General Excavating

Twelve communities in Northeast Kansas wanted uninterrupted Internet and Telephone service. Rainbow Telephone Co-op wanted to provide it for them. RVW, the Engineer, designed it for them. Communications Construction, a division of General Excavating, has spent the last two years making it a reality for them.

Since the Spring of 2000, Communications Construction has been busy installing a fiber optic loop connecting eight exchanges in twelve different towns. The fiber loop will be 180 miles in length when finished. Copper cable is dropped from the fiber loop to connect over 1000 homes wanting service. Nearly 300 miles of copper will eventually be laid.

Tom Layman, Division Manager for Communications Construction says, "Fiber loops are becoming commonplace because they provide 'uninterrupted' service to the customer". If a line is hit or damaged, it re-routes itself the other direction, not disrupting service.

"One of the biggest concerns during this type of process is working with the customers. The contractor must have good communications skills to let the customer know when and where their equipment will be at all times", comments James Lednicky, Manager for Rainbow Telephone Co-op. "Communications Construction's foreman related well with our customers avoiding any potential problems".

If plowing were a game, which would win? Vibratory or Static?

What is plowing? "Plowing is a method of placing cable or conduit to avoid trenching or excavating", says John Kooistra, a Division Manager at General Excavating. "A plow blade is pulled behind a tractor as the cable or duct goes through a chute and into the ground at the bottom of the plow".

What is the difference between vibratory and static plowing? Both methods have their own unique advantages:

Vibratory plowing is like it sounds. The plow "shakes" as it cuts into the ground. This method is best used in smaller, tighter areas such as right-of-ways and dense locations. It requires less horsepower or force to pull the plow through the ground and does not typically require an additional tractor to pull it.

Static plowing simply "cuts" right through the ground often using multiple tractors to pull it. "This 'plow train' is very fast and effective in open areas and especially when the ground is hard or wet", comments Tom Layman, Division Manager for Communications Construction. Static plowing also allows you to install multiple cables or conduit at once.

Vibratory or Static? They are both winners, depending upon your needs. General Excavating crews are pros at both methods. Visit www.generalexcavating.com to learn more.

1. The City of Valley wanted to eliminate an extensive flooding problem they encountered each time it rained. General Excavating was hired to install a drainage and pumping system to alleviate the problem. Over 1200 feet of force main, 1700 feet of storm sewer pipe and a 25-foot deep wet well were installed. The Engineer was Olmsted & Perry Consulting Engineers.

2. Whitehead Oil needed two 10,000 gallon tanks and one 6,000 gallon tank installed to allow construction of the new U-Stop Gas and Convenience Store and 27th and Pine Lake in Lincoln, Nebraska. All islands and canopy bases were also formed and poured by General Excavating.

General Excavating received two awards for 'Excellence in Construction' at the 6th Annual Associated Builder's and Contractor's Awards Banquet. This was General Excavating's fifth year in a row to receive two or more awards. Joe D'Amico, Vice-President, says, "We are thrilled to win again this year. It shows that our crews consistently work hard year after year to excel in our type of construction".

The first award was presented for a lake restoration project at Lake Wa Con Da, near Plattsmouth, NE. General Excavating dredged over 300,000 cubic yards of silt from the lake to clear and deepen the body of water for boating safety and habitat improvement. The Engineer for the project was The Schemmer Associates.

A second award was handed to General Excavating for successful completion of a 4-mile long fiber optic cable relocation project near Gretna, Nebraska. General Excavating provided design and construction to relocate over 21,000 feet of cable for Worldcom, a telecommunication leader.

HARDscape, not LANDscape. HARDscape Materials from General Excavating include decorative rock, flagstones, boulders, top soils, sands and mulch. General Excavating is proud to announce several new HARDscape products this year. Statuaries, such as fountains and bird baths are now available, as well as driftwood, a new type of anchor wall material, and a new manure mix. Come and check them out!

We also welcome Ed Ring, our new Material Sales Manager. His experience in landscaping and customer service will add to our superior team of professionals. Open Monday through Saturday beginning April 1st.

This picture illustrates the installation of watermain at Kawasaki under Hwy. 34. This quarter's winner is Tom Rogge. Tom is a foreman in the utilities division.

Each quarter, employees enter photos in our contest for a chance to be published in our newsletter and win $100. Congratulations Tom!