Hydrovac services
By Sierrahydrovac_Admin Hydrovac Excavation • 0 Comments

Why Must You Opt For Hydrovac Excavation Services

If you need to excavate an area with sensitive underground utilities, then hydrovac excavation is the best option. Hydrovac is a method of digging an area and removing the soil. The process utilizes highly pressurized water and an air vacuum for excavation purposes.

Hydrovac companies bring a hydrovac truck to your desired location. Highly pressurized water is then released, that meshes the particles in the soil and turns it into a slurry. During the process, an air vacuum hose is also lowered to suck up the soil. Hydrovac companies are called upon for various projects requiring excavation like construction, installation of pipes, poles, and repair of underground utilities.

Unlike traditional excavation methods, hydrovac services are a lot more beneficial. Here are some reasons why you must opt for hydrovac services.

Hydrovac Excavation Is Safe and Non-Destructive

Safety is the biggest concern when working around underground utilities. Traditional methods, like hand digging, saw the usage of shovels and backhoes. One wrong strike of the equipment and you could rupture gas lines and water pipes, causing affecting the surrounding localities and workers in the area. Hydrovac companies utilize pressurized water and air vacuum that eliminates the possibility of damage. Plus, the process can also be carried out efficiently by being stationed a little far from the site. It is a non-destructive and non-mechanic process, which not only ensures the safety of utilities but also prevents labor accidents.

It is a Cost-Effective Excavating Solution

Any business would seek for cost-effective solutions to their problems. Hydrovac is a speedy and safe process for site excavation. Traditional methods of hand-digging took days to expose the underground infrastructure and did not guarantee safety. Hydrovac excavation is faster than conventional digging methods of hand shoveling. Trained labor combined with quality equipment quicken the time and minimize the project costs. Plus, the system is also capable of digging extensively. This provides you with an efficient method of excavation.

It is Flexible and Eco-Friendly

Unlike the age-old excavating processes, hydrovac is applicable on virtually all types of soil. Whether it is clay, or a frozen surface, hydrovac can be used on any type of ground. Furthermore, it can be carried out in areas that are not easily accessible. A hydrovac truck can be placed several feet away from the site to be excavated. This makes it suitable for localities with limited accessibility. The method causes no damage to the underground pipes and utilities. Thus, hydrovac services help in preserving the surrounding landscape.

Considering these benefits, hydrovac services provide you a safe and efficient excavating solution. If you want to know more or wish to opt for hydrovac, connect with us and we’d be happy to help.

indoor excavation hydrovac trucks
By Sierrahydrovac_Admin Hydrovac Excavation • 0 Comments

Indoor Excavation With Hydrovac Trucks

Ever thought how elevator shafts are made or foundation repairs are done in your building? It is done through a process called indoor excavation. Indoor excavation is a sub-type of the standard hydro excavation process. Hydro excavation is a process in which soil is moved or removed with pressurized hot water. The soil removed is then transferred to a tank using the vacuum. This sophisticated procedure enables excavation with precision in a non-destructive manner. Hence, no underground fixtures are damaged. In cold regions, it becomes difficult to undertake excavation using traditional methods. So hydrovac excavation is preferred instead of conventional hand digging.

Indoor excavation, as the name suggests is done indoors. The work site for indoor excavations could be industrial spaces, rooms, attic, basements, unused property and buildings. Unlike the standard excavation procedure, indoor excavation involves 3 people. One who will stay near the hydrovac truck, while the two other men will work with the pressurized hot water and vacuum hose. Indoor excavation is done using hydrovac trucks, mini excavators, tailor compact excavators, electric excavators, industrial vacuum hoses, and tubes.

Some applications of Indoor excavations are as follows:

  1. To Create Tunnels Under Buildings

Tunneling is a complex process and involves 100% precision. Hydro excavation companies undertake tunneling under apartments. It is usually done for foundation repair companies or to install some underground fixtures. Tunneling is also done for drainage system installation and maintenance.

