• Post author:admin
• Post published:October 21, 2021
• Post category:Scorpion Construction LLC Blog

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Underground utilities have been a concern as per mapping and repairs, but the danger is real with new installations. In construction sites, the most crucial stage is designing the drainage systems so the foundations are not compromised by groundwater.

In the Sunshine State, the sun shines alright, but the water table and rising sea levels have been a major cause for underground utility corrosion. Many factors need to be considered to ensure proper drainage & insulation of the utility lines from underground corrosive elements.

A professional construction company like Scorpion Construction knows what is at stake when laying new utility lines for new projects or an extension of the older existing systems.

1. Utility Depths Need to Be Standard

Regardless of what utility you install in the ground, ensure the depts are not based on feeble conjectures but rather at standard measure. Telephone lines & cables are based a foot under, electricity & sewage and non-conduit telephone lines are between 2-3ft. Gas lines can be installed at any depth but are always marked and mapped out, often by offset markers if the utility lines are too shallow.

2. Never Cut Corners

Despite years of excavation, site prep, and earthwork experience, never slacken on steps to ensure a stable trenching framework to lay down utility lines. Collect bored samples for soil testing to ensure the soil is stable for post-excavation compaction and is treated for corrosion. Then install the utility with the appropriate markers. Add reinforcements where soil integrity can’t support buried utilities without deforming.

3. Keep Clear Visuals

If you are mapping the depth of an existing utility to extrapolate the laying of a newer one, don’t work blind. Keep your eyes on the drill head, so the reamer (boring drill) doesn’t strike the surrounding utilities. One wrong move or lapse in coordination and a gas pipeline can burst. If you are trying to expose the buried utility that violates OSHA regulations, you need to have the proper equipment and preferably any on-hand mapping guidance from the national 811 helpline.

4. Dill To Manageable Depths

Sometimes utilities cross each other, and these are the sections requiring more scrutiny while installing new utilities. Be mindful that any utility installed needs to be excavatable for any future event, so try not to confuse utility lines. Odd as it sounds, an excess of utilities overlapping in a congested underground section only makes it harder for locators to discern utilities buried deeper than a few feet.

5. Mark & Sound Out Existing Utility Lines

Most operational errors occur owing to a lack of marking & understanding of the marking notations for various utility lines. This is often in the case of offset markers placed at a distance to the original utility location because it has been buried too shallow by deliberation. Marking utilities ensures that newer additions are leveled with existing utility conjunctions without issues (such as a blockage when new sewer lines are connected to older ones).

Ground-penetrating radar is avidly used to locate underground utility lines, and we at Scorpion Construction utilize the latest in radio and visual technology to ensure we are placing the utilities without any hazards to immediate inhabitants.

If you require a responsible and coordinated underground utility contracting team, we have the best one in town. You can check our no-obligation quotes on services, and if need be, we can perform a full site-prep job for you in Tampa Bay, FL, where everything from site development to utilities is covered!

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