Hydro Excavation

Vortex Contracting Ltd specialises in hydro excavation. Also known as vacuum excavation, hydro trenching, or hydro digging, hydro excavation reduces the risk to you and the public.

It is the process of digging with pressurised water alongside an air vacuum to dig and extract the required soil (this is then extracted into the debris tank of the truck). The high-pressure jet and vacuum unit work in conjunction to provide you with accuracy, speed, and reduced risk to get the job done safely and on time.

A typical underground asset environment is crowded with pipes, ducts, electrical cables, fibre optics, and telecommunication lines. All are competing for the same location, and are increasingly being laid in multi-utility trenches. Hydro excavation is a safe, non-destructive digging technology that can be used to service utilities, local authorities, commercial, and industrial facilities.

• Hydro excavation eliminates the need for traditional metal excavating equipment, which is what most commonly causes damage to underground assets.
• The process is faster, efficient, more precise, and safer than hand digging/mechanical excavation. Producing a much smaller hole size (reducing mess), this results in reduced reinstatement time and costs.
• Not only is hydro excavation safer, but the process also eliminates the risk of damaging existing underground assets, and minimises the impact on the surrounding environment.
• Hydro excavation equipment uses pressurised water and a powerful vacuum to safely and cleanly expose any ground condition.
• Large vacuum tanks contain all the solid and water waste, reducing environmental issues with runoff, debris, and dust that normal excavating methods can typically cause.