  1. To Build Elevator Shafts

Elevator shaft repairs involve loosening and removing soil around deteriorated elevator jacks. This is done using pressurized hot water and vacuum. Hydrovac trucks are used for this purpose. Once the soil is loosened and removed, it then becomes easy for contractors to repair the elevator with ease. The excavation process differs from project to project.

  1. Small Space Excavating

Indoor excavation is done to remove large rocks, overgrown bushes and other debris in an unused property. This helps create functional space. With indoor excavation, you can transform your unused property to develop a productive space. This can then be used for various purposes. Mini excavators are used for small space excavation.

  1. Foundation Repairs

You have to do foundation repairs from time to time to ensure the structural strength of your building is intact. Hydro excavation is done to facilitate foundation repairs for contractors and engineers. Indoor excavation is required for concrete footings, installing concrete shafts, for retaining walls, for transmission tower supports, etc.

Sierra Hydrovac undertakes a wide range of excavation and hydrovac services. We are equipped with experienced tradesmen and hi-tech equipment to work in the least disruptive manner possible. You can contact us for a free quote for your excavation project.

Hydrovac Trucks
By Sierrahydrovac_Admin Hydrovac Excavation • 0 Comments

Why Are Hydrovac Trucks Used For Excavation?

Hydrovac trucks are widely used in the hydro excavation process. It is used to excavate all types of materials such as clay, sand, ice, and gravel. Most excavation professionals are trained to use hydrovac trucks. The unique selling point of hydrovac services is that they make the excavation process non-destructive, smooth, and easy. So no underground fixtures are damaged. It involves the use of pressurized hot water and vacuum to remove unwanted debris from the work site.

Hydrovac trucks have two main components which empower the excavation process. Firstly, it uses high-pressure jets which loosen the material being excavated. Secondly, a very strong vacuum hose pulls out all the debris which is transferred to a large debris holding tank.

These days more and more companies have been trying to reduce their carbon footprint by opting for eco-friendly methods. Hydrovac trucks are safe and cause minimum damage to the work site as opposed to traditional digging. And as mentioned above, no underground fixtures are harmed or damaged in the process. Another advantage of using a hydrovac truck for excavating is that it is faster than other conventional digging methods. This also helps save time and leads to faster project completion. So using hydrovac trucks are in a way the best option for excavation, it is cost-effective, fast, safe and environment-friendly.

Hydrovac trucks are used in various industries such as telecommunications, construction, land-based drilling rigs, oil and gas, utility providers, industrial companies, civil, environmental and electrical/mechanical industries. Hydrovac excavation is heavily used all across Canada since the year 2000.

Hydrovac trucks have multiple applications. Some of them are as follows:

  1. Daylighting

This process is done to ensure on-site safety. Moreover, this process lowers costs and improves productivity. Daylighting involves uncovering and exposing underground utilities to broad daylight.

  1. Trenching

Trenching is one of the most common methods of excavation. There are various types of trenching methods such as box and linear, slot, perimeter and cross and boundary trenching. Different projects require different methods of trenching.

  1. Pipeline and Utility Crossing

This method of excavation is used in congested areas to ensure underground fixtures are not damaged while excavating. It helps in excavating areas near pipeline and utility crossings without destroying them.

  1. Directional Drilling

This form of excavation is done to make gradual underground changes in direction and depth. Excavation professionals at Sierra Hydrovac have been providing directional drilling services for various projects.

  1. Potholing

Potholing is the process of digging a test hole to expose underground facilities. Hydrovac trucks are used to do potholing.

Sierra Hydrovac provides various excavation and hydrovac services. We provide quality and affordable service to our clients. If you are on the lookout for a hydrovac services contractor then contact us to get a free quote.

