Underground Construction - October 2019 - 48

2019 CAPABILITIES GUIDE
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Vacuum Excavation Applications-
Going Beyond Utility Work
Vac systems are also widely used to remove debris from drains in wash bays
and car washes. "These drains tend to get plugged up with mud, grease and
waste oil while cleaning dirty equipment, and doing the work with a shovel
is a job no one wants," said Showley. "Vacuum excavators do a better job in a
fraction of the time."

AGRICULTURE

Since the introduction of hydro and air vacuum excavation equipment, utility
applications like potholing and cleaning up horizontal directional drilling
(HDD) slurry have been a natural fit for these machines. However, there are
many industries using vacuum excavators to replace more labor-intensive and
inefficient methods of working. Vacuum excavators aren't just for utility work
anymore.
Vermeer MV Solution vacuum excavators have a wide range of applications,
many of which don't even involve excavating, such as cleaning to reshaping
sand traps at golf courses. Here's a look at a few of the industries using hydro
and air vacuum excavator equipment.

MUNICIPAL WORK
Many cities employ large vac trucks to maintain networks of sewer systems, but
public works departments sometimes need smaller and more nimble vacuum
excavators to help out and allow crews to work in more places at one time.
Municipalities are adding hydro and air vac systems to excavate for poles and
signs, aid with water line repairs, exercise water valves and jet sewer pipes.
"Cities, counties and state entities are always discovering new ways to use
vac systems," said Brian Showley, director of sales for Vermeer MV Solutions.
"Beyond some of the traditional applications, workers employ vacuum excavators to remove roots and debris around water meters and valves, and remove
waste from storm drains, catch basins and culverts. High-pressure water wands
help them with digging and cleaning. Air vacuum excavators are also excellent
for pressure testing sewer lines."

CLEANING

Vacuum excavators are finding a home in agriculture doing projects like installing fencing to cleaning up grain bins and animal stalls. Using a high-powered
digging wand and suction hose can reduce the time it takes to set fence posts.
Also, when fencing is being done in areas that share the right of way with buried
utilities, vacuum excavation is a safe way to avoid damaging the utilities.
Vac systems can also help maintain a safe working environment while cleaning grain bins. Traditional cleaning methods produce high levels of airborne
dust. Vacuum excavator filtration systems do an excellent job of containing that
dust and limiting a worker's exposure.
Of course, suctioning dry material isn't the only cleaning that vacs excel at.
From equestrians to zookeepers, vacuum excavators are being used to sanitarily
clean animal stalls. According to Showley, having an all-in-one cleaning system
saves a lot of time. "Bedding and waste used to have to be manually removed
from a stall or with a small loader and then hauled away before pressure
washing the area - there can be a lot of trips involved," he explained. "With
hydro-vacs, workers suction up everything with the debris hose and have a
high-pressure washer right there to spray everything down and then collect all
of the loose material and water in one step."

LANDSCAPING
There are also a few niche landscaping applications that vacuum excavators
are being used for. Contractors are renting them to remove old mulch or rock
around flowerbeds, parks and around buildings, as well as to dig holes for fence
posts and footings for signs. Vacs are also being used at large cemeteries for
setting headstones.

CONSTRUCTION
It's also worth noting that vacuum excavators aren't just being used to do utility
work in the construction industry. Utility strikes are a common concern for
every contractor working near buried lines. And anytime new subdivisions are
being constructed, vacuum excavators are an excellent addition to help with
sewer and drainage work.
There are a ton of applications where using a vacuum excavator can improve
efficiencies while maintaining a safe working environment.
To learn more about vacuum excavation or to demo a vacuum excavator for
yourself, contact your local Vermeer MV Solutions dealer. *

Industry plants are investing in vacuum excavators to help clean around the facility. "Vacuums aren't new for cleaning at industrial plants," explained Showley.
"Facility managers used to have to employ service companies with big trucks to
work during scheduled shutdowns. With smaller vacuum excavators, they can
now make cleaning an ongoing effort, which has helped extend the intervals
between scheduled shutdowns."

OCTOBER 2019 | UConOnline.com

Underground Construction - October 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Underground Construction - October 2019