by Ecotech | Jun 17, 2015 | Uncategorized
Vacuum Excavating in remote locations is similar to traditional hydro excavation, except instead of working right off the boom of the Vac Trucks, an industrial vacuum hose is run up to several hundred feet from the truck to the location that is difficult to get to.
Remote Vacuum Excavation is used to solve many problems in regards to difficult excavation locations. Some of these problems are:
- Low overhead clearance, inhibiting the truck to get close to the location
- Tight spaces, that the truck cannot fit through
- Unstable soil, that would be dangerous for the truck to drive on
- Underground utilities that are close to the soil, that cannot be driven over
Whenever these barriers occur in excavation projects, remote excavation is a great tool to excavate those hard to reach places. The truck can be parked away from the difficult excavation site and the pipe can run all the way from the truck to the excavation site.
Advantages to Remote Vacuum Excavation
- There is no need for hand digging, that can be incredibly slow, strenuous, and can damage delicate utilities
- Low Clearance spaces can be avoided
- You can remove the material up multiple stories with the high powered vacuum
- Excavating around the maze of underground pipes and utilities with vacuum excavation removes the risk of damaging the utilities.
- Excavating in narrow spaces, places with low clearance, or anywhere else a machine or truck cannot reach is made easy and simple with vacuum excavation
- You can excavate indoors (in basements for example), where other excavation equipment can’t reach without having to hand dig.
If you or your company has a difficult project, that you have no idea how you will be able to excavate because of its location or sensitive utilities feel free to call us at 1-855-463-2683. We will be happy to come to your job site, at no cost to you, to evaluate the project and provide you with some options that we can hopefully provide for you to complete your project.
by Ecotech | Jun 10, 2015 | Uncategorized
“Depths of utilities can be assumed.”
Locator depths are estimations, because the surface grade often changes since the time that the utilities were originally installed. Many times utilities are installed before excavation, fill and development happen that can change the surface grade dramatically. The depth of utilities can never be assumed. Even small portions of utility lines that are as small as a city block can dip or rise in depth. It is important that utilities are exposed to verify their exact location and depth.
“It will never happen to me mentality.”
It is easy to think a utility strike will not happen to you, because you have never had a disastrous strike before, but utility strikes happen every day and it is important to never skip safety measures. Cutting corners, rushing to get the job done, getting lazy or complacent on the job, can all lead to major consequences.
“Exposing to the depth of the utility is good enough.”
Only exposing the depth of existing utilities is not proper practice and may violate OSHA regulations. Along with exposing the depth of utilities, you must also verify that no utilities are hiding underneath and always expose to the depth of the intended bore path. Visually observe the drill head as it passes the utility, and again during each pass of the reamer. The reamer can shift in the bore during pullback and strike a utility that appeared to have plenty of clearance.
“Just drill deeper to avoid existing utilities.”
Drilling deep creates problems such as locating and exposing for current and future excavation. At approximately 10’, locators become less accurate with locating the underground infrastructure. If the existing utility goes undetected, an underground strike can occur. Also, best practices dictate that the existing utility being crossed be exposed to the depth of the intended bore. That is difficult for deeper bores and if the line at that depth is ever damaged, the utility will have to dig deeper requiring a longer response time and greater expense.
“Sewer lines don’t need to be or cannot be located.”
If a sewer line is damaged during the installation of a utility, the sewer will eventually clog because of the intersection of the newly installed utility. To relieve the clog, a plumber will run a snake into the sewer and can damage the intersecting line. If it is an electric line, the plumber could be electrocuted. If it is a gas line, the gas can migrate into the sewer and ignite once inside homes or businesses.
“No locate marks = no utilities.”
If there are no marks, this could mean that it was not yet located. Many states have a positive response system so that it can be verified that all utilities have cleared the area.
On-site, privately installed lines may not be recorded by the utility companies or located by the locating service. Inspect the area for evidence of underground activity, disturbed and repaired soil or pavement, utility boxes, conduit coming out of the ground, etc.
“My responsibility for damage prevention ends when I call 811. If something happens, 811 is liable.”
