A construction project requires a lot of carefully thought out planning to make sure operations go as smoothly and safely as possible. To ensure this for a construction project, you need to perform some services before modifications begin. This is especially necessary on private property, as performing high-quality work is a requirement. Learn how Diamond Concrete Sawing effectively provides utility location on private property and what we can do for you and your project.
Ask for Permission
For starters, the main difference between providing utility location on a private vs. public location is you will need permission on a private site. This will prevent any trespassing issues you may face. If your client is someone who owns the private property, and they need a utility location service, then you should contact a local service before starting any construction work. By contacting and requesting services, this will give the company’s operators permission to find any utilities and advise you on how to access them.
Why Utility Locating Is Necessary
A common question many people ask is why utility locating is necessary for the constructing process. Well, the answer is quite simple: you want to ensure that a site is safe before you change the state of the land and begin to dig into the ground. There are a lot of unknown utilities that may be underground and digging into it without knowing what’s there can cause some serious damage. A lot can go wrong on a construction project, which is why you need to exercise precaution in as many ways as possible.
Types of Utilities Underground
There is a lot that may be underground on private land. Additionally, these important utilities may service an entire town. As such, if something were to happen to them, it could be severely catastrophic. Some types of utilities underground that you’ll need to locate include:
Water lines
Electrical lines
Post-tension cables
Gas lines
In-floor tubing
Voids
Methods of Utility Locating
There are many methods for utility locating. Upon determining the best method, professionals will then place flags where a utility resides. This clearly marks it and ensures others will take note before starting any heavy-duty construction work. Before we get into what services Diamond Concrete specifically offers, it’s best to have a larger understanding of the work completed in this state of construction. Some methods used for utility locating are:
Hydro/ Vacuum Excavation
Dowsing
Acoustic Pipe Location
Electromagnetic Location
Ground Penetrating Radar
Out of all the methods of utility locating, Diamond Concrete uses Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR).
We Take Advantage of Technology
To locate these utilities, effective technology, such as GRP devices, can locate underground obstructions. A GPR device has an appearance similar to a lawnmower. There is a body, which serves as an antenna, which sits wheels and has a handle to push it forward. Some GPR devices can be rather large while others are hand-held. A GPR device also has a screen where users can read the results. Technology has advanced construction work in many ways—GPR devices are only one of them. However, many professionals from companies such as Diamond Concrete effectively locate utilities on private property using this device.
Less Destruction
Construction is an inherently messy process, but a huge benefit of using a GPR device is that it doesn't cause any destruction. This is once again due to the streamlined process provided by technology that allows a GPR device to measure depth with radar pulses. An operator just needs to simply push the GPR device around the private property. So, there is no worry about a GPR device creating more work for a construction project before it even begins.
Trusted Operators
A necessary component of effectively providing utility location on private property is having trusted operators who know how to read the data. This is something Diamond Concrete has to offer to anyone who enlists our services. Diamond Concrete employs operators who have had extensive training before becoming a part of your construction project.
Accurate Readings
In addition to performing professional construction tasks, our experts can provide accurate GPR device readings. The device determines ratings based on electromagnetic radiation and a microwave band, which produces a radargram of what’s underground. Since this is complicated technology, you’ll want someone with experience on-site.
Cost Effective
Although you will have to set aside part of your construction project budget to hire utility locating professionals, you’ll end up saving money in the long run. If a utility becomes damaged during this process, it will likely cost you a lot of money to fix. This goes back to the main reason of doing utility location in the first place—you want to prepare the site as best as possible. In the long run, the expenses of utility locating are a necessary part of a construction project’s budget.
Time Efficient
When you include utility locating into a construction process and make room for it at the beginning, this will help a project avoid exceeding its budget and save you time. Proper utility location shouldn’t take too long to complete, even if there is an issue with what’s underground, compared to repairing the damage done during actual construction.
Various Surfaces
There’s a lot of land that you can use on a construction site—even on private land. An effective utility locating service will also thoroughly examine the private property. This means they will detect any utilities in the soil and existing concrete via GPR technology. By doing this, they can complete an accurate inspection because there are no limitations with what a GPR device can read from the surface.
Quality Services
If you plan to work on private property, you can rest assured Diamond Concrete will provide an effective, high-quality utility location service. The system our team uses is reliable, and our team members have decades of experience. With all the knowledge from over the years, Diamond Concrete will be able to assist your construction project and make matters as efficiently as possible. If you need utility locating in Michigan, Diamond Concrete can help.
