Depending on the ground surface in question, different tools will be used to access the buried utilities. When working on soil or other natural ground surfaces, hand methods such as shovels or hoes may be used to create an opening. When working on paved or other hard surfaces, power tools are necessary to create the hole needed for vacuum excavation. GPRS uses both coring tools and jackhammers to penetrate asphaltic or concrete ground surfaces. Coring may be preferable in certain instances as it creates a cleaner access point and is easy to patch by simply replacing the core.
Vacuum excavation is the only safe method of exposing a buried utility. A vacuum excavation test hole can provide Quality Level A subsurface engineering data in accordance with ASCE 38-02 Standard Guidelines for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface Utility Data.
Interested in vacuum excavation service for your project? Contact GPRS today!
Air vacuum excavation is recommended for utility test holes and/or single excavations involving around 1 cubic yard per excavation. Hydro vacuum excavation is used for larger excavations because it is more productive, especially in difficult, compact soil conditions. Hydro-excavation trucks typically have larger storage tanks, allowing them to dig for longer periods of time than air vacuum excavators.
This depends on the soil condition, depth and the project site. If you are interested in finding out how long your specific project would take, feel free to reach out to us and we would be happy to provide you with an estimate.
We are able to move soil/debris, but we will not be able to vacuum anything heavy enough to damage the equipment. The speed of moving the soil/debris can vary depending on if the dirt is loose, how far the truck is from the area being excavated, and how far we have to transport the soil/debris to the dump. Rocks or boulders greater than 8” in circumference can either significantly restrict or even halt production.
No, we have a variety of air and hydro vacuum excavation trucks available that we use. A detailed scope of work will help us in selecting the best truck for the job. Proper training enables the GPRS team to use the vacuum trucks in the most effective manner, getting the job done quickly and accurately.