Alignment tape
As Route-marking tape or Warning tape is referred to a polyethylene -Folienband, which for the protection of buried cables or pipes and piping used. For this purpose it is buried in the ground above the materials to be protected.
Depending on the application requirements, the alignment tapes are available in different widths, lengths, basic colors (yellow, blue, red, green) and printed texts that provide information about the types of lines involved (e.g. "Attention power cables ", " Attention water pipe ”etc.). The color of the alignment tape shows which type of pipeline is underneath: underground cables and gas pipes are marked with a red or yellow, drinking water pipes with a blue and sewage and rainwater pipes with a green tape. In Germany, it is mandatory to precisely catalog underground lines. In order to additionally increase the protection against damage, the use of alignment tapes is mandatory.
During earthworks, the excavator driver or construction worker first hits the belt and is warned that there is a line or cable underneath. In Germany, annual costs run into the millions if lines are damaged during construction work and residential or industrial areas are suddenly without water or electricity. The nature and appearance of the alignment tapes are prescribed in EU directives.
There are also detectable alignment tapes (location tapes) that can be located with the help of electronic display devices before the start of a construction project and make it possible to determine the course of a line without excavation.