Dewatering Techniques Improve Excavation Site Efficiency and Safety

Construction Dewatering techniques and technology have evolved to the extent that contractors now have more confidence than ever that the integrity of a site’s soil can be successfully maintained. Using a range of dewatering techniques, contractors can intercept seepage that would otherwise accumulate at the bottom of a slope or excavation; increase the stability of excavated slopes; prevent the loss of material from slopes and more easily improve the excavation and backfill characteristics of sandy soils.
Without such initiatives, improperly controlled groundwater can cause damage to pipes and reduce the stability of excavation slopes as well as that of foundation soils. Ultimately, this can undermine the support of a structure and the success of an excavation.
Dewatering techniques must be carefully considered before they are undertaken. It is essential to examine where excavation should take place, what its size and depth should be and what the type of soil is.
For example, contractors must be aware if there are a range of soil types at the site. The bottom of an excavation can contain clay, silt and/or shale. Due to variations in density, each material absorbs and seeps water at different rates.
Dewatering is also common at mining sites. The proliferation of mines across the country means that many Canadian companies rely on dewatering technology to maintain efficiency and safety at their sites. This is particularly important in Canada where the country’s overall natural resource sector is the most robust in the world, routinely outperforming that of other countries.
Dewatering can be accomplished by a combination of methods. Some sites require temporary dewatering measures while others require permanent drainage systems. Groundwater can be removed via pumps and filters which prevent the migration of fine particles. In other instances, groundwater can be intercepted and rerouted.
In scenarios where backfill is not reused at an excavation site, the substances that are filtered out of groundwater can be dried and sold. In some industries, the dust extracted from groundwater is sold and purchased. For example, landscapers and homeowners have found a use for such product in the maintenance of yards and outdoor spaces.
While the investment opportunities available through the sale of excavation site materials are minimal, companies ought to consider if and how the cost of an excavation can be offset.