Underground Infrastructure - August 2023 - 30

ASSETMANAGEMENT
Digging Data
Digitally mapping, documentation Can Aid Compliance, Improve Profitability
Cory Maker and Patrick Iyonsi
There are already lots of good reasons
for why you should digitally document
underground construction jobs, from
pre-drill planning to post-drill reporting.
It can help you better understand
congested easements to avoid costly and
dangerous cross bores. It can reveal how
well - or poorly - operators are using the
equipment. It can even improve how you
bid for jobs by making sure bids reflect
each job's unique risks and challenges.
Now, you can add one more reason to
the list of why you should document jobs
- it will soon be required.
California's Senate Bill (SB) 865 will
require that all new subsurface installations
in the state be " mapped using
a geographic information system and
maintained as permanent records of the
operator. " While its activation has been
delayed, when the bill does take effect,
it will make California the first state to
legally require the creation and preservation
of maps for subsurface installations.
Other states are likely to follow suit
and enact similar laws. Cities across the
U.S. are also creating their own requirements,
at the local level, to protect people
and underground utilities.
At the same time, more bid specs are
requiring that contractors provide electronic
drilling records (EDRs) as part of
a job. This involves logging specific data
about your drills' operating parameters
during a job.
Collecting bore and equipment data
may seem like added work. If you install
fiber, you may worry that work will eat
into tight profit margins that are common
in the industry. But the truth is, you
likely already have much of what you
need to record the data. That data can
do more than help you comply with new
requirements - it can help you be more
efficient and profitable.
Data is power
Forward-thinking contractors have gone
all in on collecting and using data because
they know it can help them work better.
For example, some contractors are
using drill telematics to gain valuable insights
into how machines are being used
- or potentially misused. They can track
the productivity of each machine to better
plan workloads and monitor machine
hours to plan maintenance in advance.
And they can record machine duty cycles,
fuel consumption and machine utilization
to track costs and understand if operators
are properly operating machines.
To gain a similar holistic view of your
fleet and your job sites, you need three
key data sets.
Planning data
First, you need data for your plan. A
clear plan can help you create records
30 AUGUST 2023 | UndergroundInfrastructure.com
http://www.UndergroundInfrastructure.com
Underground Infrastructure - August 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Underground Infrastructure - August 2023
