Concrete scanning and utility locating using GPR and RD at Gallo Winery facilities.
“With the radio detection and GPR equipment, I am able to do quite a bit at most sites. It is extremely accurate. There have even been cases where clients are surprised and a bit concerned when I did not find an expected sewer line – then a week or so later they get back to me to let me know that even though the line was on the as-built plans, the utility never actually installed that line.” On a humorous side note, Aguilar notes that a few clients continue to begin their locating projects by using dowsing rods or witching sticks to try to find utilities. “Water lines emit some kind of energy or charge that is picked up by these historic tools and some clients continue to use them. I remind foremen for companies contracting with PG&E that they definitely cannot put that on their report – instead we use equip- ment like the UtilityScan Pro to provide quantitative information.” Proud to be part of California’s future ExceeD GPR & Locating has worked on projects all over California, from as far north as Eureka, down to Needles, in the Mojave desert near the Arizona border. With a client base that includes Mears, Snel- son, Webcor, Devcon, Dellabarca, Gallo, Foster Farms, Overaa, Ford Construction, Nor-Cal Steel Structures, and PG&E, ExceeD has con- ducted utility locating in snow-capped mountains as high as 7,000 feet to deserts where temperatures topped 115 degrees. Utility locating projects range from small, partial day surveys to ongo- ing, weeklong projects. One recent project was for the California De- partment of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), where Aguilar’s team was hired to locate underground utilities in a service hangar prior to retrofits. Long-term client PG&E has hired ExceeD numerous times to locate underground utilities near and around natural gas line properties to ensure buried assets and utilities are clearly identified prior to the next phase of work being completed. The PG&E work is done under subcontract to the Mears Group, its sister company, Underground Con- struction Company. Aguilars’ company has been so successful in utility locating that they also branched out into GPR concrete scanning. The company has per- formed concrete scanning at a wide variety of sites, from water treat- ment plants, dams, wineries, and high-rise hotels, to homes with post tension slabs. One interesting project was at the Modesto Silos, a re- development project by Modesto Silos and Royal Equity Investments, LLC, where ExceeD had to perform utility and concrete scanning
Concrete scanning and utility locating at The Modesto Silos, in Modesto CA.
services prior to renovations. He considers this place one of the most unique structures he has ever been in. “We are very grateful and feel honored to be a part of this amazing project in our very own hometown of Modesto, California.” Keeping California safe The 2018 Common Ground Alliance Dirt Report indicated that there were close to 10,000 utility damages in the state of California.[1] Agui- lar is extremely proud of the work his company does for the private and public entities that have focus on keeping the state safe. “With all that we have gone through as a state, I think every project is very important. Everyone wants to be able to turn on their stove or take a warm shower. The services we provide make sure everyone can safely maintain access to all the essential utility services.” About ExceeD GPR & Locating Modesto, CA-based ExceeD GPR & Locating focuses on safely locat- ing underground utilities. The company has carved out a successful niche by using state of the art equipment to help clients save time while reducing the risk of injury and costly damages. Exceed uses Radio detection equipment and pairs it with the UtilityScan® Pro ground penetrating radar (GPR) system to serve their client base that includes Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), real estate agents, major national and regional developers, and homeowners.
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csengineermag.com
march 2021
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