Underground Infrastructure - June 2023 - 28

DIRECTIONALDRILLING
How Digitally Mapping, Documenting
HDD Jobs Can Aid Compliance, Profitability
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
equipment. It can even improve how
you bid for jobs by ensuring bids reflect
each job's unique risks and challenges.
And now, you can add one more reason
to the list of why you should document
jobs - it will soon be law.
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. " The bill's activation has been
delayed. But when it 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
also 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 it 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. Also, 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 hours
to plan maintenance in advance. They
can record machine duty cycles, fuel
consumption and machine utilization to
track costs and understand if crews are
properly operating machines.
To gain a similar holistic view of
your fleet and job sites, three key data
sets are needed.
Data for your plan. A clear plan can
help create records for compliance purposes.
It can also help reduce risks and
improve productivity on the job.
28 JUNE 2023 | UndergroundInfrastructure.com
http://www.UndergroundInfrastructure.com
Underground Infrastructure - June 2023

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