In this expository series that combines vacuum excavation applications and utility locator technologies, author Carol Brzozowski discusses the site specific conditions that help determine the choice between hydro versus air vacuum excavation. Follow this series below as such conditions as frozen soil and brittle utilities are evaluated in determining vacuum excavation methods and why nothing beats an experienced operator and reliable equipment.
Hitting the Hidden Mark (Part 8) By Carol Brzozowski
The combination of the vacuum and utility locator help get that precise target.
End users will specify the type of excavation medium required for their particular applications, says Ben Schmitt, product manager for Vactor Manufacturing Inc.
“It’s also helpful to know the size of a typical application so that the correct size debris body is selected to complete the work as efficiently as possible,” he says. “Knowing the soil conditions is paramount for selecting the right equipment. For example, air excavation is not particularly well-suited for harder or frozen soils. In those conditions, hydroexcavation is the perfect choice.”
Air Vacuum excavation is desired in applications where the soil is loose, water is not readily available, in small-scale excavation projects or where immediate backfill of the hole is required, he adds.
“When working around buried electrical lines or brittle utilities, air vacuum excavation is often preferred due to the lower operating pressures,” says Schmitt. “Hydroexcavation is the preferred method in larger excavation projects or in harder, more compact soil conditions.”
Other factors include travel distance to a disposal site, state and local weight restrictions, excavation distance from the unit, and availability of water.
Hitting the Hidden Mark (Part 8) By Carol Brzozowski
The combination of the vacuum and utility locator help get that precise target. End users will specify the type of excavation medium required for their particular applications, says Ben Schmitt, product manager for Vactor Manufacturing Inc. “It’s also helpful to know the size of a typical application so that the correct size debris body is selected to complete the work as efficiently as possible,” he says. “Knowing the soil conditions is paramount for selecting the right equipment. For example, air excavation is not particularly well-suited for harder or frozen soils. In those conditions, hydroexcavation is the perfect choice.” Air Vacuum excavation is desired in applications where the soil is loose, water is not readily available, in small-scale excavation projects or where immediate backfill of the hole is required, he adds. “When working around buried electrical lines or brittle utilities, air vacuum excavation is often preferred due to the lower operating pressures,” says Schmitt. “Hydroexcavation is the preferred method in larger excavation projects or in harder, more compact soil conditions.” Other factors include travel distance to a disposal site, state and local weight restrictions, excavation distance from the unit, and availability of water. [text_ad] With more than 19 million miles of buried utilities in the United States, vacuum excavation helps contractors to locate underground utilities quickly and efficiently while protecting the vulnerable and expensive infrastructure, Schmitt says. “Using vacuum excavation prior to a large excavation mitigates the risk of striking underground utilities,” he points out. “Typical electronic locating methods aren’t always reliable and can sometimes mismark a utility by several feet. The only accurate way to verify the utility location is to visually locate with vacuum excavation. The risk of striking a fiber optic, electrical, or gas line is too great not to visually locate the utilities in the area before excavating mechanically. The result can be thousands and sometimes millions of dollars in fines, lawsuits, and even death.” There has been tremendous growth in the industry, resulting in an increased number of new vacuum excavator operators to meet the demand, says Schmitt. “Vacuum excavators must be easy to operate and safe for both new equipment operators and experienced operators,” he points out, adding that a struggle for many contractors is finding skilled workers to operate the vacuum excavation equipment. Vactor designed its excavators with simplified controls make it easy to operate so the “on-boarding” of a new hire is significantly condensed, Schmitt says. “Vactor Manufacturing provides safe, operator-friendly equipment for our customers,” he says. “We have simplified our operation to allow the operator to quickly and easily set the unit up for operation. Vactor equipment also has built-in system protection to prevent improper use of the equipment and remove the guesswork from the unit’s operation. The end result is a quick, efficient, long-lasting, and operator-friendly vacuum excavator.” [text_ad] The advantage of air vacuum excavation is that “air is limitless,” says Schmitt. “Onboard compressors generate the required pressure on demand, so there are is no need to refill water,” he says. “Air is nonconductive. When vacuuming around live electrical wires, pneumatic excavation can be a preferred choice over hydroexcavation.” Air vacuum excavation provides dry spoils that can be returned to the excavation site immediately, Schmitt points out. “Many applications in the utility segment require exposing the utility, making the repair, and then backfilling the material,” he says. “This can’t be done with hydroexcavation.” Air vacuum excavation uses lower excavation pressures compared with hydroexcavation, Schmitt says. Protective coatings and brittle underground utilities can easily be damaged when using hydroexcavation if the operator is not careful, he adds. “Air vacuum excavation allows utilities to locate a utility to verify its location, while also allowing dry backfilling of the hole with the same soil it excavated,” he adds. “It does not require disposing of wet/muddy slurry of material.” In the next part of this series—a continuation of utility locators and vacuum excavation applications—author Brzozowski continues this discussion in the determination of hydro versus air vacuum excavation.With more than 19 million miles of buried utilities in the United States, vacuum excavation helps contractors to locate underground utilities quickly and efficiently while protecting the vulnerable and expensive infrastructure, Schmitt says.
“Using vacuum excavation prior to a large excavation mitigates the risk of striking underground utilities,” he points out. “Typical electronic locating methods aren’t always reliable and can sometimes mismark a utility by several feet. The only accurate way to verify the utility location is to visually locate with vacuum excavation. The risk of striking a fiber optic, electrical, or gas line is too great not to visually locate the utilities in the area before excavating mechanically. The result can be thousands and sometimes millions of dollars in fines, lawsuits, and even death.”
