Laser Scanning for Utility Improvements on Harrisburg and Pine Streets – Steelton Borough, Dauphin County, PA

In anticipation of a PennDOT roadway restoration project on Harrisburg and Pine Streets in the Steelton Borough, HRG was retained by the Steelton Borough Authority to evaluate the water, storm sewer, and sanitary sewer facilities that would be impacted by the PennDOT roadway project. Following the evaluation, HRG recommended including the utility improvements as part of PennDOT’s roadway project and ultimately designed new water, storm sewer, and sanitary sewer facilities for the project. However, existing site conditions presented significant surveying challenges that needed to be mitigated or planned for before the design process could begin.

Both Harrisburg and Pine streets are hazardous, heavily traveled roads that afford residents on-street parking and consist of an extremely narrow right-of-way leading up to existing borough homes. Also, Pine Street’s original roadway surface material contained trolley rail, but has since been reconstructed or overlaid with concrete and asphalt. This presents difficulties when trying to locate, identify, or rehabilitate underground utilities.

HRG’s geomatics team overcame these challenges using a combination of advanced technology such as Mobile light detection and ranging (LiDAR), Sub-surface Utility Engineering (SUE), and 3-Dimensional point cloud processing software suites. These cutting-edge technologies allowed HRG to collect data rapidly, safely, and with minimal disturbance to the community.

The LiDAR allowed HRG to collect a comprehensive dataset within a four hour period, which would have otherwise taken a minimum of two weeks and significant traffic disturbances using conventional methods. The LiDAR system also provided a clearer picture of existing utility conflicts and the area available for the installation of new utilities. These insights decreased the likelihood of change orders and construction costs from unforeseen conflicts underneath the pavement overlaid concrete roadway.

The abbreviated timeline and challenging conditions required a progressive approach to eliminate costly rework resulting from supplemental data collection efforts and multiple design iterations. HRG assembled a resilient team using internal resources and our professional relationships across wide-ranging disciplines. Our approach limited disturbance to the traveling public and ultimately delivered the information needed to design a solution that met the needs of the client as well as PennDOT standards.