Markets and Markets has just released a report Underground Utility Mapping Market Global Forecast To 2024 in which it is estimated that the 2019 market size for underground utility mapping, which refers to a complete detection, processing/post-processing and visualization solution, to be US$ 842 million and growing at an annual rate of 11% (CAGR) expecting it to reach US$1.4 billion by 2024. Currently underground utility mapping is estimated to represent over 15% of the underground utility locate market but it is forecasted to be growing significantly faster, 11% vs 6% CAGR. These estimates are stated to be conservative.
By underground mapping application M&M means an integrated hardware + software solution that detects and locates underground utilities and provides a way of processing/post-processing and visualizing the results using a map view, and increasingly a 3d map view, of underground utilities. It relies on one of the remote sensing techniques for identifying, detecting, and labeling underground utility lines (telecommunications, storm sewers, water, natural gas, electricity, cable television, and fiber optics.) GIS is specifically referenced because of its ability to assist with 3D data acquisition, management, and visualization as well as image processing. The study sited technological advances including the increasing availability of utility mapping and detecting applications and improving 3D viewing experience as important factors driving the growth of the underground mapping market. M&M suggests that the non-technical drivers for the growing market are rising concerns over the safety of underground utilities and government initiatives for the implementation of utility mapping tools.
The M&M research focused on technological solutions, which includes ground penetrating radar, electromagnetic induction, and others with associated software and professional services including firms providing surveying and mapping, training and education and consulting services. The vertical industries that were investigated include oil and gas, electricity, government and public safety, and construction. The geographic focus of the study is broad including North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. The analysis does not include the revenue generated by the hardware from vendors like Leica Geosystems, Sensors and Software, and GSSI, but does include their software revenue.
The major vendors providing underground utility mapping solutions that were involved in the study include Hexagon Geosystems (Leica Geosystems), Sensors & Software Inc. (Sensors & Software), Guideline Geo AB (Guideline Geo), Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc. (GSSI), and US Radar Inc. (US Radar) and services firms Plowman Craven Limited (Plowman Craven), Cardno Limited (Cardno), Utility Mapping, Maverick Inspection Ltd. (Maverick Inspection), multiVIEW Locates Inc. (multiVIEW), , Vivax-Metrotech Corp. (Vivax-Metrotech), Enviroscan, Inc. (Enviroscan), Global Detection Solution Sdn Bhd (GDS), ProStar Geocorp, Inc. (ProStar Geocorp), and Underground Services, Inc. (SoftDig).
To put this in context an analysis also by Markets and Markets estimated that the global utility locator market amounted to US$ 5.17 billion in 2017 and predicted it would grow by about 6% per annum to US$ 7.50 billion by 2023.
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