Imagine being part of the important work that contributes to the upgrade of an Australian Standard regarding the relatively new field of subsurface utilities while expanding your own knowledge and earning CPD points.
In any new construction project, it is essential to know which utilities are buried underground, but how do engineers, contractors, utility providers and stakeholders share, assess and make sense of this important information?
Design engineers who manage underground utilities will be interested in Engineering Education Australia’s Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) fundamentals course – the first of its kind in Australia. It’s an online course of around eight hours in which you can learn about this important area in your own time, at your own pace. The course is CPD accredited and only costs $285 (ex-GST). The course is conducted by SUE engineering experts Rob Sansbury and Roger Collins-Woolcock.
Through the six modules of the course you will explore the field of subsurface utility engineering and evaluate how it can be used to improve the planning and design process for new construction projects. You’ll be able to recognise and critique current approaches for identifying subsurface utilities and assess how subsurface utility engineers can support and improve the planning process for new construction. And you will also be able to evaluate AS 5488-2013 Classification of Subsurface Utility Information. By doing the course in 2018, you will be contributing to the Standard’s upgrade.
The Standard will then be used by design engineers to manage underground utilities in a disciplined manner at the design stage of the process rather than during construction, which is current practice. The new AS 5488 will focus on engineering management and design of utilities; utility model creation and data management; defines the role of the Utility Co-ordinator and presents a draft MOU for utility owners; provides a matrix of hierarchy for purposes of co-ordination and clash resolution; and describes the level of documentation required for utility designs and review asset handover procedures.
The upgrade to AS 5488-2013 will bring significant benefits to engineers by aligning Australia with similar Standards that have been operating successfully in the USA, UK, Canada and Malaysia for many years.