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Suction Excavation

How much does a utility strike cost your organisation? For a utility there is the disruption to supplies, the lost revenue, the negative publicity and the customer service issues. For a contractor there are serious cost implications, job overruns, and the potentially irretrievable damage to its relationship with its client. Above all, however, utility strikes can injure operatives and members of the public. Sadly, in some cases, utility strikes can kill.

All responsible contractors insist that site teams locate underground utilities and check plans before excavating but it’s an inexact science and mistakes still happen. The utility sector needs to find an alternative to mechanical and manual excavation.

Commonplace in Continental Europe, UMS is the first company in Scotland to offer a large volume suction excavation service for contractors, utilities and local authorities.

Even in heavy soils where pipes and cables are known to be buried, UMS’ fleet of suction excavators are over six times more productive than manual excavation methods. Utilities can achieve faster repair and service connection times; contractors are able to schedule work more accurately because site logistics are simplified.
Once the road surface has been removed, the suction excavator’s telescopic arm sucks out soil, gravel, crushed rock and water to expose pipes and cables; compacted clays are loosened using the excavator’s air lance. The excavated material is held in the vehicle’s on-board hopper, which uses a hydraulic tipping mechanism to discharge its load.

Whilst safety is paramount, suction excavation also provides users with a host of further operational benefits. The suction excavation process can be finely controlled and the size of the excavation and the volume of material removed are therefore minimised: less excavated spoil means less environmental impact and reduced tipping and landfill costs. Keyhole excavation produces a neater finish and less of the highway is lost to excavation thereby reducing traffic disruption; standard mechanical excavation supported by a hiab or grab often requires intermittent use of the second half of the highway leading to the need for traffic control measures.

No local authority welcomes disruption to normal traffic flows, but the impact in busy city and town centres is magnified. The speed and flexibility of suction excavation is ideal for works in high-profile locations, and the minimal vibration means it can operate successfully in the vicinity of sensitive structures. Urban sites are often complicated by restricted and difficult access. The suction excavator’s telescopic reach and flexibility means it can be effective in many areas where mechanical excavation is compromised.