Workers in yellow vests set up orange cones and a STOP sign on a city street with utility vehicles parked nearby. Brick buildings, traffic signals, and road signs are visible in the background.

Engineering-Grade Mapping of Underground Utilities

Subsurface Utility Engineering Services

Accurately map and analyze underground infrastructure systems with SoftDig subsurface utility engineering (SUE). We use records research, surface geophysics, minimally invasive digging, and precision measurement to chart buried assets’ exact locations and depths.

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Two construction workers wearing safety gear operate a vacuum excavation truck labeled SoftDig at an urban worksite, surrounded by fencing, debris, and city buildings under a blue sky.

Advantages

Averting Hidden Hazards

This creates reliable infrastructure intelligence to inform planning and construction. It prevents accidental utility strikes, project delays, cost overruns, and hazardous service interruptions.

Advanced, Minimally Invasive Technology

This creates reliable infrastructure intelligence to inform planning and construction. It prevents accidental utility strikes, project delays, cost overruns, and hazardous service interruptions.

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Trusted Across Major Infrastructure Projects

Major projects trusting SoftDig’s subsurface utility engineering services include highway, road, and bridge building; mass transit tunnels and railways; airport and seaport construction; utility main installation or relocation; large-scale site development; urban reconstruction; and environmental remediation.

Oil & Gas

Electrical Distribution & Transmission

Department of Transporation (DOT)

Telecommunications

Renewable Energy

Commercial

Military

Education

Environmental

Healthcare

Construction

Athletic Complexes & Stadium

A SoftDig vacuum excavation truck is parked on the street near an overpass. A worker in a safety vest operates a hose from the truck, with orange cones placed around the work area.

Why choose SoftDig?

Get the Full Picture - Below the Surface

Get peace of mind by uncovering what lies below the surface on your next mission-critical project. Our SUE services provide the precision utility intelligence to complete jobs on time, on budget and without surprise infrastructure-related setbacks.

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Relevant Projects

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Department of Transportation

Delaware DOT

Overview Softdig does a lot of work for the transportation industry. Our Delaware department of transportation project consisted of designating and creating GIS maps of all utilities along 5 miles of a highway for design of roadway upgrades. This stretch of road was located in Kent County. Delaware.

Commercial

American Dream Meadowlands

Overview The American Dream Meadowlands project at The American Dream retail and entertainment complex located in East Rutherford, New Jersey covers 91 acres and is an example of a commercial industry job. On this job site, Softdig offered services such as utility mapping to recognized areas such as the amusement park and proposed hotel location.

Department of Transportation

Atascosa County Line

Overview The Atascosa County Line project was completed in West Tilden, Texas. For this project Softdig reviewed and updated existing utility layouts provided by the state by utility mapping and GPS surveying. Within 180,000 linear feet of data, there were 25 test holes performed that ranged between 0-5 feet, 10 test holes that were 5-8 feet and 2 test holes that were 8-13 feet.

Airports

BWI Airport

Overview One assignment that falls into our Airport Industry category is the BWI Airport project. The BWI Airport is located just outside Baltimore, Maryland. This project required excavating test holes to locate existing utilities adjacent to runways for re-grading. This work is performed at night, during weekends and shut down periods. In order to map the entire underground infrastructure a total 91 test holes were dug.

Department of Transportation

Camp Arrowhead

Overview Softdig’s Camp Arrowhead project was completed in a few locations the main job was completed at the intersection of State Route 24 and Camp Arrowhead Road in Lewes, Delaware. This project consisted of utility mapping an area greater than 12,000 linear feet. Softdig also performed 7 manhole and catch basin reports. Lastly, Softdig’s crew hand sketched all of the utilities that were mapped and turned them into a digital deliverable that is ready to be analyzed.

Research Facilities

Chestnut Run Renaissance Project

Overview The Chestnut Run Renaissance project falls under the research facilities industry. For this project we designated and located utilities for building, roadway, and infrastructure improvements to R & D Campus in Wilmington, Delaware. This work was performed under active construction and Softdig had to comply with the strict timeline set.

Environmental Remediation

Clearview Landfill

Overview Softdig has work history in the industry of Environmental Remediation. For our Clearview Landfill project located in Eastwick, Pennsylvania, Softdig’s job was to provide markout, GIS analysis, marking, and digitally mapping. Softdig compiled maps of the area for the protection of existing utilities during extensive soil sampling and groundwater testing operations.

Department of Transportation

Duval County Line

Overview During our Duval County Line project located in Kent County, Delaware, Softdig preformed utility mapping of an area of about 22.495 linear feet. In this area there were a total of 97 test holes dug, measured, detailed, and replaced. 62 of these manholes were 0-5 feet deep, 32 were 5 to 8 feet deep and 3 were 8 feet to 13 feet deep. Working with a little over 4 miles these test holes were done with precision and accuracy.

Energy

National Energy Technology Laboratory

Overview For Softdig’s National Energy Technology Laboratory project Softdig located utilities, performed test holes, and surveyed across both sites. Even though the project is finished, Softdig continually maintains and adds information to a working site plan that can be utilized for multiple projects. The location for this site is Morgantown, West Virginia.

Commercial

Hemisfair Park

Overview Softdig’s Hemisfair Park project was a commercial industry job. At this job Softdig located at already performed test holes to find utilities for designing upgrades that will change this park into a full urban district with multiple parks, residences, and local businesses. This project was based in San Antonio, Texas.

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FAQs

What are sub-surface utilities?
Sub-surface utilities are buried utiltiy lines, including underground water mains, sewer lines, stormwater pipes, power lines, phone and internet cables, as well as gas lines.
What are the advantages of SUE?
Implementing subsurface utility engineering not only contributes to project safety by reducing the chance of underground utility damage, but it also lowers the cost of utility maintenance, unplanned development redesign, project delays, downtime, and various other unexpected issues.
What types of projects benefit from SUE techniques?
Geophysics, surveying, and civil engineering are all combined in the subsurface utility engineering process. It makes use of a variety of methods, such as surface geophysics and vacuum excavation. These techniques have become a standard requirement for highway development projects, infrastructure and transportation projects, property development and large-scale construction, and city planning.
What deliverables can be expected in SUE projects?
Depending on the project requirements, formats for SUE data can differ significantly. For instance, every municipality has its own CAD standards for utility marking color schemes, line kinds, and annotations. The municipality’s quality checker, a piece of software that scans submitted drawings to make sure they meet certain standards, is used to verify conformity.