
  design mitigation.

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GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS
CHARACTERIZATIONS

• ACTIVE Any or all of the following may apply
• The utility owner has characterized the
  operational status of this facility as ACTIVE .
• There is physical, electronic, record or
  anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility
  is in regular use.

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GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS
CHARACTERIZATIONS

• INACTIVE Any or all of the following may apply
• The utility owner has characterized the
  operational status of this facility as INACTIVE .
• There is physical, electronic, record or
  anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility
  is not in regular use.
• There is physical, electronic, record or
  anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility
  is serviceable or, could be economically repaired
  and returned to ACTIVE status.

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GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS
CHARACTERIZATIONS

• ABANDONED Any or all of the following may
  apply
• The utility owner has characterized the
  operational status of this facility as ABANDONED
  .
• There is physical, electronic, record or
  anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility
  is not in regular use.
• There is physical, electronic, record or
  anecdotal evidence found to suggest this facility
  is unserviceable and, could not be economically
  repaired and returned to ACTIVE or INACTIVE
  status.

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GENERALLY RECOGNIZED OPERATIONAL STATUS
CHARACTERIZATIONS

• UNKNOWN Any or all of the following may apply
• The utility owner was unable or unwilling to
  characterize the operational status of this
  facility.
• There was insufficient physical, electronic,
  record or anecdotal evidence found to warrant a
  more specific status.

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HOW CAN WE DETERMINE OPERATIONAL STATUS?

• Employ surface geophysical to search for EOIs.
• EOIs can indicate the cut ends of pipes or
  cables.
• Employ non-destructive excavating techniques to
  expose target utilities.
• gt Physical exposure at an EOI can provide
  verification that a line has been cut.
• gtPhysical exposure at points of poor electronic
  information may yield additional telling
  information such as holes or other conditions
  which are indicative of operational status.
• gtPhysical exposure of pipes facilitates external
  testing for cathodic protection, pipe
  wall thickness, asbestos content and flowing
  liquid or gas.
• As a last resort and provided a number of
  prerequisite criteria have been met, pipes can be
  cold tapped. This facilitates direct sampling
  inside of the pipe.

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DOCUMENTING REPORTING INFORMATION

• Provide QL-B information in the appropriate CADD
  platform using the clients standards for line
  styles, symbology, etc.
• Add a unique non-embedded text label i.e., A-Z,
  2A-2Z, 3A-3Z to each line.
• Provide a Utility Characterization Report which
  includes detailed information such as size,
  material type, depth, general condition,
  ownership, operational status, etc. for each line.

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TYPICAL QL-B WORK PRODUCT
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TYPICAL QL-B/UC WORK PRODUCT
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(No Transcript)
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C/I ASCE 38-02Standard Guidelines for the
Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface
Utility Data

• National engineering standard published in Dec.
  2002.
• Utility ownership or type should be noted when
  known.
• 38-02 is silent on how much investigation should
  go into determining utility ownership or type.

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SCOPES OF WORK

• Most scopes of work, whether generated by the SUE
  consultant or the client, fail to specifically
  address the issue of unknowns.
• Therefore, individual SUE consultants will
  address these issues in different ways, based
  upon their perception of the owners
  expectations, pricing mechanisms, project due
  dates, and other factors.
• However, lacking a scope of work to the contrary,
  a majority of SUE consultants will take a
  relatively minimalist approach and simply label
  unidentified conductors as an UNKNOWNS and
  leave it at that.

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Range of Practices Consultant 1

• Research records of the major known utilities.
• Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm
  only these utilities of record.
• If they happen across an unidentified conductor
  it is traced to the project limits, mapped and
  labeled whatever the technician thinks it might
  be or simply left as an UNKNOWN.

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Range of Practices Consultant 2

• Research records of the major known utilities.
• Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm
  only these utilities of record.
• If they happen across an unidentified conductor
  and it is traced to the project limits, it is
  mapped and labeled whatever the technician thinks
  it might be or simply left as an UNKNOWN.
• If it is traced to a utility related structure
  (e.g. a telephone pedestal), it is labeled based
  upon it association with that structure (e.g.
  telephone).

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Range of Practices Consultant 3

• Research records of the major known utilities.
• Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm
  the utilities of record and, actively sweep the
  projects to search for others.
• If unidentified conductors are found, they are
  traced to the project limits and mapped. If no
  structures are found within the project limits,
  they labeled as an UNKNOWNS.
• If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility
  related structure (e.g. a telephone pedestal), it
  is labeled based upon it association with that
  structure (e.g. telephone).

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Range of Practices Consultant 4

• Research records of the major known utilities.
• Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm
  the utilities of record and, actively sweep the
  projects to search for others.
• If unidentified conductors are found, they are
  traced to the project limits and mapped. If no
  structures are found within the project limits,
  they labeled as an UNKNOWNS.
• If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility
  related structure (e.g. a telephone pedestal), it
  is labeled based upon it association with that
  structure (e.g. telephone).
• Perform additional records research and meet or
  correspond with owners of known utilities in an
  attempt to obtain additional anecdotal
  information leading the identification of
  unknowns and their ownership.

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Range of Practices Consultant 5

• Research records of the major known utilities.
• Employ surface geophysical equipment to confirm
  the utilities of record and, actively sweep the
  projects to search for others.
• If unidentified conductors are found, they are
  traced for some distance beyond the project
  limits and mapped within the limits. If no
  structures are found within the project limits,
  they labeled as an UNKNOWNS.
• If an unknown conductor is traced to a utility
  related structure (e.g. a telephone pedestal), it
  is labeled based upon it association with that
  structure (e.g. telephone).
• Perform additional records research and meet or
  correspond with owners of known utilities in an
  attempt to obtain additional anecdotal
  information leading the identification of
  unknowns and their ownership.
• If unknown is thought to be relatively shallow, a
  hand excavation is performed in an attempt to at
  least identify its size and material type.

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SUMMARY

• Unknown conductors can end up being almost
  anything from buried railroad tracks, to scraps
  of abandoned phone cables, to active petroleum or
  natural gas pipelines.
• The amount of effort required to determine what
  they are, who owns them and whether or not they
  are active covers a large spectrum
• Some courses of action are simple, inexpensive,
  and can be relatively effective
• Other actions may be quite costly and time
  consuming, with liability issues regarding
  environmental releases or property damage (e.g.
  to a line being tapped).

• Good communications and a clear scope of work are
  critical to controlling costs, mitigating risks,
  and ensuring adherence to project timelines.
• Project owners may perceive a conflict of
  interest between the normal utility mapping scope
  and the costly measures necessary to identify
  some unknowns they may desire separate contracts
  to eliminate this perceived conflict of interest.