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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Innovations to Locate Stacked or Deep Utilities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22265.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Innovations to Locate Stacked or Deep Utilities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22265.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Innovations to Locate Stacked or Deep Utilities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22265.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Innovations to Locate Stacked or Deep Utilities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22265.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Innovations to Locate Stacked or Deep Utilities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22265.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Innovations to Locate Stacked or Deep Utilities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22265.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Innovations to Locate Stacked or Deep Utilities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22265.
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TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD WASHINGTON, D.C. 2015 www.TRB.org The Second S T R A T E G I C H I G H W A Y R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M REPORT S2-R01C-RW-1 Innovations to Locate Stacked or Deep Utilities Andy HAmmerscHmidt, cHris Ziolkowski, Jim Huebler, mAurice Givens, And Joe mccArty Gas Technology Institute, Des Plaines, Illinois

Subject Areas Construction Highways

The Second Strategic Highway Research Program America’s highway system is critical to meeting the mobility and economic needs of local communities, regions, and the nation. Developments in research and technology—such as advanced materials, communications technology, new data collection tech- nologies, and human factors science—offer a new opportunity to improve the safety and reliability of this important national resource. Breakthrough resolution of significant transportation problems, however, requires concentrated resources over a short time frame. Reflecting this need, the second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) has an intense, large-scale focus, integrates multiple fields of research and technology, and is fundamentally different from the broad, mission-oriented, discipline-based research programs that have been the mainstay of the highway research industry for half a century. The need for SHRP 2 was identified in TRB Special Report 260: Strategic Highway Research: Saving Lives, Reducing Congestion, Improving Quality of Life, published in 2001 and based on a study sponsored by Congress through the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). SHRP 2, modeled after the first Strategic Highway Research Program, is a focused, time- constrained, management-driven program designed to com- plement existing highway research programs. SHRP 2 focuses on applied research in four areas: Safety, to prevent or reduce the severity of highway crashes by understanding driver behavior; Renewal, to address the aging infrastructure through rapid design and construction methods that cause minimal disruptions and produce lasting facilities; Reliability, to reduce congestion through incident reduction, management, response, and mitigation; and Capacity, to integrate mobility, economic, environmental, and community needs in the planning and designing of new trans- portation capacity. SHRP 2 was authorized in August 2005 as part of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). The program is managed by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) on behalf of the National Research Council (NRC). SHRP 2 is conducted under a memo- randum of understanding among the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the National Academy of Sciences, parent organization of TRB and NRC. The program provides for competitive, merit-based selection of research contractors; independent research project oversight; and dissemination of research results. SHRP 2 Reports Available by subscription and through the TRB online bookstore: www.mytrb.org/store Contact the TRB Business Office: 202-334-3213 More information about SHRP 2: www.TRB.org/SHRP2 SHRP 2 Report S2-R01C-RW-1 ISBN: 978-0-309-27440-1 © 2015 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Copyright Information Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copy- right to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein. The second Strategic Highway Research Program grants permission to repro- duce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, or FHWA endorsement of a particular prod- uct, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing material in this document for educational and not-for-profit purposes will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from SHRP 2. Note: SHRP 2 report numbers convey the program, focus area, project number, and publication format. Report numbers ending in “w” are published as web documents only. Notice The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the second Strategic Highway Research Program, conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the approval of the Governing Board of the National Research Council. The members of the technical committee selected to monitor this project and review this report were chosen for their special competencies and with regard for appropriate balance. The report was reviewed by the technical committee and accepted for publication according to procedures established and overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council. The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this report are those of the researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the National Research Council, or the program sponsors. The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the National Research Council, and the sponsors of the second Strategic Highway Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of the report.

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. On the authority of the charter granted to it by Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achieve- ments of engineers. Dr. C. D. (Dan) Mote, Jr., is president of the National Academy of Engineering. The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, on its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president of the Institute of Medicine. The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. C. D. (Dan) Mote, Jr., are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council. The Transportation Research Board is one of six major divisions of the National Research Council. The mission of the Transportation Research Board is to provide leadership in transportation innovation and progress through research and information exchange, conducted within a setting that is objective, interdisci- plinary, and multimodal. The Board’s varied activities annually engage about 7,000 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transporta- tion, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. www.TRB.org www.national-academies.org

