Air Knife Excavation
Some situations are best accommodated with a type of hydro excavation that uses air rather than water. When this occurs, we use the Airspade 3000, a powerful air excavation tool that uses a supersonic nozzle and compressed air to do the digging. This is especially necessary on work sites where there may be contaminated soil and using water would be too risky. Air not only keeps the ground dry, but the air spade is a safer tool to use around utilities and tree roots. The nozzle is designed to move the soil without penetrating the utilities or roots.
Whether using high-pressure water or air, the results are typically the same. They both dig into the soil and then use a vacuum to remove the soil or debris. The decision about whether to use water or air depends on the situation, and it stands as yet another example of how precise and sophisticated these excavation methods can be. In both instances, the results are cleaner, safer, and definitely more efficient than conventional digging methods.