Applications Hydrovac Services
By Sierrahydrovac_Admin Hydrovac Excavation • 0 Comments

Different Applications Of Hydrovac Services

Hydrovac is the process of hydro excavation. It is a non-destructive process of digging using pressurized water. Non-destructive because hydrovac service providers ensure that none of the underground fixtures such as pipelines and underground infrastructures get damaged during the excavation process. Service providers like Sierra Hydrovac use high-quality equipment for all their hydrovac services. We use Hydrovac excavation trucks, track-and-mini-hoes, and skid-steers. Strict and safe procedures are used to get the work done effectively and efficiently. There are various applications of Hydrovac services such as trenching, pipeline and utility crossing, daylighting, directional drill and bore support.

Trenching

This is a common method of excavation. A trench is a narrow underground excavation tool that is deeper than is wide. Trenches are created to either install underground infrastructures such as gas lines, water pipes, water mains and telephone lines or to access these fixtures. There are various types of trenching methods such as slot, perimeter, cross and exploratory, box and linear trenching.

Pipeline and Utility Crossing

These type of excavations are usually done to repair underground utilities. Performing excavation in areas where there are many pipelines and utility crossings can be extremely tricky. It requires sophisticated equipment and a good level of expertise to do the job. Sierra Hydrovac services undertake these type of excavations. They provide easy and quick excavation services.

Daylighting

Hydrovac daylighting is used to safely expose the underground utilities and infrastructure to daylight. This type of excavation is done to reduce costs, improve safety and most importantly to increase productivity because during the day it is easier to finish the maximum amount of work. Hydrovac daylighting has replaced the techniques of hand digging and air vacuuming.

Directional Drilling and Bore Support

“Directional drilling is the science of deviating a wellbore along a planned path to a target located at a given lateral distance and direction from vertical.” It has multiple applications such as side tracking, straight hole drilling, controlled directional drilling, drilling sand with a single wellbore to reach inaccessible locations, fault drilling, to drill salt dome region, relief well, drilling horizontal wells, drilling multilateral wells and extended reach drilling.


All applications of Hydrovac services can be handled by Sierra Hydrovac. We provide you with the best hydrovac solutions at affordable prices.

Applications Directional Drilling
By Sierrahydrovac_Admin Directional Drilling 0 Comments

Applications of Directional Drilling in the Oil and Gas Industry

Directional Drilling is the process of controlling the direction and deviation of a wellbore to a predetermined underground target. It is widely used across industries as it has more advantages than a normal vertical well. Directional drilling is used for various purposes in the oil and gas industry.  Below are listed a few directional drilling applications in the oil and gas industry:

Multiple Wells in one Offshore Location

In offshore projects, multiple wells have to be drilled from a single platform. Directional wells optimize the reservoir target in comparison to vertical wells. It is for this reason that directional wells are dug as opposed to drilling a lot of vertical wells. Directional drilling is an economical option and has a lesser environmental impact.

Sidetrack Well

Sidetracking is one of the primary directional drilling applications. It is a process which deflects the borehole by starting a new hole at any point above the previous target. Side tracking is used to move the location of the bottom of the hole from a depleted portion of the reservoir to a more productive location. It is used to ease out problems caused by water or gas coning.

Relief Wells

If a well begins to flow in an uncontrolled manner then it must be sealed at depth or the pressure must be relieved. In this case, a relief well is drilled in close to the site. It will be a directionally drilled well that intersects the bore of the problem well to drain off some of the pressure. Directional and horizontal drilling techniques are used to construct relief wells.

Reach Inaccessible Locations

Reaching inaccessible locations is a chief directional drilling application. Some areas where the rigs cannot be placed are inaccessible due to the presence of a town, or mountains. The directional wells are drilled underneath the producing zones.

Overcome Geological Structure

One of the key challenges of drilling is to tackle different kinds of geological structures. Salt domes are geological structures made of salt which intrude upwards into overlying sediments. They can deform rock units into traps that can hold oil and gas. Through directional drilling wells are directionally drilled around and underneath the salt dome.

There are other directional drilling applications such as control vertical wells and horizontal wells. Sierra Hydrovac services have highly specialized directional drill equipment which has an accurate drill bit locator. We have the required expertise for all your excavation projects.

