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Soft Trencher
The Need
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Excavation near existing electrical lines, gas
lines and other underground utilities can be dangerous and time consuming. Traditional
methods using an excavator can easily damage underground utilities causing injury, death,
or at a minimum construction delays. Hand excavation, while somewhat more controlled, has
the same risks as machine excavation but at an increase in expense and time. |
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The Technology
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A self propelled trencher called the Soft
Trencher developed by Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio uses supersonic air to
loosen dirt which is then vacuumed up into a truck or piled into a windrow for later
removal of backfill. The supersonic air used to break up the soil is harmless to
underground utilities and cables. Unlike traditional excavation methods there is no
downward force that can be exerted on the underground utilities. Unlike conventional vacuum trucks the Soft Trencher is designed for
continuous operation with a capacity of approximately 15 c.f./min. Widths of trenches are
from 1' on a single pass and 6' on multiple passes. Depths of 10' are possible. |
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The Benefits
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Particularly in areas of high congestion of
underground utilities where damage to those utilities would cause disruption the Soft
Trencher may be beneficial. Locating of existing utilities is a time consuming and costly
operation. |
Status
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Its principal uses are for trenching and
existing utility location. Other possible applications include excavation in contaminated
areas where isolation of the operator is required, excavation where buried waste
containers are present, and buried ordinance locations. Recently, the Soft Trencher was
used in the Boston's "Big Dig" highway construction project. |
Barriers
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Only one Soft Trencher exists at the current
time. Therefore the availability to demonstrate the equipment and develop a demand for it
is limited. |
Points of Contact
- Steve Okonek, EPRI-Electric
Power Research Institute, 3412 Hillview Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94304-1395. Phone: (650)
855-1068.
- Tom Rodenbaugh, EPRI-Electric Power Research Institute,
Phone: (415) 855-2306.
- Richard Nathenson, Concept Engineering Group, Inc. Phone:
(412) 826-3193.
References
- Battelle
Memorial Institute, 1995 Press Releases.
- EPRI-Electric Power Research
Institute, Distribution News, September 1997.
Disclaimer Statement
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Neither the Construction
Industry Institute nor Purdue University in any way endorses this
technology or represents
that the information presented can be relied upon without further investigation. |
KGM01/LHM
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