The post The Use Of Vacuum Excavators Is Increasingly Prevalent (And Beneficial)  appeared first on UK Construction Blog.

It’s no easy feat to choose the best way to dig, and if your attempt is incorrect or wrong, it can result in penalties, lawsuits, and even delayed project completion. When excavating near an underground infrastructure, it might be tempting to grab a shovel or jump behind the controls of a compact excavator, but it’s not the best approach. Only soft excavation is permitted within the buffer zone until the distribution lines’ exact location is verified visually to identify the depth and avoid damage. 

Because it can break up material with little to no causational harm to the surrounding area, including fibre, cable, electric gas, and water lines, vacuum excavation offers an efficient solution for digging near underground utilities. Contractors and pipeline companies depend on specialty companies to do the work, so there’s a need for more contractors to get into the market. Long ago, enterprises used vacuum excavators primarily for potholing purposes, but today’s applications have expanded to include the clearance of silos, uncovering tree roots, and emptying water-filled shafts. 

What Is A Vacuum Excavator And How Does It Work?  

A vacuum excavator is a special type of vehicle specially developed to remove the soil that has been loosened in advance from the area where the construction will take place using vacuuming. Compressed air or pressurised water loosens the soil, and a vacuum system removes it. A vacuum excavator can extract a wide array of granular materials, such as stone, sand, rubble, scree, mud, and liquids, but it should only be used if suitable documented control measures have been put in place. Special permits and movement orders are necessary. 

A vacuum excavator is an economical, fast, and safe solution for most applications, operating reliably even under the most exacting conditions. The safe operation of the vacuum excavator is contingent upon the selection of suitable personnel who are competent to undertake the required duties. The operator should be medically and physically fit, with particular regard to eyesight, hearing, and reflexes, and be able to gauge distances, heights, and clearances. Vacuum excavation is sometimes used in tandem with utility locating services to completely or accurately mark a site. 

Contractors Prefer Using A Vacuum Excavator When Working In Residential Or City Centre Area 

Deep excavation works in residential areas and city centres bring risks to the surrounding regions, notably if the buildings’ technical condition and structural stiffness is rather doubtful. For this reason, an ever-increasing number of contractors fall back on vacuum excavators because they dig safely around live services while reducing the risk of triggering an explosion in the area. Different models are available for 2, 3, and 4-axle vehicles and can be supplied on request. This investment guarantees high accuracy, so it’s possible to expose utilities to establish their type, depth, size, and position. 

Vacuum excavators are the choice of contractors whose living depends on continuous operation, greatly increasing productivity over hand dig methods. Having a reliable construction equipment supplier is of the essence when it comes to keeping the project on track, which means it’s worth investing time in finding and securing a trustworthy partner. Saugbaggersales UK, for example, can provide the correct machine for the job. You must understand the working pressure and functionalities of the equipment, though. Discuss the nature of the task and the type of construction site with the supplier so they can determine the unit that’s best suited for the job. 

Key Considerations When Selecting The Right Vacuum Excavator For Your Business 

To help you select a suitable vacuum excavator, the construction equipment supplier must provide reference data, such as: 

• Maximum reach (radius) and the boom’s length
• Available accessories and implements
• Footprint of the machine
• Excavation rates for various ground types and situations 

The good news is that a broad choice of models is available to address specific vacuuming and potholing requirements, in addition to adverse or special conditions. A vacuum excavator can support other activities on the project, such as drilling fluid management while carrying out HDD work. A programme for servicing the vehicle and its supporting structure (and all accessories) should be devised as part of a maintenance plan. 

Vacuum Excavation Is A Highly Sustainable Solution  

Infrastructure development is in high demand worldwide, with urban ecosystems undergoing a radical transformation, whether it’s underground pipe laying for sewer, gas, and water supply or the use of telecommunications. Hand tools or mechanical excavators are no longer deployed for digging near underground infrastructure because they’re unsafe in certain situations. Innovations in technology have led to vacuum excavation, which uses pressurised air that produces less negative impact on the environment. A vacuum excavator doesn’t use hard edges for digging, and the operator has a direct line of sight to the hole they’re creating. 

The construction industry and government regulatory bodies haven’t acknowledged the advantages of vacuum excavation since it’s a new technology, but that will undoubtedly change for the foreseeable future. Vacuum excavation is an entirely sustainable choice because it minimises soil disturbance, enabling operators to preserve important flora and fauna, and reduces dust emissions regardless of the substance being removed. It allows for a smaller jobsite footprint because operators can dig deep without having to dig too wide. 

Concluding Thoughts 

Vacuum excavators prove to be very successful in the UK as contractors favour the manoeuvrability, low ground pressure, and running costs associated with these machines. Keyhole excavation, as it’s commonly referred to, is becoming prevalent and beneficial on numerous construction sites due to the complexity of the underground utility systems, debris, and the need to prevent accidents, injuries, and, in some cases, fatalities. While operators enjoy considerable savings, consumers benefit through less disruption and noise and reduced traffic inconveniences. 

Even in poor conditions, a vacuum excavator keeps on performing. Truck-mounted vacuum excavators account for the highest revenue market share as they’re robust, portable, and can be used for almost any operation, but they’re not quiet pieces of equipment. Manufacturers are paying attention to the noise and continuously improving the machines’ capabilities, so don’t be troubled.