Installing Underground Utilities
By Sierrahydrovac_Admin Directional Drilling • 0 Comments

Directional Drilling is Used for Installing Underground Utilities

Also known as horizontal directional drilling (HDD), directional drilling is an accurate method of installing underground utilities like pipes, cables, and lines under constructed surfaces like parking lots, buildings, and other structures without digging trenches. This is an ideal method of installing cables and conduits below surfaces that have already been occupied. Here are some reasons why directional drilling is ideal for installing underground utilities.

  • When you choose the directional drilling method, there is no need to block the traffic or impede public areas while installing underground utilities.

  • The process requires less manpower than other processes for installing pipes, cables, sewer lines, etc.

  • HDD is an inexpensive method as it requires less manpower and limited machinery and equipment. When compared to trenching or a standard excavation process which requires several machines, tools, equipment, and workforce, the directional drilling process is much cost effective.

  • Digging and trenching have a higher risk of worker injuries, mishaps, and accidents. The risk of accidents is relatively very low in the HDD method.

  • This method has the least impact on the landscape and nature. In this method, the drills are horizontally dug deep into the earth without actually digging pits.

  • Time, cost, and materials are saved which are typically invested in filling trenches and pits that are created to install underground utilities in other processes like the excavation.

  • HDD can install utilities deeper in the earth which is practically difficult to do with other processes.

  • The process helps in installing utilities over a widespread land without disrupting the nearby land surface.

  • Holes and bores of various sizes can be drilled using different drilling tools and attachments. One single truck can have interchangeable attachments for varied drilling.

  • It is not necessary to access the site to drill underneath. Bores and holes can be drilled from some distance without obstructing the normal work or transportation.

  • As it causes the least disruption to the land and has fewer workforce risks, the directional drilling process is safe for the environment.

The benefits of HDD process are plenty over other methods of laying a gas pipe, sewer line, an electric wire, etc. However, the process is not as easy as it may seem. The entire process requires a lot of planning and perfection. This perfection and precision can be achieved only by skilled and experienced drilling professionals. Here, at Sierra Hydrovac, we provide services that can ease your excavation and drilling projects using the best equipment. Get in touch with us today and we will be happy to help you!

Hydrovac Excavation Work
By Sierrahydrovac_Admin Hydrovac Excavation • 0 Comments

How does Hydrovac Excavation Work?

The hydrovac excavation process is used to remove or move soil using pressurized water. An air vacuum is then used to transfer the debris and soil to the debris tank. This allows a more accurate and non-destructive way of excavating soil and locating the underground utilities. Hard soil is difficult to excavate using the traditional excavation methods. Using hydrovac excavation is a good way to get the job done easily.

How does Hydrovac Excavation Work?

Hydrovac excavation equipment consists of an air vacuum and a high-pressure water device. High-pressure water cuts through the soil and breaks it up. The vacuum is then used to lift up the slurry from the excavation area. The soil and debris are then transferred to a debris tank.

What are the Vacuum Choices Available?

A vacuum source is necessary for the hydrovac excavation equipment. There are two vacuum choices available – a positive displacement blower or a fan blower. A fan system can move air in large amounts, thus allowing faster excavations. Also, it is easy to operate and control. A fan system is light and less expensive than the positive displacement blower.

A displacement blower is capable of moving air at longer distances than the fan system. It allows excavations to be done at greater depths but at a slow rate. Thus, most hydrovac excavations are done using the fan system.

What Components are Essential for Hydrovac Excavation Equipment?

The hydrovac excavation equipment relies on two main components – high-pressure jets of water and a strong vacuum hose. The high-pressure water jets are used to loosen the material to be excavated. The vacuum hose sucks the loosened material and excess water into a huge holding tank.

Powerful hydrovac systems can excavate up to 60’ deep and at 600’ from the equipment. Thus, excavation work can be done even in those areas that do not have enough space.

