When it comes to finding a cost-effective and safe method for excavating under and restoring a hard surface, Core Drilling provides the most efficient solution. The process for this innovative technique provides a lot of benefits to municipalities and infrastructure owners, as well as other service providers that need to keep construction activity less invasive.
What Is Core Drilling?
Core drilling is an excavation and repair method used on roadways or sidewalks that involves opening specific locations through small circular cuts. Any underground work or inspections required can be safely performed from the road’s surface.
The process is very fast and results in a permanent restoration of a hard surface that will not settle, move, or require any future repairs or maintenance.
What is the Process Involved with Core Drilling?
Following a hole being drilled ranging in size from 12” – 22” in depth, the core is extracted using a core puller or crane and kept for future reinstatement. Next, non-destructive vacuum excavation is completed to allow for repair or inspection of the infrastructure from the surface. Once backfill and compaction are complete, a bonding compound is carefully inserted, and the core is lowered into place. A flush, level fit is ensured.
Because of its versatility, core drilling can be used in various applications, including daylighting, water and gas valve box installation, pot-holing, sacrificial anode installation, and cutting pole holes in sidewalks. When the work is finished, the excavation site is barely visible.
What Are the Biggest Benefits Provided by Core Drilling?
Concrete saws, jackhammers, pavement breakers, backhoes and other traditional pavement cutting tools can create exterior damage to a surface – some of which will never be restored. When temporary patch work fails, new projects need to be generated to produce a permanent restoration. Conventional pavement methods can also be time-consuming, resulting in a greater inconvenience and hazards for the travelling public.
Core drilling is much more efficient. Instead of taking all day to expose buried infrastructure and complete a repair or inspection, core drilling can be done in less than an hour. After a waiting period of only 30 minutes, the area that was worked on can be driven on, resulting in less downtime for traffic.
Core drilling’s clean process creates a reduced carbon footprint, including less excavation waste to process at landfill sites. With its ability to have repair work completed from the surface, there are no open-pit liability issues – which is also safer. Plus, the staff operating core drilling equipment experience less wear and tear on their bodies.
One of the biggest benefits is the cost savings produced compared to large, open excavations. Site restoration costs are reduced by over 50 percent, and long-term surface integrity remains consistent (single wheel load of 50,000 lbs, 5x AASHTO H-25).
Core Drilling Services in Southern Ontario
Interested in hearing more about how core drilling can benefit your project? Super Sucker, a vacuum excavation company with 10 over years experience with core drilling techniques, can get your utility cuts done safely, quickly, and cost-effectively. For more details about core drilling, contact us today.