Welcome toCentexExcavation

When Is an Excavation a Confined Space?

A field-level guide to classifying excavations as confined spaces and permit spaces, the difference between Subpart AA and Subpart P, and the permit, attendant, and rescue duties that apply before anyone enters.

Test Pits and Utility Potholing

A practical guide to utility potholing and test pits: what a pothole proves, hydro vs air vacuum excavation, digging to the right depth, OSHA excavation rules, spoil and restoration, and documenting what you find.

How Thick Should Compaction Lifts Be?

How thick compaction lifts should be: the 8-inch specification standard, lift thickness by compactor and soil type, moisture limits, and why over-thick lifts pass testing and still settle.

Construction Staking and Site Layout

How construction staking and site layout work on an earthwork job: control points and benchmarks, offsets, reading cut and fill stakes, tolerances, machine control, and protecting layout from the first cut.

Section 404 Permits for Excavation Work

A practical guide to Clean Water Act Section 404 for earthwork: what counts as regulated water, when a stream, wetland, or ditch triggers a Corps permit, how nationwide permits work, and how to keep a dig legal.

Excavator Hydraulic System Problems

How to diagnose the most common excavator hydraulic problems - slow cycles, weak digging, drift, overheating, aeration and leaks - before they cost you a pump.