How to Connect Utilities When Access Is Restricted
It's unusual to find a plot of undeveloped land in the middle of a busy commercial or residential district. If you've been fortunate enough to come across such a parcel and ready to buy it, you may be thinking about building a structure that will enable you to profit from your find. Yet, given the confined nature, you probably need to consider obstacles along the way and may find it hard to connect all the relevant utilities and services to such property. How can you get around this so that you can proceed with your purchase?
Difficult Access
When other buildings or roadways surround a vacant plot of land, it may be difficult to access existing utility lines. For example, they may be located on the far side of adjacent property or on the other side of that nearby road. Clearly, you cannot excavate on someone else's property without causing major disruption, and it's unlikely you will get permission to dig up the road so you can poke everything up.
Horizontal Directional Drilling
Thankfully, you should be able to take advantage of a construction technique known as horizontal directional drilling. This approach uses sophisticated technology and a surface-launched bore machine that can trace a path underneath an obstacle without the need for a trench. The technician can carefully create a passage using a pilot drill to go from one point to the other without disturbing whatever is above. Once the outgoing drill gets to the desired location, it can be withdrawn, and a conduit can be inserted in its place. This will allow the utility provider to connect the resource to your development, so you can proceed as required.
Preparatory Work
Of course, it'll be necessary to carefully check before work begins to look for the presence of any underground obstacles. There may be existing utility channels in place and the contractor will need to do their due diligence, so they can be sure of their ground before they begin.
Working with Experts
It is important to work with skilled and experienced contractors whenever you embark on a horizontal directional drilling task. They will not only have the equipment to handle, but they can also advise you of the timeline and discuss any potential problems before they get underway. They will then liaise with the utility providers and ensure that any of their specific requirements are in place as well. Look into directional drilling for more information.
Share