Tuesday, September 12, 2023

• 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM: Welcome Reception

 

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

• 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM: Breakfast

• 9:00 AM - 9:40 AM: Legislation & Federal Policy Issues Impacting SUE

  • Speaker: John Palatiello, SUE Executive Director​

• 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM: Understanding Negligence and Establishing a Sound Contract

  • Speaker: Mark Amirault, Klein Agency, LLC

  • Description: During this hour the attendees will learn more about the four elements of negligence and how a sound contract can protect the SUE Firm.  This session will discuss in detail what the plaintiff’s attorney is supposed to prove when a claim is raised.  When the claim is presented, how can the SUE Firm help in their defense with the hope for a quick resolution. In addition, how can a sound contract help the SUE Firm at the onset of a project and aid in their defense if needed. 

• 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Integration of High-Speed 3D GPR Array Subsurface Image Data with Esri’s ArcGIS Field Maps app, A Robust Solution for the Updated ASCE 38 3D Standard for Subsurface Utility Engineering  

  • Speaker: Matthew J. Wolf, ImpulseRadar USA, Inc.  

  • Description: The Subsurface Utility Engineering industry is rapidly adopting the use of high-tech solutions as they become refined to acquire as much Quality Level B subsurface information as is possible to produce a digital twin of the underground. The ASCE 38-22, Standard Guideline for Investigating and Documenting Existing Utilities released in 2022 incorporates the use of GPR array systems for mapping the underground in 3D. The Raptor high-speed array is the standard for large-scale mapping in urban environs. Images of the underground, as well as other information from previous surveys, or Quality Level D information, can now be integrated as layers into powerful mapping field apps such as Esri’s ArcGIS Field Maps on an iOS or Android mobile device. This integration facilitates the transposition of 3D subsurface images of buried assets back to the ground and is a powerful solution for the correlation of these data to other existing utility documentation.    

• 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Lunch

• 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Collaboration is Key--Managing The Underworld of Utility Investigation

  • Speaker:​ Bryan Teschke, The Lexis Group, and Michael Gray, Dawood Engineering

  • Description: SUE experts are facing many challenges in detecting, designating, and characterizing subsurface utility structures.1) what is it? Is it plastic pipe, or direct buried cable? Often different material types can be used at random depths in various soil conditions ranging from clay to sand in subsurface utility construction. 2) managing this underworld of utility infrastructure by properly designating underground utility structures is essential to mitigate potential conflicts. 3) how our Team and partners' history of work with utility owners and contractors, investigators, engineering firms, and subsurface utility infrastructure systems around the globe have influenced our methods. 4) in the field of SUE investigation, designation, design, and placement, our team and partners possess a collective knowledge of every possible utility buried underground and the method to detect it. 5) what we have collectively seen time and again is the lack of coordination and collaboration when it comes to any project, large or small.6) Our professionals understand that collaboration is key to designate unseen structures and implement best-in-class investigation practices with the latest tools (MCGPR, PRISUM and RTK Locators) to help resolve conflicts. 7) This exercise today will illustrated our commitment to being the best requires us to work collaboratively. 

• 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM: Use of AI & Big Data for Remote Utility Mapping

  • Speaker: Raz Ezra, 4M Analytics

  • Description: What if Reliable Utility Data was accessible during the pursuit and planning phases, Remotely & in Realtime? In this session, we will showcase the proprietary technology behind the scenes that 4M developed. 4M Analytics is a SaaS Utility Mapping and data company. We provide comprehensive above & underground utility data in the form of a digital map ideal for use in pursuits and early planning/design phases. Think of 4M as the "Google Maps or Waze” of the utility above & underground.

• 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM: Unveiling the Future of Digital Twins: Synergy of Multi-Channel GPR & Mobile LiDAR

  • Speaker: ​Dan Broekhove, Hexagon Detection

  • Description: In the cutting-edge domain of geospatial technology, the creation of a digital twin through the harmonious fusion of multi-channel Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Mobile LiDAR, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) solutions marks the dawn of an era characterized by comprehensive spatial comprehension and heightened efficiency in field deployment. This innovative methodology seamlessly amalgamates sophisticated data acquisition methodologies with robust software tools, culminating in a vivid and precise representation of the physical world.
    
