Getting the Job Done with Construction Contractors

Getting the Job Done with Construction Contractors

4 Steps to Consider Before Burying Cables or Pipework Under Ground

by Audrey Ramos

If you need a hole to add a utility line or pipework to your commercial or residential property, you may need to hire a company to do trenchless drilling for you. To prepare for the job, there are a few steps you may want to take first. Consider these steps.

1. Check for Existing Utilities

Before you start any excavation activities or drilling on your site, you need to make sure there are no existing utilities. Dial Before You Dig is a free nationwide service that can connect you to someone in your area who can check for existing utility lines. Simply dial 1100 to reach a rep from the organization.

If you don't want to handle this on your own, you don't necessarily have to. If you end up hiring a trenchless drilling company, they may be able to arrange a check for existing utilities before they start drilling.

2. Estimate the Size of the Boring Hole

Ultimately, the size of the drilling hole depends on the circumference of the wires, cables or pipes you want to bury as well as their length. Spend some time estimating lengths. The trenchless drilling service will need that information to start their calculations.

The key benefit of trenchless drilling is that the equipment allows you to bore a very small channel through all types of terrain. In most cases, the tunnel is based closely on the size of the item going inside of it. However, as tunnels get very long, pressure builds up, and the drilling professional may slightly enlarge the hole to account for that.

3. Consider a Core Sample

So that you are prepared to deal with the ground conditions in your work area, you may want to take a core sample. To do this, professionals send a cylinder into the ground, using boring equipment. When they extract the cylinder, it contains dirt, rock, clay and whatever else was under the ground in that area. That information can be useful for the trenchless drilling company.

4. Talk About Special Equipment

When you've done the prep work, contact the trenchless drilling service. In addition to talking with them about the size of small tunnel you need, you should also talk about any special equipment that is required. For example, if the core sample showed up some rocky layers, you may need trenchless equipment that drills through rock.

At that point, you're ready to schedule the trenchless drilling and more forward with your project.


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About Me

Getting the Job Done with Construction Contractors

Hello, my name is Carl and this is my construction and contractor blog. I do not work in the construction business but last year, my wife and I had a lot of work carried out on our summer home which is located on the Gold Coast. Winter storms had damaged the roof and a couple of seabirds had made a nest in there. The place was a real mess but thankfully the contractors did a great job of repairing the roof and fixing up the damage to the loft space. I learn a lot during the repairs so I decided to start a new blog. Enjoy!