Blog

The Power and Precision of Hydro Excavation

By harnessing the naturally erosive properties of water, hydro excavation will amplify your digging capabilities. Hydro excavation is a process that utilizes the most efficient and harmless methods of soil removal possible. Hydro excavating has proven itself as a top-tier method of excavation in utility and pipeline capacities. Let’s explore the benefits of using hydro excavation.

The Power and Precision of Hydro Excavation

Water is responsible for some of the most awe-inspiring views in the natural world. Hydro excavation has harnessed the power of water erosion into the role of an excavator, so it is capable of delivering the shearing forces of water with precision. This allows for very precise work in shortened timeframes.

The process of hydro excavation is also environmentally friendly. The area of excavation also receives far less collateral damage than former excavation practices. Water is an effective medium against a frozen or unmanageable ground. The dislodged soil is simply removed by means of suction, this leaves a predictable and effective method for safe and accurate excavation.

The unseen is the largest variable in most excavation jobs. Hydro excavating has a unique quality to lessen the blow of these unseen dilemmas. Utilities are easily avoided or routed around. The advanced safety training undergone by our excavation crews means that coming in contact with underground utilities is also far less ominous.

Consider our team’s expertise when preparing to tackle your future projects. For additional information regarding hydro dig excavation, timelines, safety procedures or other services, please contact us today!

The Right Hydro Excavation Contractors for the Job

When you are in need of safe excavation it’s important to work with serious hydro excavation contractors. At 4 Warriors Hydro Excavation we put our client’s needs first, and in order to do that, we have made sure our house is in order.  Our crew has extensive site-specific training, advanced safety training and experience working for the needs of various industries. As a family owned company founded in firm Christian morals, it is integral to us that each and every one of our contractors is the best possible person for every job. Our contractors consistently operate the most cutting edge trenching and potholing equipment available for hydro excavation today.

The Right Hydro Excavation Contractors for the Job

Whether you are a Federal or State agency, a local municipality, an oil company, or real-estate developer in need of commercial hydro excavation, our contractors can deliver exactly what you need when you need it. We have built a reputation on exceeding expectations by working on some of the largest projects in Texas.

When you need to hire a hydro excavation contractor, contact us first to schedule an estimate. When you don’t hire the right contractor the first time, the consequences can be costly. Our safety training, TWIC and OQ certifications, JSA procedures and drug testing make sure that your contractor is qualified for any scenario that can arise during the course of the project. As a company with faith-based values, we believe it is our duty to impact every client’s life in a positive manner, supplying the best quality work is the way we deliver on that promise.

Trenching Safety

Trenching safetyTrenching Safety should be a priority for any construction company or contractor. According to OSHA, trenching is among the most dangerous of all construction endeavors. OSHA can and does fine companies and contractors for ignoring the safety protocols for trenching. Worse, these protocols are readily available and very straightforward. The main theme in trenching safety is avoiding serious injury and the loss of life through common sense safety. Cave-ins occur suddenly and without warning, and are devastating. The sheer weight of the soil, dependent on a number of factors, is enough to cause numerous fatalities. Cutting corners will not only result in serious injury or death but also hefty fines from OSHA as well as civil lawsuits. For contractors, OSHA fines can be severe enough to close your doors. Thus, it pays to follow the rules and ensure that excavation practices are safe.

Trenches of certain depths must have safety systems. The complexity of these systems depends entirely on a few different environmental factors. They include soil and rock stability, soil moisture levels, and forecasted weather changes of the area. These judgments need to be made by what OSHA terms a competent person, such as an engineer. A competent person will take the above factors into considerations when advising on safety systems. The inherent risk of trenching, including collapsing loads and falls (to add onto the environmental risks) means that inspections need to continue throughout the process. All workers should also be outfitted with fall protection gear. If a worker feels trench conditions are unsafe or that protocols have not been met, he or she should not enter the trench. When trenching, focus on safety and accident prevention. Be sure to prioritize OSHA regulations and utilize the knowledge of competent persons to set up a safe, secure work environment. To learn more about safe trenching, contact us today.

Vacuum Excavating vs Manual Digging

For hundreds of years, manual digging with picks and shovels was the standard way to dig into the ground. Today, work crews still employ manual digging in areas next to buried piping, cabling, and other sensitive underground utilities.

Vacuum Excavating vs Manual Digging

While manual digging is safer than digging with a backhoe, it is not a fool-proof method. When the soil is dense and hard, shoveling with a light touch to avoid damaging underground utilities isn’t possible. Sometimes force is required when using the digging tools. Full body weight applied to the shovel is often necessary. Sometimes sharp picks or even 20-pound digging bars with sharp edges are slammed into the ground to break apart the soil before it is shoveled out.

Using these manual tools with such force risks damaging underground cabling and piping, especially when you aren’t 100% sure of their precise location. Surface erosion and past landscaping work can change their depth. Tree roots can displace their position as well. This uncertainty is often the case when using very old drawings or blueprints. Striking a tool against a big cast iron sewer pipe may not cause harm, but what about a small diameter fiber optic cable buried without a conduit? What if the piping has a protective coating?

