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Water jet excavation has a large number of applications. From digging trenches, unearthing buried infrastructure, and pipe cleaning to stormwater maintenance, water jet excavation and its specialized equipment can be employed to complete them all. Site work contractors, utility providers, stormwater maintenance technicians, and excavation contractors all rely on water jet excavation thanks to its flexibility, accuracy, and reliability.

What is water jet excavation?

Water jet excavation, also referred to as hydro excavation, is fast becoming the favored option over traditional methods of excavation due to its accuracy, flexibility, and safety.

This guide to water jet excavation will explain everything there is to know about the water jet excavation process, including why it’s the preferred choice for excavating in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia.

Water jet excavation uses a combination of suction and water for the purpose of excavation. Water jet excavation trucks are used to carry high-pressure water jets that can transform frozen ground, hard soil, and even rocky earth into slurry while simultaneously transferring that slurry inside a holding tank with the use of a vacuum.

This all-in-one method not only offers greater precision but also results in less disturbance of the soil and less backfill. Another advantage is that water jet trucks can actually be positioned hundreds of feet away and don’t need to be on the roadway, thus reducing congestion and traffic to a bare minimum within the area of the excavation.

How does water jet excavation work?

A vacuum source is of vital importance to ensuring the completion of the water jet excavation process. This can come in the form of a displacement blower or a fan system, with the vacuum assisting the clearance of debris in a much faster manner. A displacement blower is able to move air over a much longer distance than is the case with a fan system. However, the latter is more efficient due to the greater depth cleaning that is included in the excavation process.

When is water jet excavation used?

Water jet excavation is not limited to the excavation scenarios mentioned above. Water jet excavation can be used for a variety of excavations, including exposing foundations, potholing, test pitting, line digging, and slot trenching. Water jet excavation has also proven itself to be incredibly useful in regards to the revealing of underground utilities, a process often known as “daylighting”.

What are the benefits of water jet excavation?

Water jet excavation is an excellent choice for almost all kinds of focused dig projects because of its increased accuracy. There are a number of other benefits to its use.

The greater precision of water jet excavation as a method of digging means less time spent on restoration, less backfill, and a reduced chance of a costly utility stroke or injury. In turn, this precision results in enormous cost savings compared to traditional excavation methods.

Water jet trucks are very flexible when compared to traditional excavation methods. Water excavation equipment can be parked well away from the actual excavation site. This means they can operate effectively in urban areas, congested job sites, and even the most remote work sites.

Water jet excavation is also very adaptable. It can be used to excavate a variety of soil conditions and even cut through the frozen ground in colder months with the use of hot water.

The flexibility of water jet excavation equipment allows it to be used for several other applications beyond digging and debris removal. Water jet excavation equipment can also be employed for sewer jetting and cleaning services, including water, sanitary, and storm drains. Stormwater maintenance tasks like filter cleaning, inlet cleaning, and detention system maintenance are often performed using water jet excavation equipment or Jet Vac trucks.

Why should you use water jet excavation services?

Water jet and vacuum trucks are now considered one of the most reliable and safest excavation tools, given that traditional excavation processes have proven to be hazardous when undertaken around main power and fiber optic lines as well as congested work sites.

Many modern companies prefer to use high-pressure water jets as they are less destructive and pose a limited risk to buried utilities, pipelines, and their workers. CCTV cameras can also be used with these devices in order to make the process more accurate and effective.

Muller, Inc. offers water jet excavation services to a number of different industries in Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. We regularly use water jet excavation on a variety of different projects, such as daylighting, test pitting, potholing, slot trenching, pipe repair, and stormwater maintenance. Muller’s team members have been extensively trained in every type of water jet excavation technique and work to ensure the highest safety standards are maintained.

Contact Muller, Inc. at 703-560-4040 or visit our website today to find out why water jet excavation services are the safest, cleanest, and most affordable method to complete your project.

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