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A suction excavator or vacuum excavator is a construction vehicle that removes materials from a hole on land, or removes heavy
debris Debris (, ) is rubble, wreckage, ruins, litter and discarded garbage/refuse/trash, scattered remains of something destroyed, or, as in geology, large rock fragments left by a melting glacier, etc. Depending on context, ''debris'' can refer to ...
on land.


Description

Suction excavation is a new solution to traditional excavation problems. Suction excavation utilizes high-powered fans to safely excavate up to 141 feet (43 meters) of depth depending on the configuration. First a small surface area hole of about 10 in (250 mm), this may vary depending on ground conditions, is created. Then the suction excavator
hose A hose is a flexible hollow tube designed to carry fluids from one location to another. Hoses are also sometimes called ''pipes'' (the word ''pipe'' usually refers to a rigid tube, whereas a hose is usually a flexible one), or more generally ' ...
removes below surface materials.
Compressed air Compressed air is air kept under a pressure that is greater than atmospheric pressure. Compressed air is an important medium for transfer of energy in industrial processes, and is used for power tools such as air hammers, drills, wrenches, and ...
is used to fracture the ground in order for the suction excavator to remove the material safely. No manual hand tooling is used in the process. The benefits of suction excavation include eliminating the
hazard A hazard is a potential source of harm. Substances, events, or circumstances can constitute hazards when their nature would allow them, even just theoretically, to cause damage to health, life, property, or any other interest of value. The probabi ...
of underground utility strikes, minimizing traffic disruption, reducing reinstatement costs, and reducing the
manpower Human resources (HR) is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or economy. A narrower concept is human capital, the knowledge and skills which the individuals command. Similar terms include ...
and equipment needed for each job. There are several different industries that can benefit from suction excavation including railways, civil works, highways, power plants, waterworks, gas utilities, power utilities, construction, and telecom. 


History of fan-based suction technology

RSP have been making suction excavators and stationary suction units since 1993. Since 2000, RSP developed a new suction principle, the ESE series. These vehicles work with the internationally
patented A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A p ...
suction principle which guarantees the highest degree of
gravity separation Gravity separation is an industrial method of separating two components, either a suspension, or dry granular mixture where separating the components with gravity is sufficiently practical: i.e. the components of the mixture have different specific ...
, lowest contamination of the filters and thus consistently high suction performance. Since 1998, the Mobile Tiefbau Saugsysteme is making another type of suction excavator. It is said to have a new designed air flow principle, and thus a considerably improved suction performance compared to MTS previous designs.


