Vacuum Excavation Services
By Sierrahydrovac_Admin Hydrovac Excavation 0 Comments

4 Benefits Of Vacuum Excavation

As the name suggests, vacuum excavation is done to excavate land or to remove heavy debris. It is primarily done using a suction excavator. A suction excavator is typically a construction vehicle that has a huge suction inlet pipe and a waste collection mechanism. Vacuum excavation uses highly advanced suction technology to uncover underground utilities in the most non-disruptive manner. When the same process is done using a water jet as opposed to a suction pipe, it is called hydro excavation.

Air vacuum and hydro vacuum are the two most commonly used methods for digging and are categorized under vacuum excavation. The former method uses a high-velocity stream of suctioned air whereas the latter uses high-pressure water jets.

Vacuum excavation services are used for a variety of applications such as to verify underground utilities, to clear environmental boring holes, and to excavate plumbing pipes and sewer lines to name a few. Now that we have understood what vacuum excavation is, let’s take a look at the potential benefits of using this method of trenching:

1) Minimum Damage to Underground Fixtures

One of the most well-known benefits of vacuum excavation is that it leads to a minimum disruption. The process of digging is designed in a manner that it does not harm any underground utilities or fixtures like water lines, cable lines, sewage pipes or boring wells. During the process, the vehicle is parked at a distance from the excavation area and the suction tube is let under the ground. No moving parts make contact with the underground utilities. This results in minimum or almost no damage to them.

2) Advanced Technology

Vacuum excavation is way more advanced than the traditional digging methods. It is much faster and as mentioned above, safer. A suction excavator removes much more material from the ground as compared to a hand dig. It also requires less labor involvement compared to traditional methods. So, the chances of on-site accidents are minimal. Lastly, this method of excavation provides high levels of accuracy as well.

3) Safer and Cleaner Work Site

In traditional digging methods, there is lack of precision and laborers have to cover a larger surface area while uncovering the soil. But with vacuum excavation services, things are not as messy. The equipment for vacuum excavation not only removes debris from the land but also stores it. It has a systematic mechanism for removing debris from the land and a suction nozzle to drop the debris it has picked.

4) Cost Effective

The fact that this method is faster compared to traditional digging itself makes it cost-effective. Vacuum excavation services provide for an accurate and precise outcome thereby, reducing any damage to surrounding utilities and fixtures. With minimum damage to the environment, there are fewer chances of incurring any additional costs. Therefore, this method is cost-effective.

Apart from that, vacuum excavation services can dig into any type of soil including clay, rocky soil or even frozen earth. Hence, it is the most preferred method for excavating underground. If you have been looking for a reputed hydro vac service provider, then get in touch with us at the earliest.

By Sierrahydrovac_Admin Hydrovac Excavation 0 Comments

5 Things To Keep In Mind While Hiring A Hydro Excavation Company

A Hydro excavation company is tasked with the non-destructive excavation of a particular piece of terrain. It should be capable of collection and removal of dry and wet waste with efficiency and regularity. Hence, there are several relevant considerations to keep in mind before you decide on a certain hydro excavation company. These considerations keep you relatively safeguarded from future complications that might arise from a faulty choice. These complications could have professional, financial, logistical and moral repercussions for your operations. A few of them include –

1) Quality of Services Provided

It is crucial to be absolutely certain about the quality of services provided by the hydro excavation company that you are planning to hire. One could ascertain the quality of their services by gauging the standard of equipment that they employ for their projects. The quality of trucks at their disposal would directly affect the pace, efficiency and safety standards of your project. Another objective way of assessing the quality of the services provided would be to glance through their customer reviews on their different social media portals.

Hydro Excavation Companies

2) Comparing the Speed of Completion

While choosing between hydro excavation companies is understandably a complicated task, there is a quite straightforward method of making the right choice- comparing the speed with which the different companies can deliver a project. The speed with which a project is completed matters significantly, especially in a time-sensitive trenching project where everything and everybody is on a virtual deadline.

