Underground Infrastructure - May 2023 - 23

" Curt Kopacek, the local Vermeer dealer contact, has gotten
me out of so many tight spots over the years, " said Menke. " His
knowledge is what made me turn to the yellow equipment. "
He cited a specific case of losing a piercing tool in soft gravel.
The dealer's advice allowed Innovative Utility Solutions to
recover it without resorting to digging up and restoring a road.
Even after diversifying into HDD and cable plowing, the
company continues to use piercing tools for mainline fiber installation.
The
HDD purchase occurred when Innovative Utility
Solutions won a contract two and a half years ago to install
fiber for public service in a rural area.
" We are going down country roads for miles at a time that
have four or five houses on them, " Scott said. " It didn't make
sense to missile when you could set the drill up and sling 400,
10-foot rods, rather than digging 75 pits. "
The company currently has a Vermeer D20x22 Series 2
HDD. But as needs change and the company continues to
grow, it's looking for even more capability.
In rural areas, the company is also plowing in fiber with
Vermeer RTX1250i2 and RTX1250 ride-on tractors. It performs
drops with a remote-operated SPX 25 vibratory plow.
This has proven to be a valuable tool for depths of 6 inches
and under.
Best tool for the job
The wide range of equipment allows Innovative Utility
Solutions to choose the most efficient option to install fiber.
When on a right-of-way, the crew can plow right down
the side of the road. In one instance, the crew plowed almost
5,000 feet nonstop. In another instance, the mini excavator
was used to make clearings in the woods for the HDDs to sit
and drill through the woods.
Piercing tools are still important for business. " I still have
three crews that use the missile every day, " said Menke. " We
run several Vermeer Hole Hammer positive turn reverse
pneumatic piercing tools. We also run a few quarter-turn Hole
Hammers. We call them the sand missiles. "
The bulk of the work involves mainline fiber installation.
With four crews, the company is averaging 3,500 to 4,000 feet
a day of mainline work. That is two drill crews and two missile
crews. Everybody tries to achieve about 1,000 feet a day.
Crews also do drops - probably six or seven 250-foot
drops a day. With drops included, the company averages
5,000 feet a day.
Soil conditions can vary dramatically. " You can go 2,000
feet in the nicest soil you have ever seen and then the next
1,000 feet will be straight rock, " he explained. " Some of them
we open cut and we also have a backhoe with a hammer on it.
We will get it as close to depth as possible and pour concrete
on top of it. "
As Innovative Utility Solutions has grown, the company
has added to its fleet. This allows the company to match the
UndergroundInfrastructure.com | MAY 2023 23
correct tool to the job and this often means the proven pneumatic
piercing tool. UI
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Aaron James is a product specialist
for Vermeer MV Solutions.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Innovative Utility Solutions, (478) 972-3778
Vermeer Corp., (888) 837-6337, vermeer.com
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Underground Infrastructure - May 2023

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