Vacuum excavating will safely and efficiently do the work without exposing sensitive underground utilities to expensive damage. This technology uses pressurized water to break apart the soil while a vacuum pipe simultaneously draws out the water. What takes hours to do with shovels and picks is safely done in minutes with vacuum excavating technology.

4 Warriors Hydro Excavating has the best operators and techs in the industry and uses the best equipment. We work efficiently and safely, and will get the job done on time and within your price budget. To learn more about our services and for answers to your questions, please contact us.

Daylighting and Line Locating Before Construction On Gas And Oil Facilities

Daylighting is the act of exposing a buried utility or obstruction before proceeding with the rest of an excavation project. It is a safety precaution mandated by most major gas and oil companies when work is performed on their facilities. All utilities in the excavation path must be daylighted and exposed further before proceeding. Now, there are a few ways this can be done.

Daylighting and Line Locating Before Construction On Gas And Oil Facilities

For a time, contractors used backhoes to daylight–but with mixed results. Due to the obvious risk of contact, those same energy companies are now asking that all day lighting be done by hydro excavation or “Suck Trucks” as they are affectionately called throughout the construction industry.

Before daylighting can happen, all utilities must be located by use of above-ground methods–such as radio detection, magnetometers, and ground penetrating radar. Energy companies call these utility locating sessions Four-Way Sweeps. To perform these sweeps, Utility Locators must be Operator Qualified.

Although it is profitable, such rigorous demands make working on pipelines and energy facilities time-consuming.  If you are rewarded a contract on an energy facility, consider 4 Warriors Hydro Excavating. All of our operators are certified and highly qualified. We also offer utility locating services. By combining locating services with excavation, we can save you valuable time and money on your project.

Not only do we understand your schedule, but we understand the energy industry and appreciate their desire for safety; In fact, we share that same desire. Our employees exceed all safety measures given to them, and they are equally devoted to the desires of the customer. Contact us today for a conversation about how we can help with your excavation and utility locating needs.

Cost-effective Excavation Options

There are many organizations and companies involved in building a community — a whole myriad of contractors. Among those are Excavators. Before the new wing of a library can be constructed, electrical lines and utilities need to be exposed so that they can be rerouted. Before those new classrooms can be built, old lines and gnarled tree roots need to be found and removed, and trenches cleared to put new lines in.

Cost-effective Excavation Options

There are a few ways to go about trenching and excavating an area. Some of the basic methods are manual digging or using a backhoe, which can seem like easy ways to get the job done if you aren’t calculating the risks and labor involved. Using a backhoe is powerful, but that machine is bulky and clumsy, and can end up causing more damage and therefore incur more costs. That giant claw does not have the precision required to clear dirt around pipes and wiring, and can even destroy them. Manually digging around everything might solve this problem, but this method is very labor-intensive and time-consuming. Everyone involved in business knows: time is money.

This is where hydro excavation comes in to save the day. Trenching via hydro excavation is an efficient, cost-effective service offered by 4 Warriors Hydro Excavation. Not only can they get your project moving quickly and efficiently, they are a company that truly values the customers and community that they serve. They can guarantee safety and reliability at competitive, thoughtful pricing. Contact us today for an estimate and see how hydro excavating can make help with your next project.

Reliable And Safe Hydro Excavation Services

Being a family based business, and founded on the roots of Christianity, 4 Warriors Hydro Excavation is impacting the industry through the blessings of the best operators, technicians, and top of the line equipment, and we humbly accept being the most reliable, safest, and cost efficient hydro excavation service that the industry has to offer.

Reliable And Safe Hydro Excavation Services

With extensive experience in hydro excavation, 4 Warriors strives to exceed our client’s expectations each and every day. We know how important time is, and we value yours, in the most cost-efficient way possible. Continuous diligence in our training shows the desire for advancement in safety precautions, solely for the level of care we have for you and your business.

4 Warriors value the need to provide proficient, reliable, and dedicated services. Our team never rejects learning opportunities, and we seek specific industrial training, and extensive site-specific certifications such as:

  • TWIC Certifications
  • OQ Certifications
  • Drug Testing
  • JSA Procedures

At 4 Warriors we strive to build a bridge of excellence from our business to yours, not only to impact the industry, but also the lives of those we meet along the way. Our heartfelt tried and true concern for the people we meet is the effervescent light behind who we are.

Excavation Services are often required of many businesses, for many typical, and non-typical reasons. Whether it’s for Day Lighting, Pot-holing, or Trenching, 4 Warriors Hydro Excavating is fully equipped, fully trained, and fully dedicated to the bettering your business and its productivity. Please contact us, and allow 4 Warriors to battle all your reliable and safe Hydro Excavation needs!

