Lessen the Surface Damage during Your Excavation Project—Here’s How!

potholing for utilities

When you are managing or working on a construction project, there are a lot of important factors to keep track of, such as budget, time constraints, and crew management. Modern construction sites have the advantage of using new equipment and methods that make work more efficient and less strenuous on your workers.

One common concern on many construction sites is the question of how to minimize surface damage when carrying out necessary work like utility excavation. Other methods of excavation involve imprecise equipment that has to tear through the ground to reach the utilities. This is why vacuum excavation is so important for any modern construction project. 

Our expert team has years of experience with utility potholing and ensures that only the most minimal surface disruption occurs. This creates a more seamless process from potholing to post-excavation work. You will not have to worry about restoring the ground to its original state, which will save you both time and money—precious resources on any construction site!

Keep reading to find out the various ways you can limit the surface damage while excavating your construction site.

Plan Ahead

The way you prepare for excavating your construction site can be the difference between disaster and success. To make sure you collect all the necessary information about your construction site and the terrain, you should do the following:

 

  • Check the maps: before you break ground on your construction site, you should consult approved utility maps, which Util-locate can provide to you alongside our other excavation services. These maps will show the location of subsurface objects such as pipes and cables as well as sewers, gas, and electrical lines, which you will need to avoid striking. 

Referring to utility maps will get your project off on the right foot because you will be better informed and more aware of where to excavate for visual confirmation. Utility maps are a simple way to reduce the amount of earth that needs to be disturbed so there is less surface damage overall.

 

  • Look at the surrounding area: the area around your construction site will inform you about how to proceed and will affect your budget. For instance, you will need to know where the nearest water supply and dumpsite is. A reliable water source is needed for the efficiency of hydro vacuum excavation and the proximity of a dumpsite will reduce the time spent driving unwanted soil away from your construction site.

utility potholing

  • Consider using RADAR first: as with utility maps, RADAR technology is an important part of pre-excavation preparation. Ground Penetrating RADAR (GPR) is a non-intrusive surveying technique, which is used to locate utilities, rebar, conduits, voids, and other features below the surface.

Why is this useful? Because it records subsurface data, which can inform our specialists about how deep your excavation holes will need to be. GPR is completely non-destructive, which means it will not cause any surface damage. 

GPR can be used on all types of surface because it can penetrate through soil, concrete, water, and many other types of terrain. It also detects more than just metallic objects like pipes, it can pick up on the location of other things like fiber-optic cables which are just as important to avoid during excavation.

 

  • Choose a reliable excavation method: the most important thing to do to minimize surface damage is to choose the least invasive excavation method. Most construction sites now opt for hydro vacuum excavation when utility potholing because it is not only the most reliable method, but it is also the safest and most accurate. 

Taken altogether, these features make vacuum excavation the best choice for anyone who wants less surface damage as well as efficient and precise utility locating. 

 

  • Hire a professional team: a team that is highly trained and experienced with vacuum excavation is the only way to make sure the excavation is carried out properly. A professional excavation team will create only the necessary surface disruption, which means you will spend far less time and money resurfacing the construction site after the excavation.

Choose the Least Invasive Methods

As briefly mentioned above, when it comes to utility potholing, the method you choose will affect how much the surface is damaged.

In the past, it was common to excavate by hand or with a backhoe, but both of these methods come with major downsides. Excavating with trowels and shovels is extremely time consuming and labor-intensive. While the initial cost may be cheap, its inefficiency and the number of workers needed to carry out the excavation means that the cost will add up exponentially over time. Backhoes are much more efficient, but the machines used for it are not accurate and utility strikes are much more likely to occur.

Remember: when you strike a utility line, the damage will always need to be repaired. This means even more excavation will be required, in addition to what are usually hefty fines and long delays.

To avoid these issues and unwanted costs, it is always recommended to use hydro vacuum excavation. Not only will you receive visual verification of utility line locations, but it can also be done quickly and safely. When the work is complete, only the small excavation holes will need to be covered over. 

 

Stay Safe

Overall, the safety of your crew is the most important thing. Safety measures and training should always be implemented to ensure that everyone on the construction site can stay safe and injury-free.

