RodRadar’s Live Dig Radar Demonstration
As part of Major Road Projects Victoria’s commitment to safety and innovation, its Safety team recently tested the new RodRadar technology.
It might look like an ordinary excavator bucket, but the RodRadar Live Dig Radar ground scanning technology is ground-breaking in the field of underground utilities location… without needing to break any ground
As part of Major Road Projects Victoria’s commitment to safety and innovation, its Safety team recently tested the new RodRadar technology, which is capable of locating utilities and prevents service strikes and operator injuries.
In one of the first uses of the system in Victoria and at an MRPV project, RodRadar was put through its paces in a demonstration on Major Road Projects Victoria’s Pakenham Roads Upgrade project site. The device incorporates a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system within the bucket assembly and can be easily attached to a standard excavator.
One swipe of the RodRadar bucket over the dig area allows operators to assess what is underground beneath the machinery – preventing potentially life-threatening service strikes. It is radar imaging technology that enables automatic, real-time, on-site alerts, to prevent damage to underground utility infrastructure during excavation.
Major Road Projects Victoria Senior Safety Manager, Jamie Dineen, says the technology could help to improve the overall safety of infrastructure development. “It was great to put RodRadar’s Live Dig Radar through its paces with a demonstration on our Pakenham Roads Upgrade jobsite recently,” Dineen says.
“Eliminating underground service strikes on our job sites would decrease delays and additional costs to projects, and this product will play a big part in eliminating most of these accidents.”
The ability of this technology to reduce the likelihood of costly service strikes would see construction progress more smoothly. This can be achieved through limiting delays by accurately and non-destructively locating buried utilities underneath the machinery.
RodRadar Australia National Sales and Marketing Manager, Mark McLachlan, says the company’s innovation and development provides a big boost for both underground utility and ground level construction works. “RodRadar’s Live Dig Radar technology offers the triple benefits of safety, efficiency and cost-saving,” he says. “We are thrilled that MRPV has been testing the Live Dig Radar and will look into opportunities to use the system on their projects.”
“Damaging underground utilities represents significant safety and efficiency risks, and pre-existing utility data can be unreliable. We are excited to deliver a system that enables any operator to avoid utility strikes during excavation, without the need for expert analysis.” McLachlan adds that the ability to immediately and accurately survey the area underneath the machinery has great potential within the industry.
Operators can dig with confidence, avoiding utility strikes that would otherwise impact project schedules and profitability. The system is easy to operate and fit to new or existing excavators. MRPV will continue to trial RodRadar and other technologies across its project sites. “We’re always on the lookout for cutting-edge technology to bring into our projects to ensure we’re getting them completed as quickly, cost-effectively and safely as possible,” Dineen says.
Editorial by: Big Build Roads, Melbourne
