Network Plus, a U.K.-based utility and infrastructure contractor, has signed a multi-year deal to deploy RodRadar’s Live Dig Radar technology across its national fleet.
Serving major U.K. asset owners including Severn Trent Water, Cadent Gas, National Grid, and U.K. Power Networks, Network Plus will roll out RodRadar’s LDR Excavate technology across its repair and maintenance fleet of more than 200 machines over a multi-year program.
The planned rollout marks a decisive shift toward eliminating underground utility strikes, an industry-wide safety challenge across U.K. construction.
According to research from the University of Birmingham, the U.K. suffers over 60,000 utility strikes every year, costing the economy an estimated £2.4 billion annually in project delays, traffic gridlock, and severe safety risks to site crews.
RodRadar provides the utility industry with a solution to an ongoing problem
The partnership traces back to Machinetech, RodRadar’s exclusive U.K. distributor, which identified Network Plus’s strike-risk challenge and introduced the contractor to LDR. Recognizing that the highest density of shallow, high-risk utilities is found in congested urban environments, Network Plus challenged RodRadar to scale down its proven technology.
In response, RodRadar engineered the Type 0 LDR Excavate, a 30-centimetre (12-inch) wide digging bucket embedded with live, intelligence-driven ground-penetrating radar. Following successful field trials supported by Machinetech, the system proved it delivers real-time, AI-classified alerts directly to the operator the moment a utility is detected.
Dave Fleming, head of Plant at Network Plus, commented: “Utility strikes are a costly, high-risk disruption, and preventing them is a priority across our operations. RodRadar’s LDR technology is a complete game changer for risk management. By rolling this out across our fleet, we will not just protect our crews and assets; we will guarantee a best-in-class, uninterrupted service for our clients and the millions of U.K. citizens who rely on their infrastructure.”
Yuval Barnea, vice president of Sales and Marketing at RodRadar, stated: “Network Plus operates at a scale that demands the absolute pinnacle of site safety and operational efficiency. We are incredibly proud they have chosen our field-proven Live Dig Radar to protect their workforce and their customers’ infrastructure. This massive nationwide deployment brings us a giant step closer to making ‘Zero Strikes’ the global industry standard.”
Immediate alerts help contractors avoid costly mistakes
RodRadar’s patented technology detects underground utilities in real-time, during excavation, at the moment the risk is live. By providing the operator with immediate visual and audio alerts exactly when they are needed the most, it acts as a digital safety net, preventing utilities from turning into catastrophic strikes.
“Helping a contractor operating at this scale adopt real-time strike prevention is exactly the safety impact we set out to deliver for the U.K. market,” added Ash Mills, managing director and co-founder at Machinetech. “As RodRadar’s exclusive distributor, we are proud to bring Live Dig Radar to Network Plus, and are committed to providing comprehensive, on-the-ground support throughout this nationwide rollout.”
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