Subsurface utility engineering, delivered as a sub-consultant.
Orbital slots into your project as the locating, surveying and reality-capture sub-consultant. We deliver to your AS 5488 quality level specification, your CAD or BIM standard, and your project program — with our Vac2U alliance handling QL-A verification when the design requires it. One sub-consultant engagement, one coordinated deliverable, one point of accountability for the spatial dataset.
What engineering consultancies engage Orbital for
- AS 5488 subsurface utility engineering — QL-D records, QL-C surface correlation, QL-B EMF + GPR locate, QL-A vacuum verification (via Vac2U).
- Existing-conditions point cloud and 3D mesh capture for BIM workflows — delivered in the format your platform expects (.las, .laz, .ply, .pcd, .s3mb for points; .osgb, .obj, .fbx, .i3s, .s3md, .ply for mesh).
- Topographic and contour survey integrated with the locate.
- CCTV pipe inspection to WSAA standards with Wincan-compatible reporting — embedded into the wider engineering package.
- Drone orthomosaic capture for plan-view overlay context.
- CAD deliverable in Orbital’s default engineering-firm-clean convention, with AS 5488 quality level designated per feature. Bespoke matching to your firm’s specific drawing standard available as a premium add-on for projects that need it.
Why consultancies choose Orbital as a sub-consultant
Engineering-grade documentation
Twenty-three years of locating discipline in South East Queensland, run by an ex-Australian Army managing director, has built an operating model centred on documentation. Every located feature has a methodology stamp. Every QL designation is defensible. Every CAD layer carries the attributes your designer needs to filter by quality level. The deliverable holds up to your project’s compliance audit.
AS 5488 quality-level designation by default
Every commercial locate from Orbital is AS 5488-designated. You specify the QL mix you want; we deliver it; the CAD tags every feature accordingly. We don’t deliver “located” without designation, which means your design team isn’t guessing how much confidence to attach to each line on the plan.
Strategic alliance with Vac2U for QL-A verification
Where the design requires QL-A verification, we coordinate Vac2U’s hydro vacuum excavation through our alliance. Orbital surveys the verified service at the time of exposure, so the QL-A points land on the same CAD plan as the QL-B locate, in the same coordinate system, with the same quality control. You engage one sub-consultant; both capabilities come through us.
CAD and BIM in your project’s format
DWG in Orbital’s default engineering-firm-clean convention, ready to drop into Civil 3D, AutoCAD, MicroStation or BricsCAD. IFC for BIM workflows. Civil 3D-ready DWG with surfaces and point groups. Point cloud and textured 3D mesh in the format your downstream platform expects — Bentley iTwin, Autodesk Revit, Esri ArcGIS Pro, SuperMap. Bespoke matching to your firm’s specific drawing spec is available as a premium add-on for projects that need it.
Original-source methodology
Jamie Ware has trained a number of the locators currently working across the SEQ industry. Engineering buyers register the difference between an operator who learnt the craft from the original source and one who reverse-engineered it from someone else’s marks. Methodologies passed on intact, not interpreted second-hand.
How we integrate into your project
Scoping with your project engineer
Send us the scope, the design brief, the CAD spec and the AS 5488 quality-level mix you want. We come back with a fixed-price quote, a recommended deliverable structure, and confirmation of the Vac2U coordination if QL-A is in scope. Most quotes are returned within 48 hours of receiving the brief.
Field work coordinated to your program
Mobilisation timed against your design program, with weekly status communication during the field phase. Site visits coordinated with your project engineer or BIM lead where the scope warrants it.
Deliverable into your project drive
CAD package delivered into your project drive directly, or via a secure transfer link, in the file structure your firm uses. Where the engagement is large, we coordinate progressive delivery — interim CAD updates at agreed milestones rather than one delivery at the end.
Post-delivery support
Designer questions about specific features answered fast — usually same-day. Field re-attendance scheduled if the design phase identifies a service that needs additional verification. We treat the relationship as long-form, not transactional.
Frequently asked questions
Do you deliver to our firm’s CAD spec?
Our default convention is built to be readable by any engineering or BIM workflow without translation — that’s what every commercial deliverable lands in by default. Where a project requires an exact match to your firm’s specific drawing standard, that’s available as a premium add-on, scoped and quoted as an additional line item. For long-running consultancy relationships we can hold the spec on file.
What’s the lead time for a typical sub-consultant engagement?
Quote returned within 48 hours of receiving the brief. Mobilisation typically 5–10 business days for standard scopes. Larger or QL-A-heavy scopes have longer mobilisation given the Vac2U coordination. We commit to realistic dates at quoting.
How does the Vac2U alliance work for our engagement?
From your firm’s perspective, you engage Orbital. We scope the work, run the locate, designate the AS 5488 quality levels, and where QL-A verification is required Vac2U is coordinated through us. You receive one CAD package, one report, one invoice. The alliance is structured so quality control of the spatial data stays with Orbital end-to-end.
Can you deliver into Bentley / Autodesk / Esri / SuperMap workflows?
Yes. Point cloud and 3D mesh deliverables are available in the format your platform expects — Bentley .osgb, Autodesk .fbx, Esri .i3s, SuperMap .s3md. CAD layered to your firm’s drawing standard. For projects with BIM execution plans we coordinate directly with your BIM lead on LOD specifications and naming conventions.
What does the AS 5488 quality-level designation actually look like in the CAD?
Every located feature carries a QL tag, typically applied via attribute, block name or dedicated annotation layer so your designer can filter by quality level. Mixed-quality services are flagged individually. The intent: your design team can drive design decisions against known-quality spatial data.
Can the engagement also include drone capture, point cloud or CCTV?
Yes — and we recommend bundling where the scope warrants. Integrated above-ground and below-ground spatial capture in one coordinated deliverable is faster and cheaper than separate engagements. Common combined scopes: AS 5488 + drone orthomosaic, AS 5488 + point cloud (existing conditions), AS 5488 + CCTV (build-over packages).
Related services
- AS 5488 Subsurface Utility Engineering
- Point cloud and 3D mesh capture
- CAD drawings and BIM-compatible deliverables
- Vacuum excavation through Vac2U alliance
- CCTV pipe inspection (WSAA / Wincan)
Send us the brief.
Tell us about the project, the design phase you’re in, and the AS 5488 quality-level mix you’re scoping. We’ll come back with a fixed-price quote within 48 hours, including any Vac2U coordination cost and a realistic mobilisation date.