Systems and methods for trenchless placement of an underground protective network of intertwined cables for protecting buried assets from accidental damage are disclosed. The system includes an apparatus for towing behind a vehicle and laying a plurality of continuous cables directly underground and interweaving the cables to form a cable network. The apparatus includes a plurality of soil rippers mounted at respective radial positions to a rotating carrier. The rotating carrier rotates about an axis that is at least partially normal to the ground surface. The rippers plow through the ground in the direction of vehicle travel and include a cable-feeding guide for directly and continuously feeding cable out underground during operation. In operation, the combined movement of the soil rippers from rotating the carrier and movement in the direction of travel serves to intertwine the cables deposited by respective rippers forming the protective network of intertwined cables.

A tile installation plow connected to a mechanical arm of a vehicle to install a tile below a ground surface, the tile installation plow including a main body to be inserted at least partially within the ground surface, a boot removably disposed on at least a portion of an inner surface of the main body to direct the tile along a portion of the main body under the ground surface, and a tile cart connected to the vehicle to hold the tile thereon.

A method of using a fill mask to prevent overfill and/or spillage of a fill material from bonding to the roadway surface or staining the roadway surface during filling of a microtrench.

A tracked vehicle includes a pilot control module which enables the pilot to steer the tracked vehicle using an existing joystick of the tracked vehicle. The tracked vehicle also includes a dual track drive pedal which drives the tracks of the vehicle simultaneously. The joystick is used to make steering corrections when utilizing the dual track drive pedal.

Provided is a microtrench fill comprising cement, a polymer, and a colorant. Also provided is a method of using the microtrench fill to fill a microtrench in a roadway.

Provided is a microtrencher having a utility avoidance system that detects objects buried under the roadway, identifies whether the buried object is a utility and determines whether the buried utility is in the path of the cutting wheel. If the buried utility is in the path of the cutting wheel, an alert is sent to the operator, the vehicle is stopped, and/or the cutting wheel is raised in relation to the roadway. Also provided is a method of using the microtrencher to cut a microtrench in a roadway and to avoid cutting a buried utility in the path of the cutting wheel.

Provided is a microtrench fill comprising concrete, a polymer, and a colorant. Also provided is a method of using the microtrench fill to fill a microtrench in a street or walkway.

A vertical cutter for a machine that can move on wheels includes, a motorized cutter rotatable with respect to its own vertical axis, elements for containing transmission elements which are integral with the cutter, supporting elements for elements for feeding and dispensing wire or cable which can rotate freely about the axis of the cutter. The cutter further includes a roller having a horizontal axis for adjusting a height of the cutter with respect to a walking surface and therefore a depth of a trench generated by it, and for covering the trench with an adjacent soil displaced by the cutter and accumulated in the vicinity of the trench, the wire or cable being accommodated and conveyed by the machine. Also included at the sides of an assembly constituted by containment elements of the transmission elements which are integral with the cutter and by supporting elements for elements for feeding and dispensing a cable, two sliding guides, which rotate freely about the axis of the cutter, for guiding and conveying an additional cable already on the ground.

Provided is a microtrench fill comprising cement, a polymer, and a colorant. Also provided is a method of using the microtrench fill to fill a microtrench in a roadway.

Provided is a microtrencher having a utility avoidance system that detects objects buried under the roadway, identifies whether the buried object is a utility and determines whether the buried utility is in the path of the cutting wheel. If the buried utility is in the path of the cutting wheel, an alert is sent to the operator, the vehicle is stopped, and/or the cutting wheel is raised in relation to the roadway. Also provided is a method of using the microtrencher to cut a microtrench in a roadway and to avoid cutting a buried utility in the path of the cutting wheel.