Vacuum Excavation is an intrinsically safe system for uncovering and exposing the threat from buried services, and a flexible option for removing material from awkward or sensitive areas. These small machines range from trailer units towed by Land Rovers, up to 7.5t truck units and are ideal for slip trenching, bore holes and trial pits. 

Why use Hydro Vacuum Excavation?

Vacuum Excavation is rapidly becoming the preferred method within many industries for exposing the threat from live underground services, and can also greatly increase productivity over hand dig methods. Traditional exploratory excavation techniques even when used with GPR or Cable Avoidance Tools can expose ground workers to risk of injury or death and construction projects to delays and expensive repair bills from service providers for the damage caused by you to their services.

Benefits of Vacuum Excavation:

- 100% safe to both utility and operator

- Industry best practice according to HS(G)47

- Minimum of 50% faster than hand digging

- Excavation in all geology types

- Fast, effective excavation in areas with access issues

- Keyhole surgery of trial pits, no need to excavate large areas/amounts of material

- Safely remove contaminated materials

Downsides:

Leaves excavated material in a slurry, not suitable for back filling, pneumatic excavation must be used where material needs to be kept dry

These vacuums run in both our hire and contract fleet and mainly serve the petroleum and electricity industries..

1. High pressure water (up to 4000psi) is used to safely disrupt/break up the sub-surface, water at this pressure is a very effective digging tool and will easily break down clay, PFA and other cohesive geology types without any risk of damage to services.

2. After de-compaction of sub base material has been achieved by the hydro-jet, the loosened spoil can be safely removed by high performance vacuum; if access is limited the vacuum excavation unit is capable of working distances of up to 100m from the excavation.

3. After the excavation is complete the recovered material is safely contained in a water tight spoils tank or in-line interceptor, this can then be used for back fill or if contaminated transferred for removal.

 Vacuum Excavation services include:

Vacuum Excavation Applications:

• Safe slip trenching around all utilities
• Safe excavation in material contaminated with asbestos and hydrocarbons etc
• Industrial cleaning of powders/dust
• Bulk excavation
• Guaranteed service clearance
• Pre-drilling boreholes
• Silt clearance from monitoring wells
• Gully cleaning
• Bentonite/mud/slurry removal
• Activated carbon removal
• Well installation at depths of up to 3m
• Railway ballast removal
• Horizontal boring
• Silt removal from drains
• Environmental spill clear up, contamination contained in tank
• Safe pot holing
• Safe trial pitting
• Safe tree root exposure
• Bespoke projects

Operator Training:

• National Grid Persons
• National Grid BESC
• National Grid Competent Persons
• SPA
• SMSTS
• SSSTS
• NRSWA
• CSCS CPCS
• First Aid
• HSG-47
• Full UK driving licences
• HGV Licences
• SHEA Gas
• Vacuum excavation competency cards

For more information on any of the above services provided by adp, for quotes or to just discuss your project please contact:

Tom Page - T: 01454 227 115 - M: 07817 419 954 - E: tpage@adpgroupltd.co.uk