    The process initiates with the simultaneous utilization of multi-channel Ground Penetrating Radar and Mobile LiDAR, strategically deployed to gather data.
    
    These unprocessed data streams seamlessly converge within a Geographic Information System (GIS), serving as the central nerve center for data manipulation, analysis, and visualization. The symbiotic capabilities of GIS technology effectively intertwine spatial data with pertinent attributes, empowering experts to make astute decisions while gaining an all-encompassing perspective of the captured terrain. The harmonization of GPR and Mobile LiDAR data within the GIS ecosystem leads to an unprecedented grasp of surface and subsurface conditions, facilitating a holistic portrayal of the physical environment. 
    
    As the digital twin takes form within the ESRI framework, attention turns to the deployment phase. Harnessing the capabilities of mobile technology, designated sections of the captured area undergo meticulous processing and packaging for subsequent field deployment. These specific datasets, enriched with essential details, are seamlessly delivered to mobile devices equipped with GIS applications. Armed with tablets or smartphones, field teams gain direct, on-site access to the digital twin, enabling real-time interaction and data utilization. This empowerment equips them with instantaneous insights, aiding decision-making processes and enhancing operational efficiency, precision, and collaboration between field and office personnel.

• 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM: Client Panel Discussion

  • Speakers: Mark Reid, DC Water; Reed Adams, VDOT; William Jackson; MDOT;  Afshin Avvali, PEPCO

  • Description: In this panel of consumers of SUE services, clients will provide perspectives on the benefits of employing SUE, efficiency, and cost savings to projects, and viewpoints on lessons learned and best practices. 

• 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Dinner

 

Thursday, September 14, 2023

• 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM: Breakfast

• 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM: How LiDAR Can Help Bridge the Gap in SUE Workflows 

  • Speaker: Tanner, Dutton, RIEGL USA, Inc​

  • Description: Brief LiDAR overview, RIGELS ground base LiDAR solutions, Benefits of LiDAR for subsurface models, using lidar to fill gaps in data, using scan to BIM linked with subsurface models, and some customer experiences.

• 9:45 AM - 10:15 AM: Quality Level A

  • Speaker: Chris Falk, VACMASTERS​

  • Description: Define Quality Level A and discuss portions of the 38-02 definition. Discuss why QLA is important/essential in the SUE Discipline.  A large part of the presentation will focus on what tools are required for QLA.  We’ll compare and contrast Air Excavation (AX) vs. Hydro Excavation (HX) and why AX is often best for QLA work.  Discuss the question “Regarding QLA, is your company equipment competitive?”, and why being equipment competitive is important.  

• 10:15 AM - 11:15 AM: Recommended Do's and Don'ts for SUE Firms

  • Speakers: James H. Anspach, PG(r), Dist.M.ASCE, NAC; Rhett Sloan, SAM, LLC ​

  • Description: SUE is practiced all over the United States after starting in the DC area in 1981. Many of the early practices evolved after mistakes; questions; complaints by utilities, contractors, engineers, and owners; and other learning experiences by the management team.  As SUE grew exponentially, these experiences were not always carried forward in new companies, leaving a hodge-podge of practices.  Fast forward 40 years, and information from research, claims, social media, DOT and other client conversations show us that some of the same issues that were encountered early on are still an issue.  This session will try to gain an understanding of the history of why we did what we did, and where some of the issues being encountered now are a direct result of not carrying those early lessons through as a standardized practice.  Issues include types of markings; access to structures; necessary survey QA practices; searches for unknown utilities; diligence in turning unknowns into knowns; records research and more.  Some of this content is buried and inferred within ASCE 38-22, and some are not. 

• 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM: Annual Meeting of the Association/ Panel Discussion

• 12:00 PM: Conference Concludes