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How far can you dig?
Hi everyone, im installing a pole sign on monday and was just wondering do any of you know how far down cables etc usually are? Im sinking the pole 3ft down, are cables usually deeper than this and is there any way of finding out if there are cables below you? I dont really want to dig and hit something down below.
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8 Replies
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I usually dig until I’m in over my head! 😀
…. sorry, that was of no help whatsoever!
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Could be at any depth! Go to your local hire shop and hire a Cat Detector that will find any cables before you put your spade through them. Also traces water pipes and drains. The only thing it don’t find is cats for some strange reason!
Dave
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18 inches. Look out for gas, electric and water.
Before you START check your public liability insurance- hitting a buried services cable or pipe costs thousands to fix.
Mate of mine is a site agent for the Dorset Works Organisation and overseas road maintenance and building.
One project they worked on their digger driver hit a gas main that was only 8″ deep. People were evacuated and it was on the TV and all sorts. The cost? £65,000 to repair and compensate residents. As it turns out Transco paid as their records were wrong and the pipe was laid at an illegal depth.
So, before you even get the shovel out make sure your insurance will cover you if you do hit anything- you can get temp cover extension for a week or so.
If you can ask for a services map- this should tell you the rough layout of any services on your site- use the map as a GUIDE only as they are notorious for being a bit hit and miss.
CAT scanners are OK but they are also a bit hit and miss- might sound daft but make sure you aren’t wearing your steelies when you scan as it will pick up your boots 🙂
Ask the civil engineers on site- if there are any for advice- although most contractors won’t be keen to help as the costs of hitting stuff is BIG.
If you are not near roadsides, pavements etc. you should be fine- just go easy by hand and keep looking at the bottom of the hole 🙂
Hope that helps
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You can also contact dial-before-you-dig on 0800 800 333
http://www.dialbeforeyoudig.com -
hi ,
visited the site last night, there was roadworkers there. i asked them and they said theres nothing below were i want to dig, only prob is there is a huge dirty tree stump. know any tricks for getting them out haha.
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Yeah – get someone else to do it!
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aye, might throw the workers a few quid to jcb it out
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It is always best to check before you dig.
Here in the states we have a service,
in my state it is PA One-Call.
For a $50 yearly fee, they will go out to your site and survey the hell out of it,
clearly marking anything with little flags.
That’s $50 a year, not $50 a call…
much cheaper than the cost of your business, equipment, and home,
which you might end up losing to lawsuits if you hit a fiber-optic cable underground and take out the phone service to your entire town….
Love….Jill
PS
Then pay someone to dig the holes!
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