The construction industry has a lot of equipment and strategies it uses to get the work done. Some of the equipment has been around for ages, while others keep budding up to make work easier. One of the common pieces in the industry is a hydro excavator.
A hydro excavator is a machine used to dig and retrieve items buried in the deep layers of the soil. This process is called hydro excavation. If all this sounds like jargon, read on to understand what hydro excavatin is and how it works.
Hydro excavation is the process of using pressurized water to soften soil when retrieving things from underground. Traditionally, people used excavators and other machinery to dig out utility pipes or things hidden in the soil. While these were effective, they would cause damage to the items being dug out. For this reason, crews are opting for the less damaging process of hydro excavation.
As the name suggests, hydro excavation uses water to draw out items from underground. The workers use pressurized water and point it at the points they want to excavate. The water creates a muddy slurry which is easy to suck up the soil's deeper layers.
This modern excavation formula has led to the growth of the excavation industry. According to the IBIS World, the excavators' contractor industry has grown exponentially in recent years. Between 2016 and 2012, the industry has seen 4.4% yearly growth, hitting $80.2 in 2021.
When a team needs to remove utility pipes from underground, they bring a hydro excavation truck to deliver the pressurized water. According to Dig Different, one hydro excavation truck can carry up to 11 cubic yards of dirt or 1350 gallons of water.
While at work, the team releases the water onto the ground to form an easily vaccumable slurry. The slurry is then poured into the truck, as the teams remove the utility pipes. After the work is done, the slurry is redeposited on the same area to dry up.
The hydro excavation equipment can be used for big projects and lighter ones. A big excavation project uses a positive displacement blower, while lighter projects use a fan system.
Hydro excavation is the best and least damaging process of digging up things from the underground. Excavation contractors use the strategy to dig up utility pipes without damaging them. It is a welcome strategy to replace the heavy machinery excavation methods that damage items and cause pollution.
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