Scanning for Utilities/USTs before Drilling & Excavation keeps you safe

Scanning for Utilities/USTs before Drilling & Excavation keeps you safe

Safety is of the utmost importance on the job site for contractors, field supervisors, and safety directors. At GPRS, safety is our top priority. We equip you to avoid hazardous utility strikes through our subsurface utility mapping services: protecting your people, budget, and time. Through our nationwide network ofSIM (Subsurface Investigation Methodology) certifiedProject Managers, we can mobilize and provide you with the best private utility locating services in the United States.

At GPRS, we take the guess workout of utility locating by mapping utilities in vertical and horizontal positions. We’re experts in mapping utilities and underground storage tank systems (USTs) prior to environmental drilling, directional drilling, soil borings, and the installation of monitoring wells.

Soil borings are performed to investigate underground soil conditions where there has been contamination by hazardous materials or waste. Facilities such as refineries, gas stations, or former laundromats are a commonplace for soil boring. Two of the most common and effective ways soil boring is accomplished are direct push and hollow-stem auger. Direct push drilling uses hydraulic force to drive the drilling pipe into the ground and creates a cylinder-shaped sample of soil. Stem-auger drilling, on the other hand, is accomplished by auguring flights of hollow pipe with teeth into the ground – producing the soil sample.

Scanning for Utilities/USTs before Drilling & Excavation

While these are the two most common methods of soil boring, other methods can be used if needed. These different methods include Air Rotary, Mud Rotary, Water Rotary, and Sonic.

After the soil boring process and the subsequent analysis, monitoring wells may need to be put in place to continue the testing process and test groundwater. Of the various types of drilling methods used in soil boring are similar in the installation of monitoring wells.

When excavation or drilling occurs, there is always a risk of striking an underground utility. Because soil borings are often completed in high stakes facilities, such as refineries or gas stations, it is crucial that all utilities have been scanned for and located prior to drilling or excavation activities.

At GPRS, we are committed to achieving 100 % subsurface damage prevention to protect our customers from the dangers of a utility strike. To help prevent hits related to soil boring and directional drilling, our project managers go through over 80hours of classroom and hands-on training with 320 hours of mentorship in the field to become SIM certified. Our world-class field support training specialists teach Project Managers in the state-of-the-art GPRS Academy to receive extensive training beyond industry standards. This ensures that our ProjectManagers are well equipped to locate utilities and provide clients with directional drilling and soil boring clearance. Our customers are delivered precise and clearly communicated location data and accurately mapped and modeled underground facilities so that they can reduce the level of risk on their job site before any digging or drilling takes place.  

 

Before any soil boring, directional drilling, or monitoring well installation, ensure the protection of your people, budget, and time by scheduling with GPRS’ nationwide network of ProjectManagers today.