Established in 1998, Pressure Works services metropolitan Melbourne and country Victoria and is headed by Manager Nick Allin.
Pressure Works’ EPA licenced trucks can be used for fast and efficient hydro excavation, service proving and locating, limited access and deep vacuum excavation, and have been used in cased pile hole clean out up to 20 m lift. The trucks are so versatile they have even been used for stormwater drain and pit cleaning, blocked conduit clearing and roping of conduits.
Pressure Works’ investment in PPE used in the ultra high pressure water blasting industry points to the company’s focus on safety, seeking to protect its operators from water jet injury.
Vacuum excavation of bridge pile holes
Pressure Works recently completed an upgrade for a bridge construction contractor involving a cased pile hole clean-out below a river bed located at Wattletree Road at Eltham Bridge. Vacuum excavation was needed because the cased pile holes were rock-drilled below riverbed and needed to be cleaned of slurry and water prior to the concrete being poured. Pressure Works’ 6 inch vacuum was able to educt the debris and water quicker than it was coming in the hole, allowing the concrete to be poured and approved by the geotechnical engineers.
The team realised the overall weight of the vacuum hose and the debris being educted was too great for truck mounted to boom to handle. Additionally, the boom did not have enough vertical travel to lower and raise the vacuum hose into the hole. A crane was therefore utilised to lower the 20 m of vacuum hose into pile hole and hold the weight, while vacuum loading the water and debris from the hole.
The successful cleanout allowed the construction contractor to concrete the steel into a dry, hard rock bottom and continue constructing the next phase of the bridge.
A vacuum solution for all occasions
The company provides services for power companies, telecommunication contractors, councils, civil contractors, VicRoads contractors, pipeline contractors, bridge construction, sign and pole installation, service location contractors, plumbing and electrical contractors and arborists.
Future directions
The team is seeking to continually develop its operators, its range of equipment and its safety, and to continue to hydro excavate successful outcomes for clients.