Stop Hitting Utilities

UTILITY LOCATING

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Utility detection is critical to any project where subsurface excavation is planned to ensure success and avoid utility strikes. To achieve a comprehensive, safe utility locate, a private utility locating company must be utilized to mark & map buried facilities on private property. Professional utility locators with proper training, multiple technologies, and field-tested methodology are essential to properly locating all site utilities.

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Private Utility Locating

Facility Mapping

Utility As-Built Creation

Soil Boring Clearance

Directional Drilling Clearance

Environmental Due Diligence

One Call Locating Services

UST Locating

Private Utility Locating Services

Not all underground utilities are registered with your local 811 center, meaning they won’t be marked by 811’s partner utility companies. GPRS provides comprehensive digital and PDF utility maps of every utility on site, whether public or private – including depths – and can export your utility data into a wide variety of drawings, maps, and models that provide seamless communication and collaboration on any project.

Facility Mapping Services

GPRS’ mission is to Intelligently Visualize The Built World^®. We provide comprehensive above and below ground facility and infrastructure mapping for the construction, facility management, engineering, architecture, manufacturing, and related industries. Our services provide accurate 3D BIM models, 99.8% accurate utility locating & concrete imaging via GPR, NASSCO-certified Video Pipe Inspection (CCTV) reports, 2D CAD drawings via FLRPLN, Conceptual Site Models (CSM), rectified 3D photogrammetry via ProCap & 3D virtual tours via WalkThru 3D.

Directional Drilling Clearance

When installing fiber and telecom lines, you have to know where to drill to avoid striking existing underground utilities. Cross bores caused by trenchless technology risk utility infrastructure and community safety. Avoid damages and confirm the safety of your work with pre and post-installation cross bore inspections that capture accurate existing conditions underground before you drill, and confirm the safety of your completed work.

Environmental Due Diligence & CSM

GPRS provides assistance in Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs), whether for due diligence before a sale or when tracking potential contamination for regulatory concerns. We provide accurate utility locates that map preferential pathways for contaminants and can provide detailed and 99.8% accurate conceptual site models (CSM) for 3D site visualization.

One Call Locating Services

Calling 811 before you dig is the law, and One Call will contact registered utility owners who will provide you with the approximate location of all their utilities within your project area. But not all utilities are registered with 811, and even if they are you will not receive information on the depth of their lines. GPRS professional utility locating provides you with accurate field markings, including depths, and give you complimentary digital and PDF utility maps of your utility infrastructure.

UST Locating

Finding underground storage tanks (USTs) on any site is crucial to remediating risk before excavation. Abandoned tanks and lines can be easily found and comprehensively mapped by our SIM-certified Project Managers, and our Mapping & Modeling team can create a comprehensive map and/or conceptual site model (CSM) of your facilities for risk mitigation and recording purposes.

Soil Boring Clearance

Environmental consultants require soil borings when providing due diligence in a property transfer or when investigating environmental hazards in contaminated areas and brownfields. A private utility locating company like GPRS can locate and map the utilities and features that exist underground before you drill – and help you mitigate additional damages and risk in an already hazardous situation.

Utility As-Built Creation

GPRS provides a complimentary PDF, .KMZ file, and a SiteMap^® Personal subscription with every outdoor utility locate. Our Project Managers utilize the data from your utility field markings to create digital, layered utility maps inside SiteMap^®, and our in-house Mapping & Modeling Team can provide you with TruBuilt plan views and even a comprehensive 3D BIM or Conceptual Site Model (CSM) that accurately visualizes your entire utility infrastructure to communicate, collaborate, and manage your project or facility better.

///PROJECT CYCLE SOLUTIONS

Data Control = Damage Control, which means you save time, money, and keep your people safe.

Planning & Design

GPRS is a utility locating company that provides you with accurate existing conditions documentation to streamline planning & design. We give you the tools to Intelligently Visualize The Built World^® – including maps, drawings, and even 3D models of your subsurface infrastructure to help you plan and execute better.

Construction

Controlling your subs, trades, and the quality of your data is vital to a safe, successful project. That’s why before you break ground, it’s critical to accurately visualize your subsurface utilities. Whether you choose to incorporate Subsurface Investigation Methodology to your dig policy, or utilize GPRS locates and cross bore mitigation before you drill or dig, our services provide you with the control you need to dig more safely and build better.

