utility staking services

Customer

PEC

Location

Texas

Highlights

  • Thick Vegetation Cleared to Enable Precision Staking
  • Improved Crew Efficiency and Safety Through Site Preparation
  • Exceeded Project Objectives with Accurate Right-of-Way Management

Precision Staking and Right-of-Way Preparation Enhance Utility Safety 

The Challenge

Dense vegetation severely limited the ability to perform staking operations, a critical step in Right-of-Way (ROW) preparation and power line placement. Without adequate visibility and access to stake locations, field teams could not collect the data necessary to plan equipment layout or proceed with clearing and construction.  The vegetation not only posed a physical barrier but also increased safety risks. Mistakes in layout due to poor visibility could lead to dangerous outcomes, such as tree falls near live lines or excavation in proximity to buried utilities. Additionally, without staking, crews faced potential rework and reduced operational efficiency. 

 

Root Cause Analysis 

  • Obstructed Field Access: Thick vegetation made it impossible to accurately stake or collect data with standard survey equipment. 
  • Safety Hazards: Inaccurate layout could lead to clearance violations, outage risks, or damage to protected species. 
  • Environmental Constraints: The project area included protected trees such as tagged live oaks, requiring environmentally sensitive clearing.  

The Solution

Precision Right-of-Way Clearing 

The ROW crew was deployed to remove obstructive vegetation while carefully avoiding protected trees and environmentally sensitive areas. This created a clear, safe working corridor. 

Stake Placement and Layout Clarity 

With the vegetation cleared, the team was able to place stakes accurately, marking key locations for line placement and equipment installation. These markings ensured crews could move forward with confidence and avoid layout errors. 

Proactive Utility and Vegetation Coordination 

The project management team oversaw ongoing compliance with PEC and environmental guidelines, coordinating all field activities to protect both infrastructure and ecological assets. 

Key Benefits

  • Safety and Accuracy: Crews could work without uncertainty, minimizing the risk of accidents or utility conflicts. 
  • Environmental Compliance: All clearing respected protected tree designations and district vegetation protocols. 
  • Improved Workflow Efficiency: Clearly marked stake lines allowed crews to execute work faster and with fewer interruptions. 
  • Outage Risk Reduction: Proper clearing and layout reduce the likelihood of tree-related outages during storms. 

The Results

The solution exceeded project expectations. The ROW clearing enabled safe, accurate staking, allowing PEC Oak Hill’s field operations to proceed efficiently. The client received significant value in the form of time savings, reduced rework, operational safety, and full compliance with environmental and utility standards. 

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