Suction excavator

[3] Pacific Tek,[4] also founded in 1993, has created the Angled Vacuum Excavator Tank (1997) and the 180° Swivel Mount Valve Operator (1999).

[5] The global market size for suction excavators was estimated to be valued at US$924.7 million in 2020.

Typically, vacuum excavation loosens the soil with a blunt-nosed high-pressure air lance or water source and vacuums away loosened material.Depending on the machine used and soil conditions, a 12-inch-square, 5-foot-deep pothole can be completed in 20 minutes or less.

[7] Vacuum excavation is sometimes used in conjunction with conventional underground (one-call) locating services.

According to New Mexico 811's (NM811) Aligning Change, Locating with Potholing, "One-call paint marks and flags are the first steps in making the process of locating underground utilities safer, the use of vacuum excavation technology adds an additional margin of safety.

Four views of a typical suction excavator
A suction excavator with vacuum excavation equipment operating in the Netherlands