How to safely excavate near live cables by using our Vacuum Excavator was demonstrated once again recently.
Our team of highly trained operators were working on an extension project, in which we were required to excavate a new traffic junction on a busy road and facilitate access to a new retail development. We were asked by our customer to provide a Vacuum Excavator to safely expose the buried live cables.
Our safety-first approach ensured that when our team discovered that the cables were just under the surface and unmarked on the plans, the utilities were successfully excavated without causing any risk of personal injury or asset damage. Our excavator’s strong power ensured that a large, high voltage cable running across the entire site was safely excavated in an efficient time frame, which allowed the contractors to complete a safe line.
How To Safely Excavate Near Live Cables
Vacuum Excavation works in the following way:
- Place the remote controlled boom 6–8 inches above the ground material area that requires excavation and switch on the fans to begin the suction process.
- As the material makes its way up the suction pipe, follow the material with the boom, always ensuring that the 6-8 inch gap is maintained for continual air flow.
- As the service becomes visible, the material is harder and therefore, the use of an air lance may be required to loosen the ground or clear the service.
- There are a variety of tools onboard the Vacuum Excavator to use when different conditions arise. These include a reduced pipe size for narrow areas, an air lance for loosening material and air breakers for breaking up the hard surfaces. All of these are powered by the built-in compressor.
- The excavated material is stored in a built-in skip that is capable of holding
- 8m3 and to reduce the transportation costs, our team will take the material to an allocated stockpile on site.
- The material is then dispensed by lifting the lid into an upright position and side tipping the material out. It can also be tipped directly in demountable skips that are ready to remove from site and to avoid reloading.
- To prevent air contamination, the Vacuum Excavator uses a 42-filter system which ensures that the dust doesn’t escape.
With our vast experience in the Civil Engineering sector, we can offer advice on other equipment and/or materials that may be required to complete the tasks safely.
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