Hydro excavation, also known as trenchless excavation, is a safe and environmentally friendly way of digging a hole.
The basic concept behind hydro excavation is quite simple: high-pressure water breaks up the frozen soil in the surrounding area and other substances around underground pipelines. Then all someone has to do is air vacuum up the debris through a fan system into the debris tank found in a hydro excavation truck. Hydro excavation can be used for boring tunnels underneath freeways to replacing sewer lines and drainage sumps.
Companies usually use traditional excavation for smaller jobs where smaller drilling rigs propel themselves forward via hydraulic pushrods. Hence, their bit is always in contact with the soil ahead of them. It does not involve oil and gas industries.
The process involves boring down below the surface of the ground with a drill, be it on land or underwater, as in cold weather digging.
The second part of the process is when they shoot high-pressure water through this drill hole at very high speeds; water pressure breaks up any rocks in its path helps move soil. Then all someone has to do is carry air vacuum excavation with a vacuum system through a vacuum source and dispose of it properly in debris tanks or use a positive displacement blower. Although hydro excavation is often used for sewer rehabilitation and water line replacement, it also works well for digging post holes and trenches for underground wiring and damaged pipes.
The amount of time it takes to do a hydro excavation job depends on the size and scope of the project. A lot also depends on the soil surrounding underground pipelines or tunnels that need to be dug and the excavation method; for example, using positive displacement blowers could take longer. Sometimes, factors such as air conveyance can cause jobs to go over budget and over schedule, which is never good news for anyone involved in a project. That said, most hydro excavation projects take anywhere from two weeks up to two months to get the job done, depending on their size. For example, smaller areas can be excavated in as little a day by one crew member working alone with the proper hydro excavation equipment and a sound fan system for accurate excavation. Larger jobs may require three crews working simultaneously to meet specific deadlines for faster excavation.
The depth of the hole dug by hydro excavation trucks is dependent on a few different factors, such as in-ground utilities, such as how many underground utilities need to be removed, and what type of soils surround those utilities. More often than not, companies use high-water pressure jets called "power jets" that can cut through up to a square meter of soil and other substances within minutes. After the broken-up materials are vacuumed away into a holding tank by a fan system in hydro excavation trucks, all that's left behind is a small void in the ground that will very quickly heal itself if trees or grass isn't planted right away. In addition to being used for digging tunnels under freeways and waterways, hydro excavation has also proven invaluable to workers who have to fix pipelines without actually carrying out mechanical excavation. In many cases, this trenchless excavation method allows workers to restore pipelines that would've had to be replaced with new ones if they'd been dug up completely.
In some cases, landscapers and gardeners use other traditional methods, such as rotational cutting equipment known as a head hoe to remove the tops of concrete slabs and other materials into a debris tank. Using this other method, which features an adjustable hydraulic arm that can be raised or lowered as needed, workers can clear small areas with minimal disruption.
However, larger jobs may take longer than two weeks or two months to complete as there's more ground to cover and fewer options for accessing underground facilities such as pipelines and tunnels. Plus, these projects often go over budget simply due to their size and scope.
Hydro excavation is the most preferred method whenever companies locate underground utilities. It is prevalent for landscapers and gardeners who often work around existing landscaping features with limited access tools like metal shovels, rakes, or hoes. The hydro excavation that uses high-pressure water and heated water allows them to clear up small areas without ruining the ground underneath the surface with heavy machinery that might damage landscape elements.
They can also be used in situations where crews do need to carry out hole excavation on yards but don't want to tear up large sections of soil at a time. That's because soil trenching through smaller sections makes it easier for workers to replace utility lines than if they had dug larger trenches across entire yards at once, like in piling hole excavation. Excavating is highly dangerous work and heaivly regulated. For more information, take a look at the SafeWork NSW wesbsite . Check to see if any laws apply to your area.