How did you get involved in Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE)? I got my start based on an offer to go to Wendy’s for lunch. When I was 15 years old, one of my friend’s older brothers asked me after school to go to an emergency mark-out with him in Brooklyn for a damage prevention. We were going to grab a bite to eat and take a ride. I enjoyed the work and started going with him more often.
What does an SUE professional do? An SUE professional performs an existing utility conditions layout for a variety of clients. They designate utility locations for excavators installing things like electrical cables or water pipes, as well as map utilities for design of future renovations. SUE professionals can work on sites like an electric substation where renovations are proposed for the far or near future. They can work in a mall or school, designating utilities for an existing conditions CADD drawing. They can work onsite, assisting a crew in a water repair by marking out the surrounding utilities for an active leak and finding the appropriate valves to isolate the water line to be repaired. An SUE professional can assist a contractor or building owner trying to find continuity between buildings and structures – by sending a detectible rod through a vacant conduit and designating the conduit to its destination to determine if it is viable for new line to be pulled through. An SUE professional can help determine the path of a new utility by designating existing utilities and working with the client to determine the least impactful path of the proposed line. And these are just a few examples of what a SUE professional does.
What types of projects can benefit from SUE? Our clients range from municipalities, campus settings, utility companies, and retail/ commercial. Essentially, any project that might have an impact on utilities can benefit from SUE. When we discuss the benefits of SUE with our clients, we highlight the fact that the goal of SUE is to put them in control of the utilities on their property. Knowing where utilities are on a project minimizes the chance for accidental damages or contractor change orders regarding utility issues. SUE enables the client and designers to make informed decisions about utility issues in the design phase, not just in the construction phase of a project.
Do you have a favorite project you’ve been involved in? It’s hard to pick one. Over the years, we have done many different types of projects, but if I had to pick one, it would be Stony Brook University. We have had an on-call contract with the university for nearly 20 years. We began working for Stony Brook in 2004, when they first decided to put out an RFP for utility mark out and have been renewed as on-call consultants every five years since. I have been at the University for the installation of new utilities and years later have been at the University for the decommissioning of those same utilities.