Utility strikes can result in the loss of water or energy resources within the local community, which is especially dangerous for buildings such as hospitals. This is why it is so important to choose a method that will keep everyone, including members of the public safe.

When carried out by a professional team, vacuum excavation is proven to be time and cost-efficient, as well as incredibly safe. What is an added bonus is its ability to lessen the surface damage incurred by the excavation process.

8 Most Common Construction Blunders

8 Most Common Construction Blunders

Every construction project requires meticulous planning, safety precautions, and a highly-trained crew. From holding regular safety briefings to choosing modern construction methods like utility potholing and vacuum excavation, there are a lot of ways you can ensure your construction site is well-managed, safe, and blunder-free. But when these methods are overlooked, construction mistakes and blunders are inevitable and can lead to huge consequences. 

To keep your crew safe and your construction project progressing smoothly, we’ve compiled a list of 8 of the most common construction blunders. In the spirit of ‘forewarned is forearmed’, this list will help you stay prepared for anything while managing your construction site. 

1. You Don’t Plan Enough

Of course, every construction project will require planning permission, permits, and an understanding of the layout of the construction site. However, this is only scratching the surface of everything that needs to be planned both before beginning the work and while the work is being carried out. 

You should have a solid execution plan that will explain the project strategy and timeline for everyone involved – including subcontracted teams. If you don’t have this type of plan, things will get complicated, and confusing, and can lead to delays, mistakes, and miscommunication. 

To avoid this blunder, make sure that your management team creates a clear execution plan and strategy. This should include practically everything: from construction resources and deadlines to the budget and safety training days. This plan will ensure that everyone involved in the construction project is informed and prepared.

 

2. No Visual Verification

One of the most important actions you need to take when beginning a construction project is locating any subsurface-level utility lines that might be running under the work site. A huge blunder you can make is to rely only on old maps of the site. 

While these maps indicate the general area of utility lines, they are not always 100% accurate and might not include all of the utilities. Not knowing exactly where the lines are located can lead to striking the utility lines. Fixing this is a costly and time-consuming process.

Utility potholing is the best way to ensure you do not strike a utility line because it enables you to visually verify the location of the lines. The most efficient and risk-free method of utility potholing is professional vacuum excavation. Hydro vacuum excavation involves the use of water pressure to dig holes throughout the construction site to reveal the exact location of the utilities. Once the locations are verified, construction work can continue without the risk of damaging important utility lines.

utility potholing

3. You Use the Wrong Method or Equipment

The equipment and techniques used on construction sites are always evolving, so it can be very tricky to keep up with the newest and best developments. However, it’s important to move with the times and utilize these new techniques. Many are designed to be safer, more efficient, and more affordable than older methods.

For instance, when excavating for utilities, construction sites used to rely on manual labor or clunky backhoes, which were prone to striking utility lines. Now, most construction projects opt for hydro vacuum excavation because it is the safest, quickest, and most cost-effective method. By neglecting to use newer methods, you are going to find that work takes longer and more accidents and injuries occur.

4. Ignoring Safety Measures

The first priority on any construction site is safety. Your crew and members of the public should always be kept safe. Don’t just rely on one training session before the work begins. Instead, the manager of a construction project should schedule regular safety training sessions to ensure that the crew remains aware of how to stay safe while on the job. 

 

5. Budget Failures

Construction projects of any size – large or small – need to stick to a tight budget. Unexpected costs can seriously harm the success of the project and even grind it to a halt. Utility strikes can cause widespread power or energy outages to surround communities, and you will be fined for the damage. 

Repairing the utility lines is also very expensive and will cause delays to your project. Don’t fail to factor mistakes and blunders into your budget; or even better, use safer methods like utility potholing to avoid the mistake in the first place.

 

6. You Don’t Hire Professionals

Some work, like vacuum excavation, needs to be subcontracted to professional teams that have expertise in specific areas. Renting specialized equipment won’t be useful if it is in the hands of an untrained crew. You will end up wasting time and money, and also risk damaging both the site and the equipment in the process.

Professional crews are more costly upfront, but they get the work done much quicker and will know how to operate the machinery safely.

