Just a typical day
“A typical day would go something like this. Once I have arrived in the office and got a brew, I will check my emails and identify any jobs that need to be quoted for. I will make sure the utilities team know what they’re doing and where they need to be – and if it’s a big project, I will head out to site to oversee aspects of it to ensure we’re completing it correctly to the brief and in the most efficient way possible. I enjoy working with my team and helping them to develop their surveying skills. The role is largely about collecting data from site and processing it into PAS 128 specified drawings, which may sound easy, but is a time consuming and technical job, when done correctly.”
Interpreting the data
Underground utilities surveys are extremely important, as these deal with the pipes, sewers and services which lie below ground. Chris explains: “I love interpreting the data that is gathered through the ground penetrating radar (GPR) equipment, which uses the reflection of electromagnetic energy to produce images of subsurface services without the need to break ground. I use the data to build a picture of everything that lies below the surface. An accurate representation of what is below the ground is incredibly important, as a strike to a pipe can cause significant project delay and even pose a risk to life, depending on what the pipe is.”
Project challenges
Each project brings with it its own set of challenges and one of the biggest challenges of UU surveys is if the ground isn’t very conductive and it is hard to get a reading. Chris outlined some of the challenges: “If the ground has lots of reinforced concrete or clay the scanners can’t differentiate what is there. When this happens, the only thing I can do is make it clear on the drawings, so that any excavation can be approached with caution. You have to use the clues you are given to identify areas of uncertainty for example, ironworks can help to identify where services are.”
A surveying journey
Chris has worked at Powers for 10 years, starting out on simple topographic surveys and setting out for construction projects to more complex topo surveys and finally specialising in underground utilities. He has taken his level three certificate then level five diploma in Utility Mapping and Surveying. Chris has worked on a huge variety of projects over the last decade at Powers and the company value his commitment towards his continual self-development and attention to detail that underground utilities calls for. One of Chris’ project highlights has been carrying out the UU surveys for part of the Northern Gateway project. “We focused on a 2km stretch of road in Stockport. The length of road had a lot of assets below the surface and by the time we completed the job, the drawing was very detailed, enabling the client to fully understand what lay beneath. That particular job took about three weeks on site and required the coordination of traffic management. Then there was another two weeks processing the data back in the office. Being able to process the digital drawing from the data we’ve captured on site is really satisfying and I feel that at Powers’, we’re close to all aspects of our client’s project from quote through to delivery, which means we can ensure the quality of service is maintained and build client relationships by learning what they need first hand”.
For more information on Powers, visit the website: https://powersuk.com/about/
