Technical Committees / Committee F36 / Overviews


Committee F36 on Technology and Underground Utilities
Staff Manager: Ashley Wiand 610-832-9551

Committee Overview
GENERAL OVERVIEW

Committee F36, organized in 2002, meets once a year in January in conjunction with the annual UCT (Underground Construction Technology International) Conference, with 30 members attending one day of technical meetings. The Committee, with a membership of approximately 230, currently has jurisdiction over nine standards published in the Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Volume 04.12. F36 has five technical subcommittees that maintain these standards. Information on this subcommittee structure and F36’s portfolio of approved standards and Work Items under development is available from the list of Subcommittees, Standards, and Work Items.

ACTIVITIES, PRODUCTS, AND SERVICES

The Committee addresses issues of use, maintenance, and design associated with underground utilities. Focused primarily on water, sewer, and natural gas systems, F36 works in three primary areas. The first area is the use of this infrastructure as housing for fiber optic cable, which is frequently installed robotically. The Committee, looking at this issue from start to finish, has started developing standards that address safety and access rights, selection of the utility, and the continued maintenance of the utility once fiber has been installed. Second, the Committee focuses on the maintenance and rehabilitation of these systems using robotics technology and chemical grouts, inclusive of guides for application. As such, Subcommittee F36.20 on Inspection and Renewal Standards for Wastewater Infrastructure has amassed a portfolio of guidance for information on the sealing and repair of manholes, laterals, and other drainage infrastructure using these techniques. Finally, there is work on methods for the development of damage algorithms for water conveyance systems to quantify the potential for component damage as a function of various levels of seismic hazards.

PARTICIPATING AS A MEMBER ON THE COMMITTEE

ASTM International opens its doors to all technical experts with an interest in the standardization process. As a member of ASTM Committee F36, you will be exposed to the robust resources and member benefits included below that have helped make ASTM a worldwide standards development leader for more than a century:

  • Network with industry professionals worldwide
  • Receive one free volume of the Annual Book of ASTM Standards (in print or CD)
  • Use Internet-based Standards Development Forums and E-Balloting
  • Receive discounts on all ASTM publications
  • Keep up to date through a free subscription to ASTM’s monthly magazine - Standardization News
  • Benefit from reduced fees for attendance at ASTM symposia and technical workshops
  • And more

Members can participate from anywhere because of ASTM’s customized web-based systems. The best way to contribute as a member is to (1) participate in task group activities that are of interest, both virtually and in person, and (2) vote on ballots and provide feedback and recommendations. To participate in standards activities, start by identifying Work Items of interest by reviewing the List of Subcommittees, Standards, and Work Items on the F36 home page. Contact task group leaders for those areas of interest by reviewing the Work Item summary pages and securing contact information available through the on-line roster in the member area. To make the most of your voting and participation, be sure to stipulate which specific subcommittees you wish to participate in when you join. You will then receive notices of ballots that open within these groups.

In order to continue to promote standards objectives for this fast-paced industry, F36 uses ASTM’s interactive media. This approach includes our web-based Interactive Forums, a document review and development system always available for capturing comments and maturing documents. In addition, the Committee conducts virtual meetings in conjunction with conference calls to accelerate document development and increase participation from its global membership in a real-time format.

STAKEHOLDERS

Writing F36 standards is a group consisting of stakeholders from telecommunication companies, underground utility owners, regulators (municipal engineers), fiber optic cable manufacturers, the civil engineering community, chemical grout producers, robotics manufacturers, pipe manufacturers, designers of civil software applications, utilities contractors, and fiber optic deployment technology companies. In an effort to ensure that the work of the committee is relevant to the end customer – municipalities – there are close liaison efforts with the engineers and officials in many municipalities throughout Europe, Japan, and North America.

RELATIONSHIP WITH INDUSTRY, GOVERNMENT, AND REGULATION

F36 standards provide guidance to municipalities for using civil infrastructure in ways other than originally intended. This guidance assists in communicating expectations regarding design and installation practices that preserve the operational integrity of the infrastructure and in ensuring appropriate and continued maintenance of the systems.

Typically, codes and regulation will reference ASTM International standards as acceptable methods of test, material specifications, and/or operational guidance. Particularly in the case of building code related issues, a manufacturer or contractor declaration of conformance to standards recognized by the code or municipality can promote the acceptance and use of a product or service because it is presumed to conform to the law or regulation that references the standard. If a manufacturer states that a product has been manufactured in accordance with standards cited in regulation, when in fact the product does not conform, then the result is often serious legal penalties.

LIAISON AND OTHER LINKS

The following website has been identified by Committee F36, which coordinates its work with the organization, to contain information of interest.

Underground Construction Technology: www.uctonline.com