O&M/Remodel

Facility Management is a constant struggle to maintain accurate existing condition documents and to have your as-builts easily accessible to your team. Eliminate information bottlenecks and keep your facility documentation up to date with GPRS and our SiteMap^® platform – our cloud-based application that incorporates GPRS 99.8% accurate utility data with an intuitive GIS user interface to manage your facility infrastructure.

///THE RIGHT TOOLS

A cartoon golf cart with a black handle. | GPRS Images

Ground Penetrating Radar

The tool our company was founded on, GPR, in concert with other complementary technologies, is used to identify buried objects and underground utilities. Our Project Managers provide 99.8% accurate field-verified utility maps, delivered via SiteMap^®, PDF & .KMZ files to all GPRS customers.

A man working on a gas line with a yellow tool. | GPRS Images

EM Locating - Active

Active EM locating involves actively transmitting a frequency through the underground utility’s conductive material. This is done by connecting through various points depending on the utility. The transmitter can be connected to various types of utility lines via a grounding wire or other physical utility structure above ground to provide the active signal that the EM locator can then read.

A yellow tool with a black handle. | GPRS Images

EM Locating - Passive

Electromagnetic (EM) locators are preferred by One Call contractors to locate public utility lines. GPRS utilizes them with GPR and other technologies as part of our Subsurface Investigation Methodology process to detect live AC power or radio signals along conductive utilities.

A runway with a green and red line on it. | GPRS Images

Electromagnetic Induction (EMI)

Electromagnetic Induction (EMI) is used in open-field metal surveys to locate buried objects. The EMI unit has two coil sets: one transmits a primary magnetic field, inducing current in the ground, and the other senses the secondary magnetic field. EMI data reveals soil conductivity and is displayed as a color-coded contour map showing conductivity changes.

A robot with a gun on its arm. | GPRS Images

Robotic CCTV Crawlers

GPRS Project Managers use CCTV to investigate sanitary & storm sewers as part of our Video Pipe Inspection Services. Mainline crawlers and their small diameter cousins are used with push cameras and other technology to provide accurate, subsurface visualization and NASSCO-certified reporting.

A red and grey pump with a black wheel. | GPRS Images

Push Camera

Push cameras can access pipes through smaller spaces like vents, cleanouts, and toilet plumbing to locate small lateral lines in a sewer system. It contains a sonde that can also be detected by an EM locator to map non-metallic pipes as part of a full site utility scan or NASSCO VPI report.

CCTV Lateral Launch Cameras

GPRS uses lateral launch cameras as part of a video pipe (CCTV) inspection and/or a full-site utility locate to non-destructively investigate lateral storm and sanitary sewer lines upstream of a mainline to find pipe defects, cross bores, abandoned pipes, and effectively map a sewer system.

A collection of different sized black and white tubes. | GPRS Images

Sondes

Sondes are built into robotic crawlers and push cameras and emit an electromagnetic field that is receivable by EM locators or a sonde locator. They allow GPRS Project Managers to accurately map sewer lines as part of a utility locate or video pipe inspection.

Acoustic Leak Detection

GPRS Project Managers are experts in acoustic leak detection for pressurized water lines. They use specialized microphones, headphones, and control units, and complementary technologies to pinpoint water leaks by listening to amplified sound waves in a wide variety of pipe materials.

A man holding a blue device with a yellow glove on. | GPRS Images

Leak Detection Correlators

Also known as leak noise correlators, these algorithm-powered assessment tools utilize radio waves via a dual sensor system to process and digitally display leak vibrations that correlate to potential pressurized water system leaks. This tool is used in conjunction with acoustic detection devices to provide pinpoint leak detection in water and fire suppression infrastructure.

Put your site on the Map///

///Georeferenced Utility Linework Overlay

Every GPRS customer receives a complimentary PDF and .KMZ file of their utility map. Plus, we also provide a layered, georeferenced, and 99.8%+ accurate interactive digital utility map via SiteMap^® for every utility locate or full site scan we provide. All GPRS customers receive a complimentary SiteMap^® Personal subscription with their utility locate so that their subsurface utility information is secured and accessible 24/7 via desktop or mobile devices via the SiteMap^® Mobile App.

