Day Lighting

What You Need to Know About Day Lighting

In construction, there’s always room for improvement, especially when it comes to the safety of not only the materials but the workers themselves. Today, we will be looking at advancements that have been in day lighting.

What You Need to Know About Day Lighting

Just What Is It, Anyway?

The term day lighting refers to the practice of bringing daylight to utility lines. Since they are buried underground, we are unable to monitor or inspect them for sometimes years. Thus they need to be brought to the surface. Doing so allows workers to accomplish a number of things, such as letting them verify where the lines are and what their precise depth is. This is necessary to avoid interfering with them when doing construction or maintenance nearby. Not only that, it allows them to inspect for cracks and other signs of damage, and to repair them accordingly.

Day Lighting in the Past

In the past, workers would have to use basic tools to dig them out manually. It was slow work, costly, and put the digger at potential risk if they cut into the utility line directly. Even using machinery didn’t solve all these problems. Backhoes and other vehicles still took considerable time to operate. Plus, on rare occasions, they would make mistakes such as leaving areas without cell phone access or even electricity (and that’s not even getting into the huge cost of repairs)! It was an imperfect system but for a long time, there was simply no alternative.

The Power of Hydro Extraction

Fortunately, the revolutionary hydro extraction technique has made day lighting a safer and speedier task. This new process directs pressurized water to dig small holes in the soil until the utility lines are exposed. A vacuum removes the debris created by the process and stores it in a tank so that it doesn’t build up and make a mess. The holes created are very precise so that damage to the immediate area is greatly reduced. Workers are then allowed to expose the lines in a controlled setting. Not only that, as it only requires a small crew to operate and will save even more money over the long term in repairs.

4 Warriors Hydro Excavating’s highly experienced team can assist you will all your day lighting needs. Feel free to contact us at any time. Thank you!

Who Will You Trust With Your Day Lighting Project?

A lot of construction work involves tapping into utility resources below ground level, and that means a lot of scheduling relies on a quick, safe, and damage-free excavation. Those underground pipes and wires are protected more by the soil above them than by any other casing or physical shield, so all of your excavation projects that remove the surrounding dirt and expose them to day light, which is referred to as day lighting, can be risky. Here’s how to make sure your day lighting project is done right:

Who Will You Trust With Your Daylighting Project?

Find a company that uses hydrovac excavation instead of traditional tools or air vacuums. 

Hydrovacs move faster than other excavation tools with low-pressure air and water to move the dirt aside and expose the utilities. The low pressure better protects fragile elements of the system, especially compared to hand tools. It’s also much faster and requires less manpower so you can start working on utility extensions and modifications sooner. Ask the company about their average speed based on your area’s soil type so you can calculate the savings in both time and money. This process is particularly effective in Texas because the added water turns dirt into a slurry that can be quickly vacuumed away from the utilities.

Hydro Vacuuming can be used for both spot excavations, or potholing, when you have an extremely localized spot that needs repairs and trenching so you can work in a wider uncovered area. Because the process doesn’t damage existing infrastructure, you can easily expand the area to find an incorrectly marked utility line or a hard-to-find part. Go to 4 Warriors Hydro Excavating to get started.