Looking for a way to navigate a dig site full of a mess of existing utilities without damaging them? Need to install sign posts and don’t want to damage mature landscaping? Hydro excavation with Jet Blast’s® latest HYDROVAC Trucks is by far the best approach for the job.
What is Hydro Excavation?
Hydro Excavation is the process of removing or moving soil with pressurized water or high-pressure air. An air conveyance or vacuum is then used to transfer the soil or debris to a debris tank. This allows for a non-destructive and more accurate way to excavate soil and locate underground utilities.
How Does Hydro Excavation Work?
Hydro excavation equipment, or HYDROVAC Trucks, combines high-pressure water and an air vacuum. Water is precisely sprayed into soil to break it up. The vacuum then lifts the loose dirt or slurry from the excavation area. It transfers the leftover debris to a holding tank, keeping it ready to be redeposited later. The precise nature of this style of excavation allows it to be used in situations where traditional digging may be more dangerous or damaging to the area.
Why Use Hydro Excavation?
Excavation for utilities is not a straightforward job. Underground facilities and subsurface utilities are almost always needed for construction, but locating existing utilities and navigating around them can be a painstaking process full of risk. When Miss Utility can only guarantee they give you existing utility locations with a margin of error of 18 inches, it’s important to make sure you aren’t digging through a sewer main or fiber optic cable before you bring in a digger.
Hydro excavation is changing the game when it comes to digging for utilities by nearly eliminating the risks that come with trying to locate existing utilities via traditional methods. With a dramatically smaller footprint and more precise dig, hydro excavation causes less damage to the surrounding area than traditional digs.
The Best Part?
Hydro excavation will not slice through or damage any existing utilities that happen to be beneath it. The process uses water and a vacuum; there are no sharp edges capable of slicing through cabling or denting pipes.
What Else Can Hydro Excavation Do?
Hydro excavation is perfect for line, sign, and pole installation and location. Since hydro excavation cuts a straight line into the earth, it efficiently cores out the exact diameter needed for sign posts without touching any existing landscaping or tearing up lawns. The surrounding soil stays compact and strong while the necessary removal is completed.
It is also used for potholing or daylighting. The small footprint of our HYDROVAC TRUCK allows for less congestion and traffic in the excavation area because the equipment can be positioned at a distance and kept off the roadway. This often makes the difference between needing to shut down a lane of traffic shoulder versus just having a single truck parked on the side.
Pipe and sewer rehabilitation is another application that pairs perfectly with hydro excavation. Choosing this method reduces the risk of any damage to or punctures in the pipes, eliminating the additional time and cost that repairs require.
Considering Hydro Excavation?
Contact us to learn more about the process and have one of our expert sales team view your job site. We will work with you to guarantee the work you need is completed as efficiently as possible.