What Is Vacuum Excavation Used For?

There are numerous ways to excavate land, but few are as non-destructive as vacuum excavation. Hydro excavation, which is performed using vacuum trucks or “hydrovac” trucks, is a popular choice for sensitive digging operations. What exactly is vacuum excavation, and what is a vacuum truck? We have the answers to these and other questions below.

 

What Is A Vacuum Truck?

You’ve probably seen a vacuum truck before driving around Vancouver because they frequently clean clogged drains. They, however, do much more than that.

Vacuum trucks in Vancouver have a unique set of tools onboard, including a compressed air lance, waste storage chamber, vacuum suction, and twin or triple air vehicle fans. The ground is then broken up and dispersed with the air lance during excavation work, and then vacuumed into the truck’s waste storage chamber to be contained for later safe disposal.

Vacuum excavation is used for excavating around cable or utility lines, pipelines, and, in some cases, rail lines for repair or removal due to its precision and accuracy.

 

Five Reasons for Vacuum Excavation

It provides an environmentally friendly, precise, and clean method of moving soil. Hydrovac units enable a non-destructive and precise method of excavating soil and locating underground utilities. There is little to no chance of runoff to sewers and waterway systems because there is no mechanical extraction or trenches lined with contaminated soil. It also reduces the mess and congestion on the excavation site.

It expedites the completion of the task. When compared to the traditional and laborious method of soil removal, the hydrovac process requires less effort. Furthermore, it speeds up the digging process ten times faster than a shovel.

It is more secure than traditional machinery. Because hydrovac excavations are non-mechanic, they are effective in reducing construction mishaps caused by machinery. Did you know that the number of trench-related hazards and fatalities due to cave-ins and collapses in 2016 “nearly doubled the average of the previous five years,” according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Hydrovac units have been identified as a viable solution to the hazards of a construction project. Hydrovac excavations are a cost-effective option because they are proven to be faster, more efficient, and more productive than conventional equipment while posing little risk of subsurface damage or work hazard.

 

There are three main types of Vacuum excavation services used today.

They are jet rodders, vacuum trucks, and sucker trailers. 

  • Jet rodding entails using a precision hose to shoot out high-pressure water, breaking up the ground, slush, and even tree roots.
  • To uncover the excavating area with minimal environmental damage, vacuum trucks suck up debris (usually created by jet rodding) into a large tank.
  • Sucker trailers are custom-designed trailers that function similarly to vacuum trucks, but in trailer form.

Vacuum trucks are useful for a variety of tasks, and their design makes them an excellent “mobile” solution for waste and construction. Contact our Vacuum excavation team in Vancouver and the surrounding areas to book an appointment. We are available 24/7.