 

7. You Didn’t Check the Surrounding Areas

You should always know about the area surrounding your construction site –  including water sources, population density, and where the nearest dumping sites are. This information will affect how deep you can excavate without causing flooding as well as safety measures that need to be in place to protect members of the public.

The proximity of dumping sites or your resource distributors will also affect your deadlines and budget. The closer these are, the less time your crew will have to spend driving to and from the site, which can end up saving you a lot of time and money.

8. You Lack Defined Project Deadlines

Your execution strategy should include a detailed list of deadlines. With clearly set out goals and deadlines, your team will always understand what is expected, making it easier for them to deliver what is needed. While it’s inevitable that some deadlines will be missed or pushed back, working toward a goal will keep the momentum up and the project moving forward.

5 Things to Expect from Professional Vacuum Excavation

hydro vacuum excavation

When managing a construction site, there’s a good chance that you will need to locate underground utility lines. A big decision to make is which construction method to use to locate these lines. From backhoes to utility potholing, there are a lot of utility locating services out there. 

By far, the most precise method is hydro vacuum excavation. This method is far less invasive than others and uses water pressure to clear away the earth from the utility lines. Not only is this process incredibly accurate, but it is also efficient and cost-effective.

What Can You Expect from Professional Vacuum Excavation?

1 – Efficiency

Time is money, and this is especially true on a construction site. Project timelines have to be met, and potholing utilities can help make this happen.

While some people opt to dig for utility lines by hand because it is a cheap option, it is so time-consuming and labor-intensive that it can actually be more costly in the long run.

Backhoes are another common method used and are certainly efficient. However, the wayward nature of a backhoe can make them difficult to use, which means a utility strike is more likely. When a utility line is struck, it can result in delays while repairs are being carried out.

These are just a few reasons why vacuum excavation is so time-efficient. With a highly-trained team, vacuum excavation takes less time without the risk of a utility line strike or other damage to the construction site. And because less earth is displaced during the process, you can continue other construction work nearby.

2 – Safety

The safety of your workers and the public is of the utmost importance for any construction project. You can expect that our experienced team will keep your construction site safe while carrying out the vacuum excavation.

While you could buy or rent the vacuum excavation equipment, if your team is not adequately trained, it can lead to damage to either the utility lines or the equipment itself. You might also be putting your team at risk, which should never happen.

A utility strike can also cause the surrounding community to lose power. That means important public facilities like hospitals, schools, and police departments won’t be able to function properly. Your construction site will be liable for this disruption and damage, which can mean hefty fines.

Instead of risking it, hire a trained team with years of experience who will quickly and safely excavate your utilities.

3 – Expertise

When you hire a team to carry out hydro vacuum excavation, you can expect them to be highly trained and fully qualified for this work. This is so important when you consider the many risks involved when locating utilities.

The Util-locate team uses a variety of methods and techniques to provide you with the most stress-free and efficient experience. Vacuum excavation is so accurate because it offers visual confirmation of where the utility lines are.

However, before this even happens, you can also take advantage of our utility mapping services. Detailed and accurate maps show everything that might be hiding under the surface: storm drains, gas, water, reclaim, communication, electrical, abandoned, and unknown lines or objects.

Once you have access to a utility map, you can also use Ground Penetration Radar (GPR). GPR uses pulses of energy to provide an impression of where utility lines are located.

Following these techniques, it is still recommended that you carry out vacuum excavation. Visual confirmation will ensure that you know exactly where the utility lines are and removes all risk of accidentally striking a utility line.

utility potholing
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4 – Precision 

One of the best things you can expect from vacuum excavation is a precise and thorough service. When potholing for utilities, accuracy is the primary and most important goal. You want to confirm exactly where the utility lines are located, and this is only possible through methods of excavation.

As we’ve already discussed, other forms of excavation like backhoes or manual excavation might reveal where the utilities are, but they can be costly and end up damaging the utility lines in the process.

An experienced team will offer you a variety of utility location services. That means accurate mapping, RADAR technology, and hydro vacuum excavation are made available for your construction project.

Hydro vacuum excavation is especially useful because of how it displaces the excavated earth. Typically the earth will be removed into a special container, making removal and disposal a simple and easy process.

