Vendor Education

Tuesday, March 1 – 10:00 am
Room 101B

Write it Down!  Processes and Benefits of Collecting “Locate Data”
Presenter: AJ Clark, Locate Manager, Badger Daylighting

Recent technological advances have made it easier to collect geospatial data related to locating utilities.   This educational presentation will discuss ways locate data can be collected and key benefits realized by collecting, storing, and sharing it.

Tuesday, March 1 – 9:00 AM
Room 101B

The Future for the Subsurface Utility Industry is AR
Matthew Wolf, Impulse Radar

The adoption of Augmented Reality in the utility industry is evolving on multiple fronts.  The capacity to transpose digital data of buried assets into visualizations in the field on a mobile or other device adds tremendous value from both a safety and design/project management perspective.  It is important that a quality level also be ascribed to this information so that there is no confusion as to the level of certainty of the AR visualization.  As it is with any printed or digital drawing the information is only as good as its certainty.  The future is AR and this tech will redefine the subsurface utility industry for all stakeholders. 

Tuesday, March 1 – 9:00 AM
Room 102A

Preventing Damages Using Augmented Reality
Presenter:  Anand Nukala, Director of Product Management, Irth Solutions

New advancements in technology have allowed Augmented Reality (AR) to come very far in recent years. In this session, see how some of the most recent innovations have made locate activities more efficient by letting you see where assets are before any digging takes place.

Tuesday, March 1 – 10:00 AM
Room 101C

Optimizing Your Locate System
Presenter: Chris Thome

All dielectric buried facilities must use some type of system to make them locatable, but not all systems are created equally.  According to the 2020 DIRT Report almost a quarter of all damages are due to Locating Practices which includes inaccurate locates due to abandoned facilities, unlocatable facilities and locator error.  An effective and efficient locate system will reduce the chances of these damages occurring while reducing the amount of time technicians spend on each ticket.

An optimized locate system includes durable and easy to find test stations with hardware the allows for easy isolation.  A grounding system is essential for both protection of tracer wire as well as enabling the use of low frequency to improve accuracy and avoid bleed off of signal. Lastly, without a highly durable conductor that will last the life of the facility, the system cannot work at all.

Join us to discuss ways to upgrade existing locate systems and design the optimal system for new installations.

Tuesday, March 1 – 10:00 am
Room 102A

The Locate Tech – Most Overlooked Asset in the 811 Process
Presenters: Alan Haddy and Annie Burns

Technology and humans are the most critically overlooked assets in the damage prevention process. How to elevate support and protect them.

Tuesday, March 1 – 10:00 am
Room 102B

Reducing Damages and Saving Lives
Presenter: Scott Landes, CEO, Infrastructure Resources

Education and communication are key to keeping people safe and reducing damages. Learn about  free tools and educational opportunities you can access through Infrastructure Resources.