In the construction industry we’re always looking for new ways to increase productivity, as well as ensure the workplace is a safe one. Due to the increased costs of labour and traditional evacuation becoming more and more expensive, newer and more efficient methods and procedures are on the rise. Depending on your construction location, and your needs, traditional forms of evacuation may not be a viable or convenient option for you. So why not utilise a vacuum truck? The following will explore how using a vacuum truck for your evacuation projects can help increase efficiency and safety.
What is a vacuum truck?
Vacuum trucks (or vacuum pump trucks) are vacuum tanks mounted onto a truck or trailer that can hydraulically load dry and wet materials via vacuum hoses. Other accessories can be used with the trucks such as core drills, water jetters or air compressors, depending upon the type of project you are undertaking. So it’s important to understand exactly what your project requires so you can make sure you have the right sized vacuum truck and accessories.
What is a vacuum truck used for?
Vacuum trucks are used in a variety of situations and locations. They are often used in cities, regional and residential areas, and in the chemical and construction industries. They can be used for sewer pipe cleaning, catch basin cleaning or septic emptying, as well as any other projects that require the removal of debris or liquids (such as abattoir clean up). However, one of the newest ways they are being utilised is in hydro and vacuum excavation.
What is hydro/vacuum excavation?
Traditional excavation can be costly, noisy and involve a lot of heavy manual labour. Hydro and vacuum excavation reduces all of these elements to provide an easier solution to excavation. Hydro and vacuum excavation means the land can be loosened with the help of water and jet streams, so the soil is easier to move. A vacuum truck is then used to remove all of the debris and stores the soil and dirt in large tanks on the truck. Any of the soil and debris picked up can be stored on board and moved to a new location when ready.
What are the benefits?
There are quite a few benefits of vacuum excavation which you may not have considered, and because of this, more and more people in the construction industry are utilising this method.
Less manual labour
Traditionally, if you needed to excavate a large area, this would have been done by employees and some hard manual labour. Whether it was using drills, or shovels and picks, your employees would have needed to be quite physically fit in order to complete such tasks. Even the fittest of labourers could struggle physically with such a demanding job. By using the new method of hydro/vacuum excavation, your employees will have less manual labour stress placed upon them, decreasing the potential for injury.
Less noise pollution
If you’re excavating within a large city or around residential properties, the noise from a traditional excavation can be quite problematic, so a quieter solution can be necessary. Hydro and vacuum excavations are a lot quieter than standard excavations and will be a lot better for surrounding people, especially in built up areas. If working during the night, this is also a better option to avoid impacting on those sleeping during construction.
Time constraints
Using this method is also quicker. You will find that hydro jets and vacuum use means that you can get your excavation needs completed in a quicker time. This is great for saving costs on workers salary, but also to improve the timeframe for project completion.
Safer option
By using hydro/vacuum excavation, you would be making a safer choice. Not only do you have less equipment and less manual labour for your employees to endure, there is also less potential for damage and injury. Workers do not have to use large equipment such as heavy excavators, digging chambers, buckets and so on. The only use is high pressure water and a vacuum truck, which is a lot easier for employees to use.
Less damage
Needing to excavate around infrastructure and underground utilities used to be both a hassle and a potential for great damage. With this new method, you can excavate around all of these areas, safely removing soil and debris without causing any damage. The water is enough to break through dirt and soil without damaging underground supplies or surrounding buildings.
Where can I find them?
Vacuum trucks can either be purchased or hired, depending on the project and your business needs. Some trucks can be custom built, while others choose to hire their equipment as differing projects means different equipment is required. Because of this, companies often opt for equipment hire to undertake their tasks. You can hire vacuum trucks, and other earthmoving equipment and attachments from Solution Plant Hire.