///CAD – 2D Utility Site Plan

If you need accurate existing condition documentation in 2D format for contractors, trades, and engineers, the GPRS Mapping & Modeling Team has you covered. We can convert your utility field markings, captured with either 3D photogrammetry or LiDAR (3D laser scanning) to create accurate CAD as-builts of your utility infrastructure. Learn more about our CAD team, here.

///CAD – 3D UTILITY SITE PLAN

GPRS can locate every feature and facility, above and below-ground, and with the help of 3D technology, can capture those 99.8%+ accurate measurements to create a comprehensive 3D BIM model or conceptual site model (CSM) of your site. Our Mapping & Modeling team can even create an integrated model using utility markings and 3D laser scans to provide an accurate 3D object that incorporates all of your above and below-ground features, and even proposed changes, to help you design, plan, and build better. Learn more about 3D utility and facility modeling, here.

///GIS Infrastructure Software Application

A person holding a cell phone with a map on the screen. | GPRS Images

Every GPRS customer receives their digitized, secured, and accessible utility locates, maps, and models via SiteMap^®, our GIS-based infrastructure and facility management software application. In most cases, your utility locating information and layered utility map will be available within five minutes of the completion of your job, so that you can control the quality of your utility data, secure it, and share it with those you designate. GPRS customers receive a complimentary SiteMap^® Personal subscription with any GPRS job. Learn more about SiteMap^®, here.

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///GPRS COMMITMENT

DATA CONTROL = DAMAGE CONTROL

GPRS commits to:

Provide elite project managers with a proven 99.8% accuracy rate

Utilize multiple complementary technologies to locate and identify subsurface utilities and/or embedded features

Follow industry-leading SIM protocols to get the most accurate results, everywhere, everytime

YOUR NEXT STEPS:

Hire only SIM-certified utility locating and concrete scanning companies

Provide an explicit dig policy for your crews that specifies the use of SIM protocols

Put data accuracy and safety at the top of your list

FACILITY MANAGERS

Accurate utility infrastructure data prevents costly strikes, saving $56,000 per incident, preventing interruptions, and ensuring safety. GPRS can provide individual utility locates or full site facility scans – and can encompass your above and below-ground infrastructure to Intelligently Visualize The Built World^® with updated, layered, and digitized maps, drawings, models, and reports via SiteMap^®.

GENERAL CONTRACTORS

Avoid miscommunications, mistakes, accidents, and workflow issues with a simple addition to your dig policy that mandates SIM-certified utility locates and mapping before you break ground. GPRS can deliver initial site locates, and/or provide updated utility infrastructure mapping as your project progresses to keep your job on time, on budget, and safe.

///INDUSTRIES We serve

Power Transmission & Distribution

Locating prior to excavation or drilling

Telecom

Solutions for cell sites & fronthaul/backhaul

Renewable Energy

Locates for wind, solar & EV charging sites

Oil & Gas

Upstream, midstream & downstream locating services

Power Generation

Subsurface solutions for critical facilities

Facilities

Underground infrastructure maps & drawings

One Call

Utility locating & video pipe inspection

Environmental Due Diligence

Utility locating prior to boring, sampling or excavation

Civil, Road & Bridge

Concrete reinforcement scanning & mapping

Design Builds & Remodels

Concrete scanning & private utility locating

Education

Scanning, locating & mapping for existing campuses

Retail & Restaurant Construction

Support of nationwide retail rollouts

Water & Sewer

Electric Vehicle Charging

Engineering & Surveying

Other

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///CONTROL DATA CONTROL DAMAGE

SiteMap^® (patent pending) is a project & facility management application that provides accurate existing condition documentation to protect your assets and people. Every GPRS utility locating customer receives a complimentary SiteMap^® Personal subscription.

SiteMap^® Pro

Focuses on one facility

Allows you to manage all your projects from one secure location

Aggregated, layered above and below-ground infrastructure documentation for progress capture, record-keeping, and planning

Customization to fit your needs

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SiteMap^® Project

Prevent damages, change orders, and cost overruns to keep your assets & people safe.

