Benefits of Air Excavation

Advantages of Excavating with AirSpade

Air excavation has become a preferred method for digging on many jobs ranging from utility work to advanced tree care. Excavating with the AirSpade offers a number of advantages over conventional tools such as picks, shovels, and backhoes, including:

  • Two to three times faster than hand excavation.
  • Less worker fatigue than a pick or shovel.
  • Eliminates sharp metal edges as featured on picks, digging blades, or buckets.
  • Harmless to buried, solid objects such as utility lines, telecommunication cables, tree roots, hazardous waste containers, or military ordnance.
  • Excavates some rocky soils where a shovel is difficult to use.
  • Breaks soil into small particles that are ideal for re-compaction.
  • Powered by common, tow-behind air compressors.


Pairing AirSpade with AirVac

Pairing AirSpade with a portable vacuum unit, such as AirVac, offers further significant performance advantages such as:

  • Soil is dislodged and driven airborne by AirSpade, then vacuumed directly into the AirVac container.
  • Non-contact, non-striking digging methodology will not harm sensitive underground objects or infrastructure.
  • Ideal for small diameter, deep excavation (potholing) where a hand shovel or backhoe bucket cannot fit or reach.
  • AirVac features high-head performance that is particularly effective with heavy sludge and liquids.