MNCGA Forum 12/17
- Details
- Created: Wednesday, 27 December 2017 11:20
- Written by Taylor Jones
GSOC End of Year Update
Barb Cederberg, Gopher State One Call
Monday, December 4, 2017, GSOC passed the 800,000 ticket mark for the year. This is approximately a 4% increase in the number of tickets over the same time frame last year. The percentage of tickets submitted via the web reached 70.9% for the year through November. This compares to 66.3% web submitted tickets for last year through November. The GSOC Users Group had several meetings in the second half of the year. No issues were reported by the users related to the call center or the web ticketing system. The GSOC Users Group did talk about contact information on tickets and had a review of some new possible approaches to auto generated marking instructions. GSOC launched a new website and App in September.
At some point in time, you’ve probably noticed small colored flags placed in your yard or around town by locators to identify underground utility lines. Recently, some snow plowing and property management companies have begun using these types of flags instead of traditional wood or fiberglass stakes to mark curbs, driveways, and other features to guide equipment operators when plowing. These flags may be blank or even labeled with a company logo or markings.
Vacuum excavation or “soft dig” is a non-mechanical and less invasive method of excavation. A blast of air or water is first directed into the dig site to loosen soil and break up any large materials. It is categorized as air or hydro vacuum excavation depending on how the soil is broken down. An air vacuum hose is then used to remove the debris from the hole and transfer it to a specially designed tank. Stored spoil can be transported elsewhere or, if dry, re-used as fill. Hydro excavation prevents the re-use of wet material for refilling the hole.1