Waterblasting and Waterjet Cleaning and Accessories

Waterblasting and Waterjet Cleaning and Accessories

Portable jetter solves blockage issue in tight area

Water blaster preps historic building for refurbishing

Problem: In Chicago, a historic structure stood ready to be refurbished into an up-and-coming Embassy Suites hotel. The structure, a former machine and fabrication warehouse, was coated with a lead-based paint that needed to be removed before any more work was started. The customer hired Nova Painting to remove all lead paint chips and possible lead-contaminated Blastox neutralizer from the 15th floor and safely get it to the basement.

Solution: With surface coating specs changing frequently and environmental hazards needing to be dealt with in an environmentally friendly way, the Aquamiser D115 water blaster and Box of Rocks water filtration system from CESCO was chosen. The customer was able to safely blast the structure using 38,000 psi water pressure to remove the lead paint, as well as utilizing a media injection system to inject Black Beauty blast abrasive into the water stream, prepping the surface for recoat in one swift action. The water blast system was placed in one location for the duration of the job to reach each and every spot that required cleaning in the 15-story complex.

Result: All runoff/wastewater was collected in a containment pond and pumped through the filtration system, where all solids were separated prior to purification; it was then pumped through the filtering system to be recirculated through the blasting operation. 800-394-4987; www.aquamiser.com.


Portable jetter solves blockage issue in tight area

Problem: Over 50 years’ hardened sediment and debris blocked a critical 5-inch overflow pipe beneath the artificial lake at Dospat Dam, Bulgaria, seriously threatening dam wall integrity and risking catastrophic failure. Construction of a new conduit proved unfeasible, as the remote setting prevented use of heavy, trailer-mounted equipment. And the 460-foot line descended 2.5 percent to 157 feet beneath the dam wall through four tight bends to the outflow, making it extremely difficult to access the obstruction.    

Solution: Double D Engineering opted for a compact, portable water jet solution — the JM-3080 gas-powered water jet from General Pipe Cleaners/General Wire Spring. The high-flow water jet is ideal for clearing 4- to 8-inch lines of grease, sediment, ice and other soft blockages. A 20 hp Honda engine with electric start provides 8 gpm at 3,000 psi. A 12-gallon buffer tank protects the pump when the water supply is inadequate, and Vibra-Pulse propels the hose down long lines and around tight bends. 

Result: The unit eventually cleared what seemed like an impossible blockage. “We’re enormously pleased with JM-3080’s portability, power and performance,” says Dimiter Dimitrov, company manager. 800-245-6200; www.drainbrain.com.


Vacuum excavator a fit on college campus

Problem: Some of the initiatives that University of Central Florida utility workers handle daily include identifying and mapping the location of utility lines. “We have a lot of old utility lines in the ground that haven’t been located in many decades,” says Anthony Lugo, University of Central Florida utility supervisor. “They have never been marked properly, and it is our job to find them, mark them, and put them on the map. Finding those lines can be time-consuming and intrusive to the property. But the biggest obstacle, when you are part of the utility crew, is safety. You don’t want to hit electrical lines with a shovel.” 

Solution: The university purchased a Vac-Tron Equipment AIR 373 SDT vacuum excavation unit. The unit is powered by an 83 hp Yanmar diesel engine and comes standard with a 300-gallon debris tank, air pressure of 150 cfm at 170 psi, hydraulically operated full-open rear door with auto engage safety latch, and one 100-gallon water tank. Its remote debris tank collects the dry material and then can be positioned back over the hole to put back into place without causing much disruption to the surroundings.

Result: Upgrading from traditional methods of excavation — an excavator or hand shovel — to a Vac-Tron Equipment unit has greatly increased efficiency for the University of Central Florida utility crew. “It made things faster; it made things safer,” Lugo says. “It saves us a lot of time: What used to take four to six hours, now only takes one to two hours. We aren’t spending any unnecessary time doing a job.” 352-728-2222; www.vactron.com.



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