Engineering context
In any new construction project, it is paramount to know what utilities are buried underground. But how do engineers, contractors, utility providers and stakeholders share, assess and make sense of this information? Prepared by Australia's foremost utility engineering professionals, this course guides engineering professionals through the process and benefits of subsurface utility engineering.
What you will learn
Students 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.
Course outcomes
- recognise and critique current approaches for identifying subsurface utilities
- assess how subsurface utility engineers can support and improve the planning process for new construction
- describe the processes used in subsurface utility engineering and their benefits
- evaluate the current Australian standard for Subsurface Utility Information, and if doing the course during 2017 and 2018, contribute to its upgrade.
Join the course anytime and work through it at your own pace.
Full Course Outline
Module 1: Figure out what’s underground
In module 1, you’ll try to figure out what’s underground in your neighbourhood. It may sound simple, but as it turns out, pinpointing with accuracy all infrastructure underground is formidable.
Module 2: Explore risks and problems
After module 2, you’ll have a handle on just how tough it is to sort through the labyrinth of pipes underground. You’ll bump up against the same challenges as experts in the field.
Module 3: See the challenge in action
By now, you will have a clear idea of the stakes in locating underground utilities. Two experts will walk you through a case study, and you’ll grapple with the many decisions engineers must make in this process.
Module 4: The field with the answers
Module 4 is all about the field of subsurface utility engineering. It’s been around for some time, but not fully adopted in Australia. You’ll sort out how its tenets solve the problems you’ve encountered.
Module 5: The largest projects
Once you’ve scoped out the field, it’s important to assess how it holds up in vast, expensive and complex infrastructure projects in Australia. In module 5, you’ll test the malleability of the field.
Module 6: The standard
Module 6 is your opportunity to see how integrating the field of subsurface utility engineering into a national standard works. If taking the course in 2017-2018 you’ll have the opportunity to share your insights to improve the standard.
