When to have underground utilities marked?

[bdog]

This was almost really bad. We were working in Kansas and had a Canadian outfit drill and load some dynamite shot holes for us. Evidently they didn't do the one call.

If you look at the picture you see the pipeline in silver and just to the right of it you can see the yellow cap wire. They missed the pipeline by inches drilling the hole and then they placed a dynamite charge about 5' below the pipeline. We were out there setting off charges and a pipeline employee just happened to drive by and came over to warn us about the line in the area. This was in the middle of a huge wheat field and no markers except on the fence nearly a mile away. We determined one was drilled very close to the line and he dug it up with a shovel and found this.

I don't know nor do I want to know what would have happened had we set it off but if the pipeline guy would have drove by 30 minutes later we would have found out.

 

[Mace Canute]

That reminds me of something that happened here decades ago. They were redoing a major street in the north end and had all the underground facilities marked out. They were using the big scrapers to excavate the roadway in preparation to doing the base work and where they were going over one particulat run of underground telephone cable, the scraper operator was doing shallow cuts so he wouldn't hit them. His foreman came along, saw him doing this and chewed his arse out for not "getting 'er done" so said operator dropped the blade on the next pass and hooked I don't know how many thousand pairs of cable! He gave it snoose too and his scraper pulled and stretched the cable back a few blocks each side of the hit. Of course that resulted in the insulation stretching more than the individual copper wires so the conductors broke inside the insulation. They had to go back a long distance each side to find good cable again and crews were working for at least 2 weeks steady 24/7 to repair the damage. It was super expensive for the company doing the earthwork and AFAIK the scraper operator kept his job but the foreman went down the road.

 

[Looking4new]

That reminds me of something that happened here decades ago. They were redoing a major street in the north end and had all the underground facilities marked out. They were using the big scrapers to excavate the roadway in preparation to doing the base work and where they were going over one particulat run of underground telephone cable, the scraper operator was doing shallow cuts so he wouldn't hit them. His foreman came along, saw him doing this and chewed his arse out for not "getting 'er done" so said operator dropped the blade on the next pass and hooked I don't know how many thousand pairs of cable! He gave it snoose too and his scraper pulled and stretched the cable back a few blocks each side of the hit. Of course that resulted in the insulation stretching more than the individual copper wires so the conductors broke inside the insulation. They had to go back a long distance each side to find good cable again and crews were working for at least 2 weeks steady 24/7 to repair the damage. It was super expensive for the company doing the earthwork and AFAIK the scraper operator kept his job but the foreman went down the road.

and so the foreman should have gotten fired.

 

[MMagis]

I haven’t read all of the posts, but even if it’s been mentioned it’s worth mentioning again.
Something to keep in mind is that calling 811 will NOT guarantee there’s nothing there. For example, a private gas line will not be marked. You would need to call the gas company that owns the well, and to do that you need to know the line is there and who owns it. I ran into that last year putting up new pasture fence. Fortunately, I knew the line was there and who owned it. I called and a fella came out and pointed out exactly where it was.

 

[paulharvey]

I haven’t read all of the posts, but even if it’s been mentioned it’s worth mentioning again.
Something to keep in mind is that calling 811 will NOT guarantee there’s nothing there. For example, a private gas line will not be marked. You would need to call the gas company that owns the well, and to do that you need to know the line is there and who owns it. I ran into that last year putting up new pasture fence. Fortunately, I knew the line was there and who owned it. I called and a fella came out and pointed out exactly where it was.

True, but in Florida, utilities not part of Sunshine One Call, do not have legal recourse against you if you cut them. Now... if there are visible indications their utility is there, they have some leg to stand on.

Traffic signals are not part of one call
ITS (Intelligent Traffic System) isn't part
Storm water isn't part
Irrigation isn't part, even if it's in the ROW
Drops, from the pole to final user aren't part
Water line from meter to end user aren't
I understand gas from well to collector lines, on private property aren't
Some small municipalities water and waste water aren't. But they suppose to be.

Signals, ITS, storm drainage, and street lighting technically arent utilties, and are exempt

Edit: just because you call, doesn't make you Safe. You might be dead and not at fault.

Also, you have to renew every 28 days in Florida (good for 30 days, but they have 2 days to remark)

Destroying marks is a crime

If marks are wiped out (from work, carelessness, weather, other people) you have to recall for a "refresh"

If your working near marks take pictures

If you cut or damage anything; take pictures (locate guys will too) but they will "pose" the pictures to their favor, not yours

 

[rmk700]

I was chasing a fiber line (the orange line has the fiber line inside it) and found out it was running through an old blue waterline.

They will bore these things anywhere they can.

 

[paulharvey]

I was chasing a fiber line (the orange line has the fiber line inside it) and found out it was running through an old blue waterline.

They will bore these things anywhere they can.

<img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/owning-operating/450763-when-have-underground-utilities-marked-img_0095-jpg"/>

Guy on the directional drill should have felt it,, but you never know in hard soil. And it's not marked, what can you say

 

[LD1]

I was chasing a fiber line (the orange line has the fiber line inside it) and found out it was running through an old blue waterline.

They will bore these things anywhere they can.


View attachment 450763

Judging by the lack of water and mud, I assume that water line is no longer in use and no plans to ever use again?

 

[Sprinklerman]

If it's marked wrong it's on the locator doing the marking.

In most places it's 2 ft on each side of paint mark (4 ft total) and whatever the depth the utility is does not matter. The locator is not required to give a depth so if it's marked and under a leaf and you hit it. It is on you.

thats the way it is in my area , I always take pics to show the marks

 

[Sprinklerman]

Why, or how, do you bury a cable 1" deep?

i use a burkeen vibratory plow to pull irrigation pipe for my business , and I pull conduit for some electrical contractors I know . the plow is quick, no trench and generally very neat . We dont trench in sprinkler lines . The pic of that case a page or 2 back is like my machine but 3 times the size