BYDA-aligned locating
Underground utility locating
Excavation carries the same blind-strike problem as slab work, one metre lower. Utility locating combines the plans obtained through Before You Dig Australia, the service long known as Dial Before You Dig: with EM tracing and GPR in the field, because plans show what was recorded, not what is actually there or exactly where it sits.
Scope
What this covers
Review of BYDA plan responses for the work area
EM tracing of conductive services and GPR sweeps for non-conductive ones
Surface marking with paint and pegs to the site's marking convention
Field notes recording tracing methods and confidence for each service
Timing
When it's needed
Any digging near boundaries, driveways or road reserves (piering, footings, stormwater trenches, pool excavation) justifies locating first. Private property is the sharp end: BYDA plans typically stop at the boundary, and everything past the meter is unrecorded private infrastructure.
Treat every unidentified object in a slab as live and every unmarked area as unscanned. If a cut nicks a conduit or a tendon, stop work, keep people clear of the slab face and get the relevant specialist on site before anything else happens.
Quote variables
What shapes the scope
Number of services registered in the BYDA response
Ground conditions and surface types along the alignment
Non-conductive services like poly water pipe, which resist EM methods
Depth-of-cover questions where excavation goes deep
Concrete scanning is an interpretive skill, not just a piece of equipment: ask any operator about their training, their experience on your slab type and how they express confidence in their marks. For excavation work, lodge a free enquiry with Before You Dig Australia and keep the plan responses on hand; field locating complements those plans rather than replacing them.
Scanning services
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If this is an emergency or anyone is at immediate risk, contact the relevant emergency service or your network or utility operator directly instead of using this form.