The Oil Drum

19 comments on On a related note, power distribution in the South

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Magnus Redin on January 31, 2006 - 6:00pm

Then you hook up a radio signal generator at one end of the cable and track it with a hand carried reciever and mark the cable run on the ground with spray paint.

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Madman on January 31, 2006 - 7:09pm

This is good in theory, but it is sometimes lacking in practice. A couple examples:

We were placing a traffic signal pole at an intersection for a 'hurry up' job. The DOT rep brought the utility companies together on site and said, "We are drilling here (pointing to the ground) Monday with a 48" auger down to 22'. Is anyone in the way? Yes or No." An old worker from the local water company said there might be a problem because he didn't remember the water line being where it was marked (in the nearby ditch). So they dug it up. The 8" water line made a jog in the middle of the sidestreet but the locate guys didn't pick up on it because of the high water table. Our pole foundation was actually closer to the locate markers, by 10', than the water line was.

Next: Fiber Optic contractors for the telephone companies are notorious for putting a couple big loops (10+') of fiber at the end of a run. They just throw it out to the side and bury it. The locates come along, and miss the big loop to the side and go to the junction box. I know power would be in conduit, but 'stuff happens'.

The best underground utility locator in the world: a Backhoe.