811 does not locate utilities. They coordinate with the utilities and their contracted locating services to have the area located. It is the responsibility of the excavator to verify that locates have been completed and are accurate. This includes contacting utilities that don’t subscribe to 811, looking in the area for signs of utilities (outbuildings, pipeline markers, light poles, utility boxes, meters, etc.) and exposing the utilities to verify the locates. If an excavator damages a line, there are always costs to bear and effects on reputation.
“Exposing utilities (potholing) is included as part of the contract price for the drilling.”
This shouldn’t be assumed. To ensure potholing activity is included and is not shorted, it is recommended to separate this activity from the drilling in the quote. The project owner and contractor should work together to emphasize this as an important and integral part of the job.
“We have to accept whatever the caller gives us.”
When a contractor calls the Call Center or Utility, both parties have to be explicit and detailed with the information provided so an accurate and safe locates can be made.
“Electric strike alert systems can predict an electric strike.”
In some cases, the system may activate in the proximity of an energized line, but it cannot be relied upon to detect the line before a strike happens. If the electric strike system activates, always assume an electric strike has occurred.
Some strike systems detect a strike using only voltage detection via a voltage limiter. The voltage limiter is located away from the machine on a ground stake and detects the voltage difference between the ground stake and the drilling machine.
Other strike systems use both voltage and current detection. In addition to a voltage limiter, a current coil detects current flowing through the drill string. The system will only activate the alarm when voltage, current, or a combination of both voltage and current is above threshold limits.
For either system, if the alarm sounds, assume a strike has occurred.
Other strike systems use both voltage and current detection. In addition to a voltage limiter, a current coil detects current flowing through the drill string. The system will only activate the alarm when voltage, current, or a combination of both voltage and current is above threshold limits.
For either system, if the alarm sounds, assume a strike has occurred.
For the original article and more information, visit ICUEE.
by Ecotech | Oct 17, 2014 | Uncategorized
From: Keeping Our Finger On The PULS
By: Ryan Frank, Ecotech
Vacuum Excavation is a non-mechanical, non-destructive way of safely exposing buried utilities. This process also allows for workers to stay on the surface and out of the excavation. By virtually eliminating accidental line damage and trench cave-ins. This is the only true method for identifying the accurate depth of a utility.
As part of an overall damage prevention program especially when dealing with high value utilities, we always recommend vacuum excavation to expose all utilities in the proposed path of excavation. For projects where high volume vacuum excavation services are needed, and with large quantities of spoil being removed from the job site, we partner with Ecotech.
Ecotech’s hydro excavation team uses high pressure air or water to expose buried utilities. This process allows us to dig through any type of soil including clay, rocky soil, or even frozen earth without damaging buried utilities or harming underground lines. A vacuum hose then transfers both soil and water to the debris tank on the truck.
It is against the law to dig with traditional excavating equipment without a 1Call and the risk of digging without knowing where to dig is just too great. Whether you are excavating near an electric line, water or sewer pipes, or a fiber optic cable, with traditional equipment and even digging by hand.
This means that the ability to physically determining on-site the location, nature and depth of underground utility services is critical to reducing the risk and consequences of inadvertent damage during construction. If it’s underground, and it’s delicate, expensive or dangerous, you should be using vacuum excavation in order to visually confirm the location of the utilities before you dig.
by Ecotech | Dec 2, 2013 | Uncategorized
By Ron Weber, Assistant Marketing Manager, Vac-Con, Inc.
The real beginning of Hydro-Excavation dates back to the California gold rush of the 1800’s where miners used steam pump-pressurized water to erode soil. This process was called hydraulic mining. It wasn’t for well over a hundred years that such processes as vacuum, water pressure systems and heat were introduced to better the “art of controlled erosion ”
Utility companies and contractors are becoming more and more aware of the benefits of hydro or vacuum excavation. The versatility and safety is certainly at the forefront of those benefits. As more and more customers focus on those two key areas, the industry will continue to develop and evolve in many different ways.
