OUR VISION
CUSTOMER PARTNERSHIPS
Ground Disturbance Plans
Dig Permits
Team Education
Safety Week Leadership
As we seek to realize a world with 100% subsurface damage prevention, a key component is customer partnerships. General Contractors, Engineers, Facility Operators, Property Owners and other customers that call GPRS are making a decision to mitigate the risks that are associated with excavating or cutting into the subsurface. But what happens when all involved parties are not aware of GPRS capabilities? What happens when the decision is left up to a subcontractor that doesn’t have the same focus on safety? What happens when your team is in a rush to excavate and safety protocols are skipped?
GPRS believes that a great way to limit the chance of striking utilities or concrete reinforcement is to have team safety awareness partnered with proper policies and procedures. Often times, we find that ground disturbance plans and concrete cutting policies are lacking in the language needed to ensure all underground utilities and concrete reinforcement is located. The GPRS team looks to partner with our clients in the creation of robust ground disturbance plans and proper dig permits. We use our industry expertise to make sure the proper locating methods are included in every safety plan (ground disturbance plan or dig permit). Don’t assume that utility locating on private property and concrete scanning will be done on every project unless it is a part of your written plan.
Unfortunately, safety can become a repetitive and dull topic with your personnel. GPRS understands this frustration and wants to be a fresh voice bringing new topics and ideas to your teams. We can assist in accomplishing this not only by assisting in the creation of an underground utility locating and concrete scanning policies, but we would love to assist your safety department by presenting during safety meetings and tool box talks. Our industry experts will mobilize to your job site or office and present on a relevant underground topic – for free. GPRS partners with several key organizations like Construction Safety Week and Concrete Sawing & Drilling Safety Week. These dedicated safety weeks are a great way to renew your teams focus on safety topics that directly apply to them. Will you join us on our mission of 100% Subsurface Damage Prevention by allowing GPRS to assist in the creation of a great ground disturbance policy?
CUSTOMER SERVICES
We believe that damages, injuries and down-time associated with utility strikes and post tension damage is preventable. In pursuit of 100% subsurface damage prevention, Ground Penetrating Radar Systems is committed to using technologies and services that will achieve this goal for the industries that we serve.
Excavation, digging, trenching, boring and directional drilling without locating all underground facilities can result in unneeded damages. Underground utilities must be properly located and mapped prior to the digging process. GPRS uses the latest in cable avoidance equipment, ground penetrating radar (GPR), electromagnetic locators (EM), video equipment, pipe push cameras, traceable rodders and magnetometers to locate underground utilities – on public or private property. A utility locate is not complete until a private locator like GPRS has been called to map the location of all underground utilities.
Concrete coring, concrete drilling, concrete removal and saw cutting without locating all reinforcement and conduits can be catastrophic. Impediments like post tension cables, rebar, electrical conduits and beams must be located prior to the cutting or coring process. GPRS uses the latest in concrete scanning technology in order to keep projects safe. This suite of tools includes concrete ground penetrating radar antennas, utility ground penetrating radar antennas, EM locating devices, magnetic location positioning devices and concrete x-ray (GPR). It is not safe to core if a professional concrete scanning firm has not located all subsurface obstructions, post tension cables, reinforcement and utilities.
The GPRS Deliverables Department provides a crucial component to the vision of 100% damage prevention – communication. One of the ways that underground facilities and pipes can be damaged is through poor communication. At the completion of a utility locate or concrete imaging project, often times there can be a loss of information that can result in damage or line strikes. Utility markings can wash away, conversations can be missed, and markings can be misinterpreted. GPRS can provide a permanent record of our field findings. This permanent record of the location of utilities or concrete reinforcement increases the communication surrounding each project.
Will you join us on our mission of 100% Subsurface Damage Prevention by allowing GPRS to assist all of your projects by providing our services (Concrete Scanning, Utility Locating, Video Pipe Inspection and Reports & Drawings)?
INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP
Subsurface Investigation Methodology (SIM Specification)
In a world with 100% Subsurface Damage Prevention there must be a consistent way to ensure that locating and scanning contractors are able to locate all underground utilities and map all concrete reinforcement. There also must be a way for the companies that hire these services to be ensured of redundant, accurate results. The locating and scanning industry can have many variances from firm to firm as it relates to equipment used, training programs, and even the methodology in which subsurface elements are located. These variances can even exist internally within one locating company. The quality of locate can vary from person to person in the same company. The contractors, engineers and managers that call on the locating industry also suffer from inconsistencies. Often times, companies will use many different firms to provide locating services – all with different equipment, training, methodology and reporting protocols. This opens the door for poor service and poor communication – with varying results.
GPRS subscribes to the Subsurface Investigation Methodology Specification (SIM). This document mandates consistent and minimum training protocols, required locating tools and equipment, as well as a consistent and repeatable methodology. When GPRS utilizes SIM Spec for our clients, we are able to give the same quality service – every time. This enables our newest Project Managers to able to deliver the same quality service as a tenured locator or concrete scanner.
How is SIM Spec actually different? When locators and GPR operators are trained using the SIM method, there is a requirement on training hours. This prevents the untrained and inexperienced operators from making mistakes on your job site. Underground locating equipment has strengths and weaknesses. SIM requires the use of multiple technologies. This mitigates the risk of striking a utility because of one tool’s limitations. The multiple technologies specified by SIM allow for repeatable results and a locate that has maximized the capabilities of all utility locating tools. Finally, because human error can exist during an underground utility locate or concrete scan, it is crucial to have a standard operating procedure in place that allows for a thorough and consistent approach – regardless of who is performing a locate. By subscribing to the SIM Specification, GPRS is able to give our clients an accurate, repeatable and thorough locate – every time.
The Subsurface Investigation Methodology can be incorporated into your company ground disturbance policy. This will ensure that you and your subcontractors are receiving that same quality, consistency and reliability on every project.