Case Study: Institution of Civil Engineers builds trust in underground utility detection with BSI’s PAS 128

PAS 128 Builds Trust in the Underground Utility Detection Sector With the Institute of Civil Engineers

The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) worked with BSI to address the lack of formal standards for detecting, verifying, and locating underground utilities in the UK. Before PAS 128, utility surveys were often incomplete or inaccurate, increasing the risk of strikes, injuries, unnecessary work, asset damage, and inefficient design.

BSI helped ICE publish PAS 128:2014, a specification for underground utility detection, verification and location, created through an industry consensus process. The standard improved clarity, consistency, and accountability in utility surveying, and at Heathrow Airport it enabled an additional 17,000 km of underground utilities to be mapped, a 25.5% increase in 18 months, while reducing utility strike risk, delays, and survey duplication.

Institution of Civil Engineers