Welcome to The Excavation Academy. This free course introduces you to our training program and includes your first complete module on underground utility identification - the most critical safety lesson in excavation.

Chapter 2 of the T.E.A. Field Certified program. Covers everything you need to know about soil before you dig — classification, field testing, compaction fundamentals, and moisture-density relationships. 4 modules. Real field knowledge from 25 years in civil excavation. Includes knowledge checks for every module. Complete all 4 modules with a score of 4/5 or higher to finish Chapter 2.

Chapter 3 covers the pipe materials you'll handle on every civil job — Ductile Iron, PVC, Blue Brute, HDPE, Concrete, and Clay. You'll learn how to identify each material, understand SDR ratings and pressure classes, and make proper joints using bell and spigot, mechanical joint, heat fusion, and solvent cement methods. Know your pipe before it goes in the ground.

Pipe that fails inspection gets dug up. This chapter covers the complete pipe installation process — construction standards, bedding requirements by material, installation procedures, backfill and compaction techniques, and quality acceptance standards. 5 modules covering everything between the trench bottom and the inspector signing off.

5.1 — Understanding Pipe Grades and Flow 5.2 — Minimum Slopes for Gravity Flow (Sanitary/Storm/Water) 5.3 — Reading Invert Elevations on Plans 5.4 — Basic Grade Calculations

Every year workers die in trench collapses that were completely preventable. Not because they were careless — because nobody taught them what to look for before the wall came down. Chapter 6 covers the five things that keep you alive in the ground: understanding excavation hazards, protective systems, PPE, emergency response, and cave-in prevention. The physics don't care what country you're in. Learn them. Go home.

7.1 Hazard Recognition (Cave-ins, Engulfment, Hazardous Atmospheres) 7.2 Confined Space Entry Basics 7.3 Water Accumulation & Drainage 7.4 Traffic Control & Work Zone Safety

Module 8.1 — Reading Grade Stakes and Hubs Grade stakes control everything on site. Module 8.2 — Understanding Elevations and Grades Module 8.3 — Basic Surveying Concepts Module 8.4 — Cut and Fill Calculations (Basic)

Module 9.1 — Rough Grading vs. Finish Grading Module 9.2 — Positive Drainage Requirements Module 9.3 — Swales, Ditches, and Surface Drainage Module 9.4 — Catch Basins and Manholes (Basic)

Chapter 10 covers equipment operation safety (blind spots, exclusion zones, LOTO), every major machine type and how ground crew work alongside them, hand tools and correct usage, and hand signals plus communication protocol including radio, spotting, and tailgate meetings.

Chapter 11 closes Tier 1 with QC fundamentals (hold points, specs, rework costs), visual inspection before backfill (pipe joints, bedding, structures), and documentation — daily logs, as-built records, NCRs, and photo documentation.

Before you learn how to dig a trench, operate a machine, or lay pipe, you need to understand WHY you're doing this and WHERE it can take you. Level 1 shows you: • What each position actually pays (real industry numbers) • How construction compares to college and trade school • How to manage money and build real wealth • How to plan your career progression strategically • Which career path is right for YOU You're going to have a roadmap from day one.

Essential systems for retention, recognition, and smart scaling

Practical frameworks for profitability, pricing, equipment decisions, and business fundamentals for excavation and construction companies.