All subcontractors and trades use GPRS services

All accurate GPRS infrastructure data is automatically uploaded to create a single source of truth

Secure & accessible for the life of your project

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Subsurface BIM Modeling

See all of your underground infrastructure in 3D so you can avoid utility strikes, construction clashes, and expensive rework. Our 99.8% accurate utility markings can be captured via 3D laser scans or photogrammetry and used to create a conceptual site model or 3D BIM model of your subsurface. Your underground data can also be added to an existing structural model to create a full 360 integrated BIM model.

A 3D model of a building with a blue roof. | GPRS Images

A full site scan is incomplete without VPI

YOU’RE MISSING

Hard to locate sewer laterals and mains

Unknown manholes and cleanouts

Identify cross bores and pipe defects

When you hire a private utility locating company that offers Video Pipe Inspection services, you’re ensuring you receive a comprehensive map of your subsurface infrastructure.

///Case Study

DIRECTIONAL DRILLING POWER INSTALLATION NEEDS ACCURATE UTILITY MAPS

TASK:

Installing new power utility through directional drilling.

Project Application:

Updated utility maps that accurately captured existing underground utilities and subsurface features were required to allow for the safe installation of new power distribution lines in a community.

The Bottom Line:

After two inadequate sets of utility locates led to multiple dangerous and costly utility strikes, GPRS helped get the project back on schedule, accurately mapped all underground utilities, and provided data that allowed the installation to proceed with ZERO additional utility strikes.

Problem

The public utility locates proved inadequate for the directional boring installer's needs 

All contractors in the city are required to conduct closed-circuit television (CCTV) inspections of its sewer lines before and after completing any utility installation projects to mitigate the risk of cross bores

A third-party locator hired after the initial strikes did not provide adequate locates, resulting in additional utility strikes and damages 

A tight deadline and rigorous subsurface requirements required extensive project coordination

Solution

Our rapid response deployment allowed a Project Manager to be on site immediately

The utilization of Subsurface Investigation Methodology (SIM) and multiple complementary technologies allowed for the capture of accurate existing underground utility locations and mapping

GPRS' 99.8%+ subsurface utility scanning accuracy provided accurate locates and utility maps prior to directional drilling

Benefits

On Time: Due to our rapid response, the project continued moving forward, with no new utility strikes, which reduced downtime

On Budget: There were ZERO new damages to existing utilities as new power lines were installed, which greatly cut cost overruns

Safety: No new utility strikes meant that both the installers and the community remained safe

Reputation: The customer increased their productivity to remain in good standing for project renewals in the future

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///WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN HIRING GPRS

Clear Communication

Your Project Manager will flag and paint their findings directly on the surface so that you and your team know where it is and is not safe to dig. GPRS also uses a global positioning system (GPS) to collect data points of findings used to generate the maps and models you need to Intelligently Visualize The Built World^®.

Complimentary Maps

You receive complimentary PDF and KMZ files of your utility locate, as well as a Personal subscription to SiteMap^® - our cloud-based infrastructure mapping software solution that provides accurate existing condition documentation to protect your assets & people.

Confidence

Our SIM-certified Project Managers have achieved and maintain an industry-leading 99.8%+ rate of accuracy on the over 500,000 utility locating and concrete scanning projects we’ve completed to date. Our findings give you the confidence that you’ll be able to break ground without risking the potentially catastrophic consequences of subsurface damage.

Field to Finish Solution

We support your construction process at every step. Whether you need utility locates for design-build, existing condition documents for renovation, or a full-site scan for comprehensive records, we provide accurate data on a secure digital platform. Control your data, control your outcomes.

///Case Study

ASK:

Update existing condition as-builts for subsurface utilities to safeguard a $1.5 Bn EV production expansion for a Big Three automaker.

A computer monitor displaying a map of a city. | GPRS Images

The Bottom Line:

GPRS captured all subsurface utilities and updated facility features on a weekly basis. There were ZERO utility strikes in approximately 3,700,000 s.f. of project space.

Problem

Existing as builts were outdated and caused a strike to a fire suppression system line

Solution

GPRS delivered subsurface as-builts for the 3,700,000 s.f. facility and updated utility maps and CAD plan views weekly, which the client printed as 6'x6' posters to improve communication & collaboration on site

200+ laser scans captured 350,000 s.f. to document existing above ground conditions, which GPRS Mapping & Modeling turned into a 3D BIM model to assist in planning storm drain reroutes.

