As a whole, the construction industry is known to be slow at adopting new technologies. That being stated, hydro excavation is quickly becoming the go to method for both large and small excavation jobs. This is due to the fact that it all but eliminates the need for large, heavy-duty machinery, and multiple operators. Whenever you can remove these items from the equation, it saves a great deal of time and a boatload of money. Traditionally speaking, excavation has been completed the same way for hundreds of years.
People dig a hole; pile up the resulting soil on or near the excavation site, and back fill the hole once the installation process is complete. Back in the old days, workers would dig the hole with a simple shovel, pile up the soil by hand, and then use the same shovel to backfill the hole once the foundation was installed. Of course, that is back breaking, and time consuming work. Eventually, the shovel was replaced with heavy-duty excavation equipment such as a backhoe. The use of heavy-duty excavation machinery certainly speeds up the process, however it’s incredibly expensive and dangerous to operate.
In addition, it is bad for the environment. Yet that is all we had to rely on for the better part of 75 years. Then something incredible happened. The hydro excavation method was invented. It is a fairly simple, yet brilliant way to move soil that saves time, money, is far less dangerous, and does not harm the environment. Hydro excavation works in the following manner. In essence, highly pressurized water is sprayed at the area that needs to be excavated. The water and soil mixture, known as slurry, is then vacuumed up and stored in a portable tank.
The hydro excavation system is typically mounted on a vacuum truck. The truck itself can be parked a distance from the site due to the fact that only the vacuum hose and water hose are needed to complete the job. For example, if the hoses are 30 feet long, the truck can be parked 30 feet from the excavation site. That means hydro excavation can be utilized in areas that are impossible to reach with heavy-duty excavation equipment. The spray of water is so precise that it only removes soil in the area where the installation will take place.
That means there is very little to no backfill to deal with. It also means that the hydro excavation method can be utilized in areas where it is dangerous to dig such as utility installations. For example, contractors that are installing or repairing cable lines do not need to worry about hitting phone lines, electric lines, or water pipes that are buried underground.
If you have any questions about hydro excavation in Massachusetts, or would like to schedule service we are happy to help. Jolin Paving & Excavating, Inc. is your New England connection for a vast variety of environmentally related services. Our company has been serving Boston Massachusetts, Southern NH, VT & ME as well as Northern CT & RI since 1952. Please Contact us to learn more today. Environmental related issues occur all of the time, and can strike at any time. That is exactly why you need to have a local and reliable environmental services company at the helm and ready to go whenever you actually need them.
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