Hydro-Excavation 101: Complete Guide For Your Next Big Construction Project
Hydro excavation is rising in popularity as a safer, more precise, and less disruptive way to cut through soil. But what is the purpose of hydro excavation? Learn how we use this industrial-strength suction for underground utility work and construction projects.
What is hydrovac excavation?
How do you hydro excavate?
Hydro-excavation, or Hydro-X, uses a combination of high-pressure water and powerful vacuum systems to break up soil, debris, and other materials as we excavate the ground. We use it for daylighting and excavation, though we often use it throughout more sensitive projects requiring high precision and minimal mess.
If you need to trench in sensitive areas, hydro excavation services are your answer.
Most Common Uses for Hydrovac Trucks
Underground Utilities Trenching & Excavation. Hydro vac excavation is helpful in urban areas where utilities and homes are crowded, and traditional digging is too risky. To avoid harming underground utilities like gas lines, water pipes, and more, hydrovac services are the least damaging and disruptive.
Utility Locating. To avoid hitting utilities in your projects, hydrovac trucks are a must for locating and exposing underground utilities so you can maintain, repair, and inspect them without causing damage.
Pipeline and Cable Installation. When you need to run new poplines, fiber optic cables, and other subsurface infrastructure, hydroexcavation can help dig the precise trenches necessary for the job.
Environmental Cleanup. If you’re dealing with contaminated soil and hazardous materials, the precision of a hydro vac truck can help you remove it safely and with minimal harm to the environment surrounding the affected area.
Design Features of Hydro-Excavation Trucks
Vac truck companies like ours bring in vac trucks with cutting-edge technologies and unique features that help our experts perform services quickly, safely, and precisely.
High-Pressure Water System
Our hydro excavating trucks are equipped with state-of-the-art, high-pressure water pumps that generate a massive 3,000 psi or more. That powerful water stream uses pressure to break up debris and soil so it’s easier to extract.
Vacuum System
Once the pressurized water makes quick work of soil and debris, the powerful vacuum system sucks and stores that loosened material. With the use of water, the vacuum system is designed to quickly deal with both wet and dry materials.
Hand Wand or Boom
Hydro evacuation is precise work, but the hand wand or boom has an adjustable nozzle for even more precision as you dig and excavate soil. Our experienced operators control the flow pressure and direction using the wand for accurate targeting and digging.
Debris Tank
All of that vacuumed soil needs to go somewhere—that’s where the debris tank comes in. Hydrovac companies send the soil to the debris tank, which stores all excavated materials suctioned by the vacuum, coming in various capacities depending on your project’s purpose and truck size.
Water Heater
Some, but not all, hydro evacuation trucks have water heaters to help maintain the temperature of the pressurized water. Heat is especially useful in cold Ontario climates where the ground may be frozen or stubborn materials may be difficult to excavate.
Types of Hydro-Excavation Trucks
Hydrovacing is useful in many different projects and services, so you’ll see specialized trucks designed to serve specific applications.
Here are the most common truck designs you’ll see:
- Wet Vac Trucks. Most people picture wet vac trucks when we start talking about hydro vacuuming because they’re the most common. These wet vac trucks use water to loosen the soil, a vacuum to extract the slurry, and a debris tank to safely store the materials until they can be safely disposed of. An excavation hydrovac truck is well-suited to tackle a range of excavation tasks quickly and efficiently.
- Dry Vac Trucks. Dry vac, or air excavation trucks, skip water and hydro digging, using high-pressure air systems to break down soil and other materials. Once the air makes quick work of the soil, a strong vacuum sucks up the debris into a tank for later disposal. Dry vac trucks are great for projects in areas with water usage restrictions or frozen ground.
- Flusher-Type Trucks. Flusher-type trucks can clean and maintain underground pipelines, sewer systems, and more. They operate using high-pressure water to flush dirt, debris, and blockages, which are all too common in pipeline systems.
- Bulk Liquid Trucks. Big jobs require big tools, and these specialized hydrovac trucks can easily handle and transport large volumes of sludge, wastewater, and other hazardous liquids.
Hydro Vac FAQs
How deep can you hydro excavate?
Many hydrovac tools can dig into the 20 to 30 feet range, but better technology and more powerful machines can dig down much deeper, reaching depths as low as 60 to 70 feet underground.
Is hydro excavation worth it?
Hydro vac services might come with a slightly higher upfront cost than some other soil removal and trenching techniques, but it’s well worth the costs, especially if you’re digging in sensitive environments or highly-populated residential areas. Hydrovac tends to be safer, less likely to cause utility damage, and more efficient than traditional methods.
What is the difference between hydrovac and excavating?
Traditional excavation relies on messy mechanical techniques with loud equipment like bulldozers and backhoes. They can only safely be used in areas where there are no utilities or hidden cables, while hydrovac equipment can be used in even sensitive areas, relying on pressurized water and industrial vacuums to break down and remove debris.
How much does hydro vacuum cost?
The cost of hydro excavation completely depends on your project’s scope, ranging from several hundred for a smaller, one-day job to tens of thousands for more intensive work. The project duration, depth and size of excavation, location, and number of teammates and trucks needed all affect job costs.
Landshark Group: Canadian Hydrovac Company & Trenching Services
Our expert team averages a decade of experience under their belts and our fleet uses cutting-edge hydro excavation equipment to break ground on your next project safely and efficiently.
Ready to learn more about our vac truck services and get a free cost estimate? Let’s chat about your next project.