I’ve noticed small circular plastic tags on patches in the streets around here and was intrigued. Apparently they’re called A-tags (Asphalt tags) that mark who did the work and what’s underneath. Around here, it’s mostly natural gas and electric work, but I imagine in places like NYC there are all sorts of things.
They are a remarkably recent invention, I’m wondering how wide spread they are. Do they use them around where you live? Are they used outside the US?
I’m in Wisconsin, I’ve never heard of them, let alone seen one.
Here in Ohio, nor have I.
I’m in Chicago, and I can’t say I’ve ever noticed such a thing. That doesn’t mean they don’t exist here, they’ve just never caught my attention if they are here.
Northern Virginia here and I’ve seen similar on occasion.
Suburban Chicago here, and the same.
New Jersey. Never saw them, but I’m going to start looking. That’s a cool idea.
They look like when they grow up they are going to be Toynbee tiles - Wikipedia
I forgot to mention in the OP that I’m just outside of Boston, and I’ve seen them in towns all around here.
I can’t imagine that they would last through a snowplowing season, indeed, even through the first snow emergency declaration.
Plenty of snow and plowing in Boston. I’ve never seen them ripped up by the plows.
As long as they’re not proud of the road surface, the blade is going to pass right over the top of it. Plus, they’re a bit more than just the flat part you see (not much more, but a bit).
Same as the one in front of my house.
They look like cousins of the little tables in pizza boxes.
Somebody ring up Roman Mars. We need a 99% Invisible episode.
Seems like a couple of freeze-thaw cycles would push those right up out of the ground, like rocks in a farm field. Then the next snowplow would remove them quite cleanly. Leaving a nice little pit in the road, to incubate into a lovely pothole.
But they don’t. They’re on every street around here and I’ve never seen one pulled out of the ground.
I think I’ve seen something similar only held down with a nail in the center.
I’m reasonably certain they’re pressed into the asphalt patch when they’re installed,
and the retrofit ones are epoxyed into drilled holes,
A tag of any color with a nail in the center might be a survey marker.
These underground utility ID tags might be related to GIS mapping. Right now, most underground utilities are identified by spray paint markings on pavement, in areas targeted to dig.
Interesting!
~VOW