Depicting Utility Facilities in Design Plans: A Guide (2026)
Chapter: Front Matter
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2026 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*
OFFICERS
Chair: Joel M. Jundt, Secretary of Transportation, South Dakota Department of Transportation, Pierre
Vice Chair: Randell Iwasaki, President and CEO, Iwasaki Consulting Services, Walnut Creek, CA
Executive Director: Ann M. Brach, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC
MEMBERS
James F. Albaugh, President and CEO, The Boeing Company (retired), Scottsdale, AZ
Marsha Anderson Bomar, Strategic Transportation Advisor, GHD, Duluth, GA
Nancy Daubenberger, Commissioner of Transportation, Minnesota Department of Transportation, St. Paul
Garrett Eucalitto, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Transportation, Newington
Andrew Fremier, Executive Director, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, San Francisco, CA
Martha Grabowski, Distinguished Senior Research Scientist, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Edward Hassinger, Director, Missouri Department of Transportation, Jefferson City
Shante Hastings, Cabinet Secretary, Delaware Department of Transportation, Dover
Carol A. Lewis, Professor, Transportation Studies, Texas Southern University, Houston
Ricardo Martinez, Adjunct Professor of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Decatur, GA
Russell McMurry, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Transportation, Atlanta
Craig E. Philip, Research Professor and Director, VECTOR, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
Leslie S. Richards, Professor of Practice, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Tracy Larkin Thomason, Director, Nevada Department of Transportation, Carson City
Marc Williams, Executive Director, Texas Department of Transportation, Austin
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
Derek Barrs, Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Washington, DC
Steven G. Bradbury, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC
Stephen Carmel, Administrator, U.S. Maritime Administration, Washington, DC
Tara Cavalline, Professor, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, and Chair, TRB Technical Activities Council
David Fink, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, Washington, DC
Firas Ibrahim, Director, Office of Research, Development, and Technology, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, Washington, DC
Jason Kelly, Deputy Commanding General for Civil Works and Emergency Operations, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC
Sandra Knight, President, WaterWonks, LLC, Washington, DC, and Chair, TRB Marine Board
Sean McMaster, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC
Jonathan Morrison, Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, DC
Seval Oz, Senior Advisor, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, Washington, DC
Niloo Parvinashtiani, Engineer, Mobility Consultant Solutions, Iteris Inc., Fairfax, VA, and Chair, TRB Young Participants Council
Jamie Pfister, Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Washington, DC
Paul Roberti, Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Washington, DC
Paul P. Skoutelas, President and CEO, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC
Jim Tymon, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, DC
______________________
* Membership as of May 2026.
NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM
NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 1180
Depicting Utility Facilities in Design Plans
A GUIDE
Roy Sturgill
Katherine Madson
Jennifer Shanes
Kolade Arisekola
Jim Anspach
Iowa State University
Ames, IA
Drew Markewicz
NV5
Morristown, NJ
Kenny Franklin
Tim Haney
Shani Montes Victorio
Parsons
Indianapolis, IN
Subscriber Categories
Construction • Design
Research sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration
2026
NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM
Systematic, well-designed, and implementable research is the most effective way to solve many problems facing state department of transportation (DOT) administrators and engineers. Often, highway problems are of local or regional interest and can best be studied by state DOTs individually or in cooperation with their state universities and others. However, the accelerating growth of highway transportation results in increasingly complex problems of wide interest to highway authorities. These problems are best studied through a coordinated program of cooperative research.
Recognizing this need, the leadership of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in 1962 initiated an objective national highway research program using modern scientific techniques—the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP). NCHRP is supported on a continuing basis by funds from participating member states of AASHTO and receives the full cooperation and support of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), United States Department of Transportation.
The Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine was requested by AASHTO to administer the research program because of TRBʼs recognized objectivity and understanding of modern research practices. TRB is uniquely suited for this purpose for many reasons: TRB maintains an extensive committee structure from which authorities on any highway transportation subject may be drawn; TRB possesses avenues of communications and cooperation with federal, state, and local governmental agencies, universities, and industry; TRBʼs relationship to the National Academies is an insurance of objectivity; and TRB maintains a full-time staff of specialists in highway transportation matters to bring the findings of research directly to those in a position to use them.
The program is developed on the basis of research needs identified by chief administrators and other staff of the highway and transportation departments, by committees of AASHTO, and by the FHWA. Topics of the highest merit are selected by the AASHTO Special Committee on Research and Innovation (R&I), and each year R&Iʼs recommendations are proposed to the AASHTO Board of Directors, the FHWA, and the National Academies. Research projects to address these topics are defined by NCHRP, and qualified research agencies are selected from submitted proposals. Administration and oversight of research contracts are the responsibilities of NCHRP.
The needs for highway research are many, and NCHRP can make significant contributions to solving highway transportation problems of mutual concern to many responsible groups. The program, however, is intended to complement, rather than to substitute for or duplicate, other highway research programs.
NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 1180
Project 15-81
ISSN 2572-3766 (Print)
ISSN 2572-3774 (Online)
ISBN 978-0-309-60596-0
Library of Congress Control Number 2026940094
© 2026 by the National Academy of Sciences. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the graphical logo are trademarks of the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
Authors herein are responsible for the originality and accuracy of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein.
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) grants permission to reproduce written material in this publication for classroom and non-commercial purposes subject to the rights of any third parties and appropriate attribution. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply NAS, TRB, AASHTO, APTA, FAA, FHWA, FTA, GHSA, or NHTSA endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. For other uses of the written material, users must request permission from the National Academies Press.
NOTICE
The research report was reviewed by the technical panel and accepted for publication according to procedures established and overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
This material is based upon work supported by the FHWA under Agreement No. 693JJ32350025. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed or implied in this document are those of the researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; the FHWA; or the program sponsors.
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COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS
CRP STAFF FOR NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 1180
Monique R. Evans, Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Waseem Dekelbab, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs, and Manager, National Cooperative Highway Research Program
David M. Jared, Senior Program Officer
Dajaih Bias-Johnson, Senior Program Assistant
Natalie Barnes, Director of Publications
Brian Haefs, Associate Director of Publications
Dominique Williams, Editor
NCHRP PROJECT 15-81 PANEL
Field of Design—Area of General Design
Heath Bielefeldt, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Eau Claire, WI (Chair)
Baabak Ashuri, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
Jose R. Febres, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Bowie, MD
Deborah L. Kukulich, Delaware Department of Transportation, Dover, DE
Tina Lucas, California Department of Transportation, Sacramento, CA
Natalie S. Parks, Kimley-Horn Associates, Indianapolis, IN
Sarah Leigh Runyon, West Virginia Division of Highways, Charleston, WV
Julie A. Johnston, FHWA Liaison
FOREWORD
By David M. Jared
Staff Officer
Transportation Research Board
NCHRP Research Report 1180: Depicting Utility Facilities in Design Plans: A Guide presents guidance for state departments of transportation (DOTs) and other transportation agencies on depicting data from various sources to support design decisions and utility conflict identification and resolution. This guide supports end users in (1) depicting existing, proposed, and relocated facilities; (2) prioritizing the depiction of data from multiple sources; (3) reconciling inconsistent utility data from various sources; and (4) determining the reliability of depicted data for design standards. Because maintaining a robust utility dataset can be challenging for agencies, the guidelines in this report further enhance the mechanisms for providing depicted information at varying levels of detail to meet end usersʼ needs. The guide should be of value to both public and private agencies seeking to ensure that utility information is provided to stakeholders in a consistent format, with the appropriate level of comprehensiveness at the right time.
State DOTs are emphasizing the importance of utility coordination as more utilities are installed in rights-of-way nationwide. Utility data vary in source, detail, accuracy, and collection time frame, making them difficult to depict correctly and reliably. The proper denotation, use, and standardization of utility data can substantially reduce risk in construction projects. However, without guidelines and specifications for the collection, management, and depiction of utility data, it can be challenging for state DOTs and utility owners to determine whether conflicts exist. Research was needed to document a sound approach for collecting utility data, managing those data, and determining the reliability of the data obtained from various sources. This approach could help prevent unnecessary utility relocation, reduce the risk of not delivering projects on time, and reduce project costs.
Under NCHRP Project 15-81, “Guideline for Depicting Existing and Proposed Utility Facilities in Design Plans,” Iowa State University was tasked with developing a guide for state DOTs on retrieving, depicting, and managing data for various utilities and utility conflict identification and depiction. Both current and proposed utility infrastructure (e.g., existing facilities, relocations, new installations, and planned additions) were considered in the research. Significant input from state DOTs and pertinent industry representatives was also obtained during both phases of the research. The guide is designed to support both 2-D and 3-D formats, acknowledging that agencies vary in their access to and training on different software platforms.
In addition to NCHRP Research Report 1180, the following deliverables can be found at nationalacademies.org/publications by searching for NCHRP Research Report 1180: Depicting Utility Facilities in Design Plans: A Guide:
- NCHRP Web-Only Document 449: Developing a Guide to Depicting Utility Facilities in Design Plans, a conduct of research report summarizing the entire effort
- An implementation memorandum addressing the adoption and integration of the research report
- A PowerPoint presentation summarizing NCHRP 15-81
CONTENTS
Chapter 2 “The Vision”: The Ultimate Utility Depiction Deliverable
2.2 “The Vision”: Striving Toward the Ultimate Utility Depiction Deliverable
2.3 Challenges in Meeting “The Vision”
Chapter 3 Utility Data for Depiction
3.3 Factors Affecting the Accuracy of Collected Data/Information
3.4 Impacts of Data Uncertainty
3.5 Data Ownership, Storage, and Management
4.3 Inconsistencies in Utility Depictions
4.4 Importance of Data Visualization in Utility Depictions
4.6 Recognizing Uncertainty in Utility Data Collection and Representation
4.7 Types of Deliverables and Their Limitations
Chapter 5 Miscellaneous Topics
5.4 Project Delivery and Process Gaps