Design and operation


RSP

Since 1993 RSP have produced suction superstructures mounted onto two, three and four-axle vehicles, stationary suction units as well as custom-made machines. The suction unit is roughly rectangular-block-shaped, about 2.5 meters wide and 3.6 meters high, and is usually mounted and used on the back of a
truck A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame constructi ...
, which must have power takeoffs to run the suction unit's air impeller and
hydraulics Hydraulics (from Greek: Υδραυλική) is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counter ...
. When it is emptying its load, the spoil tank lid (with the hose connection) hinges off to the right, then the spoil tank (with the filters) tips about 90° over to the left to tip out its load. Possible applications include: * Replacement of pipes and fittings * Renovation and new installation of gas, water or heating pipes, cables, and sewage lines * Exploratory excavations * Railway trackside
maintenance Maintenance may refer to: Biological science * Maintenance of an organism * Maintenance respiration Non-technical maintenance * Alimony, also called ''maintenance'' in British English * Champerty and maintenance, two related legal doctri ...
and repair * Use of ground displacement rockets * Clearing away environmental damage * Replacement of contaminated soil around the roots of trees * Removal of material in demolition projects * Removal of
gravel Gravel is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally throughout the world as a result of sedimentary and erosive geologic processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone. Gravel is classifi ...
from flat roofs * Cleaning blocked street gutters and gullies * Operations involving the use of horizontal boring units * Leaf removal * Application for special operations Suction excavators eliminate the need for costly and time-consuming manual labor. Buried pipe systems do not suffer damage. The output is up to sixteen times that achieved by conventional excavation. In the ESE 32/7: *The suction pipe's internal diameter is *The fan produces a maximum pressure reduction of about . Across a circular suction diameter of that gives an entry air speed of about and a maximum suction power of about . It can suck objects up to across that weigh up to . *Described as able to suck up "earth, stones, vegetable waste, sand, mud, water, pebbles, rubble,
asbestos Asbestos () is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre being composed of many microscopic "fibrils" that can be released into the atmosphere ...
, railway-type ballast". *The suction pipe has a detachable extension nozzle narrowing from internal diameter, with handles on a rotatable panel to open or close side vents to let the operator drop over-large objects which it has picked up. *Expected spoil extraction rates are roughly, in cubic metres per hour: File: Excavatrice-aspiratrice.jpg, 4 views of a suction excavator truck File: Egouts-canalisations-regards avec excavatrice-aspiratrice.jpg, Cleaning out a sewer
manhole A manhole (utility hole, maintenance hole, or sewer hole) is an opening to a confined space such as a shaft, utility vault, or large vessel. Manholes are often used as an access point for an underground public utility, allowing inspection, ...
File: Nettoyage berge excavatrice-aspiratrice.jpg, Cleaning a riverbank File: Demolition-renovation excavatrice-aspiratrice.jpg, Removing building demolition or alteration debris File: Tranchees avec excavatrice-aspiratrice.jpg, Trench digging File: Terrassement par aspiration.jpg, Removing builder's rubble from a confined area File: Intervention excavatrice-aspiratrice apres accident.jpg, Removing a ditched truck's load to make the truck light enough to be righted File: Benne aspiratrice-excavatrice.jpg, Emptying a suction excavator's spoil hold into a
dump truck A dump truck, known also as a dumping truck, dump trailer, dumper trailer, dump lorry or dumper lorry or a dumper for short, is used for transporting materials (such as dirt, gravel, or demolition waste) for construction as well as coal. A ty ...
File: Montage fonctionnement aspiratrice.jpg, Internal diagram (in French) File: Aa suctionexcavator 10-4-nozzle closeup.jpg, Extension nozzle, narrowing from internal diameter File: Aa suctionexcavator pipe closeup.jpg, Sucking down a hole being dug to work on gas mains,
Deansgate Deansgate is a main road (part of the A56) through Manchester City Centre, England. It runs roughly north–south in a near straight route through the western part of the city centre and is the longest road in the city centre at over one mile ...
, Manchester. The man on the near right is using a pneumatic drill. File: Aa suctionexcavator and airlance.jpg, Work in confined space,
Deansgate Deansgate is a main road (part of the A56) through Manchester City Centre, England. It runs roughly north–south in a near straight route through the western part of the city centre and is the longest road in the city centre at over one mile ...
, same site. The man on the right is loosening earth with a compressed air lance. File: Aa suctionexcavator viewalongstreet.jpg, Work in confined space,
Deansgate Deansgate is a main road (part of the A56) through Manchester City Centre, England. It runs roughly north–south in a near straight route through the western part of the city centre and is the longest road in the city centre at over one mile ...
, same site File: Aa suctionexcavator viewacrosssite.jpg, View across work site,
Deansgate Deansgate is a main road (part of the A56) through Manchester City Centre, England. It runs roughly north–south in a near straight route through the western part of the city centre and is the longest road in the city centre at over one mile ...
, same site File: Aa suctionexcavator pipe stowed closeup.jpg, Suction excavator, close-up of pipe end, stowed away File: Aa suctionexcavator backview.jpg, Back view of suction excavator with kit stowed away


Mobile Tiefbau Saugsysteme

MTS in
Germersheim Germersheim () is a town in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, of around 20,000 inhabitants. It is also the seat of the Germersheim district. The neighboring towns and cities are Speyer, Landau, Philippsburg, Karlsruhe and Wörth. Coat ...
, Germany is making since 1998 these types of suction excavators: With the Mega-Vac the suction power across a wide hose entry would be about 500 kg. File:MTS DINO on Tridem Chassis.JPG, MTS suction excavator Dino Tridem


Saugmaster

Saugmaster is a RSP ESE model; it can suck 8 m3/s of air, and its suction tube is wide inside.


