Services
Utilities
With nearly two decades of experience delivering responsive design, inspection, right-of-way, maintenance and construction services for electric, gas, telephone, water/wastewater, fibre optic and cable utility lines as well as cellular facilities, SIL has assumed a leadership role in the rapidly advancing utilities and communications engineering industry. Using new technologies and innovative approaches to problem solving, our planners, engineers and construction experts develop flexible, cost-effective solutions for public and private-sector clients with varying needs.
SIL has developed in-house expertise to assist in monitoring, maintaining and protecting utility assets. These services include aerial inspections for NESC and utility company standards compliance, pole attachment inventory surveys, as well as post construction audits. Certified and equipped for confined space entry, our team has the capability to inventory manholes, perform conduit route studies, place pulling wire and perform pipe inspections. To assist with wide-spread power outages, the firm established an emergency response program for storm duty to provide system and life safety protection as well as post-storm inspection.
Our capabilities also include route feasibility studies, conduit infrastructure, overhead design, relocation design, system expansion and code compliance. These abilities are supported by technical expertise in structural engineering, environmental permitting, geospatial system design, transportation engineering, and site facilities engineering. With this full suite of services, SIL can cover every aspect of a utility design project.
We also offer post-construction compliance inspection for aerial and underground systems and One-Call Damage Prevention Services to protect the system once it is installed. Route studies of existing aerial and underground systems are available including application to the agency/owner through verification and claiming of an underground path. These abilities make SILa true turn-key solution for any utility’s needs.
Currently ranked among the top telecommunications firms in the U.S. by Engineering NewsRecord and the top trenchless designers by Trenchless Technologies, our agile and flexible teams respond to client needs for services nationwide.
our utilities engineering capabilities
01
TELECOMMUNICATIONS DESIGN AND ENGINEERING SERVICES
SIL provides planning, engineering, inspection, permitting, right-of-way and site acquisition services to large carriers and small telecommunications companies. Our nation’s communications network has become the backbone to how our society interrelates. SIL provides a vast array of design services to support, update and expand communications infrastructure including outside plant engineering, survey, subsurface utility engineering, wireless, GIS database management, utility coordination, environmental permits, structural certifications, as-built (red line) documentation and pathway feasibility analysis. By combining years of practical experience with our advanced technical skills, we deliver detailed, customer-specific infrastructure design to commercial, institutional, federal, state and private sector organizations.
Our capabilities include site identification and acquisition, environmental assessments, surveying, site engineering, geotechnical investigations, and mechanical and electrical engineering, as well as structural inspection, design and analysis. Services include:
- Feasibility studies
- Subsurface utility engineering
- Easement acquisition and negotiations
- Prior rights
- Coordination with local, state and federal projects
- Corridor analysis
- Site identification and acquisition
- GIS preliminary alignment review
- Duct search
- Site engineering and design
- Grounding
- Permitting
- Structural analysis and design
- Ultrasound/non-destructive testing
- Environmental assessments audits
- Public involvement programs
- Operations and maintenance
- Plan and profile preparation
- Survey / GIS / orthographic / LiDAR
- Geotechnical investigations
- Environmental waivers / permits
- 3rd Party attachments for pole lines
- Standards development
- Structural engineering
- Fibre/copper design
- Network architecture
- Grounding grids
- Commissioning
From the identification of subsurface utilities to the development and implementation of infrastructure solutions, we help our clients to optimize the effectiveness and efficiency of their systems. Using new technologies and innovative approaches to problem solving, we find practical, cost-effective solutions to project challenges in the rapidly advancing telecommunications environment.
Drawing on the latest developments in computer simulation modelling, video imaging, and stealthing techniques, we also create innovative methods to facilitate public acceptance of proposed construction.
02
UTILITY COORDINATION AND DESIGN
SIL delivers responsive design, inspection and right-of-way services for electric, gas, water, sewer, steam, telephone, fibre optic and cable utility lines. The benefits of quality and efficient utility coordination can mean the difference of eliminating millions of dollars’ worth of utility impacts, missed construction schedules or the delay of getting power and communication services to your new project site.
