Benefits Of Locating Utilities Before Digging And Its Three Main Types

According to a recent study, there are about 20 million miles of underground utilities in the United States. Even after implementing laws that do not allow excavation before taking any permission, millions of Americans are still doing that. That being said, digging the ground is not an ordinary task. It requires proper planning and care. Chances of hitting underground utility underground pipes are quite high. If something like this happens, it can lead to obstruction of basic services and amenities. To avoid any such an incident, it is best to use utility locating services.

If you are engaged in a project that involves digging or part of a construction project, the best you can do to avoid damaging buried utilities is to use services such as utility locating in Bay Area. When choosing such a service, it is important to hire experienced technicians and underground consultants. These experts can help you avoid costly mistakes. Also, check that they are not stuck in decade-old tools and equipment and using state-of-the-art techniques.

What is utility locating?

Utility locating services helps locate underground utilities before starting the initial digging process. They possess the ability to detect and identify buried utilities preventing possible digging accidents thus promoting safer excavation. They provide the best information you can get before digging.

The different methods of locating utilities before digging:

1. Electromagnetic Utility Locator

This is the most common method of locating utilities that generate electromagnetic radio frequency to detect conductive elements under the ground. It is a reliable method for locating cable, telephone, sewer and propane lines.

EM utility locator is not an all-rounder performer. It cannot detect plastic pipes, concrete and non-ductile pipes. It also cannot detect utilities beyond 15 feet from the ground.

2. Ground Penetrating Radar

This technology uses high-frequency pulses and can locate subsurface utilities. The GPR can locate buried pipes, manholes, tanks, cables and other objects that are difficult to locate using EM utility locators. It is intended for utility locating experts as it requires extensive training and experience.

GPR cannot detect material buried in the soil which are highly conductive (Clay and saline etc). It has limitations on its penetration ability.

3. Hydro Vacuum Excavation

Hydro vacuum excavation or potholing is a non-destructive method to safely locate, identify and tag underground utilities. It uses high-pressure water to break up the soil which is then vacuum-sucked into a tank. This method is generally applied on difficult soil conditions where conventional digging methods are too risky.

Author: The author is a blogger and the article is about utility locating.