Foundation Excavation in Boulder Colorado: Automated Trenching
Folks who need Foundation Excavation services in Colorado may want to familiarize themselves with the variety of equipment, which is utilized for excavation projects in Boulder and the surrounding areas. Automated trenchers are heavy excavation machines designed to dig trenches as quickly and efficiently as possible. They come in several sizes, shapes and configurations, depending on the Boulder excavation job at hand.
Boulder, CO Excavation Services: The Trenchers
Several automated trenching machines include the wheel trencher, chain trencher, micro trencher, and tractor trencher. All of these are quite distinct and can handle different projects, it is good to familiarize one’s self with these machines prior to beginning your Boulder County foundation excavation project in the Colorado Rocky's. Let’s begin with the wheel trencher.
Boulder County excavation services may utilize a wheel trencher, or rock wheel trencher. This excavation machine is so named, because it relies on a toothed metal wheel which rotates and tears apart soil. Its efficacy is first and foremost economical, as It is cheaper to operate and maintain than chain-type trenchers, which break down much more frequently. Excavators in Boulder, Colorado may utilize this excavation machine to work in hard or soft soils, either homogeneous (compact rocks, silts, sands) or heterogeneous (split or broken rock, alluvia, moraines). This is because, unlike chain trenchers, an excavator's cutting wheel works by clearing the soil with bucket wheels which shovel up the dirt, as opposed to the chain trencher which tear the soil apart. Because of this it is less sensitive to the presence of blocks in the soil and can also be used to cut pavement for road maintenance and to gain access to utilities under roads. Due to its wheel design the tool may reach variable cutting depths with the same tool, as well as keeping a constant soil working angle with a relatively small wheel diameter. This Boulder County excavator's tool works by placing the cutting elements around the wheel, which is removable, and adjusting the tooth diameter, which are made more or less dense depending on the ground they will encounter.
The teeth are placed in a semi-spherical configuration on the wheel in order to increase the removal of the materials from the trench. The downside to this is that the teeth wear out quickly and need to be replaced fairly consistently, which an be costly. Wheel trenchers can be mounted on either tracks or rubber tires. This assists your Boulder County excavator with tackling diverse terrain and taking on jobs that have little ease of access.
Boulder Colorado excavators may also utilize a chain trencher. This machine operates exactly how it sounds, by removing soil with the aid of a digging chain or belt that is driven around a rounded metal frame, often times called a “boom”. In this way it resembles a giant chainsaw. This type of trencher is perfect for cutting ground that is too hard to cut with a bucket-type excavator, and this excavator can also be used to cut very precise, narrow, and deep trenches. In addition, the angle of the boom can be adjusted to control the depth of the cut. The chain trencher is used for digging wider trenches (telecommunication, electricity, drainage, water, gas, sanitation, etc.) especially in rural areas.
The excavated materials are removed by conveyor belt that is reversible, either on the right or on the left side. In terms of excavating in rock, nothing beats the chain trencher, except perhaps blasting. It is suggested that the advantages of using chain trenchers in suitable rock outweigh the limitations. This is especially true for the environmentally minded excavator, as the chain excavator has the least impact of the environment.
Boulder County excavators also utilize the "micro trencher" and the "tractor trencher". As you can see the world of trenching and excavation can be quite complex, even in terms of the tools designed to make the job easier. It is important to consider the applications of each of these excavation tools and inform yourself well. Being well informed in this area can make the difference in terms of selecting the proper tool, and thus, saving yourself time, trouble, and most certainly money. This is especially true if you are trying to tackle an excavation project yourself without the services of professionals in Boulder County.
Boulder County Excavation Services: Microtrenchers
When excavators in Boulder, CO utilize a micro trencher, they do so because this is a much smaller version of the rock wheel design that is specifically designed for work in compact, urban environments. This excavation service tool is fitted with a much smaller cutting wheel that cuts a micro trench with smaller dimensions than the standard trencher. These micro trench widths range from about 30 to 130 mm (1.2 to 5.1 in) with a depth of 500 mm (20 in) or less. These excavation service trenchers also come in a radio-controlled variety which can be managed from a handheld console in order to be able to reach even tighter spaces. As mentioned before, these are perfect for trenching out areas that have very tight nooks and crannies, like the areas to be found in compact, cityscape environment.
The micro trencher is by far the most refined of these trenchers, able to cut very precise lengths and depths. With a micro trencher, the structure of a road can be maintained, for example, with great precision and no associated damage to the road. Owing to the reduced trench size, the volume of waste material excavated is also reduced. Micro-trenchers can also be used used to minimize traffic or pedestrian disturbance during excavation service on your property. A micro trencher can work on sidewalks or in narrow streets of cities, and this excavation service tool can cut harder ground than a chain trencher, including cutting through solid stone. They are also used to cut pavement for road maintenance and to gain access to utilities under roads.
Boulder, CO Excavation Services: The Tractor Trencher
The final Colorado Excavator's tool explored in this piece will be the tractor trencher. The tractor trencher is exactly what it sounds like. It is an external apparatus that is purchased and then attached to a tractor and pushed or drug using the tractor’s momentum. These tractor trenchers come in several flavors, most of which come under the chain trencher variety. They can be used in a variety of environments, but the most widely seen is on farms or rural areas where they are commonly used to dig out fields for crops. These excavation service tools can be fitted with a variety of styles and blades for different jobs and can be quite versatile. However, they are also a little clunky from being mounted on a tractor. They can be easily attached and detached and then stored for safekeeping, which opens up the tractor for other uses. This versatility can be great for farms and homesteads operating on a budget that can’t necessarily afford standalone excavation equipment. They also make great paperweights, although the oil can really mess up your tax papers. All joking aside, these can be a great addition to your farm and can be utilized for a plethora of different projects at a fraction of the cost of buying larger equipment. They are easy to attach to a hitch or front mount and can be utilized for years, if serviced and stored under proper conditions.
Thus concludes our article on excavation services, which utilize automated trenchers. As always if you are seeking to start any sort of excavation project, make sure that you are differing to local laws and regulations. Do not make costly mistakes that can be easily avoided. Make sure that you follow all indications and cautions on the equipment, as well as reading the manual and following proper procedure. These are very dangerous pieces of equipment that can cause serious injury or death if used improperly. Be careful out there…