Case Study: Virginia Department of Transportation achieves six-inch underground utility mapping accuracy with Trimble GeoExplorer

Virginia Department of Transportation - Customer Case Study

The Virginia Department of Transportation’s Northern Virginia District faced persistent problems with inaccurate as‑built utility maps that caused costly delays, safety risks and coordination headaches on major transportation projects. Working with local utilities, VDOT needed a reliable way to identify and document buried pipes, cables and other assets so they could be relocated or avoided during construction.

VDOT deployed 3M’s battery‑free EMS RFID marker balls (placed roughly every 25 ft) and modified Tri‑Global UtiliMapper software running on Trimble sub‑foot GPS units; RFID asset data are read via a 3M locator and transferred over Bluetooth to the GPS for geotagging and export in common CAD/GIS formats. The solution costs about $0.60 per linear foot in marker material, is now used routinely, and produces maps with roughly six‑inch horizontal accuracy, improving safety, reducing project delays and standardizing documentation across stakeholders.

Virginia Department of Transportation