Hydro Excavation
What Is Hydro Excavation?
Hydro excavation is a non-destructive, non-mechanical digging process that uses pressurized water along with an industrial-strength vacuum to excavate soil from an area. The pressurized water breaks up the dirt, turning it into a slurry that the vacuum then removes and deposits into a debris tank. The debris tanks are mounted on one of our Discovery Hydrovac trucks, making transportation of equipment and excavated soil both to and from the dig site easy and fast.
Benefits of Hydro Excavation
Hydro excavation is a popular alternative to mechanical excavation because it virtually eliminates the risk of damage to any underground utilities. Before digging anywhere, you need to determine if there are any utilities (pipes, wires, etc.) underneath your dig site. Traditional excavation tools can easily damage those hidden utilities. By using pressurized water instead of machinery, hydro excavation removes the soil from the site without disturbing any of the surrounding utilities—saving money on repairs and limiting the damage to the area around the actual excavation.
Using hydro excavation for your construction and excavation project also minimizes risk of injury to any workers on site. Instead of using heavy construction equipment like backhoes and shovels to excavate the dirt, the real work is done by the vacuum, which keeps everyone on the dig site safe.
Hydro excavation is also beneficial for winter projects since the hot water from the tanks can easily warm the frozen soil for easier excavation. Being able to perform construction work anytime during the year can decrease your project costs significantly.
Applications For Hydro Excavation
There are many different types of digging projects that could benefit from using hydro excavation instead of traditional excavation processes. Projects that require high accuracy and low impact on the dig site will benefit most from using hydrovac. These types of projects include:
- Daylighting/potholing
- Locating underground utilities
- Line installation
- Sewer inspections and repairs
- Slot trenching
- Sign installation
- Debris removal
The Discovery Hydrovac Difference
Discovery Hydrovac’s hydro excavation process is safer, faster, and more precise compared to traditional digging. It also requires less backfill, labor, restoration, and has less environmental impact than traditional techniques.
If you’re interested in using hydro excavation for your digging project, Discovery Hydrovac is here to help. Our industry experts are available anytime to answer any questions you have about the process and help you select the best equipment for your job.