Our Process # During Construction You should never have to drive the route to find out what happened yesterday. During construction, Strilla Communications runs a documented day: daily production reporting, photo documentation at each stage, depth and alignment verification on every bore, protection of existing utilities, active traffic control, and a clean site at end of shift. Field condition changes are reported the day they happen, through a defined escalation path. ## What a Documented Day Looks Like Execution is the third step of our 5 step process, and it runs on a fixed rhythm rather than on whoever remembers to call. The crew briefs, verifies marks and traffic control, produces, documents as it goes, cleans up, and reports. The value of that rhythm shows up later. Production disputes, inspector questions, damage claims, and as-built corrections are all easier to settle when the day was recorded while it happened instead of reconstructed at closeout. The sections below describe the parts of the day a project manager, superintendent, or municipal inspector actually cares about. ## Daily Production Reporting A daily report goes out for every working day, to the recipients and in the format agreed during pre-construction. It states what was completed, where, by whom, and what is planned next, in enough detail to be used rather than filed. Non-productive time is reported with the same candor as production. Standby for locates, weather, agency inspection, material delivery, or client decision is recorded on the day it occurs, because a delay disclosed three weeks later is a dispute and a delay disclosed today is a decision. - Date, crew, hours, and weather conditions affecting the work - Footage or units completed by station, address, or route segment - Bores completed, product installed, splices completed, or aerial spans placed - Locate ticket numbers and locate status in force for the work performed - Delays, standby, and their causes, recorded the day they occur - Field condition changes, damages, or near misses with the actions taken - Planned work for the next shift, including anything needed from the client ## Photo Documentation Photographs are taken as the work progresses, not reconstructed afterward. Some conditions only exist for an hour: an open pit before backfill, an exposed facility before it is covered, a bore rod at a known depth, a splice tray before the enclosure closes. The set covers existing conditions, potholes and exposed facilities, entry and exit pits, product in the ground, handhole and vault settings, splice and enclosure work, traffic control setup, and restoration at completion. Photos are organized by location and date so they can be tied to a report line, a permit inspection, or an as-built sheet. A folder of unsorted images is not documentation. ## Depth and Alignment Verification Every bore is tracked continuously rather than spot checked. The locator follows the head and reads depth, pitch, and position on a rod interval, and those readings are recorded as the shot progresses to build the bore log. Depth is verified against the permit requirement and the design profile at each crossing, not averaged across the shot. A bore that meets minimum cover on average but rises at a road crossing is a failed bore. Alignment is checked against the planned path and the potholed facilities. When a shot begins to drift toward a known facility or outside the permitted corridor, the correct response is to pull back and re-shoot rather than to hope, and that decision is documented when it is made. ## Protecting Existing Utilities Damage prevention during production is mostly discipline about small things. Marks are verified as still valid at the start of each shift, the tolerance zone is respected with vacuum excavation, and exposed facilities are supported and protected before work continues around them. Drilling fluid is managed as a damage prevention issue as well. Pressure and flow are matched to the soil, returns are monitored, and an inadvertent return is contained, cleaned, and reported immediately rather than quietly hosed away. If a facility is damaged, the sequence does not change: make the area safe, notify the facility owner and the client immediately, document the location and condition, and support the repair. Owning it on the same day is the difference between an incident and a claim. ## When Field Conditions Change Field conditions differ from plans on most jobs. Unmarked facilities, rock or debris, a shallower crossing than the pothole suggested, a pole in worse condition than the make-ready survey showed, a driveway that cannot be closed on the planned day. The rule is simple: nobody improvises a scope change in the field. The condition is documented with photos and location, reported to the client point of contact, and a course of action is agreed before extra work proceeds. That protects both sides. You are not billed for work you never approved, and we are not absorbing conditions that were not ours to carry. It also keeps the as-built honest, because the record reflects what was actually built. ## Traffic Control Through the Shift Traffic control is set before the work starts, checked through the day, and adjusted when the work moves. Devices drift, cones get hit, signs get turned, and a plan that was right at 7 in the morning may not be right by afternoon. Setups follow the approved plan and the permit conditions, including work hour restrictions and lane closure windows. Access to driveways and businesses is maintained or coordinated with the affected party in advance where it cannot be. Pedestrian routes are maintained or detoured properly, and open excavations are covered, plated, or barricaded whenever the crew is not actively working in them. ## Housekeeping and End of Shift A site is left in a defensible condition every day, not just at the end of the job. Spoil and drilling fluid are contained and removed, materials and reels are staged out of travel ways, pits are secured, and debris is picked up. The standard is that a resident, a business owner, or an inspector driving past after hours should not see a hazard or a mess. Housekeeping is also the cheapest reputation management available to a contractor working in front of the public. Restoration items that can be closed as the work moves are closed as it moves. Leaving every yard, apron, and sod patch for the end of the project creates a punch list nobody wants and a neighborhood that has lost patience. ## Escalation Path Routine items go through the single point of contact established in pre-construction. That covers schedule, production, and everyday field questions. Some events skip the routine channel and are reported immediately: a utility damage, an injury, an incident involving the public, a stop work order or inspector directive, or anything that will move the completion date. Those go straight to the client contact by phone on the same day, followed by written documentation. For urgent field issues on active work, call (386) 396-2033. We also carry emergency service restoration and storm response work, so an after hours call reaches a company that is organized to respond rather than one that is closed until Monday. ## Key takeaways - During construction, Strilla Communications sends a daily production report for every working day, including delays and the days that went badly. - Bore depth is verified at each crossing against the permit and the design profile, never