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This work was sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration in cooperation with the American Asso- ciation of State Highway and Transportation Officials. It was conducted in the second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2), which is administered by the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies. The project was managed by Charles Taylor, Special Consultant for SHRP 2 Renewal; James Bryant, Senior Program Officer for SHRP 2 Renewal; and Andy Horosko, Special Consultant for SHRP 2 Renewal. Ralph Hessian, Special Consultant for SHRP 2 Renewal, also contributed to this report. The research reported on herein was performed by the Gas Technology Institute (GTI), Underground Imaging Technologies (UIT), and Visible Assets Incorporated (VAI). End-user outreach and general guidance was provided by J. H. Anspach Consulting. SHRP 2 STAFF Ann M. Brach, Director Stephen J. Andrle, Deputy Director Cynthia Allen, Editor Kenneth Campbell, Chief Program Officer, Safety Jared Cazel, Editorial Assistant JoAnn Coleman, Senior Program Assistant, Capacity and Reliability Eduardo Cusicanqui, Financial Officer Richard Deering, Special Consultant, Safety Data Phase 1 Planning Shantia Douglas, Senior Financial Assistant Charles Fay, Senior Program Officer, Safety Carol Ford, Senior Program Assistant, Renewal and Safety James Hedlund, Special Consultant, Safety Coordination Alyssa Hernandez, Reports Coordinator Ralph Hessian, Special Consultant, Renewal Andy Horosko, Special Consultant, Renewal William Hyman, Senior Program Officer, Reliability Linda Mason, Communications Officer David Plazak, Senior Program Officer, Capacity and Reliability Rachel Taylor, Senior Editorial Assistant Dean Trackman, Managing Editor Connie Woldu, Administrative Coordinator

This report documents research and development efforts to improve technologies for detecting, identifying, and mapping deeply buried utilities and utilities that are difficult to locate because of stacking in utility-congested areas. Five promising geophysical and map- ping technologies were identified for review. For two of them—long-range RFID tags and active acoustic locating devices—prototypes were developed and field-tested. The prototype RFID tags showed some promise for development into a utility product. The active acoustic locating technology, however, did not perform well. This report will be of interest to engi- neers and businesses investigating the performance of technologies to improve the locatable zone for deeply buried or stacked utilities. Underground utility installations are common within highway rights-of-way. The location and specific characteristics of many buried utility lines have not been properly documented and thus present a challenge for highway renewal projects. The discovery of unexpected util- ity lines during a project can pose considerable risk to workers’ safety and disrupt the proj- ect’s schedule. Highway renewal projects depend on the availability of accurate buried-utility records and information to support effective planning, design, and delivery of renewal work. Varying site soil, geology, and environmental conditions require a suite of innovative nondestructive technologies and methods and a decision-support framework to provide the necessary underground utility information for renewal projects. SHRP 2 Renewal Proj- ect R01, Encouraging Innovation in Locating and Characterizing Underground Utilities, provided the basis for a series of research and development projects that seek to provide the products to serve this highway renewal business need. This report presents research into extending the locatable zone for deeply buried and stacked utilities. The project started with a literature search to identify possible technolo- gies for detecting and mapping utilities. These technologies were further screened to define promising near-term solutions. Five were identified for further research and development. Key performance indicators were developed to guide the initial prototype development and associated testing. After detailed review and in some cases initial prototype develop- ment, long-range RFID tags and active acoustic locating devices were selected to proceed to final prototype development and testing. Prototypes of these two types of technologies were constructed and tested in real-world conditions. The general finding was that both technologies require more development to bring them to a commercial-ready state. The RFID technology was judged to be closer to commercial readiness, but it requires further packaging and ergonomic improvements for field use. This project worked closely with the SHRP 2 R01B project, Utility Locating Technology Development Using Multisensor Platforms, to avoid duplication and provide a comple- mentary set of tools. Some activities of the two projects were conducted together and jointly analyzed. F O R EWO R D Andy Horosko and Ralph Hessian, SHRP 2 Special Consultants, Renewal

C O N T E N T S 1 Executive Summary 1 Literature Search 2 Smart Tag (RFID) Development 2 Active Acoustic Development 2 Conclusions 3 CHAPTER 1 Background 6 CHAPTER 2 Research Approach 6 Phase 1: State-of-the-Art Review and Planning 8 Phase 2: Innovation Prototypes Development and Testing 9 CHAPTER 3 Technology Development 9 Innovation Prototypes Development 15 End-User Outreach and Presentation 17 CHAPTER 4 Prototype Field Testing 17 Innovation Prototypes Testing 17 Seismic Reflection System Testing 19 Active Acoustic Locator 24 Long-Range RFID Tags 30 CHAPTER 5 Conclusions and Recommendations 31 Appendix A. Subsurface Utility Engineering Quality Levels 32 Appendix B. Combined Technical Assessment of SHRP 2 Projects R01B and R01C 54 Appendix C. User Panel 56 Appendix D. Technical Support Information for Seismic Reflection Technology 58 Appendix E. Technical Support Information for Active and Passive Acoustic Locating Technology 60 Appendix F. Technical Support Information for Scanning Electromagnetic Locator 62 Appendix G. Technical Support Information for Long-Range Smart Tags 63 Appendix H. Technical Support Information for Inertial Mapping Systems

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TRB’s second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) Report S2-R01C-RW-1: Innovations to Locate Stacked or Deep Utilities documents research and tested tools that could be used to help locate buried utilities or utility systems in highway construction projects.

SHRP 2 Renewal Projects R01B and R01C developed a report about the testing of the geophysical tools developed in the R01B and R01C projects.

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