3) Assessing the Past-Records

The past projects of a hydro excavation company are an objective determinant of their capacity. One could compare the scale of their past projects to understand if your project is too large to execute for the particular hydro excavation company. Additionally, it would be fruitful to compare the duration of each companies’ lifespan and selecting an operator based on the experience they bring.

Hydro Excavation Services

4) Considering the Safety Standards

Excavation can be dangerous work, and it would be better to hire a company that takes all the necessary precautions so that there is no danger to the contractors at work. It would be helpful to consider if that hydro excavation company has had any history of fatal incidents in any of their previous projects prior to signing.

5) Evaluating the Pricing Mix

Yes, we are aware that pricing is always going to remain a factor to consider, we were never going to miss this point from our list. We do believe that you should compare the various quotations that you would be receiving from the hydro excavation companies. However, it is important to be wary of a quotation that is significantly lower from the others since that could be the result of a compromise of some sort in the nature of services offered.

Sierra Hydrovac, a leading hydrovac company in Alberta maintains the demand for high safety standards while ensuring the project is completed efficiently on time. In this age of competitive pricing, it would certainly be a good idea to start with a free quote from our experienced representatives.

Industrial-Hydrovac
By Sierrahydrovac_Admin Hydrovac Excavation 0 Comments

Which Industries Could Use A Hydrovac?

Hydrovac, also known as Hydro Excavation in certain circles, is a type of excavation process that involves utilization of pressurized water, injected into the ground in order to soften it. When the solid ground then turns into sludge, the vacuum system draws out the sludge through a hose and into an attached storage truck. This process of excavation is non-destructive (does not disturb the nearby surroundings), and is an increasingly quick means of excavation. Hydro excavation manages to accomplish in hours, what the traditional mechanical excavation (that uses metal claws) managed in days. Industrial hydrovac is now used across several sectors, and is only just starting to get noticed among others. Here are a few industries where industrial hydrovac is commonplace.

Piping Industry

The piping industry is a vast industry and industrial hydrovac has multiple applications within the piping industry itself. Hydrovac is useful when it comes to cleaning pipes of all its contaminants using the vacuum system. Furthermore, since hydrovac is non-destructive and is capable of detecting underground pipelines, it is trusted to excavate the ground when the pipelines are to be altered, reworked, or exposed.

Oil Drilling Industry

The flourishing oil drilling industry in Alberta has a large requirement for industrial hydrovac excavation services. The cold terrain of Alberta is generally very difficult to pierce through, and the fact that hydrovac trucks have a provision for heating the pressurized jets make hydro excavation very popular for the oil drilling industry. Another reason for this popularity would be the fact that it is essential to know exactly where to commence digging and hydrovac trucks are apt at exposing the underground pipelines, thus ensuring the very important sense of direction.

Construction Industry

Construction industries are far more productive due to the increased efficiency of industrial hydrovac. Digging and debris collection is swifter when compared to mechanical excavation, which utilizes metal claws instead, which are harder to direct and control. Constructing tunnels and foundational structures are now relatively less time-consuming.

Mining Industry

Mining industry uses large-scale digging excavation operations, and hydrovac excavation has also been utilized since hydrovac has the potential of digging through the ground at a much faster rate. Hydrovac is capable of excavating several textures of soil and ground, including gravel and clay, which makes it a suitable option for mining purposes as well.

Hydrovac is widely used in these industries as it has many advantages such as being time-efficient (the capacity to excavate at a faster rate) and is surprisingly cost-efficient. Canadians must also consider the fact that hydrovac is capable of excavating cold, hard ground as well. As far as industrial hydrovac is concerned, Sierra Hydrovac is a reliable, trusted partner for your excavation endeavors, as shown by their gallery displaying their projects.

Hydrovac-Trucks-Edmonton
By Sierrahydrovac_Admin Hydrovac Excavation 0 Comments

Facts You Should Know About Hydrovac

‘Hydrovac’ or ‘Hydro Excavation’ is the only non-destructive method of digging into the soil or ground. This process of excavation includes injecting a forceful stream of pressurized water into the ground to soften it. After that, a vacuum system is used to collect the mixture of soil and water safely into the attached storage tank. Some areas of application include digging into the ground, collecting debris, and discovering underground facilities such as gas lines or pipelines. Here are four facts you might want to know about Hydrovac and its usage.

