When subsurface utilities are discovered during the construction phase, the costs of conflict resolution and the potential for catastrophic damages are at their highest. That is why the collection and systematic depiction of reliable data for existing subsurface utilities is critical if engineers are to make informed decisions and support risk management protocols regarding a project's impact on these utilities. ""CI/ASCE Standard 38-02"" presents a credible system for classifying the quality of utility location information that is placed in design plans. The standard addresses issues, such as: how utility information can be obtained; what technologies are available to obtain that information; how that information can be conveyed to the information users; who should be responsible for typical collection and depiction tasks; what factors determine which utility quality level attribute to assign to data; and what the relative costs and benefits of the various quality levels are. Used as a reference or as part of a specification, the standard will assist engineers, project and utility owners, and constructors in developing strategies to reduce risk by improving the reliability of information on existing subsurface utilities in a defined manner.
