Dry suction is also known as air excavation or air knife excavation. Air excavation units use compressed air to disturb soil and dig deep holes or trenches. They’re ideal for potholing and unearthing underground utilities. The soil that’s dug up is either reused to restore the hole or is vacuumed and transported to a waste disposal facility. Dry suction units excavate sand, ore, wooden chips, and gravel.
What is Hydro Excavation
Hydro excavators use high-pressure water jets to perform the same role. The only difference is that the operator vacuums and moves the resultant muddy slurry to a debris tank. It’s the safest way to identify and uncover in-ground utilities.
Dry suction or Hydro Excavation – Which One is Better?
Dry suction units allow you to dump excavated soil on the work site. You can reuse the soil to backfill the hole. Hydro excavation units don't allow you to do this. You have to vacuum the muddy slurry and remove it from the excavation site. You will also have to purchase and use dry material to restore the hole.
Dry suction excavators work on most soil types. Hydro excavators generally work on all terrains. Comparing these machines is not really about finding a good and bad product. The type of system you choose must depend on the application and type of soil present at the excavation site.
Excavations Made Easy
Both dry and wet suction units make the job of digging a hole much easier. Since they’re safer and more reliable than mechanical excavators, they are becoming increasingly popular. Companies are even using them to perform excavations on nuclear power stations.
Bigger trucks have greater storage capacities but they're more expensive to hire. They may not be cost-effective for use in smaller applications but they offer you great power. One good thing about both wet and dry suction units is that you can use them in tight spaces. You could leave the excavator truck metres away from the actual excavation site and carry out operations. You could also custom-build a smaller air suction unit for use in places with limited access.
Finding the Right Excavator for You
If you're contemplating wet or dry excavation and don’t know which way to go, talk to the professionals at Frontline Machinery. We have a wide range of units, specifically designed to carry out multiple operations. We stock some of the best machines in the market and we’re happy to custom-build for your requirements.
We’re exclusive distributors of custom designed RSP excavators in New Zealand. We have years of experience in manufacturing suction excavation units. Talk to us about the purpose of your application and we’ll give you a machine that gets the job done perfectly.
For more information about suction excavators, visit us online or call us on +64 21 944 077.