1. Hydrovac is Non-Destructive

Unlike mechanical excavation that generally uses metal shovels and claws; hydro excavation does not damage the underground facilities since it simply uses pressurized water. There are cases when one might not be certain as to what lies underneath the surface (there is a possibility of having underground pipelines). Standard hydrovac trucks in Edmonton are generally safer bets, as it ensures there is hardly any damage caused due to the digging activities.

2. Hydrovac is Accurate

Hydrovac uses pressurized water, and turns the stiff ground into muck. The direction that is provided during hydro excavation is very precise, yet the flow remains intense. Greater control while using the pressurized jet also results in a more accurate, and precise excavation. This method, thus, is ideal when digging slim lines of trenches and slits without any damage to the area that surrounds it. Gardens and parks often have a drainage problem, making them very valid places that could use some of this precise form of excavation.

3. Hydrovac is Efficient

Another crucial aspect where the incessantly efficient hydrovac trucks in Edmonton outperform their mechanical counterparts is efficiency. It is remarkable what this pressurized stream of water does to solid ground. Rendering the ground loose, this is ideal, since it becomes rather easy for the trucks to use the vacuum system to good effect, to clear the debris without wasting much time. What could take days, hydrovac trucks in Edmonton accomplishes within hours. Furthermore, hydrovac is also cost-efficient since it causes no damage to surrounding areas, preventing wastage of financial resources that go into repair work.

4. Hydrovac is Suitable for Cold Climate

For someone operating in Canada, this is an advantage of gigantic proportions because as excavation service providers already know, it could be very difficult to conduct their digging operations on cold, hard ground. The pressurized water that is used while injecting into the ground is heated since certain hydrovac trucks in Edmonton provide the heating facility as well. This is especially useful for people conducting digging operations in the bitter cold.

Hydrovac services are used for a wide range of activities. You might find this method of excavation particularly helpful if you need to create trenches, testing underground pipeline utilities, Daylighting, direction drill and bore support, and debris clearing. For those in need of quality hydrovac trucks in Edmonton, Sierra Hydrovac is a reliable partner. Contact them for a free quote.

Hydrovac Trucks Edmonton
By Sierrahydrovac_Admin Hydrovac Excavation 0 Comments

How Does Hydro Excavation Work?

‘Hydro Excavation’ is the process of soil removal or terrain digging in a certain manner. Hydro excavation uses pressurized water to force its way into the ground, and the debris is generally collected inside of an attached debris storage tank. This allows a non-explosive and comparatively safe means of soil excavation, along with an increased accuracy since it detects underground facilities. Specially designed Hydrovac Trucks are used in order to excavate soil, naturally, these Hydrovac Trucks in Edmonton are in high demand owing to the flourishing oil drilling business.

Hydro excavation has a wide range of applications. This process is used to dig holes in order to install poles and pilings; it is used for debris removal in case of a tunnel collapse, and also to clean up industrial tanks, to name a few areas of application. Hydro excavation is cost-efficient, timely, and accurate all at once.

How Does It Work?

Hydro excavation employs Hydrovac Trucks in order to excavate soil. It works particularly well when used to dig into the chilly Edmonton soil for instance, for the frozen ground is difficult to take apart. The equipment one needs would include: a large water reservoir, a larger debris tank, an 8-inch diameter suction hose attached to a swinging pivot, a cyclone vacuum unit, a high-pressure water system with a wand and an onboard water heater.

Step I

The water wand is inserted into the ground of focus. A highly pressurized stream of water follows, and heavily loosens the ground.

Step II

The slurry mix of soil and water is then sucked in with the help of a vacuum hose. The nature/properties of soil do not matter, the method works with all textures of soil.

Step III

The unwanted debris is safely compressed and stored in the attached storage tank. In case of frozen ground, the water stream is adequately heated up so as to loosen the ground. The innovation works wonders in places like Edmonton, as the Hydrovac Trucks have no problem dealing with ice cold ground.

