Garney Partners With RodRadar to Enhance Utility Strike Prevention During Excavation

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Oct. 23, 2024) — Garney, a national provider of water and wastewater construction, announced a partnership with RodRadar, a technology company specializing in real-time underground utility detection during excavation. This collaboration advances excavation safety, efficiency and utility strike prevention through RodRadar’s Live Dig Radar (LDR) technology.

Over the past year, Garney has invested substantial resources in researching, developing and implementing solutions like RodRadar’s LDR system. “At Garney, we continuously seek innovations and technologies that increase the safety of our work zones and enhance the way we build. This benefits our employees, clients, municipal and other service providers, and their customers,” said David Burkhart, CEO at Garney.

Garney identified RodRadar’s technology in 2023 and initiated pilot testing in early 2024. Following the pilot’s success, the company expanded its adoption of LDR Excavate buckets, evolving the partnership into a commercial collaboration supporting RodRadar’s ongoing product development, including larger bucket models for Garney’s fleet of 35-MT excavators.

The LDR system integrates real-time radar technology into excavator digging buckets, enabling continuous detection of underground utilities across various soil types while excavating. The system generates immediate visual alerts in the excavator cabin, enabling operators to avoid hidden utilities and significantly reduce the risk of strikes. Unlike traditional ground penetrating radar (GPR), the LDR system delivers real-time data during excavation, enhancing safety and operational efficiency.

This partnership enhances Garney’s ability to deliver safer projects and enables the company to participate in RodRadar’s ongoing research and development efforts. Garney will host on-site testing sessions to refine the LDR system further and meet the growing demands of complex infrastructure projects.

Visit garney.com and rodradar.com.