History of vacuum-pump-based suction technology


Pacific Tek

Pacific Tek was founded in 1993 and went into the valve exerciser and vacuum excavator industry. Pacific Tek founders have created innovations, such as the Angled Vacuum Excavator Tank (1997) and 180° Swivel Mount Valve Operator (1999).


Ditch Witch

The American firm Ditch Witch makes four models of suction excavators: FX20, FX25, HX30, HX50, FX50, FXT50, FX65, FXT65, and HX65; the number is its approximate
horsepower Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are th ...
. It is mounted on a semitrailer or rigid truck. It has its own engine (petrol for FX20 & FX25, the others diesel). Its spoils tank is cylindrical with somewhat rounded ends. Its suction hose is 3 to 4 inches diameter inside. Its spoil tank can be supplied various sizes from 150 gallons (570 litres) to (4560 litres.)


Airex

Airex in the UK make two current models of vacuum excavator: AX-68 and AX-180. Both systems are mounted on the back of rigid 7.5-ton trucks, designed for use in
inner-city The term ''inner city'' has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Sociologists someti ...
streets. The smaller design of these trucks gives less impact on their surroundings. The AX-68 uses a 4-inch hose but the AX-180 uses an 8-inch hose which can remove a tonne of earth in six minutes.


Ring-O-Matic

Ring-O-Matic in the U.S. makes several models of gasoline and diesel vacuum excavation units. They offer both trailer-mounted and skid-mounted models. Spoils tanks range in size from 150 gallons up to 2000 gallon tanks.


Vac-Tron Equipment

Vac-Tron Equipment in the U.S. makes more than 50 models of hydroexcavation and dry excavation gasoline and diesel vacuum excavators.


Cappellotto

Cappelotto makes various powered cleansing equipment including Capgeo (a model of suction excavator). Its arm is said to reach 7 meters and to swivel 250 degrees. They also make Capbora, which is specifically for sucking up loose material. Cappelotto was founded in 1953 and is based at Gaiarine in the province of Treviso in Italy. The Cappellotto products are also distributed to 40 countries in the world, with KOR Equipment Solutions being the distributor for Australia and New Zealand.


Uses

Suction excavators are useful to remove earth from around existing buried services or tree roots with much less risk of damaging them than using a conventional
excavator Excavators are heavy construction equipment consisting of a boom, dipper (or stick), bucket and cab on a rotating platform known as the "house". The house sits atop an undercarriage with tracks or wheels. They are a natural progression fro ...
with a metal bucket. This type of excavation is held to be a safe and efficient form of excavation. However, it is totally unsuitable for archaeological excavation. Using a powerful vacuum and high-pressure water, precise holes, trenches, and tunnels can be cut to the required size and proportion. Because compressed air or water is used to loosen the earth, the risk of damaging underground utilities is less, and contractors can safely find and expose them. Often excavation reveals unknown utilities, saving lives, money, and time. It is also referred to as "daylighting", as the underground utilities are exposed to daylight during the process. This type of excavating is quickly becoming recognized as a best practice when working in areas with underground utility congestion and frozen ground.
Hydro excavation A suction excavator or vacuum excavator is a construction vehicle that removes materials from a hole on land, or removes heavy debris on land. Description Suction excavation is a new solution to traditional excavation problems. Suction excavati ...
lessens the risk of damaging utilities, which may often be inaccurately mapped and located and marked on the surface. A suction excavator is useful in bulk excavation in confined areas, where its suction hose can reach in over or through barriers, e.g. digging a
swimming pool A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable swimming or other leisure activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built above ground (a ...
in a
courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary ...
. It can be used on railways (perhaps mounted on a
railroad car A railroad car, railcar ( American and Canadian English), railway wagon, railway carriage, railway truck, railwagon, railcarriage or railtruck (British English and UIC), also called a train car, train wagon, train carriage or train truck, is ...
base) to suck old
track ballast Track ballast forms the trackbed upon which railroad ties (sleepers) are laid. It is packed between, below, and around the ties. It is used to bear the load from the railroad ties, to facilitate drainage of water, and also to keep down veget ...
off the track when re-ballasting the track. It can be used as a very heavy-duty
vacuum cleaner A vacuum cleaner, also known simply as a vacuum or a hoover, is a device that causes suction in order to remove dirt from floors, upholstery, draperies, and other surfaces. It is generally electrically driven. The dirt is collected by either a d ...
to pick up miscellaneous debris, e, g,
rubble Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture; undressed especially as a filling-in. Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as 'brash' (compare cornbrash)."Rubble" def. 2., "Brash n. 2. def. 1. ''Oxford English Dictionar ...
, or big accumulations of fallen leaves or litter. It can suck up liquids, e.g. water from a hollow. In case of opting for air vacuum excavation, the Positive Displacement Blower should be properly checked because it can move great volumes of air and a malfunction can cause a serious accident. When digging on rocky soils, it is better to opt for water instead. National Grid Gas has ordered ten suction excavators. As of July 2009 in England, the North West Gas Alliance has three German-made suction excavators. Vacuum-excavation hire provider Utility Site Solutions work with utility and civil engineering companies throughout the UK to provide safer no-dig excavation. Projects include relocating underground utility lines to accommodate wider road lanes and filter lanes, and street works to provide essential maintenance of street lighting. Utility Site Solutions specialist image library shows various uses of the new excavation technology including bridge refurbishment, clearing culverts, clearance of holding tanks, extension hose excavation, substations. rail excavations, airports, filter beds, lighthouse, and many more applications. Vacuum/suction excavators can excavate up to 140m horizontally and up to 20m depth depending on the type of material being excavated.


