Probes and Probe Parts

Before any construction project begins, the job site needs to be examined to avoid costly damages and of course, risks to safety. This task calls for probes, but what are probes anyway?

Like what the name suggests, a probe is used to probe soil. This is done in order to locate underground utilities and establish how deep they’re buried. Some probes are also designed to collect soil samples from the area, which are then analyzed to determine the condition of the job site.

But before you go ahead and buy one for the project, you might want to know how to use a soil probe to find underground utilities:
  1. Wear proper protective equipment.
  2. Remove debris from the area.
  3. Hold either side of the probe’s handle.
  4. Bend your knees and push the probe into the ground until it touches the underground utility line.
  5. Mark the area with a utility marker.

Kinds of Probes & Probe Parts

Soil Probes

Collecting soil samples call for the right probes: soil probes. This kind of probe comes with a tip designed to collect soil samples. Simply drive it into the ground, pull it up, and gather the soil from the tip.

But not all probes are made to be safe to use. You have to look for insulated probes for soil, which can protect you against electric shock in case you accidentally come in contact with energized lines.

You also have to consider what kind of job site you’re working with. For instance, hard soil and frozen ground are difficult to probe. In this kind of situation, you have to get hammer probes or striking head probes. These probes are made to help you easily break through hard ground, and they come with probe rods that are durable enough to resist bending.

Water Probes

If you have experienced working with hard and dry soil or frosted layers, you might know for a fact that underneath that kind of soil, there’s an aqueous layer or a layer filled with water. That’s why when you want to probe around this type of area, you have to be equipped with a water probe.

A water probe tool is specifically designed to penetrate unsaturated or frozen surface layers. It comes with a hollow probe shaft, which allows water to flow through. So when you drive this probe into the ground, the water pressure enables it to be driven deeper underground.

Because water probes are mostly used for probing frosted layers, you have to get one that has ergonomic grips insulating its handles against the cold. Some other things you have to find when buying this kind of probe are hose connectors and valves to drain the water as well as special water probe tips to minimize clogging.

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