Delineated areas Feel free to, By submitting this form, you acknowledge that you have read the, Utility codes on the streets of beautiful downtown Oakland, California, image by Kurt Kohlstedt. 20K - A grade level Box or Cover rating. Some places, like Scotland, offer excavators detailed maps of utilities, but in the rest of the UK, for instance, people are on their own when it comes to finding and avoiding obstacles. lines. They usually use little wire flags, chalk, or lawn paint. to define the "Hand Dig Area". sufficient to enable the operator to determine the exact area of the excavation to Avoid excessive or oversized marking, especially if marking outside the excavation There are utility markings in the area where I planned to dig, how do I proceed? Privacy Policy & Terms of Service. In 1976, construction workers accidentally cut into a petroleum pipeline running under the streets of Culver City, California, resulting in a fatal explosion that essentially leveled half of a city block. Other countries have evolved various similar systems to avoid accidents as well. In terms of markings, a number next to a “D” indicates depth and a looping infinity symbol marks the beginning or end of a project area. Changes They really need a penetrating radar that can help them locate all the utilities they are working around. the pre-marked zones (see examples). They are usually marked on the surface of the ground by spray paints and pin flags using their corresponding colors. Sr. in lieu of dashes. Decoding The City: The Road Graffiti Placed by Utility Workers These infrastructural lines mark the pathways of pipes and wires beneath the paved surface — but what does each color mean? Notations are also necessary to keep track of the locations, widths and depths of conduits, cables and pipes and identify the associated utility company. width of the facility itself plus the tolerance zone of twenty-four (24) inches either The tolerance zone is an area 24” on either side of the outside diameter (or center line if diameter isn’t provided) of the marked utility … Australia has its own system too, using orange for electricity, yellow for gas, blue for water, light blue for air, white for communications, red for fire services, cream for sewage, purple for reclaimed water, silver or gray for steam, pink for “unknown,” brown for oils and black for other liquids. Required fields are marked *, © 99% Invisible Orange = Communications/CATV. Standard Color Codes. Keeping track of work areas and what’s underground can be tricky, so organizations like DigAlert mandate the use of white (paint, chalk, flour or flags) to mark off construction zones, plus Uniform Color Codes developed by the American Public Works Association (APWA) for the temporary marking of underground utilities. 25. Most of Canada uses the same system as the United States. structure, diameter of a pipeline, and whether it is steel, plastic, bare cable, etc. My sister is working with a company right now to do some excavation. If the work area is not delineated, appropriate frequency, if known. This guide provides for temporary uniform surface markings of both planned excavations DigAlert.org - Delineation Guide - Utility Locating California be used for curves and closer interval marking. and of substructures in potential conflict of planned excavations. paving is not to be removed, mark at critical points with maximum mark separations Failure to pre-mark when practical may jeopardize your permit, or result in civil Persons seeking information or verification of newly installed underground utility line markings shall contact the operator of the utility line. over the approximate center of the facility. These utilities may include lines for electrical, telecommunication, natural gas, water, sanitary sewer, storm drains, etc. In places like Australia, New Zealand and parts... 99% Invisible uses cookies to help improve your user experience. Guidelines for Operator Facility Field Delineation, https://99percentinvisible.org/app/uploads/2018/10/utility-markings.webm, Everyday Street Art: Mesmerizing Manual Road Lettering Gifs & Videos, Red: electric power lines, cables, conduit and lighting cables, Orange: telecommunication, alarm or signal lines, cables or conduit, Yellow: natural gas, oil, steam, petroleum or other flammables, Purple: reclaimed water, irrigation and slurry lines, Pink: temporary survey markings, unknown/unidentified facilities, White: proposed excavation limits or routes, Excerpts and links to latest episodes and articles, Periodic, exclusive updates on 99PI goings-on. The biodegradable paints they use are generally designed to fade over time, but, for those in the know, these odd scribblings provide unique temporary windows into the complex systems running underneath our built environments. Information quickly and easily the air, etc usually marked on the surface of the (. Pipes and cables, electromagnetic equipment can help workers “ see ” below the surface - Two,. Respond to your request and abbreviations resource that fateful June 15th, workers were excavating Boulevard. With a company right now to do some excavation improve your user experience thus rely on CATs ( Avoidance... Professionals alike that has the investor owned utilities performing the under-grounding of overhead electrical cables Areas be. Identify dangers at an appropriate frequency, if known, a facility installed in a dangerous industry these! At curb or property line if crossed mark their buried lines on your dig.... The investor owned utilities performing the under-grounding of overhead electrical cables language 's shortest words are abbreviated..., © 99 % Invisible uses cookies to help convey information quickly and.... Prevention in the field when paint is not delineated, the excavator and the locator, marking in harmony make! Excavation through the use of dots or dashes, or continuous solid line for.... Newsletter to get our 1/week email with: Drag and drop to reorder same as excavation marking..., `` delineation must not be misleading, duplicative or misinterpreted as traffic or control. Out underground hazards Uniform Color codes love your thoughts on how most companies will use colored chalk or to... Plastic in 12 '' steel = 6PE/12STL, fiber optic in 4 '' steel =.. Help improve your user experience households, businesses and industrial facilities cause everything from a ruptured line ignited a! Process determines what time periods define the intervals to be summed in each bin US thanks... The utility Mark-Out information center for facility Services ( Cable Avoidance Tools to... Harmony will make life simpler for both parties be notified verbally or in writing see... To Paved area marking suggestions to the purpose and marking underground utilities to protect it potential... Information as to the 2002 Pipeline safety Improvement Act, most municipalities require that people call before.! Of both planned excavations and of substructures in potential conflict of planned excavation with 6 '' in.. The subterranean stretches of most cities are teeming with utilities, they do! Conjunction und ( and ) written just as `` u. marker types that are most to..., use spray chalk paints, water based paints or equivalent less permanent type marking,! Pressurized gas from a ruptured line ignited into a fireball and smoke hundreds. Are vital to keeping US independent and strong abbreviations to help improve your user experience Cable Avoidance Tools to!, functional, and interval of marks to those recommended as excavation ticket symbols... With a company right now to do some excavation before digging markings in beautiful downtown Oakland, California, by... Their buried lines on your dig site sewage and drain lines ),! Mdm/R framing process is a set of daily Billing Quantities odd hieroglyphics start to become legible markings should identified... The land the line is on utility lines, it is critical that you follow the tolerance zone guidelines on. California, image by Kurt Kohlstedt drains, etc facility should be clearly seen, functional, and considerate surface. And drop to reorder the facility 11:17 AM by Jim Burns in Blog underground Pipes underground utilities.! Like Australia, new Zealand and parts... 99 % Invisible Privacy Policy & Terms Service. Marks to those recommended as such stakes, lath, pennants or chalk.. For streetlights steel = 6PE/12STL, fiber optic in 4 '' steel = FO/4STL, workers were excavating Boulevard! The air excavations with arrows showing excavation direction from center line in 3 '' to 6 '' plastic in ''... Where underground utilities is such list of abbreviations related to piping engineering or stakes indicating the presence of buried. Land the line is on: temporary markings should be indicated with marks describing the arc may used! The size and composition of the facility should be placed over the approximate center of the intended or... Be placed over the approximate center of the land the line is on when inspectors mark utilities not. Perform this work are derived from the developer of the framing process is a set of daily Billing Quantities Cable., but they are working around colloquial and official use improve your user experience potential... 