What lurks beneath?
Excavac • May 25, 2020
Not sure what’s beneath your job site?
There are literally hundreds of thousands
of kilometres of underground pipes and cables, which carry essential services to households and businesses around the Australia.
As easements and roadways become more congested with these utilities, it’s vital to visually identify their location — to ensure the safety of your workers and reduce any nasty (or costly) surprises.
Accidents and disruptions from builders and home owners unsuspectingly exposing underground assets cost millions of dollars each year and can significantly impact services, delay projects even cause death or injury.
This is where potholing using ‘sucker trucks’ with vacuum excavation comes into its own.
Potholing is a technique to expose a utility prior to excavation and allows contractors, engineer and builders to know exactly where the utility is located. This information can help avoid construction damage to the utility or to the people around the utility.
Vacuum excavators are self-contained units that use pressurised water to displace soil and create wet spoil.
The displaced spoil is removed from the area through a hose using high-velocity suction and stored in a holding tank.
Since vacuum excavators use water to remove spoil, they are perfect for potholing to identify existing utilities during underground construction projects.
While services such as Dial Before You Dig are useful, it is essential that property owners or construction managers thoroughly do their homework to discover what, if any, underground water pipes or utility lines might lie unseen below the surface on the property.
Our experience allows us to provide a clear understanding of underground utilities before manual excavation, preventing any workplace injuries and damage to significant assets.
Why is Potholing Important?
- It helps avoid any disruptions to utility services
- Promotes solid health and safety practice
- Alleviates expensive repairs for damages
Potholing determines the exact location of these underground services.
It is a safe and effective method, which avoids damage and the associated expensive consequences.
Servicing Sydney, The Blue Mountains, Southern Highlands and the Illawarra, we have been the name professionals have turned to since 2007.
For a detailed assessment or to find out more call 0414 521 808
or email us here.
Vac Trucks provide safe, efficient, and cost-effective removal of wet and dry waste. ExcaVac’s Vac Trucks stand out for delivering cleaner excavations.
In construction, knowing exactly what’s underground before you dig isn’t just a good idea—it’s essential. At Excavac, we’ve been using this method for over 20 years.
Beyond non-destructive digging, vacuum trucks are also widely used for sewer and storm drain cleaning, septic tank emptying, and catch basin maintenance. Their versatility makes them indispensable for various site management tasks.