Using new technologies and innovative approaches to problem solving, we find practical, cost-effective solutions to project challenges in the rapidly advancing utilities environment. Our extensive service offerings, client base and geographic reach enable us to serve as a liaison to state and local governments, effectively coordinating multi-utility projects in complex infrastructure and changing regulatory environments. Services include:
- Utility design
- Feasibility and strategic studies
- Plans, specifications and estimates
- Forensic investigations
- Permitting
- Right-of-way determination and negotiations
- Pole inventories
- Manhole inspections
- Structural assessments
- Pole attachment inventories
- As-built documentation
KCI’s dedicated utility coordinators are focused on addressing the needs of each key-stakeholder and planning for successful resolution of utility issues on projects. Our team is trained and knowledgeable with the requirements of the latest FHWA and state DOT processes as well as utility company, NESC, AASHTO and OSHA design criteria. The combination of this information fills an important gap in the project planning process and facilitates success.
03
SUBSURFACE UTILITY ENGINEERING AND LOCATING
KCI’s subsurface utility engineering (SUE) professionals deliver quality, accurate mapping of existing underground utilities, helping clients avoid costly utility conflicts or construction delays caused by unknown or misrepresented utilities. Services include:
- Subsurface utility designating and locating
- Vacuum excavation
- Repair and maintenance
- Subsurface utility mapping
- Ground penetrating radar (GPR)
- Underground utility locating
In response to infrastructure improvements, community resource expansions, and population increases, many municipalities are finding it necessary to consider upgrades and/or relocations to their existing utilities. Efforts to improve the utility systems have historically been delayed due to unreliable or unavailable documents, a necessity when attempting to navigate utility buried lines and pipes. This lack of information can cause a multitude of problems including scheduling delays, budget increases and safety concerns.
All requested utility locates are performed by NULCA/UTA Certified Professional Utility Locators with a high degree of coordination, efficiency and quality. In addition, we maintain the most up-to-date utility designating and location equipment on the market. Our capabilities include designating existing utilities using geophysical prospecting techniques that utilize electromagnetic and sonic methodologies and equipment. In addition, we have the in-house capability to obtain accurate horizontal and vertical positions of subsurface utilities by excavating a nondestructive test pit using our vacuum evacuation equipment and vehicles. These preventative services result in:
- A reduction in construction costs
- Fewer change orders related to unidentified lines
- Fewer schedule interruptions
- Earlier opportunity to adjust design accordingly if conflicts do arise
- A safer work environment for contractors and the community
- Improved damage prevention for proximal property/utilities
- Fewer accounts of hazardous environments due to broken lines or pipes
04
POWER ENGINEERING AND DESIGN
SILprovides the utility and power industry with the resources necessary for designing and expanding power generation, transmission and distribution facilities. We combine our electrical, civil and structural engineering expertise with a thorough knowledge of site development, construction, zoning, permitting and environmental compliance to provide cost-effective designs and project management services.
The firm has been performing substation, transmission, and electric and gas distribution design/engineering services for utility companies for more than 25 years. Our team is well versed in applying and practicing industry codes, standards and regulations to all our power delivery jobs. KCI’s breadth of experience working on the load and line side of the meter gives us the advantage of practicing both the National Electric Code (NEC) and National Electric Safety Code (NESC). Services include:
- System planning
- Emergency restoration support
- Joint use makes ready
- Lighting design
- DOT grid mod. (Including over current protection & coordination)
- GIS/CADD services
- Reliability and integrity
- Power quality (including fuse coordination)
- New revenue/new customer & existing facility
- Modification design
- Network/complicated commercial industrial system design
- URD (underground residential distribution) subdivision design
- Storm hardening/wind loading
- Transmission line (Voltage Classes 44kVand below)
- LiDAR and laser scanning surveys
- Generation facilities for renewable energy sources
- Waste-to-energy
- Solar arrays
- Right-of-way services determination and negotiations