SERVICES
Subsurface Utility Engineering
SUE
At Wilson & Associates, our mission is simple: help our clients deliver better projects—on time, on budget, and with fewer surprises. Since 1972, we’ve supported billions of dollars in TDOT highway construction across all four Tennessee regions through expert construction staking, lines and grades, and utility deconfliction.
We aim to equip clients with the most complete set of plans before the bid—and resolve critical utility conflicts after the bid—to help avoid costly change orders and minimize public inconvenience from construction delays.
Since 2013, we’ve been at the forefront of 3D Constructability Reviews—now known as Visual Design Construction (VDC)—beginning with the grade-separated intersection at SR-1, SR-10, and SR-96 in Rutherford County. The success of that project sparked a series of follow-ups, proving the value of on-call utility deconfliction contracts.
Using SUE guidelines and drawing on decades of TDOT experience, we conduct detailed pre-construction reviews that analyze right-of-way, utilities, drainage, retaining walls, and more—long before the first shovel hits the ground.
Today, detailed route surveys and early-stage utility deconfliction aren’t just good practices—they’re DOT expectations. And Wilson & Associates is the proven partner to meet them.
Subsurface Utility Engineering Process
- Project Scoping and Utility Research
- Coordination with Utility Owners
- Surface Feature Survey and Mapping
- Geophysical Detection (e.g., GPR, electromagnetic locators)
- Test Hole Excavation and Visual Verification (as needed)
- Surveying and Positional Accuracy Assignment (per ASCE Quality Levels)
- Utility Conflict Documentation and Reporting
- Integration into Project Plans and Models
Subsurface Utility Engineering Supports Your Project
- Reducing risk of utility strikes during excavation
- Verifying depth and alignment of critical infrastructure
- Enhancing utility coordination and conflict resolution
- Supporting DOT and municipal permitting requirements
- Improving design accuracy and constructability
- Providing ASCE Quality Level data (A–D)
- Identifying unknown or abandoned utility lines
- Avoiding costly delays and redesigns
- Supporting trenchless or tight-tolerance construction
- Validating utility records and GIS data