Every contractor who’s worked underground knows one truth: duct banks set the pace. If that scope slips, everything behind it does too. At DBO, we’ve rebuilt the process from the ground up — literally — to make duct bank installation faster, safer, and completely predictable. And unlike any other supplier, we can produce product as fast as you can install it — up to 3,200 ft/day, enough to stay ahead of even the biggest sites.

What You Can Expect Working With DBO

  • Fast start: Submittals and stamped calcs in under two weeks.
  • Built to your spec: We engineer around your design — conduit layout, loads, and cover depth — not from a catalog.
  • High-volume capacity: Most precast plants produce 10–15 pieces/day. DBO routinely produces 60–100+ pieces/day — enough to stay ahead of any install rate.
  • Training included: On-site or at our dedicated DBO Training Facility. Your crew learns the full process before trenching begins.
  • Smart delivery: We’ll stage as much product as you can store — or sequence daily to match your trench progress.
  • Dowel-pin precision: Sections self-align safely. Ops set to within 18 inches; dowels handle the rest.
  • Speed & safety: New operators average 10–15 minutes per piece; experienced crews get below 5 minutes with zero pinch points.
  • Same-day backfill: Typical run — dig in the morning, set by midday, backfill by afternoon.
  • Support that stays: DBO field techs are on site for your first install until your team’s confident.

1. Contract & Kickoff: Building the Schedule, Not Waiting on It

What happens: As soon as the contract is signed, DBO integrates directly into your project planning. Our engineering, logistics, and field support teams coordinate with your superintendent and PM to map trench sequencing, staging, and access routes.

Why it matters: Production starts before or alongside site prep. By the time your crew breaks ground, your sections are already cast and cured.

  • Engineering submittals and stamped calcs delivered in under two weeks.
  • Manufacturing and QC begin immediately after approval.
  • Unmatched capacity + one product focus means you never wait in a factory line.
  • Delivery aligns with your trench schedule, not a factory queue.

2. Engineering & Fabrication: Built to Your Spec, Not Pulled From a Shelf

Every DBO duct bank starts with your design — conduit count, spacing, load rating, cover depth, and thermal requirements. We don’t modify a stock form to “fit close enough.” We engineer around your exact configuration.

  • Conduits are placed in steel fixtures for consistent alignment.
  • Reinforcement and dowel-pin assemblies are installed in position.
  • High-strength, thermally validated concrete (4,000 to 10,000 psi) is poured and cured under controlled conditions.
  • Each section is tested for compressive strength, geometry, and conduit alignment before release.

Quality You Can Verify: Every section ships with batch data, test results, and load certification. The product you receive is exactly what was stamped — no field variables left to chance.

3. Training and Preconstruction Coordination: Learn Once, Build Faster Forever

If it’s your first precast duct bank install, we’ll train you before the first trench is even open.

Two options:

  • DBO Training Facility: Train in a real trench — not on a shop floor. We have an excavator, open trench, and sloped terrain on site so your crew can practice pulling 8-way, 12-way, or 30-way sections in true job-site conditions. No other precast supplier offers hands-on trench training alongside a full production tour.
  • On-Site Training: DBO field technicians arrive before installation to walk your operators and crew through safe rigging, alignment, and sealing.

Training covers:

  • Rigging and lifting using built-in anchors.
  • Bedding prep and trench layout.
  • Dowel-pin alignment and joint sealing.
  • Backfill techniques and compaction best practices.

Contractors who take advantage of this session see immediate field gains — faster cycle times, fewer touch-ups, and zero alignment issues on their first run.

4. Trench Preparation: No Rebar, No Formwork, No Guessing

The trench is excavated and leveled per the project’s geotech requirements — whether that’s native soil, compacted dirt, or gravel bedding. Because DBO modules are built to consistent geometry, trench dimensions stay exact — no on-site adjustments, no over-excavation, and no wasteful digging.

Safety Advantage: Shorter open-trench windows mean less exposure for crews and equipment. Most DBO trenches are open less than half a day from dig to backfill.

5. Delivery & Staging: Product When You Need It — or as Much as You Can Store

DBO’s delivery model is built for flexibility. If your site can stage material, we’ll deliver as much as you can handle — full runs, full phases, or even the entire project upfront. If space is tight, we’ll sequence deliveries daily or weekly to match trench progress.

  • No idle time waiting for trucks.
  • No site congestion with unneeded stock.
  • Continuous installation flow that keeps crews productive.
  • We do one thing exceptionally well, giving you the fastest, most reliable duct bank production in the U.S.

Each section arrives numbered and sequenced in set order, so modules come off the truck ready to drop into the trench.

6. Setting the Duct Bank: The Dowel-Pin Advantage

This is where DBO’s precision engineering pays off.

  1. The operator lowers the section within 18 inches of target — no need for perfect placement.
  2. The dowel pins engage automatically with the matching shear key on the previous section, guiding it into exact alignment.
  3. Guide pins keep the section off the bedding — no digging in, no stone pulling into the joint.
  4. Conduits self-align through the joint — no field adjustment, no crowbars, no “wiggle and hope.”

Safety & Efficiency:

  • The guided pins remove nearly all pinch points — hands stay clear.
  • Crews set sections from the surface; nobody in the trench.
  • Even new operators can set pieces in 10–15 minutes at the start of a project.
  • After a week of consistent work, crews typically average under 5 minutes per section without forcing production or compromising safety.

Each 10 or 20 foot section glides into place, line and grade perfect, every time.

7. Inspection & Documentation: Verified Before You Pour a Yard

With DBO, inspections are confirmation, not troubleshooting. There’s no wet concrete to test, no rebar to measure, no cover checks to fail.

Inspectors receive:

  • Verified load rating and compressive strength documentation.
  • Thermal resistivity data (ρ value).
  • Dimensional QC reports.
  • Photo verification every step of the way

That level of documentation shortens inspection time and eliminates rework loops.

8. Backfill and Closeout: Same Day, Same Crew

Once the final section is in and joints are pulled home, the trench backfills immediately — no cure, no hold period.

Typical daily cycle:

  • Cut + prep: Trench excavated and bedding placed.
  • Set: Duct bank sections installed — most crews backfill immediately.
  • Backfill: Either same-time or same-day, depending on crew preference.
  • Close out: Trench closed and surface restored before end of shift.

That one-shift cycle replaces what used to take weeks with traditional cast-in-place.

9. On-Site Support: We Stay Until You’re Confident

DBO field technicians remain on site during your first installation to ensure the process runs safely and smoothly. We verify rigging, alignment, joint sealing, and backfill procedures before handing it off to your team. If you prefer to self-perform future phases, we’ll support you remotely or bring your crew back to our training facility for refresher sessions. Our goal isn’t just to sell duct banks — it’s to make your team experts at installing them.

Why This Process Works

  • Engineered geometry means faster, safer alignment.
  • Guided dowel pins eliminate pinch points and fine-tuning.
  • Training and support remove the learning curve.
  • Flexible delivery and staging eliminate idle crews.
  • Pre-verified quality reduces inspection time.
  • Massive throughput Enough daily output to supply a full industrial campus without delay.

The result? Duct bank installation that runs like a production line instead of a field experiment — same people, same results, every job.

The DBO Standard

From design to delivery, installation to backfill, we’ve engineered this process so every contractor — even one new to precast — can install with confidence. The dowel pins do the alignment. The product does the heavy lifting. The training makes it second nature. And our multi-facility capacity means we can supply an entire industrial site’s duct bank in a single day — something no other precaster can match. That’s how DBO makes underground work predictable, safe, and repeatable — one section at a time.