There has been tremendous growth in the industry, resulting in an increased number of new vacuum excavator operators to meet the demand, says Schmitt.
“Vacuum excavators must be easy to operate and safe for both new equipment operators and experienced operators,” he points out, adding that a struggle for many contractors is finding skilled workers to operate the vacuum excavation equipment.
Vactor designed its excavators with simplified controls make it easy to operate so the “on-boarding” of a new hire is significantly condensed, Schmitt says.
“Vactor Manufacturing provides safe, operator-friendly equipment for our customers,” he says. “We have simplified our operation to allow the operator to quickly and easily set the unit up for operation. Vactor equipment also has built-in system protection to prevent improper use of the equipment and remove the guesswork from the unit’s operation. The end result is a quick, efficient, long-lasting, and operator-friendly vacuum excavator.”
Hitting the Hidden Mark (Part 8) By Carol Brzozowski
The combination of the vacuum and utility locator help get that precise target. End users will specify the type of excavation medium required for their particular applications, says Ben Schmitt, product manager for Vactor Manufacturing Inc. “It’s also helpful to know the size of a typical application so that the correct size debris body is selected to complete the work as efficiently as possible,” he says. “Knowing the soil conditions is paramount for selecting the right equipment. For example, air excavation is not particularly well-suited for harder or frozen soils. In those conditions, hydroexcavation is the perfect choice.” Air Vacuum excavation is desired in applications where the soil is loose, water is not readily available, in small-scale excavation projects or where immediate backfill of the hole is required, he adds. “When working around buried electrical lines or brittle utilities, air vacuum excavation is often preferred due to the lower operating pressures,” says Schmitt. “Hydroexcavation is the preferred method in larger excavation projects or in harder, more compact soil conditions.” Other factors include travel distance to a disposal site, state and local weight restrictions, excavation distance from the unit, and availability of water. [text_ad] With more than 19 million miles of buried utilities in the United States, vacuum excavation helps contractors to locate underground utilities quickly and efficiently while protecting the vulnerable and expensive infrastructure, Schmitt says. “Using vacuum excavation prior to a large excavation mitigates the risk of striking underground utilities,” he points out. “Typical electronic locating methods aren’t always reliable and can sometimes mismark a utility by several feet. The only accurate way to verify the utility location is to visually locate with vacuum excavation. The risk of striking a fiber optic, electrical, or gas line is too great not to visually locate the utilities in the area before excavating mechanically. The result can be thousands and sometimes millions of dollars in fines, lawsuits, and even death.” There has been tremendous growth in the industry, resulting in an increased number of new vacuum excavator operators to meet the demand, says Schmitt. “Vacuum excavators must be easy to operate and safe for both new equipment operators and experienced operators,” he points out, adding that a struggle for many contractors is finding skilled workers to operate the vacuum excavation equipment. Vactor designed its excavators with simplified controls make it easy to operate so the “on-boarding” of a new hire is significantly condensed, Schmitt says. “Vactor Manufacturing provides safe, operator-friendly equipment for our customers,” he says. “We have simplified our operation to allow the operator to quickly and easily set the unit up for operation. Vactor equipment also has built-in system protection to prevent improper use of the equipment and remove the guesswork from the unit’s operation. The end result is a quick, efficient, long-lasting, and operator-friendly vacuum excavator.” [text_ad] The advantage of air vacuum excavation is that “air is limitless,” says Schmitt. “Onboard compressors generate the required pressure on demand, so there are is no need to refill water,” he says. “Air is nonconductive. When vacuuming around live electrical wires, pneumatic excavation can be a preferred choice over hydroexcavation.” Air vacuum excavation provides dry spoils that can be returned to the excavation site immediately, Schmitt points out. “Many applications in the utility segment require exposing the utility, making the repair, and then backfilling the material,” he says. “This can’t be done with hydroexcavation.” Air vacuum excavation uses lower excavation pressures compared with hydroexcavation, Schmitt says. Protective coatings and brittle underground utilities can easily be damaged when using hydroexcavation if the operator is not careful, he adds. “Air vacuum excavation allows utilities to locate a utility to verify its location, while also allowing dry backfilling of the hole with the same soil it excavated,” he adds. “It does not require disposing of wet/muddy slurry of material.” In the next part of this series—a continuation of utility locators and vacuum excavation applications—author Brzozowski continues this discussion in the determination of hydro versus air vacuum excavation.The advantage of air vacuum excavation is that “air is limitless,” says Schmitt.
“Onboard compressors generate the required pressure on demand, so there are is no need to refill water,” he says. “Air is nonconductive. When vacuuming around live electrical wires, pneumatic excavation can be a preferred choice over hydroexcavation.”
Air vacuum excavation provides dry spoils that can be returned to the excavation site immediately, Schmitt points out.
“Many applications in the utility segment require exposing the utility, making the repair, and then backfilling the material,” he says. “This can’t be done with hydroexcavation.”
Air vacuum excavation uses lower excavation pressures compared with hydroexcavation, Schmitt says. Protective coatings and brittle underground utilities can easily be damaged when using hydroexcavation if the operator is not careful, he adds.
“Air vacuum excavation allows utilities to locate a utility to verify its location, while also allowing dry backfilling of the hole with the same soil it excavated,” he adds. “It does not require disposing of wet/muddy slurry of material.”
In the next part of this series—a continuation of utility locators and vacuum excavation applications—author Brzozowski continues this discussion in the determination of hydro versus air vacuum excavation.
