Process For Exposing Underground Utilities

Abstract

A process for safely excavating to reveal underground utilities. The process includes the steps of: identifying known utilities; planning an excavation trench; excavating the trench by: (i) making a cut of the excavation trench at a selected depth; (ii) extracting material from the trench; (iii) observing the trench; (iv) adjusting the depth of cut; and repeating (i) to (iv) until the process is complete.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of excavation. More particularly, the invention relates to a process for excavating an area where there is a danger of damage to underground utilities and infrastructure.BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

[0002] Modern cities require an extensive range of utilities to function. The utilities include at least water, electricity, gas, telephone, and fibre optics. These utilities are typically provided through underground conduits. In theory the location of the utilities is carefully recorded and held centrally by city authorities. In practice this does not universally occur and the location of many utilities may be unrecorded or recorded incorrectly. This may happen for various reasons such as records of older utilities being lost or destroyed, errors being made at the time of installing the utilities, or emergency repairs being made without proper recording of location. This latter occurrence can be particularly problemati...

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0028]Embodiments of the present invention reside primarily in a process for exposing underground utilities. Accordingly, the method steps have been illustrated in concise schematic form in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are necessary for understanding the embodiments of the present invention, but so as not to obscure the disclosure with excessive detail that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the present description.

[0029]In this specification, adjectives such as first and second, left and right, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one element or action from another element or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order. Words such as “comprises” or “includes” are intended to define a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other eleme...

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of excavation. More particularly, the invention relates to a process for excavating an area where there is a danger of damage to underground utilities and infrastructure.BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

[0002] Modern cities require an extensive range of utilities to function. The utilities include at least water, electricity, gas, telephone, and fibre optics. These utilities are typically provided through underground conduits. In theory the location of the utilities is carefully recorded and held centrally by city authorities. In practice this does not universally occur and the location of many utilities may be unrecorded or recorded incorrectly. This may happen for various reasons such as records of older utilities being lost or destroyed, errors being made at the time of installing the utilities, or emergency repairs being made without proper recording of location. This latter occurrence can be particularly problemati...

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0028]Embodiments of the present invention reside primarily in a process for exposing underground utilities. Accordingly, the method steps have been illustrated in concise schematic form in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are necessary for understanding the embodiments of the present invention, but so as not to obscure the disclosure with excessive detail that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the present description.

[0029]In this specification, adjectives such as first and second, left and right, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one element or action from another element or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order. Words such as “comprises” or “includes” are intended to define a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other eleme...

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