5 – Cost-Efficiency

Of course, it is only natural to want to keep costs down so that your construction project can adhere to the projected budget. Vacuum excavation is a great way to prevent unexpected costs that could arise from a utility strike. 

There is a good chance that if you damage a utility line, you will either be fined by the local authority or have to pay for extensive and pricey repairs. Costs like this aren’t always factored into the budget for smaller construction projects and can cause serious financial burden and stress.

Utility potholing is also very efficient, which means an estimated timeline for the work is usually very accurate. You won’t have to worry about renting the equipment and hiring a team for longer than expected, saving you both time and money. What’s more, you can continue other construction jobs alongside the excavation so that more work gets done.

The Bottom Line

Potholing for utilities has been proven to be the most accurate method of utility locating. When hiring a professional team, you can expect the process to be straightforward and pain-free. The work will be done efficiently, accurately, and safely, which means your construction project will save both time and money by investing in vacuum excavation.

Save More in 2020 with Vacuum Excavation

utility excavation

Whether you are in the middle of a construction project or just about to embark on one, one of your main concerns is likely keeping to a strict budget. Construction projects big and small can be expensive and time-consuming, but by utilizing the newest and most reputable technologies, you can end up saving a lot of money in 2020. One of the best techniques available for the early stages of a project is utility potholing using vacuum excavation.

This is the most reliable and safest way to locate utility lines, which means you won’t run the risk of causing extensive—and expensive—damage to water, gas, or other energy lines.

Keep reading to learn about the process of vacuum excavation, the benefits it will bring to your construction project, and our top tips and tricks on how to introduce potholing into your project.

What is Utility Locating and Excavation?

Any construction project that requires digging underground at all will benefit from utility potholing. Essentially, it is a method of locating the utility lines that run beneath the construction site. You have to locate these utilities for a variety of reasons: in order to connect the new property to these lines and to prevent damaging them in the construction process.

Typically, utility lines provide power and water to a large surrounding area, especially in urban zones. Therefore, any damage to the lines can result in extensive interruption of utility services to important buildings like hospitals and schools. If your construction team is found to be the cause of this damage, you will be handed a hefty fine and repairs to the utility lines will severely affect your deadlines.

These are worst-case scenarios, but they are very possible when poor methods are used to locate utility lines. Vacuum excavation is both extremely accurate and very gentle so there is no risk to the lines. This method uses the vacuum to gently apply air or water pressure to the area of land being excavated so that the earth is removed from the lines. When using air pressure, the earth is simply moved to another area which means it can be used later in the construction process, saving you money on materials later on.

utility potholing

Why is Utility Potholing Better?

Compared with other methods of utility excavation, potholing is cost-effective, efficient, and by far the most accurate option. Many people have stopped using backhoes because of their wayward nature. When they are not operated by a very experienced professional, there is a much higher risk of a utility line being struck and damaged.

Another alternative is excavation by hand, but this simply is not practical for large scale projects due to how time-consuming and physically exhausting this work is. In fact, excavating with a trowel or shovel only appears to be the cheapest option. When you factor in labor and time costs, it is comparable with hiring out professional equipment.

Top 3 Benefits of Vacuum Excavation

If you still need more convincing, here are our top 3 reasons why vacuum excavation is the best choice for your construction project:

Accuracy

When you are utility locating, accuracy is the most important factor. Knowing the precise location of utility lines will benefit your build site and avoid the risk of damaging the lines. Using just a backhoe or trowels means your crew will be digging blindly and if they do not apply enough caution, extensive damage can occur.

Vacuum excavation removes this likelihood of human error, which will give you peace of mind and protect you from the risk of big fines.

Speed

it is also well-known in construction that time is money! When you are working to a tight deadline, you don’t want to be hampered by time-consuming methods or, worse, repairs. Vacuum excavation, when carried out by a professional team, can be an exceptionally efficient process.

When coupled with RADAR technology, the process is further streamlined because there is a preliminary awareness of the utility line locations.

Cost-Efficiency

Vacuum excavation does require paying more for the equipment and professional team. However, this upfront investment will actually save you money in the long run. This is because you altogether avoid the risk of damaging the lines and therefore won’t have to pay large fines or expensive repairs.