averaged across the whole shot. - Field condition changes are documented and agreed with the client before any extra work proceeds. - Utility damage, injuries, public incidents, and stop work orders are reported by phone the same day, followed by written documentation. ## Key terms **Daily production report**: A written record of each working day on a construction project, listing crew, hours, weather, footage or units completed, locate tickets in force, delays and their causes, field conditions, and the plan for the next shift. It becomes the basis for quantity reconciliation and invoice review. **Bore log**: The record of a directional bore built from tracking readings taken during the pilot bore, typically depth and pitch at set rod intervals, plus entry and exit points and the product installed. It shows whether each crossing met minimum cover and feeds the as-built drawings. **Hold point**: A planned pause in construction where work cannot continue until an inspector or client representative has reviewed and accepted it. Common hold points include exposed crossings, product before backfill, and restoration before final paving. Hold points are set during pre-construction so they fit the schedule. *Records captured during construction and how each one is used later* | Record | Captured when | Used for | | --- | --- | --- | | Daily production report | End of every working day | Schedule tracking, invoice support, delay records | | Bore log | During each pilot bore, at rod intervals | Depth compliance, as-builts, future locates | | Photo documentation | At each stage before work is covered | Inspections, as-builts, damage claim defense | | Field condition notice | The day a change is found | Change order decisions and accurate as-builts | | Incident and near miss report | Same day as the event | Safety follow-up and owner notification | *Depth of cover and utility clearance* ## What this means for your project The value of a documented day shows up when something is questioned. Production disputes, inspector findings, damage claims, and as-built corrections are settled quickly when the record was made while the work happened. Without it, those questions become arguments that cost time and money on both sides. Same day reporting also keeps decisions in your hands. A delay or field condition disclosed today is a choice you can make with options in front of you. The same issue disclosed weeks later is a dispute, often with cost already spent and no cheap way back. ## Related reading - [Daily production reportingWhat each daily report contains and how it is delivered.](https://strillacommunications.com/services/supporting-services/daily-production-reporting) - [Pullback operationsInstalling product through the reamed bore without damage.](https://strillacommunications.com/services/directional-drilling/pullback-operations) - [Documentation standardsThe field records we capture on every project.](https://strillacommunications.com/projects/documentation-standards) - [Before the crew arrivesThe planning that sets up a documented construction day.](https://strillacommunications.com/about/our-process/pre-construction) - [Finishing the jobRestoration, as-builts, and permit closure.](https://strillacommunications.com/about/our-process/post-construction-and-closeout) - [Road crossing boresDepth and traffic control on crossings under live roads.](https://strillacommunications.com/services/directional-drilling/road-crossings) ## Frequently Asked Questions **How often will I hear from you during construction?**: Daily on working days, through the reporting format agreed at pre-construction, plus immediate contact for anything that affects safety, the public, the permit, or the completion date. You have one point of contact rather than a rotating cast, and that person can tell you where the crew is and what is next without making calls first. **What do you do if you hit an unmarked utility?**: Secure the area first, then notify the facility owner and the client immediately. The location and condition are documented with photographs, and we support the repair. If gas is involved, the area is cleared and emergency services are called. The event goes into the daily report the same day, and the as-built reflects the actual field condition. **How is bore depth verified?**: The locator tracks the drill head continuously and records depth and pitch at rod intervals, which builds the bore log for that shot. Depth is checked against the permit requirement and the design profile at each crossing rather than averaged over the whole shot. A bore that rises above minimum cover at a crossing is pulled back and redrilled. **Can we send an inspector to the site?**: Yes. Client and agency inspection is expected, and we plan for the notice requirements written into the permit. Tell us your inspection expectations at pre-construction so hold points are built into the schedule rather than discovered mid shift. Inspectors get the same access to daily reports, bore logs, and photos that your project manager does. **What happens when a field condition does not match the plans?**: Nobody improvises a scope change in the field. The condition is documented with photos and location, reported to your point of contact the same day, and a course of action is agreed before extra work proceeds. You are not billed for work you never approved, and the as-built shows what was actually built rather than what the design assumed. **How do you protect residents and businesses along the route?**: Driveway and business access is kept open or coordinated with the affected party in advance. Pedestrian routes are maintained or properly detoured, open excavations are covered or barricaded when crews are not in them, and the site is cleaned at the end of every shift. Restoration of yards and aprons is closed as the work moves rather than saved for the end. ## Related services - [Daily Production ReportingEnd of day reports covering production, next day plan, field conditions and blockers, so progress is visible without anyone having to chase it.](https://strillacommunications.com/services/supporting-services/daily-production-reporting) - [Directional DrillingTrenchless directional drilling for fiber and utility conduit across Volusia County and Central Florida, planned against verified locates and closed out with documented bore logs.](https://strillacommunications.com/services/directional-drilling) - [Pullback OperationsControlled pullback of HDPE conduit, multi-duct, and cable on Florida bores. Monitored tension, swab passes, and proofing before the pits are closed.](https://strillacommunications.com/services/directional-drilling/pullback-operations) - [Aerial Cable ConstructionPole line construction, strand placement, lashing, and aerial fiber installation with make-ready coordination and NESC clearance verification.](https://strillacommunications.com/services/aerial-cable-construction) - [Conduit InstallationHDPE duct, innerduct, and microduct placed by bore, trench, or plow, proofed with a mandrel, and made locatable with tracer wire and marker tape.](https://strillacommunications.com/services/conduit-installation) - [Outside Plant ConstructionTurnkey OSP construction that carries a fiber build from permitting and boring through aerial, splicing, restoration, and a documented closeout.](https://strillacommunications.com/services/outside-plant-construction) --- Source: https://strillacommunications.com/about/our-process/during-construction