Science & Technology Using Hydro Excavation in Municipalities


by Rob Parker - Date: 2007-03-27 - Word Count: 496 Share This!

If you look at any given neighborhood, you will see only the human imprint that is left above ground. Houses, gardens, stores, trees, and other buildings are all easy to see at a glance. What you don't see is the incredible amount of infrastructure that is located underneath all of these buildings, under the streets which connect them, even under lawns and parkways.

The myriad connections of water pipes, underground cabling, and power lines create a complex pattern that is difficult to maneuver around when some work needs to be done. Hydro excavation minimizes the amount of digging that is needed on any given project, by channeling a refined stream of water only on the areas that need to be excavated. This can come in very useful in several situations that may come up in municipalities.

Digging in green areas

All municipalities value their green space, but in many cases the areas under parks are just as crowded as those under industrial areas. The continuous nature of piping and wiring means that lines linking areas are present, even when no above ground infrastructure is visible.

When this infrastructure needs to be exposed for repairs, updates, or readings, traditional excavations can leave deep, gaping holes in the earth. Digging may also damage the root systems of trees in the area, causing a loss of aesthetics and also a physical hazard if the tree should die. Hydro excavation will do much less damage to the aesthetics of any green space when holes are needed.

Under buildings

Using machines or digging by hand poses a big problem when the area under question is actually located underneath a building; namely, the building must be destroyed or at the very least the basement torn out in order to dig. With hydro excavation, however, there is no need to undo the construction of a building, as all that is needed is one small exposure hole to accomplish the task. The hydro option is therefore very suitable to residential areas of municipalities as well as businesses.

Sensitive areas

Perhaps one of the greatest advantages of hydro excavation is the ability to dig in areas that otherwise would be impossible for machinery, or tediously (and expensively!) slow to dig out by hand. When the required pole installation is too near the gas line, for example, hydro excavation is carried out through the use of an extendable hose attached to a vacuum truck. This process can be undertaken in many hard to reach areas.

Finally, the very best reasons to use hydro excavation in municipalities are benefits such as less interruption of services and continuity of landscapes. Those big gaping holes in the middle of streets are an eyesore, cause traffic problems, and often result in damaged utilities, affecting household services. Hydro excavation cuts this hassle out of the picture, resulting in much more efficient digging for both citizens and local governments. For more information on this article or on hydrovac services, visit SuperSucker.ca


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