Benefits

Laser scanning is an extremely efficient and accurate way to gather data necessary to create construction drawings of a building or space

Updated existing condition as-builts eliminated communication siloes between project teams

Comprehensive utility locating and mapping eliminated the risk of subsurface damage on the project

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///FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONs

How does GPRS locate utilities?

GPRS utilizes a rigorous set of processes and complementary technologies to locate and map underground utilities. The process we use is known as SIM – Subsurface Investigation Methodology – and it is the backbone of our 99.8% accuracy rate in utility locating. Our Project Managers utilize ground penetrating radar (GPR), electromagnetic (EM) locators, and a set of precise, standardized procedures to help you visualize your underground infrastructure. We mark-out various utilities on the surface with spray paint and/or flags, plus map the area utilizing Real-Time Kinematic Positioning – the most accurate satellite geospatial technology available. Our findings and an interactive digital utility map are then delivered via SiteMap® (patent pending), our industry-leading GIS software platform.

Learn more about SiteMap here.

What are the tools used to locate utility lines?

Our Project Managers use ground penetrating radar (GPR), electromagnetic (EM) locators, and radio frequency (RF) transmitters to detect, mark and map subsurface utilities. GPR identifies non-conductive materials like plastic or concrete, while EM locators trace conductive lines such as electric or communication cables. These tools are often used in tandem for comprehensive results as part of our SIM process.

Learn more here.

What is the difference between a utility locate and a utility map?

A utility locate identifies and marks the position of underground utilities on-site using flags or paint. A utility map, by contrast, is a digital or physical record that documents the location and depth of these utilities for future reference. Mapping often follows a locate and provides a permanent, georeferenced record. GPRS does all three: We do a surface mark-out, provide you with a free PDF and KMZ file of your utility map overlaid on a satellite image, and deliver an interactive, layered utility map via SiteMap, so you have your findings available from anywhere, 24/7, in a secure shareable platform.

Learn more here.

I called 811, why do I need anything else?

811 services only mark public utilities, i.e., those owned and maintained by utility companies. They do not identify private or unregistered utilities, which include all lines beyond the meter or on private property. To avoid costly damage or safety risks, private utility locating services like GPRS are essential for a complete picture.

Learn more about how GPRS supports your 811 locates, here.

What happens if I hit a utility line?

Striking a utility line can result in serious injury, service disruptions, environmental hazards, and legal liability. Damaging a gas or electric line, for example, can lead to explosions or electrocution. And hitting a water main can cause an entire community to lose access to fresh water. Any utility strike puts your workers, the project, and your reputation at risk. Prevention through accurate locating is critical to project success

Learn more about the cost of a utility strike, here.

What is RTK and why does it matter?

Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) positioning is a high-precision geo-positioning method that uses satellite correction data to achieve centimeter-level accuracy in the right conditions. In utility locating, RTK ensures that mapped utility data is geospatially accurate, enabling precise excavation and long-term asset management.

Explore RTK’s role in GPRS utility locating services, here.

Stop Hitting Utilities

UTILITY LOCATING

///PROJECT CYCLE SOLUTIONS

///THE RIGHT TOOLS

Put your site on the Map///

///Georeferenced Utility Linework Overlay

///CAD – 2D Utility Site Plan

///CAD – 3D UTILITY SITE PLAN

///GIS Infrastructure Software Application

///GPRS COMMITMENT

GPRS commits to:

YOUR NEXT STEPS:

///INDUSTRIES We serve

Power Transmission & Distribution

Telecom

Renewable Energy

Oil & Gas

Power Generation

Facilities

One Call

Environmental Due Diligence

Civil, Road & Bridge

Design Builds & Remodels

Education

Retail & Restaurant Construction

Water & Sewer

Electric Vehicle Charging

Engineering & Surveying

Other

///CONTROL DATA CONTROL DAMAGE

///Case Study

///WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN HIRING GPRS

///Case Study

///FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONs

GPRSIntelligently Visualizing the Built World®

GPRS
Intelligently Visualizing the Built World^®