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Although digging is an essential part of the human quest for progress, not all digging types are beneficial for every project. This is especially true in areas full of underground utilities, requiring specialized methods to perform excavation work safely. We can’t use conventional excavation methods to damage such utilities and, therefore, must employ advanced hydrovac excavation techniques to dig up the ground.

Hydrovac excavation is a process of digging up and evacuating soil using high-pressure water and air vacuums. Unlike traditional excavation techniques, this method of excavation is highly precise, accurate, fast and efficient.

The hydrovac excavation method utilizes an excavator truck that sends out a low, focused, and intense stream of high-pressure water, forcing the soil to break up. The slurry formed in the area is then suctioned and vacuumed by air vacuum to a tank mounted on the truck. This tank takes the debris to a designated location and dumps it there.

In the past few years, there has been an increased demand for hydrovac excavation services in Canada. Below, we have discussed the versatility of this process and its five popular applications.

Daylighting Or Potholing

Potholing or daylighting refers to the activity of exposing underground pipes and utility lines to daylight using a hydro-vacuum excavator. It is the best and safest way to expose utility lines such as gas pipes, sewer and water lines, telecommunication cables, and more without damaging them.

This application uses pressurized water and vacuum suction to excavate any soil type without damaging its surrounding areas and utility lines. Before this method, utility crossings had to be exposed by hand digging, as conventional methods would damage them. However, these methods, especially hand digging, posed a danger to workers if they accidentally hit a utility line.

This type of excavation is carried out in congested areas and is done to reduce cost and improve the process’s safety. It also significantly increases the project’s productivity as it is a much quicker way to expose the underground lines to daylight.

Slot Trenching

Slot trenching is an excavation process that involves digging very thin trenches and slots into the soil to place utility lines and underground pipes such as gas lines, water pipes, cables, conduits and more. Hydrovac excavation allows for very accurate and narrow trenches to be drilled into the ground and requires a minimum amount of backfilling.

This advanced form of excavation offers a much faster way to achieve slot trenching than manual excavation. Manual digging, on the other hand, is time-consuming and can damage underground utilities.

Debris Removal

Hydro-vacuum excavation is a cost-effective way to remove debris and clean certain areas without damaging their existing infrastructure. This method is ideal for cleaning drainage structures, utility holes, sewer lines, or catch basins that have become clogged.

Ghost Hydrovac provides affordable, reliable, and efficient flushing services for sewer lines, lift stations, and catch basins. We also provide high-pressure washing and steam cleaning services for various applications where you need dirt and grime removed. Some of the advantages of using the hydrovac technique for debris removal include:

• It can clean and flush utility lines buried hundreds of feet underground
• It can effectively remove dirt and debris around underground pipes and lines
• It offers a cost-efficient way to service and extend the lifespan of underground infrastructure, including utility lines

Cold Weather Excavation

Cold weather excavation poses many challenges for workers as they have to work in freezing temperatures to dig up the ground. Conventional digging during freezing temperatures also involves a lot of pollution. This is because the soil first needs to be thawed using cool, wood, or other chemicals before the workers can commence digging on it.

On the other hand, hydro excavation involves no pollution and uses warm water that allows the grounds soil to loosen faster. Using this process eliminates the need to expose workers to low temperatures and warm the soil with nonrenewable resources.

Pole Hole Excavation

Pole hole excavation involves installing holes for posts, poles, signs, and more. Hydrovac excavation is one of the great methods to accurately and efficiently achieve this digging task.

Holes for these items need to be of various depths and diameters. Hydro excavation uses pressurized water to create precise and narrow holes and then an air vacuum to remove dirt and debris. The precision of the hydro excavation process makes it ideal for piling hole excavation.

For more information on hydrovac excavation, visit our website or contact us today for personalized service.

Hydro excavation is a process of digging and moving soil using high-pressure water and air vacuums. The water pressure used in the process is so high that it loosens the soil and digs a hole. The wet and muddy excavated material is then vacuumed into a tank mounting on a hydro excavator truck which later carries the debris to a designated dump location.

Hydrovac technology is used in multiple industries and offers benefits that industrialists, especially construction contractors, celebrate worldwide. Compared to traditional excavation methods, this type of excavation is simpler, quicker, and more precise. It also requires less labor and is significantly less time-consuming than other conventional drilling methods that use manual shoveling to dig a hole.

Overall, hydrovac excavation has lots of benefits to offer. Let’s review some of these in detail below:

Advanced Technology

Hydro excavation uses advanced methods of digging. Although this method is not new, it is much more upgraded and has improved designs than conventional digging techniques.

The hydro excavator trucks used in the process are equipped with highly advanced vacuum systems, water heaters, and debris tanks. These trucks, designed to reach underground structures without damaging the buried utilities, use a combination of high-pressure water in a low stream and air vacuum to excavate the soil at a notably controlled rate.

Excavator machines then lift the mixture from the area through the vacuum and transfer all the debris to the tank via debris pipes.

Cost-Effective

Hydrovac excavation is a cost-effective and safe alternative to traditional excavation methods. It requires less labor, offers accurate and precise excavation, and minimizes damages to utilities, surrounding pipelines, and the environment.

For example, in potholing, installing cables, or other excavation projects, hydro excavation accurately and precisely moves the soil. Any pipes or underground utilities are not damaged, and there are fewer chances of leaks and cracks. This results in fewer repairs and significantly decreases the overall cost of the project.

Safety

Hydrovac excavation offers a safe method of excavating and digging the soil. It requires less workforce and fewer tools, making it a non-mechanical procedure. The use of heavy machinery in conventional digging methods pose threats to laborers and damage the surrounding environment. However, with fewer machines involved in hydrovac excavation, workers are safe from machinery mishaps and accidents.

Moreover, hydrovac excavation requires laborers to stay on the surface and out of the excavation. This further reduces their chances of getting injured.

Non-Destructive

One of the most significant advantages of hydrovac excavation is that it is a non-destructive method to dig up soil. In most excavation projects, it is necessary to protect underlying pipelines and cables from excavation damage. However, due to the invasive nature of conventional excavation methods, protecting utilities is not always easy or even possible in some cases.

Hyrdovac excavation poses little threat to the surrounding and buried utilities such as water lines, sewer lines, gas pipes, and underground telecommunication cables. It uses an intense and focused stream of high-pressure water that prevents damage to the area that surrounds it.

Moreover, since no machinery with claws and metal shovels is used, the damage to existing structures in the soil is minimized.

Efficient Waste Removal

Hydrovac excavation is a much more efficient method of excavation as compared to conventional excavation methods. In this method, the dirt is removed through a large vacuum and stored in a tank. This tank then disposes of the waste at a proper disposal facility.

Quick removal of the waste material and dirt from the excavation site greatly facilities the project. It shortens the project’s timeline, as less time is spent cleaning the area. It also reduces the project’s labor cost that managers otherwise spend on clearing up the site.

About Ghost Hydrovac

Ghost Hydrovac provides quality-focused excavation solutions to its clients in Edmonton and Surrey, Vancouver. We offer cost-effective, reliable, and premium hydrovac excavation and digging services across Alberta and British Columbia. For more information, visit our website or contact us today for personalized assistance.