Unlike other traditional excavation methods, hydrovac excavation trucks can be used to excavate almost any type of material at a construction site, including, hard packed clay, ice, sand, and gravel. If you have any excavations planned, choose the hydrovac excavation method as it is more convenient and can save you a lot of time and labor. You can get in touch with an experienced excavating contractor who will help you get your excavation job done easily and efficiently.

Non-destructive Excavation Process
By Sierrahydrovac_Admin Hydrovac Excavation 0 Comments

Hydrovac Excavation Is The Only Non-destructive Excavation Process

A non-destructive excavation process means digging, trenching, or installing that does not cause damage to underground utilities and infrastructure. These elements can get damaged due to the heavy impact of mechanical or manual methods of excavation (such as hydraulic excavation). The chances of underground pipe bursts, flooding, deep digging, etc. can be avoided using the hydro or air vacuum excavation methods.

As mentioned above, hydrovac excavation is an environment-friendly and a non-destructive excavation process. Also known as “vacuum excavation”, “potholing”, “hydro-digging”, “hydro-trenching” or “soft digging”, hydrovac excavation uses high-pressure water jets and a vacuum to move and loosen the soil particles. This method is ideal for excavating any type of ground including hard packed clay, sand, ice, and gravel. Various applications of hydrovac excavation are:

  • Digging
  • Buried pipe exposure
  • Trenching
  • Daylighting or potholing
  • Directional drilling
  • Laying underground pipes, sewer lines, and other utilities
  • Excavation for new construction
  • Excavation for landscaping
  • Debris removal and cleaning

Let us look at how this is the safer and non-destructive alternative to traditional excavation process:

General benefits of Hydrovac Excavation

  • Provides better damage and safety control as compared to traditional and physical methods.
  • Can easily excavate frozen ground.
  • Can easily overcome challenging soil conditions.
  • Avoids damaging the underlying pipes, cables, lines, and other underground utilities and elements. This saves a lot of additional repair costs.
  • Reduces traffic and congestion at the excavation site as the equipment and hydrovac trucks can be positioned at a distance.
  • Higher precision while working to deliver accurate results.
  • Uses less manpower than traditional methods of excavation.
  • With safety risks and fewer repairs, hydro excavation also reduces insurance and liability costs.
  • Both excavated area and materials are left clean and dry at the end of the process.
  • A faster method of excavation.

Environmentally Friendly benefits of Hydrovac Excavation

  • Accurate and precise working means lesser destruction of the area.
  • Reduces the risks or damages to trees, plants, and other vegetation on the site.
  • Minimizes dust, soil, rocks, etc. from being taken off during the excavation process and depositing or settling on other neighboring sites such as roads and gardens.
  • Since it does not involve any chemicals, this process is environment-friendly
  • Can safely remove underlying contaminated materials without causing any additional harm to the environment.
  • Ensures workers’ safety from machinery accidents and citizens’ safety from construction mishaps.

Due to high utility and many benefits, hydrovac is now the best method of excavation. So choose our Alberta hydrovac excavation services for your next digging and installation project. Get in touch with us today and our experts will understand your requirements. We provide the quickest 24-hour service, which means you won’t have to wait for long before we start working on your project.

Uses Hydrovac Trucks
By Sierrahydrovac_Admin Hydrovac Excavation • 0 Comments

Uses of Hydrovac Trucks

Hydrovac trucks contain high-pressure water and vacuum equipment which are used to dig, drill, and clean the selected area of land. These trucks have highly-pressurized water jets that loosen up the targeted land for excavation. They also have a high-powered vacuum hose that sucks water and loose materials into a huge holding tank. These trucks complete various excavation projects in an environment-friendly, non-destructive manner, thus making hydrovac the best excavation process. Hydrovac trucks are popular and largely used in various fields due to their precision and accurate working results. These trucks serve oil and gas, transport, power or electric, engineering utility providers, and other commercial industries. Below are some applications of hydrovac trucks in these industries.

