Success in the trenches: utilities share costs and benefits of underground joint use

摘要

The use of the same physical structures by multiple utilities (joint use) is an accepted practice, especially in overhead distribution. This practice, however, is not commonly embraced in the underground environment. This is surprising, not only because greater cost savings can be gained from underground joint use, but because the public sustains significantly less impact. With the often-successful completion of various pilot projects, you might think this process would be enticing to all parties involved. Typically, involved parties shook hands and expressed optimism about future joint-use projects, then returned to business as usual. Once again, this placed the infrastructure in separate ditches with separate construction schedules-cable-by-cable and pipe-by-pipe.