Hydro excavation is a non-destructive process of excavating soil. It involves using pressurized water, and vacuums to break up the soil, after which the soil and water mixture is removed and contained in a debris tank of the hydro excavation truck.
Hydro excavation is known for being the safest and most accurate method of excavating the soil nowadays, especially if it involves underground utilities. It is superior to other machine excavation because of its benefits. Below are some of the reasons why hydro excavation is superior:
It is Safer
Being a safer method to excavate is one of the reasons why hydro excavation is most preferred today. Hydro excavation accuracy makes it able to minimize injury to workers on-site and avoid damage to existing underground structures.
On the contrary, other machine excavation can expose workers to some risks. Especially, if workers are working on areas where underground mains power, sewage lines, gas lines, and other related lines are present.
If these lines are mistakenly hit with digging equipment, there’s a high tendency to cause damage. Therefore, with this high margin of safety, employing the methods of hydro excavation seems to be a better and safer option for digging soil and trenches.
Daylighting or Exposing Utilities
Another common reason for using hydro excavation is for daylighting. Daylighting is the practice of digging the ground to expose and locate underground utilities. The process starts with the excavation trucks using pressurized water to break up the ground, then the vacuum system to remove the soil on site.
What’s more, the water and vacuum, if used properly, do not disturb or damage these existing utilities. Contractors often use this method to determine the vertical and horizontal location of underground utilities. Thus, when it comes to daylighting or exposing utilities, hydro excavation remains the best method.
It is Cost-Effective
Finally, hydro excavation is cost-effective as it help reduce expensive repair cost after any project. Hydro excavation doesn’t harm the existing underground cables and lines in any way. If other machine excavation methods are used, chances are there will be a need for unnecessary repairs and restoration expenses, as a result of damages during digging.
However, with hydro excavation, all these expenses are prevented. This, in turn, translates to faster completion of projects and zero man-hours lost due to interruption of service and unnecessary repairs, as in the case of machines. These hydro excavation machines are best suited for non-destructive excavation and help save cost.
There you have it! Above are some reasons why hydro excavation is superior to machine excavation. When planning on an excavation project, most people in construction will definitely prefer a safe and cost-effective system, because hydro excavators eliminate the use of sharp or metal equipment that are at fault for the majority of digging incidents.
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