Safety made easier
When comparing vacuum or hydroexcavation to traditional digging, some of the advantages are that there is less material removal, cleaner cut footprint, and there is minimal post-excavation restoration. The big advantages of vacuum excavation as it pertains to safety is the ability to safely uncover buried utilities, i.e. no floods, explosion, fires or power outages causing inconvenience or damage to public and people. These are all important areas to consider before digging. Trench rescue is another area related to vacuum excavation safety. While it might be uncommon, it is an effective, safe and quick way to remove material.
Trench rescue situations usually are the result of mechanical excavation or a trench that simply collapses on a worker. It is a major safety-related issue when comparing traditional digging to vacuum excavation.
Versatility opens opportunities wide
The other big advantage of hydro or vacuum excavation is its versatility. Most hydro-excavators come with either front or rear mount booms that have eight and ten foot boom extensions. Some of the versatile jobs that a hydro-excavator can do relate to plumbing, post installation (light posts, road signs, traffic lights, etc.), construction, landscaping, locating utilities (gas, fiber optics, etc.), potholing/day lighting, slot trenching, debris removal, cold weather and remote digging. Those are all examples of ways to safely, and effectively do many different jobs using hydro-excavation.
Safety can be compromised at any time when traditional digging occurs. One recent example of an underground utility strike happened in October 2012 and was fairly catastrophic. It affected thousands of people, disrupted traffic control and cost millions of dollars. On Monday, October 8th, 2012, Alaska Airlines, the 7th largest U.S. airline had to temporarily ground and delay hundreds of flights because their Sabre ticketing system was taken off line when two Sprint fiber optic lines were severed. The first cut, an underground line, occurred at a construction site along railroad tracks between Chicago and Milwaukee. The second cut, an aerial line, occurred somewhere between Seattle and Portland. Passengers were stranded throughout the west coast, and some experienced lengthy delays. This situation could have been prevented had they not used conventional digging methods.
Safety and versatility remain the biggest advantages of vacuum or hydro-excavation. Using water and vacuum to dig can definitely save in costly repairs and in time. Its versatility allows for increased flexibility when working on a difficult job. The vacuum and hydro-excavation market is still in its early stages in the U.S., but the future certainly looks bright.
by Ecotech | Oct 18, 2013 | Uncategorized
From: Municipal Sewer & Water
By: Doug Day
Hydroexcavation is gaining ground as a safe, precise and efficient alternative to conventional digging.
Hydroexcavation has been popular in Canada for 50 years, but it only started gaining traction in the U.S. about 15 years ago. It’s still not as widely used as it should be, according to Vac-Con Marketing Director Tom Jody, and there is huge potential for growth.
Ordinances requiring vacuum excavation in certain situations are common in Canada, and Jody says that demonstrates how much growth potential there is in the U.S. “Most communities in Canada require utility location with vacuum excavation or some sort of potholing before you’re allowed to excavate,” he says. “In some cases, you’re not even allowed to excavate with a conventional bucket machine; you have to use vacuum technology to do it.”
Many people may view hydroexcavation simply as a method for safely exposing underground utilities, but there are many other uses, especially in confined areas. “There are some situations where it’s a necessity because it’s impossible to get an excavating machine into a location,” says Jody. “Take for example getting behind a home in a residential neighborhood to expose the foundation to repair a utility line or drain tile.”
There are also times when hydroexcavation is the easiest method. Besides daylighting (potholing), it is useful for things like excavating for water valve replacements, trenching and cold-weather digging, as well as pipeline locating, identification and rehabilitation. “It is very precise; think about excavating a trench between someone’s prized flower garden and the wall of their house,” Jody says. “That’s something you can do with hydroexcavation that you couldn’t do with even the smallest of excavators. The applications are myriad and the equipment is relatively simple.”
Karl Lassberg works in sales and marketing for T-Rex Services Hydro Excavation and Industrial Vacuum Services, which owns the largest fleet of hydroexcavators in Texas. T-Rex, founded with one truck in 2001 by former NASCAR driver Bobby Hillin Jr., now has a fleet of more than 38 hydroexcavation and vacuum excavation trucks. “At the time, there wasn’t a lot of hydroexcavation going on in the southern Gulf region,” Lassberg says. “He just went out there and hustled, and the popularity of hydroexcavation has grown over the last decade as the awareness of the technology has grown.”