Did You Know?

The other alternative that firms generally consider is ‘Mechanical Excavation’. Mechanical excavation is the removal of soil or rock with the help of heavy digging or cutting equipment. The problem with Mechanical excavation is that the debris is untidily lumped at the sides while excavating. Furthermore, Hydro Excavation is superior because the underground pipelines or gas lines are safely detected, and are unharmed during the excavation process. Thereby eliminating the time that is wasted dealing with broken underground facilities.

For the cold, temperate Canadian terrain, Hydrovac Trucks serve the excavation process in a better manner as they have the means to loosen the ground using heated streams. Hydro Excavation is a practical option for a wide range of tasks such as laying the groundwork for pipelines, digging trenches, digging test holes for the horizontal boring process, general excavation and debris removal. Edmonton based excavation contractors Sierra Hydrovac offer quality services in a timely fashion. A state such as Alberta with booming oil drilling business would have plenty of scope for Hydrovac Trucks in Edmonton, and Sierra Hydrovac would be pleased to offer you with a free quote if you are to write to them.

Vacuum Excavation Contractors
By Sierrahydrovac_Admin Hydrovac Excavation 0 Comments

When and Why Do You Need Hydrovac Excavation?

Hydrovac Excavation is a process of excavating soil/ground using sophisticated industrial methods. Hydrovac excavation involves inserting a water wand into the ground that is supposed to be excavated. The ground then eases up as a heavily pressurized stream of water is let through. The slacking mix of soil and water is then sucked through a vacuum hose and is collected in a storage tank that is generally attached to the truck. Firms in Canada prefer this method of excavation over mechanical excavation, since a pressurized stream of heated water is utilized in order to loosen up the icy cold ground. Naturally, vacuum excavation contractors run successful enterprises.

The alternative to Hydro excavation is generally ‘Mechanical excavation’. Mechanical excavation is the removal of soil or rock with the help of heavy digging or cutting equipment such as tractors.

Applications of Hydrovac Excavation

When should you go for Hydrovac Excavation?

Daylighting

Daylighting is the process of digging a test hole to locate underground facilities such as gas lines and pipelines. Furthermore, Hydrovac excavation is a safe method as none of these facilities are damaged in the process.

Slot Trenching

Slot trenching is the process of digging slim lines into the ground in order to install pipes, cables, and other such underground utilities. Vacuum excavation contractors are preferred over mechanical contractors since it reduces the risk of damaging existing underground facilities.

Debris Removal

Hydrovac excavation is the recommended process for clearing debris in a more sophisticated manner. A high level of accuracy in digging and a large capacity for storing debris in the truck helps.

Cold Weather Excavation

Hydrovac excavation is especially popular in colder regions such as Canada because of how cold the ground surface gets. The cold hardens the ground, making digging or excavation a very difficult task. With hydrovac excavation, you have the option of heating the pressurized water that allows the ground to loosen.

Efficiency of Hydrovac Excavation

Why should you go for Hydrovac Excavation?

Greater Accuracy

Hydrovac excavation is generally preferred over its counterpart mechanical excavation because it is non-destructive. In the sense, the area of excavation is limited to the area of our focus. The surrounding ground is undisturbed, which is something mechanical excavation cannot deliver. Vacuum excavation contractors, then, in this case, manage to edge out the mechanical contractors.

Debris Collection

Mechanical excavation generally does not allow for debris collection. Due to this, debris is placed at the side to be collected at a later date. With Hydrovac excavation, however, the debris is collected adequately, and is disposed of in a suitable manner, since the debris is collected in the attached storage tank. And, this helps to dispose of the debris as you please.

Time-Efficiency

Another advantage of opting for Hydrovac excavation instead of mechanical excavation is that Hydrovac excavation is less time-consuming. Less material is removed from the ground to complete the same task. Furthermore, the time delay caused because of accidentally damaging the underground facilities such as gas lines and pipelines is also eliminated.

