Nationwide Pneumatic Vacuum Excavation service from the UK's safe digging experts..

How much does a utility strike cost your company? For a utility supplier there is the disruption to supplies, the lost revenue, the negative publicity and the customer service issues. For a contractor there are serious cost implications, project delays, and the potential damage to its relationship with its client. Above all, however, utility strikes can injure operatives and members of the public. Sadly, in some cases, utility strikes can kill. We can stop all of this..

As with hydro excavation, pneumatic excavation is 100% safe to both the utility/service and the operative. Air is compressed and injected into the ground, this air de-compresseses once in the ground and reverts to atmospheric pressures, thus breaking down and pulverizing the geology..allowing for safe removal via onboard vacuum systems. Air however, like water, its compressible..meaning up on encountering non pervious objects and materials, the air compresses and goes around it, leaving items such as utilities, ducts, pipe, wires and fibre optics un-touched. This also means however, that air/pneumatic excavation isn't suitable for excavating in cohesive geology such as clay and PFA, for safe excavation in these types of materials hydro systems must be used. The air/pneumatic excavators utilized by adp Group are also 100% safe to the operative due to them being ZERO vibratory and tested to withstand 100,000 volts.

For more information on how the pneumatic excavation tools work click here.

Benefits of Pneumatic Excavation:

- 100% safe to both utility and operator

- Using air to excavate eliminates the water, thus leaving material dry and ideal for back-filling

- Industry best practice according to HS(G)47

- Fast, effective excavation in areas with access issues

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

Downside's:

- Not suitable for use in cohesive geology, hydro excavation must be used in such conditions

Pneumatic Vacuum Excavation method:

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.

All of our pneumatic excavators also have hydro systems onboard, meaning if cohesive materials are encountered we can easily switch over to hydro.

Vacuum Excavation services include:

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