AIR VACUUM EXCAVATION
Air Vacuum Excavation is the latest in technology using kinetic energy in a high pressure air stream to penetrate, expand and break up soil for underground utility excavation. Once the soil is loosened, it is removed by a powerful vacuum and transferred into a holding tank where it is stored until used for backfill or hauled away for disposal.
Air vacuum excavation provides the opportunity to positively identify the location of existing utilities by creating small holes (12” x 12” in diameter) referred to as “potholing” or dig “slot trenches” of any length in heavily congested areas. Using this method, non-destructive air vacuum technology also allows
U.L.L.S. Inc. to quickly, safely and economically excavate in areas inaccessible to conventional digging equipment – including areas with high voltage electric and high pressure gas.
Most utilities are located within 4-5 feet of ground surface and can be located in under 30 minutes.
U.L.L.S. Inc.’s air vacuum excavation equipment has the ability to dig holes to over 20’ deep to find some of the most difficult utilities.
Benefits of Air Vacuum Excavation and Potholing:
- Faster and more cost effective than hand digging
- Air Vacuum Excavation (Potholing)
- Safer than hand digging and conventional digging equipment, which are notorious for causing utility strikes
- Ground spoils remain dry, eliminating mud disposal problems
- Will not damage utilities or roadbase
- Faster cleanup and environmentally safe
Typical Applications of Air Vacuum Excavation:
- Underground utility location verifications – “Potholing”
- “Slot trenching” and excavation of holes in densely populated utility areas
- Allows for data retrieval of vertical, horizontal, size and type of utility for pre-job surveying
- Holes for installing RFIDs with minimal disturbance
- Remote excavations (inside buildings and sites to small for excavators or backhoes)
- Utility line service terminations
- Installing cathodic protection
- Clearing environmental boring holes
- Footing excavations
- Valve box, vault, manhole and catch basin cleaning
- Fence or barricade installations
- Debris removal