New standard saves time, cost and lives

As the old saying goes, out of sight, out of mind. A quote often referred to regarding subsurface utilities. However, a new Australian Standard, championed by Stantec’s Rob Sansbury for almost a decade, endeavours to save time, quality and present safety opportunities.

As urban renewal projects diversify our capitals, what occurs underground can have a staggering influence on the people's lives above ground. Subsurface Utility Engineering, or SUE, is the administration of all services, known as ‘utilities’, underground – anything from sewers and water to gas and communications.

The objective of SUE is to manage underground services throughout the design phase to ensure minimal to no issues arise during the construction phase.

Without an industry-accepted standard for the management of subsurface utilities, underground services usually lean onto contractors and constructors of the infrastructure and not the designers or utility authorities, which can lead to catastrophe.

Read the full article in Property Australia.