Daylighting

Daylighting is the process of unearthing any kind of land covered with sand, gravel, concrete, or even ice with the help of water and vacuum in order to expose the underlying utilities to the daylight. Hydrovac trucks assist in locating underground utilities by digging or trenching the ground which is at a close proximity to the utilities. Daylighting is more efficient and precise than using other forms of utility locating.

Hole Digging

Hydrovac trucks help in digging posts as well as in piling holes of varying diameters and depths. These holes are dug for installing poles, signs, fences, signals, etc., and providing structural foundation support to them. The precision of pressurized water and vacuum equipment enable operators to drill the desired land accurately.

Trenching

Hydrovac trucks help in digging pits and trenches of different sizes and depths for exposing underlying utilities or installing new utilities. Slot trenches are smaller trenches that are typically excavated to investigate the underground conditions of a given area.

Debris Removal and Tank Cleanup

Hydrovac trucks can remove any type of material, wet or dry from trenches, pits, and underground tanks. These trucks remove soil, water, sludge, spills, debris, etc. from even the hard-to-reach underground places. Hydrovac trucks can perform cleanup tasks from a remote distance. This reduces the traffic at the site. These trucks are also useful for cleanup tasks after natural disasters.

Backfill Restoration

Hydrovac trucks can complete any excavation project by filling the trench or pit with soil and bringing the area back to its normal form. These trucks fill the holes, compact the soil and land, and make the subsurface free from unwanted air pockets.

These applications are generally carried out for the following reasons:

  1. Underground utility spotting

  2. Pipeline installation or repair

  3. Sacrificial anode installation

  4. Electric cable and gas line installation or repair

  5. Sewer line installation or repair

  6. Shoring walls and other structures

Hydrovac trucks have a number of benefits over other traditional forms of excavation and hence, they are used for a variety of applications and purposes. If you have any queries regarding the hydrovac excavation process, you can get in touch with our expert excavators.

Know Directional Drilling
By Sierrahydrovac_Admin Directional Drilling 0 Comments

All You Need to Know About Directional Drilling

Directional drilling is also known as slant drilling. It is a method used for controlling the deviation and direction of a wellbore to a predetermined underground location target. Directional drilling is mainly used in the oil and gas industry because it allows drilling multiple wells from the same vertical wellbore, thus, minimizing the well’s impact on the environment. Although directional drilling is very popular, there are some things about it that are not well-known. Here’s a guide to everything about directional drilling:

Applications of Directional Drilling

  • Mining Industry

Directional wells are used in the mining industry to produce methane gas that is available in coal seams.

  • Construction Industry

Directional drilling is used to make a small diameter pilot hole in a smooth arc under the river until it emerges on the other side. This technique is used to cross rivers that are up to 200’ wide.

  • Geothermal Engineering

High geothermal gradient that is found in some rocks can be harnessed to provide energy. To extract the heat from these rocks, the drilling of injection and production wells is necessary.

Benefits of Directional Drilling

  • Savings in excavations and shoring costs

  • Clean trenchless solution for underground installations without disturbing the above surface

  • Eliminates possibility of trenching-related accidents

  • No delays due to unfavorable weather conditions

  • No need to apply for road opening permits for public road works

  • Requires less than half the time to get the job done when compared to the traditional trenching methods

  • Best option for sites that are sensitive to surface disruptions like golf courses, busy traffic junctions, airport runways, difficult site conditions, etc.

  • Prices are not too high compared to the conventional trenching methods

  • Ideal for house service installations for gas, communications, power, sewer, and water lines.

  • Savings on manpower

Disadvantages of Directional Drilling

  • Difference in operating costs is too high

  • Expensive equipment need to be mobilized to push tools down the hole that are required for repairs

  • Prevention of sand influx into the drilling wells is less reliable and needs more effort

Directional drilling is safe and has various other benefits. The advantages of directional drilling outweigh its disadvantages by far. Plus, using the best directional drilling methods and equipment can certainly minimize the downsides of directional drilling. If you want the trenching job to be done with perfection, you should definitely choose directional drilling over other traditional methods.