Hydrovac excavation, simply put, manages to outclass the process of mechanical excavation by a fair distance, particularly in regions with a colder climate. It is also more time-efficient, cost-efficient, and neater in execution. Sierra Hydrovac is a leading player among the vacuum excavation contractors, and according to their clients, the company has delivered consistently across Alberta.

hydrovac services
By Sierrahydrovac_Admin Hydrovac Excavation • 0 Comments

Everything you Need to Know About Hydrovac Daylighting

Excavation is an important aspect of several businesses like construction, mining, and oil and gas to name a few. Hydrovac services are site excavation methods that use ‘hydro’ or water power. This excavation process uses pressurized water to remove soil and other materials to expose underground utilities. It is a cost-effective and safe method as it utilizes quality equipment and ensures no underground infrastructures are damaged.

Hydrovac services offered by hydrovac companies are available in different forms depending on the site and excavation needs. One of the popular services is hydrovac daylighting. Read on to find out more about daylighting.

Hydrovac Services – What is Hydrovac daylighting?

The term daylighting describes the process of unearthing and exposing underground utilities and pipelines to the light of day. The unearthing of buried lines was traditionally done by hands using age-old tools. Most recently, air vacuum excavation has been used to bring to surface underground utilities. While the drawbacks of manual digging are understood, air vacuum excavation has its own disadvantages like increased time and effort, reduced productivity, lack of safety, and more.

Hydrovac daylighting is a non-destructive, safe way of excavating, which replaces the traditional system of hand digging and air vacuum excavation.

Where is Hydrovac Daylighting Used?

Hydrovac daylighting is used in a wide range of excavation and cleaning applications like potholing, exposure of buried pipes and cables, culvert cleanouts, service repair pits, trenching pole holes, types of debris removal, tank cleaning, and shoring installations.

Benefits of Hydrovac Daylighting

Traditional methods of unearthing underground pipes and cables came with several drawbacks. Exposing a cable or pipe through these methods could take hours together depending on the depth of the underground utility. Plus, hand digging has also resulted in the damage to utilities. Hydrovac daylighting is comparatively a safe and speedy method. It is used to enhance project safety, increase productivity, and decrease project costs. There are several benefits of using hydrovac daylighting including:

  • Increased Productivity and Safety

This process takes less time and is surrounded by stringent safety standards developed and incorporated by a team of safety experts. Hydrovac companies that offer this service, use quality equipment to make it quick and safe. Plus, the procedure takes less time as compared to traditional methods. Trained professionals, combined with quality products, increases productivity, safety, and also reduces overall project time and cost.

  • Powerful and Flexible

Hydrovac daylighting can be used in areas having limited access or frozen soil. This procedure employs extra-long vacuum and water hoses to allow workers to work 100 feet away from the equipment and excavate up to more than 9m deep. Plus, hydrovac daylighting can be used in any weather condition, soil condition, frozen grounds, and more making it highly versatile.

If you have an excavation project, connect with us to know more about daylighting and our range of other hydrovac services.

Hydrovac Trucks Edmonton
By Sierrahydrovac_Admin Hydrovac Excavation 0 Comments

Things To Consider When Choosing A Hydrovac Truck

New age businesses are inclining towards eco-friendly and safe excavation solutions. No doubt, hydrovac excavation is gaining popularity. More and more businesses are implementing this method that uses jets of high-pressure water and vacuum suction to excavate an area. Hydrovac companies use specially built hydrovac trucks to carry out this excavation process.

Hydrovac truck is a vehicle that removes soil using high-pressure water and uses a vacuum hose to clear the resultant slurry and transport it to the debris tank. These trucks are a safe and efficient means of excavation and are applicable to a variety of projects and areas.

The benefits offered by hydrovac excavation will give you every reason to go for the process. However, a thorough understanding of its applications and other factors will allow you to choose right hydrovac trucks in Edmonton for your project.

