B&W Hydrovac and Site Solutions recently had the opportunity to put our hydrovac equipment to work at the St. Louis Zoo, helping prepare for a new exhibit scheduled to open this spring. As part of the project, our crew was brought in to excavate a series of holes for posts that will eventually support fencing around the new exhibit. While digging post holes might sound straightforward, this job quickly demonstrated exactly why hydrovac excavation is such a valuable option when working around existing underground infrastructure.
Utilities at Almost Every Hole
Once excavation began, we encountered underground utilities at nearly every post location.
Fortunately, the project team chose soft digging with hydrovac excavation rather than relying solely on conventional mechanical excavation. Hydrovacing uses pressurized water to carefully loosen the soil while a powerful vacuum removes the resulting slurry. This gives operators much greater control when exposing buried utilities and working in congested areas.
Instead of blindly digging through the ground with an auger or excavator, our crew was able to carefully expose what was below the surface and work around the existing utilities.
Why Soft Digging Matters
This St. Louis Zoo project is a great real-world example of the benefits of hydrovac excavation. Underground sites can contain electrical lines, communications, water lines and other infrastructure that isn’t always where you expect it to be.
Hydrovacing can help reduce the risk of utility strikes, unnecessary damage, costly repairs and project delays while still allowing contractors to get the excavation work completed efficiently.
For precision work such as post holes, utility daylighting, potholing, trenching and excavation around sensitive underground infrastructure, hydrovac equipment provides a safer, non-destructive alternative to traditional digging methods.
Proud to Be Part of What’s Coming Next
We’re proud to have B&W Hydrovac and Site Solutions equipment on-site at one of St. Louis’ best-known attractions and to play a small role in preparing for the Zoo’s upcoming exhibit.
And considering how many utilities we uncovered along the way, this was definitely one of those projects where choosing hydrovac excavation paid off.
Need to dig around existing utilities? B&W Hydrovac and Site Solutions provides professional hydrovac excavation and site services throughout Central and Southern Illinois and the greater St. Louis region. Contact us today to discuss your next project.
