Ground thaw heaters have proven their worth repeatedly in the field. This equipment is safe, reliable and durable. This article looks at two specific applications where a ground thaw heater is put to the test. Although the ground is frozen, work still has to be done on certain construction sites as well as on the pipelines. In such situations, dependable and tough heaters are essential to keep the elements at bay.
Pipelines
No matter what the conditions, workers may have to thaw the ground around pipelines. They may also have to prevent the lines, themselves from freezing. When the need is to do a pressure test on pipes in hostile freezing environments, workers have to prevent the pipe from freezing during the process. The best way to do this is to have a heater in place.
In regions of extreme cold, where the eco system is fragile, regulations only allow for a winter dig when the tundra is frozen. This is the time when workers inspect the pipes for damage. They also perform routine maintenance at this time. Only the presence of a space heater capable of thawing the ground down to six feet or more makes such work viable.
Cold Weather Construction
Ground thaw heaters are also the perfect solution for winter construction. While some heaters are designed to keep the workers on site warm, others are meant for other purposes. These heaters not only thaw the ground around a site for digging, they also help maintain the proper conditions for laying concrete including:
- Preheating the ground
- Speeding up the setting process
- Improving the conditions for pouring and curing
Concrete foundations require extra care. A structure not built on a solid foundation will fail. While the above ground may appear dry, the frost below ground can prevent the proper laying of a foundation. A heater will remove all the frost from the sub-grade allowing the work to proceed without waiting for weeks or possibly months for nature to take its course. By using a heater to thaw the ground, workers can lay the foundation without fear of the ground settling and moving resulting in structural stresses that will negatively affect the structure.
Ground Thaw Heaters
Heaters serve many purposes on a jobsite. They may keep employees warm while they go about their work. They can also thaw the ground around the site to allow routine maintenance work to go ahead on a pipeline in winter or prepare a construction site for the pouring and curing of concrete foundations. No matter how frozen the ground is, workers can rely on ground thaw heaters to help them stay on the job.
