Utility Coordination

Navigating Hidden Infrastructure Challenges and Preventing Costly Delays

Utility relocations present one of the greatest risks for infrastructure project schedules and utility
challenges can jeopardize project execution. Most public rights-of-way contain utilities—some
visible above ground, but many are concealed underground. Records for these utility
installations are often missing or unclear and determining utility locations and ownership can be
complex, particularly in increasingly congested utility corridors.

Utility coordination is the process of identifying, tracking, and resolving conflicts between
proposed construction projects and existing utility infrastructure. Effective coordination requires
technical knowledge in utility design standards, communication skills, understanding of
regulatory requirements that govern utility installations in public rights-of-way, as well as
construction management experience. Utility coordination is critical because unidentified or
unresolved utility conflicts represent one of the biggest risks for project delays, cost overruns,
and safety hazards during construction.

Why Choose 4Sight – We Provide You Foresight

4Sight’s Utility Coordination Team has extensive hands-on knowledge having held major utility
coordination roles on complex, multi-billion-dollar Canadian projects, successfully helping clients
mitigate utility relocation threats and minimize schedule delays. Our firm has gained utility
coordination experience on small and large capital programs and projects while working with a
variety of clients such as government agencies, engineering design firms, municipalities, utility
agencies & private developers.

Our proactive approach combines technical expertise with effective communication to align
diverse stakeholders toward optimal solutions with a depth and breadth of knowledge and
proficiency that is unmatched in the industry. Our keen understanding of the complex
interconnections among the utilities in the air, on-grade and/or subsurface and established
relationships with utility owners sets us apart and gives our clients the 4Sight needed to reduce
utility-related risk.

The 4Sight UC Team has also developed various utility coordination manuals at the national,
provincial, and local levels. We have quite literally written the manual on Utility Coordination
practices in Canada!

The Integrated Advantage

A distinct advantage of the 4Sight UC process includes the ability to utilize 4Sight SUE
Services. Integrating 4Sight’s SUE and UC service line offerings also allows more efficient
project delivery, delivering results quicker and with more agility. SUE raw data can be used for
utility conflict analysis before the SUE project final report phase is complete and additional field
investigations can be completed throughout the analysis process.

PROJECT LEVEL UTILITY COORDINATION

Expert Utility Coordination That Drives Project Success

4Sight utility coordinators mitigate utility risk on projects by identifying conflicts early, minimizing
relocations, and ensuring smooth construction through expert management of utility relocations
throughout the project lifecycle using our well-developed tools. Our success formula combines
utility coordination with Subsurface Utility Engineering. Our early
engagement and collaborative problem-solving delivers the most cost-effective and schedule-
friendly solutions for managing utility conflicts in infrastructure projects, ultimately saving
taxpayer dollars.

Utility Coordination Solutions That Deliver Results

The Utility Coordination process typically begins in the early design phase and continues
throughout the project lifecycle to the utility construction phase to ensure all utility conflicts are
addressed systematically before they can impact the project. The Utility Coordination Team at
4Sight can effectively and efficiently complete the following activities as part of our utility
coordination services:

• Prepare and update the Composite Utility Plans that show utility and project information
• Prepare profiles and cross sections at existing and proposed key locations
• Identify all potential known utility conflicts associated with the project and create and
  update the Utility Conflict Matrix that captures all potential known utility conflicts
• Identify opportunities to reduce the scope of utility impacts through project design
  modifications
• Review Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) Data to determine suitability for the project
  and recommend additional investigations to aid in utility conflict identification and
  resolution
• Prepare the Utility Conflict Resolution Strategy Analysis (Relocation, Protection, Design
  Alteration, No Relocation)
• Review the Proposed Utility Relocation and Third-Party Utility Designs to confirm
  conformance with the Project Design and applicable standards
• Prepare the Utility Construction Layout
• Provide the field documentation on utility installations for utility “As-Built” Drawings
• Review the Utility Company “As-Built” Drawings
• Schedule, chair and minute project related UC meetings
• Develop, update and track the Utility Coordination Schedule in consultation with the
  project owner and impacted utility companies plus track all required permits
• Prepare, update and maintain the Utility Construction Coordination/Work Plans that
  outline the relocation sequence for the project
• Liaise with the project and utility design team to ensure key design information is shared
• Review the estimates by utility companies and make recommendations for Purchase
  Order issuance as well as utility invoice payments
• Conduct field inspections on utility relocations, develop and lead the Utility Field Conflict
  Resolution Process

PROGRAM LEVEL UTILITY COORDINATION

4Sight has led utility coordination on numerous small and large municipal capital projects from
the perspectives of the consultant and the municipal employee, which gives us a 360-degree
understanding of the tasks and processes involved in producing a comprehensive Utility
Coordination Program and the associated manual.

We have the expertise and experience in the development and implementation of Utility
Coordination Manuals having authored, published and implemented these manuals for various
levels of government at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels with clients ranging from
small municipalities to large government agencies. These manuals and the associated reporting
tools can quickly and easily identify utility-challenged projects and the potential impact of these
projects on the overall program budget and schedule.

4Sight can handle all aspects in the development and implementation of a Utility Coordination
Manual for capital projects and programs. The Utility Coordination Team at 4Sight can
effectively and efficiently complete the following activities as part of our utility coordination
services:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive digital Utility Coordination Manual (in MS Word & PDF formats) with repeatable processes and procedures as well as appendices with numerous tools, templates, tracking schedules & sample documents
• Produce of a report on applicable laws & regulations that impact utility coordination
• Develop Performance Indicators (KPI) and build associate reporting
• Creation of project status communications for various levels of management or government
• Provide Program Level Utility Coordination Summary Schedules
• Prepare Program Level Utility Cost Analysis Report(s)