Specific jobs

Suction excavator jobs in Italy described in RSP Gmbh's publicity include: *In the old center of
Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isl ...
: **Cleaning deep
silt Silt is granular material of a size between sand and clay and composed mostly of broken grains of quartz. Silt may occur as a soil (often mixed with sand or clay) or as sediment mixed in suspension with water. Silt usually has a floury feel whe ...
(accumulated over nearly 40 years) out of the Rio Terà San Polo, which was formerly a narrow open
canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface fl ...
, but is now a roofed sewer under a busy street. The excavator sucked through a long hose. Access damage to its roof and the street above was limited to four
manhole A manhole (utility hole, maintenance hole, or sewer hole) is an opening to a confined space such as a shaft, utility vault, or large vessel. Manholes are often used as an access point for an underground public utility, allowing inspection, ...
-sized holes, which afterward were fitted with
manhole cover A manhole cover or maintenance hole cover is a removable plate forming the lid over the opening of a manhole, an opening large enough for a person to pass through that is used as an access point for an underground vault or pipe. It is designed to ...
s for future access. This avoided a long smelly traffic-obstruction-causing manual job. **Cleaning 1.6 meters deep silt out of the Rio Terà San Leonardo (a roofed sewer, 230 m long, 6 to 13 m wide): similarly. *The south
loggia In architecture, a loggia ( , usually , ) is a covered exterior gallery or corridor, usually on an upper level, but sometimes on the ground level of a building. The outer wall is open to the elements, usually supported by a series of columns ...
of the Palazzo della Ragione in
Padua Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of ...
: Sucking out a big accumulation of rubble and dust and bird droppings. The space is roofed by medieval vaulting through which only one small access hole was allowed. A 150-meter-long suction hose was used. (In the accompanying photographs the rubble seems to be largely plaster removed from the walls.) *In
Siena Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuri ...
: removing about 150 m3 of rubble left by
building restoration Conservation and restoration of immovable cultural property describes the process through which the material, historical, and design integrity of any immovable cultural property are prolonged through carefully planned interventions. The indivi ...
works, which had been dumped in old tunnels cut in
tuff Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock ...
.


