The vacuum excavation process uses compressed air to suck up soil and other bits and pieces.
The process was initially called trenchless hydro excavation because it doesn't require digging large trenches. Combining high-pressure water of up to sixteen times can be used together with the vacuum process to carry away debris from underground pipes or cables( using an intake hose )that need repairs or replacement. High-pressure water can also break up the frozen ground and tough soils and loosen them so that the vacuum unit effectively moves huge amounts of debris and can quickly suck everything up through vac trucks into the holding tank. The main principle of this excavation work method is a differential air pressure situated between two units, one high-pressure pump unit and another low-pressure pump unit. Many excavation projects use different types of pumps, depending on the task involved. For example, after utility location, if there are buried utilities below ground that need repairs or replacement, then it would be best to use jetting pumps during the process. Such pumps can create high-velocity jets of water that help loosen soil particles and break up rocks and other underground utilities. When these particles are broken apart into smaller bits, it becomes easier for the vacuum excavation truck to suck them up through the vacuum hose. The pumps used during this vacuum process also contain special valves. These valves can be opened or closed depending on what needs to be done at a particular time. For example, suppose loose soils must be carefully loaded into a vacuum truck fitted with an air lance. In that case, these valves can help control how much dirt is released to the debris tank or retained in the micromesh filter system. Using jetting pump units with high-pressure water spray makes it easy for the vacuum excavator operators to break apart rigid materials found underground. It also helps the suction excavators load excavated debris quickly into vacuum excavation trucks and move them around without creating too much mess during the entire vacuum excavation work.
The vacuum source will either use the positive displacement blower or a fan system.
It takes quite a bit of time to vacuum excavate. The length of excavation projects usually depends on the soil type, depth of the excavation site, and types of debris found underground. For example, suppose loose soils and dust particles need vacuum excavation technology. In that case, it will take around 1-2 days to complete the job, depending on what size is being excavated. If it's something more profound like rock cutting or trenching rock for foundation installation purposes, then it will take a few days for this vacuum excavation process to be completed.
The main alternative to this kind of excavation method is trenching. This involves using traditional non-destructive digging methods through the ground and around objects to make room for underground utility cable networks and avoid damaging underground facilities. Facilities and underground or subsurface utilities such as buried cables networks and pipelines. These traditional digging methods can be pretty time-consuming and may cause a lot of disturbances In confined spaces, especially if there are people who live above where the trenches need to be dug up. These trenches can also result in wasted time, and the overall project may be delayed, which is why vacuum excavation is often preferred.
The advantages of powerful vacuum excavator work include:
Delivers faster excavations through non-destructive digging than if it were done with other conventional excavation methods such as alternative displacement blower systems or the positive displacement blower.
Easier to control how much dirt is excavated when you dig site through the suction tube into the compressed air lance at any given point in time.
It is a cost-effective method since vacuum excavators require less workforce for the job.
Little risk of accidents happening because it involves high-pressure pumps with target pressurised water that do not rely on electricity or diesel fuel.
Practices non-destructive digging and is generally environmentally friendly.
The main disadvantage of this hydro excavation method is that it cannot dig up rocks and boulders since they focus on non-destructive digging. It only works well for loosening up soil particles and smaller pieces of debris and not heavy debris. This means that this method requires a lot more time to complete projects if there are large rocks underground, such as those found in rock-cutting jobs or dig sites around for foundations in construction projects.
One thing that should be remembered when using the excavation process is safety. It is mainly because jetting pumps/target pressurised water pipes can cause injuries if they contact people's skin during use. There are different ways of carrying out this task depending on what objects need to be removed from the underground and surrounding soil.
For example, suppose more minor forms of debris need to be removed, like branches and twigs or other compound surfaces. In that case, the pressure jetting method is recommended because it can clean up these materials easily without any problems. If there are larger objects such as roots and stones, then mechanical methods such as the augering process should make this job easier for everyone involved. You made need to use shoring in some situations.Liquid waste is then sacked into a vacuum truck and processed as a soil transfer or disposal plant.
One primary type of pump that can be used to carry out certain parts of the air excavation process is a jetting pump. Jetting pumps work by shooting high-pressure jets downward to break up pieces underground finely enough so they can easily be moved around and loaded into an excavation truck for transport purposes in the waste storage chamber in a vacuum truck. This means that people in charge of suction excavation must be cautious when using these types of pumps.
The cost of using the robust air vacuum excavation will depend on several different factors. This includes whether there are large rocks or boulders underground or just tiny bits of debris that need to be removed to prevent any potential damage to things like pipelines. Other considerations include the size of the project and the amount of labour required for this task. The average cost of using this method usually rests anywhere between $500 and $1,000 per day. It also depends on how much work needs to be done to complete whatever tasks need to be completed during the job at hand.
Vacuum excavation is mainly used around major infrastructure projects involving pipes and others to be protected from damage. For example, suppose a gas or oil line needs to be moved to make room for a new structure that has been planned. In that case, suction excavators can prevent unnecessary disturbances and accidents during the construction process. This is because it only focuses on removing specific materials depending on what stage of the process they are currently in. So, if loose soil particles need to be released to give way for other location-specific objects, then vacuum excavation works well when creating trenches around these areas.
For more information on excavation work, take a look at WorkSafe ACT, but check if any regulations apply to your local area.