Objective:
u2022 Trench 250u2019 L x 10u201d W x 2u20196u201d D
u2022 Auger 2u2018 W x 12u2019 D anode holes in a tight oil pumping station while avoiding any and all buried utility lines
u2022 Dump all material on-site into bins for reinstatementu00a0
Project Description:
u2022 Working inside a protected area where 250u2019 of new conduit was required to connect to newly installed mechanical components
u2022 Dumping on-site into bins
Client Problem(s) / Issue:
Safety, cost, and time efficiency were the key factors driving the contractor to use the Dino8 .u00a0 Hydrovaccing was undesirable due to the projected high costs of of-site disposal and lost time of on-site work.u00a0 Additionally, the contractor wanted a clean and dry excavation to perform his work after the trench was opened up.u00a0 Re-using the original excavated material was the desired method of spoils treatment due to contamination considerations.
Challenges Faced:
The area was tight and the trench was long and curvy, requiring careful consideration as to how to excavate between and around existing boundaries and structures.
The top 12u201d consisted of course granular material which was easily broken up and removed.u00a0 The deeper the excavation, the stickier and harder the grey clay was however, with the right tools being used the operators, found that the clay broke up and the excavation was in no way compromised by exclusively using air to break up the typically stubborn and difficult soil.
Our Solution:
This was the ideal opportunity for the operators to take advantage of the innovative hydrostatic drive.u00a0 While in full suction mode, the operators were able to continuously dig safely while remotely moving the Dino8 forward or backward as required.u00a0 u00a0Extension pipes were added to the Mega Arm to reach difficult to access areas where the truck could not get in close.
The anodes were being installed in areas where it was confirmed by the client that no buried lines were present and offered a unique opportunity for the operators to deploy the 4-knife aggressive IKE attachment to u201caugeru201d the holes down to the 12 foot depth.u00a0 The hard, dry clay was no match to the rotating blades, and the powerful suction removed the soil in a few short minutes.u00a0 The contractor claimed this method took a 10th of the time he was used to experiencing for similar work.u00a0
Result / Client Benefit:
24 cubic metres of material were removed in a 9 hour work day.u00a0 The client could not have been more pleased with the results.u00a0 Keeping the excavation safe and dry meant that his crews were able to perform work immediately in dry conditions.u00a0 All excavated materials were simply dumped nearby into bins and re-instated later when work was completed.