Glossary of terms

Utility crossing

A utility crossing is a point where the designed route intersects another underground utility such as a water main, gas pipe, cable, sewer or heating pipe. In a longitudinal profile it is marked at the relevant chainage with the elevation of the crossed utility and the vertical clearance between objects. It is one of the key review points: vertical and horizontal separations must be checked and conflicts avoided. A readable profile labels every crossing with the utility type and elevation. Missing or incorrectly dimensioned crossings are a common cause of site conflicts.