What is ASCE 38-22?

ASCE/UESI/CI 38-22—Standard Guideline for Investigating and Documenting Existing Utilities is the current (2022) industry standard that tells engineers how to perform a utility investigation and how to document the results so risk is explicit and traceable.

Supersedes: ASCE 38-02 • Latest Update: 2022 • Focus: Refined methods, expanded definitions/attributes, and alignment with modern practice and digital deliverables

Core Concept: Quality Levels (QLs)

ASCE 38-22 classifies the reliability of underground utility information from lowest to highest confidence. You raise QL by doing more rigorous work:

D

QL-D

Records/Verbal Info Only

Planning-grade; most uncertain

Old drawing/sketch or verbal

C

QL-C

Survey of Visible Features

Correlated to records

observation of an existing value, manhole or junction box. Goes from here to there (I think).

Older GIS information without associated accuracy and metadata

B

QL-B

Surface Geophysics

Designating" to determine horizontal position

Electromagnetic (EM) pipe & cable locating or Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) or Sonde / tracer techniques for non-metallic pipes

A

QL-A

Test Holes (Daylighting)

Precise X/Y/Z "locating"

Daylighting to expose utilities and surveyed

Surveyed manhole inverts

Standard Guidance

The standard also guides how to plan investigations, what to record (methods, dates, accuracies, lineage), and how to depict results on drawings/models.

Reference: ASCE Library

Where Does ASCE 38-22 Apply?

Project Types

Any project where buried utilities affect design or construction:

  • Transportation (highways, rail)
  • Municipal infrastructure
  • Site development
  • Industrial corridors

From early planning through construction. FHWA and many owners reference these QLs in their processes.

Reference: Federal Highway Administration

Geography & Adoption

It's an ASCE consensus engineering standard (not a law by itself). It becomes a requirement when an agency or contract references it.

Widespread Adoption:

  • • US transportation agencies
  • • Utility owners
  • • International practitioners (best practice)
  • • CGA's national Best Practices explicitly cite ASCE 38-22 for SUE
Reference: Federal Highway Administration

Relationship to Other Standards

ASCE 38-22 + ASCE 75-22

ASCE 38-22 (existing utilities during design/construction) pairs with ASCE 75-22 (how to record/exchange utility data—especially new/exposed assets—so it's usable later).

Owners increasingly require both standards for comprehensive utility management.

38-22

Existing Utilities

75-22

Data Exchange

Reference: Midwest 811 Conference

Why It Matters (Practical Benefits)

Risk Made Visible

QL tags make uncertainty explicit, so designers know where to expect conflicts and where more field work is warranted.

Reference: American Society of Civil Engineers

Consistent Scope & Fees

Clear minimum actions for each QL reduce scope gaps/disputes between owners, designers, SUE providers, and constructors.

Reference: American Society of Civil Engineers

Fewer Change Orders/Claims

Agencies adopted SUE/ASCE 38 because it measurably reduces relocations, utility hits, and re-designs.

Reference: Federal Highway Administration

One-Page Checklist for Teams

1

Early Plan

Declare target QLs by area/conflict, not "one size fits all."

Reference: American Society of Civil Engineers
2

Document Rigorously

Record method, date, instrument, crew, and confidence with each feature—don't just draw a line.

Reference: ASCE Library
3

Escalate Smartly

Upgrade from QL-D/C → QL-B with geophysics; go to QL-A at crossings/critical clearances.

Reference: Colorado Department of Transportation
4

Close the Loop

When you expose utilities during construction, harvest attributes to ASCE 75-22 so the "unknowns" don't return on the next project.

Reference: Midwest 811 Conference

References (IEEE Style)

  1. [1] ASCE, "Newly updated ASCE 38-22 utility engineering standard and new companion standard ASCE 75-22 now available," Jul. 20, 2022. American Society of Civil Engineers
  2. [2] ASCE Library, Standard Guideline for Investigating and Documenting Existing Utilities (ASCE 38-22), 2022. ASCE Library
  3. [3] ASCE UESI, "Publications—ASCE/UESI/CI 38-22 overview," n.d. American Society of Civil Engineers
  4. [4] FHWA, "Subsurface Utility Engineering—Quality Levels (QL-D to QL-A)," Nov. 1, 2022. Federal Highway Administration
  5. [5] Colorado DOT, "Subsurface Utility Engineering (QL-B designating)," n.d. Colorado Department of Transportation
  6. [6] NYSAPLS (handout), "ASCE 38-22—What is it? QL definitions and use," Jan. 3, 2025. YMAWS
  7. [7] FHWA, "SUE Brochure—Standard of Care and ASCE 38," n.d. Federal Highway Administration
  8. [8] CGA Best Practices 2.14, "SUE—applied per ASCE 38-22," n.d. Best Practices
  9. [9] ASCE Library (set), "ASCE 38—All versions (context and evolution)," n.d. ASCE Library
  10. [10] PDH Academy (course notes), "SUE process and deliverables; linkage to ASCE standards," 2022. PDH Academy

Need Help Implementing ASCE 38-22?

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