Vacuum excavation

Vacuum excavation significantly reduces the risk of loss of property and injury to workers associated with contacting or cutting underground
utilities A public utility company (usually just utility) is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service (often also providing a service using that infrastructure). Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and r ...
, as often happens if
backhoe A backhoe—also called rear actor or back actor—is a type of excavating equipment, or digger, consisting of a digging bucket on the end of a two-part articulated arm. It is typically mounted on the back of a tractor or front loader, the latt ...
, auger, hand digging, or other mechanical methods are used. Portable vacuum excavation equipment such as suction excavators can quickly dig small deep precisely-controlled holes to uncover buried utilities. Soft excavation technology can dig around buried pipe or cable without the risk of damage inherent with backhoes, excavators, or other mechanical tools. Typically, vacuum excavation loosens the
soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former ...
with a blunt-nosed
high pressure In science and engineering the study of high pressure examines its effects on materials and the design and construction of devices, such as a diamond anvil cell, which can create high pressure. By ''high pressure'' is usually meant pressures of th ...
air lance or
water source Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Thes ...
and immediately vacuums away loosened material. Air and water, when used appropriately, are far less likely than sharp-edged tools to damage underground structures. Depending on the machine used and soil conditions, a 12-inch-square 5-foot-deep pothole can be completed in 20 minutes or less. Most models are capable of digging deeper, but utility potholes seldom need to be more than six feet deep. Vacuum excavation is best used in conjunction with the conventional underground (one-call) locating services. Because of a preponderance of overlapping buried utility lines, locating devices often miss some of the buried utilities on a site or cannot completely or accurately mark a site. According to
New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, ...
One Call 811: ''Aligning Change, Locating with Potholing'', "One-call paint marks and flags are the first steps in making the process of locating underground utilities safer, the use of vacuum excavation technology adds an additional margin of
safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are two slightly dif ...
." Potholing (which here means exposing buried utilities to find where and how deep they are) using vacuum excavation, has made it safer to find underground utilities. When conventional locating is unworkable due to high densities of buried utilities, potholing can also be used to verify the route of each buried line within the excavation zone. In some cases, the contractor may choose to perform the entire excavation using vacuum excavation. Today, according to "In the Pipeline" in an article on enewsbuilder.net, "As vacuum excavation technology and techniques for locating underground utilities has become both readily available and affordable, it's already considered by many municipalities as a
Best Practice A best practice is a method or technique that has been generally accepted as superior to other known alternatives because it often produces results that are superior to those achieved by other means or because it has become a standard way of doing ...
." Many governmental entities and
municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
no longer allow the use of backhoes to find underground utilities, citing the risk of damaging them. Many have ordered the use of vacuum excavation only. To prevent utility strikes, the use of underground locating services has become the norm, and in most places, is required by law. However, the practice of underground location, while very useful, has its limitations. Locators have been known to miss some of the buried utilities or be unable to completely or accurately mark a site because there are many overlapping buried utility lines. For these reasons, vacuum excavation can be an effective way to find, with virtually 100% accuracy, all underground structures in an excavation zone. Vacuum excavation is also typically more cost-effective than hand digging. Through aggressive educational efforts about the safety of vacuum excavation, vacuum excavation is now being mandated in many
state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...
s and
municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
, and efforts are underway to achieve universal acceptance of vacuum excavation as the preferred technology.


See also

*
Dredging Dredging is the excavation of material from a water environment. Possible reasons for dredging include improving existing water features; reshaping land and water features to alter drainage, navigability, and commercial use; constructing da ...
* Gully emptier *Some
street sweeper A street sweeper or street cleaner may refer to a person's occupation or to a machine that cleans streets. Street sweepers have been employed in cities as "sanitation workers" since sanitation and waste removal became a priority. A str ...
vehicles include a suction hose that the operator can control, but with less powerful suction and only able to pick up light loose litter and leaves. *Sometimes,http://www.marigraph.com/projects/saugbagger/videos/saugbagger_vid_01.avi "suction excavator" is used to mean a floating suction dredger for dredging underwater *
Suction (medicine) In medicine, devices are sometimes necessary to create suction. Suction may be used to clear the airway of blood, saliva, vomit, or other secretions so that a patient may breathe. Suctioning can prevent pulmonary aspiration, which can lead t ...


References


External links

{{Authority control Engineering vehicles Excavations