Subsurface utility engineering
How to structure SUE field mapping, review, and data handoff.
Subsurface utility engineering field maps pass through technicians, surveyors, reviewers, CAD staff, project managers, and sometimes a client's GIS team. A dependable workflow keeps utility linework, attributes, photos, review decisions, and exports understandable at every handoff.
Standardize utility layers and attributes
Define repeatable utility types, colors, geometry, and field names before collection begins. A consistent template helps crews collect comparable records across projects and gives downstream GIS or CAD staff predictable attributes instead of project-specific abbreviations.
Keep field evidence with the linework
Attach photos and observations to the feature they support while the technician is still on site. The office should be able to inspect the mapped geometry and its evidence together, rather than reconstructing the relationship from filenames and text messages.
Use explicit collection and review states
Draft preparation, field collection, ready-for-review, approval, and correction are different responsibilities. Make those states visible, limit approval to authorized reviewers, and return corrections on the same record so the audit trail stays intact.
Validate the downstream export
Open a colored KMZ in Google Earth and a GeoJSON handoff in the downstream GIS workflow before standardizing the process. Confirm colors, geometry, attributes, and selected photos arrive as expected; interoperability claims only matter when the receiving team can use the result.