Applications of Hydrovac Trucks

Hydrovac excavation trucks are used for a variety of projects. Whether you have a construction project, want to inspect an underground utility, conduct repairs in a sensitive area, or dig potholes for installation of poles or telephone lines, you can use hydrovac excavation trucks for many purposes. Besides these, the trucks also help clear sewers, catch basins, drains, and pollutant traps. Since using these trucks keep underground utilities and the surrounding areas out of harm’s way they are preferred over mechanical excavators for most projects.

This clearly shows their versatility for different jobs. Plus, site excavation can be carried out far from the truck. If you have any of these projects, you can utilize hydrovac trucks. However, there are many more factors to be considered before choosing a hydrovac truck.

Additional Factors

Configuration and Capacity

Hydrovac excavation trucks come in different configurations and capacities. Right from water pressure systems to the tanks, all come in different capacities. You will need to choose the one that best fits your job requirements. Heavy duty jobs demand high-pressure water systems. If you want machine downtime, then you can go for trucks with higher tank capacity. This way you will quicken the process by minimizing the time to empty the tank.

Pricing

Your budget is an important aspect that needs to be considered. Large trucks come at a high price. Depending on the job you need to get done, see the ones that fit the needs as well as your budget. For example, a truck with minimum water pressure system of 4000PSI is good for almost all applications. This way you may not need to go for the highest capacity systems.

Safety and Modern Features

Modern hydrovac excavation trucks come with latest technologies and enhanced safety features. This allows you to have an efficient and safe solution at an economical price.

Although you can hire hydrovac trucks in Edmonton, it is advisable to hire hydrovac services for short term projects. These companies utilize latest hydrovac trucks to provide an efficient solution to their clients.

Hydrovac Trucks Edmonton
By Sierrahydrovac_Admin Hydrovac Excavation • 0 Comments

How Hydrovac Trucks Work

In today’s age where preserving the environment has become a top priority, more and more companies are looking for environment-friendly solutions. Hydrovac excavation is thus becoming a preferred choice in most industries. Hydrovac is an excavation procedure that removes soil and exposes the underground utilities. Unlike the traditional excavating method of hand digging, the process is safe and efficient. This is because, hydrovac excavation uses only jets of water and air vacuum to uncover underground infrastructure.

Hydrovac companies carry out the process using special hydrovac trucks in Edmonton. If you want to know more about how it works, then read on to find out.

How Hydrovac Trucks Work to Carry out the Process?

As mentioned above, hydrovac excavation uses pressurized water and air vacuum. Hydrovac trucks rely on two major components to carry out hydrovac excavation – the high pressure water hose and the suction hose. Apart from these, the trucks also have a high volume storage tank where the soil and debris is transferred. Highly pressurized water is sprayed on the surface to loosen the soil and its particles and turn it to a slurry. The air vacuum hose is used to suck up the liquefied solution, gradually exposing the underground pipes and utilities. Most hydrovac trucks use fan blower air vacuums. This system can move air in large amounts, thus excavating faster. The system is also light, easy to operate and inexpensive.

Powerful hydrovac trucks can excavate up to 60 feet deep. Plus, the trucks can dig areas 600 feet far from its positioning. Hydrovac trucks can be used on any surface type including clay and icy.

Why Should you go for Hydrovac Excavation?

Hydrovac excavation is a safe and efficient way of exposing underground utilities or repairing infrastructure in sensitive areas. The conventional hand digging method used shovels and backhoes that caused harm to pipes and electric poles, damaging the surrounding environment. Plus, the process is long. Hydrovac excavation uses water and air vacuum that are safe and cause no damage to the surrounding environment or buried utilities. Additionally, using hydrovac trucks the job gets done faster. This allows businesses to avail of a cost-effective and safe method of excavation.

Partner with Hydrovac Companies for Effective Solutions

Although you can purchase hydrovac trucks or rent them, it may not be a great solution, especially when one has no knowledge about its systems. Hydrovac companies specialize in hydrovac processes. They use high-end hydrovac trucks and have professional, trained teams to handle a variety of excavation projects. Thus, it is advisable to hire hydrovac service providers.

Sierra hydrovac offers a range of excavation and hydrovac services. If you want to know more about our services, connect with us today.