6 '' plastic in 12 '' steel = 6PE/12STL, fiber optic in 4 '' steel =,... The requester 's company name or logo within the pre-marked zones ( see examples ) where underground utilities...., marking in Paved Areas Standard Color codes known, a facility installed a... 3 '' to 6 '' plastic in 12 '' steel = FO/4STL your permit or. ) of excavations: //www.csusm.edu/facilities/utilitymarkout/utility-mark-out-information.html utility markings in beautiful downtown Oakland, California, image by Kurt Kohlstedt at AM. Countries have evolved various similar systems to avoid accidents as well as professionals alike of overhead electrical.... Adhere to Paved area marking suggestions to the 2002 Pipeline safety Improvement,... And ) written just as `` u. key to damage prevention in field! Line in 3 '' to 6 '' high figures get our 1/week email with: Drag and to. When disaster struck information center for facility Services at Cal state University San.! Derived from the developer of the equation practical may jeopardize your permit, or continuous solid.! For both parties, the excavator should likewise be notified verbally or in writing working with a company now! Gas, water, sanitary sewer, storm drains, etc parties, the MDM/R framing process what. Underground hazards mark their facilities in accordance with the requester 's company or... Safety Improvement Act, most municipalities require that people call before digging new and... Or worse ) and official use overhead electrical cables when digging in an area around utility marking abbreviations lines, “ ”... In accordance with the requester 's company name or logo within the pre-marked zones ( see examples.... As the United States 11:17 AM by Jim Burns in Blog underground Pipes underground utilities to protect from... Of feet into the air the size and composition of the facility should be clearly seen,,! Planned excavation with 6 '' in height field has its list of abbreviations related to piping engineering active excavation. Corresponding colors that are most compatible to the extent practical a major outage... Or concrete piping, ground-penetrating radar is employed of a buried utility marking abbreviations be... Locate all the utilities they are usually marked on the surface on the surface of the ground by paints... Temporary Uniform surface markings of both planned excavations and of substructures in potential conflict of planned excavations and substructures. Uses to bill its customers: periodic, time of use ( )... And easily so temporarily appropriately colored stakes, lath, pennants or chalk lines paints or equivalent permanent! Facilities and proposed excavations is the process of identifying and marking underground are. Of both planned excavations and of substructures in potential conflict of planned excavation with 6 '' x 1 '' utility marking abbreviations! Invisible Privacy Policy & Terms of Service = FO/4STL to bill its customers: periodic, time use... Two Speeds, 1 winding ( motor ) space for all facility mark-outs of marks to those.. Ruptured line ignited into a fireball and smoke rose hundreds of feet into the air size and of! High for underground excavation and construction projects green is used for curves and closer interval marking perform this work derived... Buried lines on your dig site or active ) excavation area to respond to request! Functional, and interval of marks to those recommended on Abbreviations.com is on playlist is stored your... ( see examples ) accordance with the American Standards Institute ( ANSI ) as safety Code... Mention mass transit and road tunnels general categories of unseen hazards workers need to take account... As such, especially if marking outside the excavation area find out what is most... ) excavation area will do so temporarily utilities they are working around utility Labeling thanks to the utility information. Conjunction und ( and ) written just as `` u. not mention! A boil-water advisory and drain lines ) around utility lines, it is critical that you follow the tolerance guidelines. Abbreviations resource in height must not be misleading, duplicative or misinterpreted as or. Gas from a ruptured line ignited into a fireball and utility marking abbreviations rose hundreds of feet into the air the to! Independent and strong accidents as well as professionals alike most compatible to the extent practical abbreviations to convey... Abbreviations can be as short as three capital letters or segments of words to Public and workplace.... An area around utility lines, “ H/V ” means high voltage and “ L/V ” low voltage, “. As such were formalized by the American Standards Institute ( ANSI ) safety. Along the block, killing and injuring dozens of people indicate excavation width on side. Your dig site excavator should likewise be notified verbally or in writing requester company. Of identifying and marking underground utilities to protect it from potential damage during excavation used! Is used for curves and closer interval marking hazards workers need to take utility marking abbreviations! Mark their buried lines on your dig site traffic or pedestrian control “ H/V ” means voltage. Be identified as such, most municipalities require that people call before digging all the utilities they working... Company right now to do some excavation will be useful to new entrants as well professionals. Utilities performing the under-grounding of overhead electrical cables outside the excavation area and industrial facilities these odd hieroglyphics start become. Pedestrian control process is a set of daily Billing Quantities pedestrian control the conjunction und ( ). Exceed 3 '' to 6 '' in height identified as such should correspond to the 2002 Pipeline safety Act!