Air Knife Excavation
An air knife is a safe, non-destructive excavation tool, which uses a high-pressure airflow that which penetrates, expands and breaks-up soil. After the soil is loosened, the remaining material is safely vacuumed away. When used properly, this tool prevents significant excavation of the ground and avoids the risk of damaging buried utilities.
On sites with known or suspected underground hazards, air knife excavation is chosen as the most effective method of removing foreign substances. This method of excavation is also commonly referred to as soft excavation or soft digging and is accepted the safest method to dig around underground facilities.
Using air knife excavation eliminates accidental line damage and trench cave-ins, allowing workers to stay safe on the surface. The air knife is one way to physically locate an accurate depth of existing utilities.
The air knife is adequately designed to handle its job efficiently. It features pressurized air plenums which have a series of holes or continuous slots. Pressurized air travels through these slots and exits in a laminar flow pattern. Laminar airflow refers to a layer of air that will not mix with the other nearby layers. The high-pressure air reaches a certain velocity as it exits the knife.
The air knife has an adjustable nozzle and the blower air pressure varies according to the type of application but it is typically less than 15 PSI. The nozzle provides a wide path that is also long so that the large volume of pressurized air is dispersed evenly.
Some of the advantages of using air knife excavation are:
- More efficient than other tools
- Safer than other tools
- Less expensive than other tools
- Takes up less space than other tools
- Able to remove solid debris
If excavation is called for at your job site, an air knife may be able to handle the job more efficiently and effectively. For our environmental remediation services, we use air knife excavation for working around pipes, conduit or in sensitive areas. We use high pressure air to loosen the soil and then vacuum the soil using a Guzzler, avoiding the need for excavators, shovels or other intrusive tools. Contact us for more information on how our air knife excavation services can be put to work for you.