Lassberg cites one recent job as a good example of the versatility of hydroexcavation. The excavation was only 4- by 4- by 6-feet but required hand digging because the location was inside a parking garage. “It would have taken several days to dig and carry out 3.6 cubic yards of dirt by hand,” he says. “We ran a remote hose down a stairwell and it took us less than three hours. Our bill was much cheaper than a hand dig.”
He adds that hydroexcavation is also a good alternative to an auger for digging holes. “If you have only a couple of holes to dig with an auger, hydroexcavation can be competitive because the material is sucked straight into the truck and dumped off site,” Lassberg says. “You don’t have to worry about additional equipment to scoop it up and haul it away.”
The advantages are even greater when it comes to utility pole holes, usually 18 inches in diameter and 8 feet deep. Two people with posthole diggers will need about two hours to do a single hole, while it’s a 10- or 15-minute job with hydroexcavation.
Lassberg says electro-mechanical work has led to a lot of hydroexcavation work in recent years, such as grounding wire trenches, 6 inches wide and 18 inches deep, that used to be dug by hand. “We can hydroexcavate 300 to 400 feet of that in one day and cover it with a skid-steer instead of putting five guys trying to dig for days at a time.”
One such project was at a lighting conduit project at the Galleria Mall in Houston in September 2010 — 700 feet of trench (2 feet wide and 2 feet deep) underneath a sidewalk bordered by a long line of historic oak trees. “With all those tree roots, you have to dig a little differently and more conscientiously,” Lassberg says. “If you even skin a tree root you can kill the tree, so digging by hand is very tricky business.”
In this case, all the roots crisscrossing through the excavation area made any other sort of excavation impossible. Since tree roots can also be damaged by high-pressure water, the excavators used lower pressure and kept nozzles well way from the roots. The job also had to be done in 48 hours in a high-traffic area of the city. T-Rex brought in five trucks. “We started Friday at 9 p.m., and finished 40 percent ahead of schedule,” Lassberg says. “Two years later, the trees are still in great condition.”
Consider the options
Lassberg says there are three main issues to think about when considering hydroexcavation. Is there a source of water on site? Can the spoils be dumped on site? And how close can the truck get to the excavation?
- “Most trucks require a water source, whether it’s a fracking tank, water truck, hydrant or a pond,” he says. “Dumping on site usually makes a job much more productive. Dumping offsite means driving to a dump site and back; sometimes there are dumping fees. Access within 15 or 20 feet from the dig site allows for the greatest productivity but we can work 300 to 400 feet away from the truck when necessary.”
The key pieces of equipment are a vacuum hose and a line for pressurized water. Compressed air can also be used, in which case it is called vacuum excavation (the generic term for the process). The water or air loosens the soil, and the vacuum removes the soil. “It creates a very accurate excavation and less impact on the surrounding environment with a much neater work space because you’re removing the soil into the debris tank,” Jody says.
Using air or water greatly reduces the possibility of damage that is common with a metal bucket. “It’s very easy to sever a fiber-optic cable with an auger or backhoe,” Jody says. “You could be shutting down the transfer of information to and from an entire city.”
- Such accidents can happen even when underground utilities have been marked or mapped. “We’ve been on jobs where we had diagrams showing the precise locations of utility lines and after we expose them, they’re 3 feet off from where they were supposed to be,” he says. “There’s a huge amount of wiring and utilities underground in this country, to the point where you see dizzying pictures of all kinds of cables, wires and pipes crisscrossing each other in one excavation.”
So why hasn’t there been a greater shift toward hydroexcavation? Jody isn’t sure, but he has several examples of contractors who could have avoided incidents if they had chosen it over conventional techniques. “Part of it is just not knowing that the technology exists, but there are organizations around the country building awareness, including the Common Ground Alliance and local one-call groups that can help contractors become more familiar with it.”
With the right tools, hydroexcavation can be used in a myriad of specialized applications, Jody says. “Anywhere you need precision digging is a good application for hydroexcavation.”