These costs would more than exceed the price of hiring a utility potholing team.

Tips and Safety Measures

As with any method and equipment used on a construction site, certain safety measures must be followed. We would recommend taking the following steps to ensure that your experience with vacuum excavation is as great as we know it can be.

Plan Ahead

Before you hire your potholing team, you should take a few precautionary steps. That means, utilizing RADAR technology to have a general understanding of where you want the vacuum excavation to take place. This will greatly assist the team you hire so that they can perform their job as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

Hire Specialists

It is highly recommended that you do not just rent out the potholing equipment because it is still a new tool and not all crew members will have enough training or knowledge of how it works.

Instead, opt for hiring a professional team who can bring and operate their own equipment. This will remove the risk of an unexpected accident and ensures that the equipment is not used improperly.

Choosing vacuum excavation is a great choice for anyone who wants a more affordable and accurate utility locating experience. You won’t have to deal with any costly delays and repairs, and you will save money by hiring a professional team to carry out the work for you!

Never Just Dig Holes Again! Let the Pros Pothole Your Utilities 

utility potholing

When you are planning to carry out excavation work for a construction project, utility potholing is an absolute necessity.

If you aren’t already familiar with utility potholing, it’s a construction method that allows a crew to investigate underground and find any potential water or sewer lines. Professional utility potholing companies have specialized equipment that isn’t affordable to rent for a short term job. Typically, companies use a hydro or air jet, which gently vacuum excavates the site so that underground pipes are easily located.

You might think that using RADAR technology or ordinary hand tools would be as effective, but these techniques are in fact far less accurate. Making a mistake and damaging underground utilities on a construction site can lead to expensive, extensive, and time-consuming repairs. Utility potholing prevents these steep costs and will give you peace of mind throughout the process.

The Problem with Traditional Tools

Even if it is a small scale construction project, excavating by hand with a shovel or trowel is labor-intensive and exhausting. Hand tools are arguably useful for getting into small spaces and are certainly affordable. However, costs can pile up depending on how long the excavation drags on. Added to this, the individual and company you contracted the work might be on a tight schedule and not want to wait for the work to be done by hand.

Hand tools can also make the work more difficult depending on the terrain. Clay, rough terrain, or especially rocky land can cause all sorts of issues and delays.

Another option many people consider using are backhoes, but it’s important to remember that they should only be relied on when you aren’t worried about what’s under the construction site. So if you’re okay with tearing up an existing site, backhoes might work out fine because the job can be completed quickly.

Just bear in mind that utilities will be at risk when a backhoe is used. A spotter on the ground can only do so much and mistakes can happen in even the most careful construction zones.

Read More: Vacuum Excavation vs. Traditional Excavation Techniques

 

Why Choose Utilities Potholing?

As mentioned before, when done by a professional, utility potholing is an accurate and effective tool to locate underground utility lines. Here are a few of its benefits:

Minimizes damage

The tools used are gentle enough to clear away earth without damaging the lines you are trying to locate. When compared with other tools, it’s the most accurate way to find the location of water or sewage lines.

There are two types of potholing: air and hydro excavation. Both are very effective techniques and surprisingly cost-effective despite the investment in machinery.

Air or pneumatic excavation uses compressed air to displace soil and unearth the utilities that lie beneath. One benefit of using air excavation is that the soil can be reused at a later point to fill in any holes that were left behind by the excavation.

On the other hand, hydro excavation uses pressurized water to remove the soil by turning it into wet slurry and vacuuming it away. Unlike in air excavation, the wet soil can no longer be reused to refill the hole later on. Nevertheless, hydro excavation is still the most used method of utility potholing today.

Read More: Why Utility Potholing is Essential for a Successful Construction Project

utility potholing

Reduces surface damage

Another type of damage you might not have considered is surface damage. With air or hydro excavation, the actual construction site will remain relatively untouched until the real work begins. 

With traditional tools, large amounts of earth and removed from the site and relocated, which is neither time nor space-efficient.

Increases safety

A final benefit is how safe utility potholing is. When a water line is severely damaged, workers can get injured and anyone living or operating a business in the surrounding area can be seriously affected.

