Vacuum Excavation vs. Manual labour- speed and safety on show

Vacuum Excavation is often seen as the safest method of excavation vs. other traditional methods using picks, shovels, diggers etc… The no-dig method provides a lower risk to workers on sites and helps to prevent utility strikes which can often have long-lasting and severe consequences. A great example on a major project in Bedford this week also showcased how much quicker using Vacuum Excavation can be than using manual labour tools. With new retaining walls needing to be built along the road, the customer knew there were services across the site area but were unsure where exactly they were located. Initially using three labourers over a 2-day period had resulted in only one out of five trenches being dug to discover the actual location of the services, with two trenches needing to be dug per day, the time, spoil and cost to complete all five trenches using this method was obviously not going to work. The depth of the trenches and spoil produced exposed that there were different levels of material that needed to be excavated through. Using one of our standard 26T machines, two operators using an air lance and clay spade took over and made light work of trench two, completing the job in around 2hrs 30minutes, a massive improvement on the time taken, environmental impact and level of spoil. Using our operators for the remainder of the job meant all five trenches were successfully excavated, quickly and safely, with the spoil contained inside the Vacuum Excavator ready for backfilling. Along with its numerous safety benefits, Vacuum Excavation offers a faster, more cost-effective solution. A standard Vac Ex can remove 2m³ of spoil per hour while the inbuilt skip can hold up to 10m³ before needing to be emptied. This means that one vac ex can get the job done in a fraction of the time it would take a team of men or a digger, making a significant saving on man-hours, as this job shows. For more information or to enquire about hiring please contact us

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