Locating Utility Lines With Hydro Excavation

Digging to find underground utilities can be tricky, so it’s important to know exactly what you are doing. The whole process of potholing involves finding these underground utilities safely to determine their location. By using the wrong method, it could be disastrous for the workers, utilities, and the surrounding facilities.

Using a method that is safe, but still efficient is the preferred method in this fragile environment. Causing the electrical system to go out at a hospital can be devastating, but could happen if certain procedures are not followed.

Locating Utility Lines With Hydro Excavation

What is Potholing?

Potholing is used to excavate 12″ holes for the location of underground utilities which verifies the location, type, and depth. The methods for performing this important procedure include; digging by hand, the use of a backhoe and vacuum excavating.

Methods for Potholing 

Digging by hand requires manpower and is safe, but the time required to perform this method can be time-consuming. Hand tools used in this process are a minimal risk for damage to the utility.

The backhoe was the most popular method but can cause damage to the utility. This is a risky method that should be avoided.

Vacuum excavation is now the most popular method for minimizing damage to these underground utilities. The use of high-pressure air breaks up the dirt and rock, which is then vacuumed into a container on a work truck. This container holds the dirt until it is ready for backfilling.

Hydro Excavation is superior for finding the location of underground utilities. This procedure uses water to break up the soil instead of air pressure. This makes it the best method for Potholing for many reasons.

  • This procedure minimizes damage
  • Saves time and money over other methods
  • Is more accurate
  • Less dangerous to employees.
  • Breaks down most types of soil
  • Environmental friendly

4 Warriors Hydro Excavating has extensive training for all types of industries, contact us.

Why You Need Hydro Excavation For Line Locates

Why You Need Hydro Excavation For Line LocatesDue to the increasing number of buried utilities, digging underground is even more difficult today than it has been in previous years. In addition to water, sewer, natural gas and electric lines, excavators also have to deal with buried traffic light and telecommunication cables buried deep down in the soil.

If you need to dig and you don’t know the exact location of the buried utilities, contacting a company that specializes in line locates through hydro excavating is the wisest decision you can make. This method is the safest and most reliable way to locate buried lines that have unknown whereabouts. It’s too risky to start digging with a backhoe, which can easily break or cut into a buried utility line. In addition to the expense and the time that it takes to replace a destroyed line, it’s also dangerous.

Hydro excavation is completely safe because there is no cutting or digging down into the ground where buried lines rest. After making a hole in the ground, pressurized water blasts down into the opening to break up the dirt and gravel. Once these materials are loose, the high-powered vacuum that’s attached to the truck removes the loosened debris from the hole.

Hydro excavating is a precise and reliable technique for locating and uncovering buried utilities. Our company, 4 Warriors Hydro Excavating, proudly uses this method to locate buried lines in Carrizo Springs, Texas to make way for the new pipeline.

When you need accurate line locates, contact us for professional hydro excavation services. Don’t take the unnecessary risk of damaging a buried utility line when there’s an affordable and safer alternative.

A Hard Day Spent Trenching Doesn’t Have To Be So Hard

The job site stretches on, flat and yet unblemished, the project is about to begin. Many boots, trucks and tracks will cross this ground in the following year as the ground is shaped and churned, then raised to a new height, as a neighborhood center, hospital, public high school, or backyard oasis. Yet, beneath those boots and heavy wheels, will lie the network of cables, pipes, and foundations which make life in these future spaces liveable.

A Hard Day Spent Trenching Doesn't Have To Be So Hard

The problem is, with the first arrivals at the site, there are still many unseen obstacles to laying down the systems for modern living. Looking at the site plan, the trenchers see existing utility lines, old trees with large root systems, and countless other unknown objects likely buried in the ground. As the excavator engines fire up in the hum of a Texas morning, and as the crew mans their shovels to assist, the first trench is dug deep to allow for the plumbing of the new structure. Scoop after scoop of dirt is removed monotonously and the trench lengthens slowly. As the sun rises overhead, sweat is on the brows of all the men working. The afternoon comes and then halts quickly. A fiber optic cable cutting across the field was marked ten feet too far north on the plan, and the flags marking the line were run over by a truck delivering material. Now the expensive cable has been ripped out by the teeth of the excavator bucket. It will be hours before the company which owns the line can arrive and fix it, at a hefty price. All the men stand there idle and hot, their progress dead in the water.

But if this crew had been using vacuum excavating, they may not be standing so idle. The use of pressurized water would have jetted right around the line, never severing or ripping it. They could keep moving along without having to fight the dirt’s resistance; the water doing the tough work for them. In the matter of a day, the vacuum excavators would have all the plumbing done, while a crew with the old bulky diesel digging machine would just be finishing up one main line, with many more battles against the dirt ahead.

Trenching is the part of construction which is unseen in the end product, but it is the part which makes the end product function. Shouldn’t the unseen be finished and out-of-the-way as efficiently as possible? We are here to help you begin to see your plan become a functioning reality, as quickly and efficiently as possible, because you and your vision matter to us!