Finding the location of a pipeline is not just a matter of finding its exact location. It also needs to correctly mark where people are allowed to put in service their lines and where maintenance can be done.
Ground Penetrating Radar
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is a technology that locates underground utilities using electromagnetic waves. The waves are reflected back to the utility locator’s antenna, and the strength, frequency and angle of those reflections can be used to identify the presence of an underground utility.
The GPR system consists of an antenna and transmitter, which send out electromagnetic waves at different frequencies; they are then received by an antenna and receiver. The difference between the frequency at which it was transmitted and the frequency at which it was received reveals the distance from the transmitter to each object in its path. If there are no obstacles in its path, such as underground utilities or objects buried beneath soil, this distance will be constant for any given transmission frequency because there is nothing to obstruct or reflect back these signals.
Electromagnetic Locators and Line Tracing
Utility locators need to stay up-to-date on the latest technologies in order to do their jobs as well as possible. In this article, we’ll look at two of the most important types of technology: electromagnetic locators and line tracing.
Electromagnetic Locators
Electromagnetic locators are used to find metal objects underground. These locators work by sending electromagnetic waves into the ground and measuring how much time it takes for the waves to bounce back up again. The strength of this bounce depends on how far away an object is from the source of waves. This allows utility locators to identify where pipes or other objects are buried under ground without having to dig them up manually.
Line Tracing
Line tracing uses a similar idea but with radio signals instead of electromagnetic waves. In this process, radio signals are sent out from a transmitter attached to a utility pole or other structure above ground level; these signals bounce off any nearby structures underground before returning to their source via another receiver attached at ground level near where they originated from originally (or vice versa). The time difference between when each signal was sent out versus when it returns can be used by utility locators in order
Video Camera Locators
Video camera locators are designed to find underground utility lines. They’re used by utility locators to locate everything from pipes and wires to gas lines, water pipes, and sewer lines. These locators are useful for a number of different purposes:
- They can help locate lines that have been buried or damaged by construction or other accidents.
- They can help locate lines that need repair or replacement.
- They can help with planning new construction projects so you don’t accidentally damage any buried lines or disturb the natural landscape in your area.
Signal Transmitters
The transmitter can be placed above ground or underground depending on how deep the utility is buried. If the utility is buried deeper than 2 feet (60 cm), then an above-ground transmitter isn’t going to work well because there isn’t enough space between the surface and where the utility runs underground.
Horizontal Directional Drilling
Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) is a technology that uses the same equipment used by utility locators to find buried service lines. The technology has been around since the 1970s, but it’s still a popular choice for locating utilities because it can be much cheaper than other options.
HDD uses a large drill with an attached camera to locate and dig up underground utilities. The drill operator will often get help from an experienced surveyor or GPS technician to make sure they are drilling in the right direction and know where to stop when they reach their target.
Underground locators use a variety of tools to detect and map underground utilities, including everything from hand tools to high-tech radar systems.
As you might expect, they have access to a wide array of cutting edge equipment used to scan the earth and locate utility lines. This technology is crucial because it helps them to spot unmarked buried lines, which could save their life should they accidentally hit a line while digging work. It also helps them to make their job much easier than it would be without these technological advantages. It’s likely that these devices will continue to improve over the next few years, which will only make this profession safer for everyone involved in it.