Causing that sort of damage cannot be taken lightly because you could be held liable for the costs and inconveniences experienced by anyone affected. So not only will you have to pay to repair the damaged lines, which is expensive in itself, but you could have to manage lawsuits and fines as well. See more about potholing excavation.

Tips for Professional Utility Potholing

While utility potholing is generally a far safer and quicker process than other excavation methods, there are still some precautions and techniques that should be used by professionals to ensure the process runs safely and smoothly.

Extensive planning: Before any excavation takes place, you should plan ahead. That means contacting third-parties about any cabling that might be underground. You should aim to be as precise as possible to avoid expensive damage to cables. Damaging infrastructure below the ground is one of the easiest ways to incur delays and extra expenses.

Safety is a priority: It might seem unnecessary to hire a private excavation company, but professionals are trained and highly skilled individuals. Hydro and air excavation require this level of skill and leaving it up to a professional will avoid mistakes and mishaps. Professionals are also accustomed to working on complex sites and will keep the machinery away from any overhead wires, which someone less experienced might forget about. 

The Bottom Line

Vacuum excavation for utilities is one of the most sophisticated methods for exposing underground utilities. It’s safer and more effective than most alternatives, and it can be far more affordable in the long run. While it is a large upfront investment in a professional team and equipment, this investment ensures that you avoid serious damage to the construction site and hefty expenses down the line.

If you want a safer and more efficient experience on your construction project, choose a professional team to pothole your utilities.

Vacuum Excavation VS. Traditional Excavation Techniques

util locate van

If you are planning a home improvement project that involves digging into the ground, you’ll need to start by having all underground utility lines found. Even small projects like adding landscaping oder installing a new mailbox require the use of a potholing company. These companies use a variety of techniques to locate and protect utilities. From backhoes to hand tools, and vacuum excavation, here is what you need to know about the type of methods.

Backhoes

Backhoes are most often used when precision isn’t as important. For example, when a new development is digging up the foundation for new homes. It involves much less intensive work than other methods and can be completed rather quickly. When used for potholing, backhoe operators rely on a spotter who helps keep an eye on the ground. 

The downside to using a backhoe is that there is an additional risk when utilities are present. Even a skilled operator runs the risk of hitting and damaging the very line they were trying to locate. Due to their size, backhoes might not fit into many spaces, especially once houses are in place.

Hand Tools

Using a shovel or other hand tool to pothole is the most labor-intensive for the individual. Because the equipment needs are small, operators can get into almost any space. Outside of the necessary working hours required to dig, hand tools are also the lowest priced option. 

The major downside to using a shovel is the labor involved. Digging, especially on rough terrain, can be tough work and take a long time. While hand tools are relatively safe for locating utilities, caution is still required. A shovel probably won’t do any damage to an underground pipe, but it can sever fiber optics or other wires.

utility potholing

Vacuum Excavation

Utility locating is the first part of the investigation process. You need to know where utilities are before continuing. Then, using vacuum excavation, you can verify the utilities by potholing, or exposing them for visual identification. 

Vacuum excavation is a process where water or air is used to break up soil before sucking it up into a storage tank. This process eliminates nearly all risk of damaging underground utilities. It offers a lower cost, outside of the initial equipment investment, and a higher level of precision.

  1. Air Excavation: By using compressed air, this method loosens the soil to be stored in the tank. Since it’s only using air, the ground can easily be reused to fill in the holes later on.
  2. Hydro Excavation: Instead of air, this method uses pressurized water to loosen dirt. This technique is extremely precise and much faster than air-based methods. It does not, however, allow the same soil to be reused.

Read more about vacuum excavation services.

Which Method is Right for You?

Ultimately, the method used is going to be determined by the nature of the job. It may not be easy to decide on your own; using a reputable utility locating company is vital. You might be tempted to try a digital meter or to call your utility company. 

Unfortunately, utility companies often won’t come on to private property. When they do mark underground obstructions, it’s typically with spray paint. A digital meter is also useful to simply mark the surface. Many jobs require seeing the actual obstacle and not just relying on a rough estimate of where it is. Using a private utility locating service will ensure your job is done safely and without the delay and cost associated with damaging utilities.