2 kinda/sorta HITS in one day!!!

[underground quester]

Okay, so earlier this week I am sailing along thinking what a great day!
This keeps up and I could almost enjoy this job (just kidding!!!! - No...really...just kidding).

Then the cell rings. It's a contractor. We've got an EMERGENCY!! We hit a gas main and you did not mark it. (So, now I'm thinking ...I hate this job... NO, REALLY!!! ).
I rush over to the site and everyones looking down the hole.
Yep, I've seen gas lines before and that looks just like the one's I've seen!

I Look at the PAPER TICKET I gave the contractor (I will pause for a minute here to allow you all to stop laughing...at the paper ticket thing)

So, on my ticket I had shown the abandoned line (An ABANDONED 2.5 inch steel High Pressure transmission gas main). It was abandoned so I could not show an exact alignment. His reply was "but its not where you showed it on your ticket". I bit my tongue really hard and refrained from calling him a butt plugger!!!

The local GAS utility guy is freeking out because he cannot find the line on his records, so being helpful, I tell him it belongs to another Company so you will not have record of it. His stress level goes down considerably.

Anyway, had to explain to everyone that it was abandoned and took the contractor aside and politely asked him what part of "abandoned line in dig area" did he not understand on my ticket. He was a bit sheepish. Safety meeting over (nobody moves nobody gets hurt), everyone then went back to work.
So, then I'm saying to myself, sometimes I really like this job...no REALLY).


Then about a half hour later another contractor phones me about a locate I had done. We found a telephone 50 pair with our back hoe. It's cut now. I need you here ASAP to locate this line you didn't mark. (So, I'm now thinking man, I really hate this job...NO REALLY!!!)

So I rush over and there it is, a CUT 50 pair telephone cable in the hole. He's got his coupler on it AND he is getting a signal. NOW! that's NOT a good sign!!!

I check over my computer records, they show only one line and he is digging 5 feet west of where I marked it and hit a line. He had potholed my marking and found the line so I knew I was right.

Checked his records, only one line supposed to be in ground. Phoned the telephone utility and they advise only one line in ground. But, there WERE two lines in separate trenches.

Went back to the Ped, unbonded ALL grounds again and rechecked everything and could not get a signal where he hit the line.

The telephone company dispatched a repair truck. He rushed over and connected his BUTT phone. No signal!!!
This he says is "dead and abandoned 50 pair" (that was not on anyones records... including theirs.)

Okay, SOOOO the big question is...HOW COME HIS COUPLER WAS INDUCING A SIGNAL??? The ONLY explanation I can come up with is there must be exposed wires at either end of the abandoned line, or, exposed copper somewhere along the line on either side of the coupler that was creating a ground.

So, safety meeting over (nobody moves nobody gets hurt) everyone goes back to work.

Okay, so did I mention that somedays I love this job

Two heart attacks averted in one day...man what a pro

So, how was your day???

[Goldenboy]

Coupling a dead line will ring out if it is long enough.

On a good note it sounds like you got some copper today.

[yahoo]

that's a good day ugq ......just hearing about a damage automatically puts the stress level up a few notches alone......i don't won't to go to a live damage or a dead cable damage.....they all make me want to quit.....

[underground quester]

[QUOTE=Goldenboy;6022][B]Coupling a dead line will ring out if it is long enough.



Interesting!

I have always been taught that a line missing a ground on one or both ends would NOT conduct a signal. However, if the line is long enough, I am now wondering if it is the action of capacitance (bleed off to ground) that allows the signal to conduct?

Great, more food for thought! Just what I need when I am up to my ass in alligators with no shovel to drain the swamp!

[USIC1]

Lets go back to conjuring up the butt plug line ...

I dont want to know how that was the first line to come up with in a verbal assault ...

Dont really have that kind of depth in my hidden agenda of cussing someone...

Mines pretty unimaginative stuff like SOB and FU...

But interesting??? hhmmm???

[underground quester]

Lets go back to conjuring up the butt plug line ...

I dont want to know how that was the first line to come up with in a verbal assault ...

Dont really have that kind of depth in my hidden agenda of cussing someone...

Mines pretty unimaginative stuff like SOB and FU...

But interesting??? hhmmm???

I used to work with a guy that was...well...shall I say a limp wrister...

He used to call everyone who peed him off a "butt plugger" kind of a derogotory term for A-hole.

Kinda ironic when one considers his lifestyle.

Anyway, I heard it enough times over the years that it just kinda stuck...

[gypsygirl]

LOL!! UGQ... You REALLY need to write a book!!! (No REALLY!) I'm glad you averted "live" damages... but yes I can really relate to the stress level of just wanting to quit when you get a damage... be it abandoned or not... but seriously... write this stuff down in a notebook and put something together! You could retire with a book deal!

[sprayandpray]

If an abandoned line has enough volume of metal in it, it's going to pick-up on an induction signal or on a direct connect without a ground at the other end. I've located many brand new unspliced tel cables by jamming my lead into the middle of the pairs The signal will not make it to the very end of cable but will get you close.