Non-destructive Digging and Waste Removal Services that Keep your Utilities Functional, and Your Job
Non-destructive digging (NDD), also known as non-destructive excavation (NDE), is a quick, effective, and safe method of excavating an area. When you hire a non-destructive digging services company, it protects your underground utilities and ensures that your building remains operational. Aussie Hydro-Vac Services performs non-destructive excavation work, also known as hydro excavation, by blasting soil or other surfaces with a high-pressure air and water jet. Because the water jet is only directed at the focused area, utilities such as cables, gas pipes, water pipes, underground assets, and tree roots are not harmed. The risk of damage to stormwater pipes, gas lines, cables, and sewer lines is reduced because controlled water stream flow only targets the area to be excavated.
Aussie Hydro-Vac Services' operators use a high-pressure water lance in non-destructive digging to excavate in and around root systems, rock, and debris around underground utilities, dislodging organic and non-organic material. A powerful vacuum is then used to safely remove the waste into a large debris tank for disposal.
Utility detection to save them from damage
In a typical non-destructive excavation job, a guzzler truck removes soil and debris using vacuum or high-pressure water excavation. Utility detection is typically performed by Aussie Hydro-Vac Services prior to beginning non-destructive digging to locate underground utilities and protect them from potential damage. When digging near existing utilities and underground infrastructure, non-destructive excavation is recommended. After the non-destructive excavation is completed, the removed soil is returned to the hole, greatly reducing debris and waste.
With traditional mechanical methods of digging, detours and road closures are common annoyances. Non-destructive digging by Aussie Hydro-Vac services will cause the least amount of disruption because the digging work can be completed much faster, and the debris truck can be positioned away from the excavation site, causing the least amount of disruption to the surrounding traffic. The water jet used by Aussie Hydro-Vac Services in hydro excavation is much quieter than traditional mechanical digging methods, making non-destructive digging suitable for use in construction projects in cities with residences or workplaces nearby.
Aussie Hydro-Vac Services performs non-destructive excavation for a variety of applications, including:
- Piling
- Potholing
- Trenching
- Remote excavation
- Deep-level excavation
- Utility service repairs
- Hard and cold surface excavation
- Mains or service exposure
- Confined digging
Aussie Hydro-Vac Services also uses non-destructive excavation for potholing, straightening power poles, and obtaining soil samples with coring. A small hole is vacuum excavated at the point where an existing line is to be repaired or relined during potholing. As a result, no large trenches must be dug, saving both time and money. Prior to excavation, coring is used to obtain a sample of soil for geotechnical and soil analysis. This reduces the possibility of cross-contamination.
High efficiency and accuracy
Non-destructive digging is preferred because of its high efficiency and accuracy. When working around fiber optic lines, electrical cables, or water mains, non-destructive digging outperforms mechanical digging. It also eliminates the possibility of a mass outage or damage to the underground utilities in the job site area. It is also a faster, safer, and more environmentally friendly method of digging.
Can be used on a variety of surfaces
Non-destructive excavation is used in situations where utilities and services must remain in place and operational, such as railway level crossing removals, road and pavement construction, and commercial and upmarket construction. It is suitable for use on a variety of surfaces including clay, gravel, mud, ice, dirt, and grass. Aussie Hydro-Vac Services can use hydro excavation to reach areas that are not otherwise easily accessible. Non-destructive digging can be used up to 80 meters away from the VAC truck. Because excavation machinery does not need to be moved back and forth on the job site, there is little ground disturbance and footprint on the job site.
Underground utilities are frequently a densely packed maze of pipes, cables, assets, fixtures, and other infrastructural elements that are poorly mapped. Ground penetrating radar, or GPR, is oftenly used by Aussie Hydro-Vac Services technicians in non-destructive excavation to detect the location and position of underground utilities. Electromagnetic induction, or EMI, is a technique used to detect metallic or conductive underground services. Prior to excavation work, Aussie Hydro-Vac Services uses GPS mapping to locate assets such as stormwater drains, manholes, and gravity sewers.