What is an air spade used for?

The Air Spade is an excavation device that uses compressed air to remove soil. It’s powerful enough to handle heavy materials like hard clay or clumps of soil. At the same time, it’s gentle enough to safely use around sensitive roots.

What is air knife excavation?

An air knife is a safe, non-destructive excavation tool, which uses a high-pressure airflow that which penetrates, expands and breaks-up soil. After the soil is loosened, the remaining material is safely vacuumed away. The air knife is one way to physically locate an accurate depth of existing utilities.

What is compressed air used for at a dig?

The Utility AirSpade uses the power of compressed air to excavate soil quickly and without damaging underground root systems or utilities. By using compressed air tools, the risk of striking sensitive objects with a shovel or backhoe during excavation is significantly reduced.

What are girdled roots?

A girdling root is a root that grows in a circular or spiral pattern around the trunk or at or below the soil line, gradually strangling the trunk.

What is air spade excavation?

The use of a compressed air-powered tool, or AirSpade, facilitates excavation, soil management, and tree health-care within a tree’s critical root zone (CRZ). Unlike mechanical excavation techniques, air-spading efficiently removes or loosens soil without damaging a tree’s delicate root system.

How does an air knife work?

Working Principle An air knife is a pressurized air plenum with a uniform continuous gap which pressurized air exits in a laminar flow pattern. The exiting air velocity creates an impact air velocity directly onto the surface of the product to shear away moisture or particulates without mechanical contact.

What tools do you need for excavation?

Shovels, trowels, spades, brushes, sieves, and buckets are some of the more obvious or common tools that an archaeologist may carry with them to most digs. Keep in mind that the tool types used may vary depending on the type of excavation.

Can a tree survive girdling?

A tree can usually survive if less than half its circumference is girdled. Even so, the area with the embedded material is weak and susceptible to breaking.

Will a tree survive if roots are cut?

If I cut a root, will the tree die? Removing large tree roots can make the tree unstable or unhealthy later on. If large roots are removed, the tree may not be able to get enough nutrients and water. Also, don’t remove roots close or fused to the trunk since these are critical to the tree’s structure.

What is radial trenching?

Radial trenching involves drilling or digging narrow trenches beneath the canopy arranged like spokes of a wheel around the trunk. Typically, you would start a trench near or beyond the dripline and trench toward the trunk, stopping no closer than 6 inches for each inch of trunk diameter.

How does the air-spade work?

The Air-Spade patented supersonic nozzle turns compressed air into a high speed, laser-like jet moving at twice the speed of sound, Mach 2. All of the energy and momentum of this air moving at approximately 1200 mph is focused onto the soil dislodging it in a fraction of a second.

How do air knives work?

In most cases, the air knives are stationary while the products that are cleaned or cooled are traveling on conveyors. In other manufacturing applications, the air knife moves or rotates over the surface of the stationary product. In rare circumstances, an air knife can be used to cut products.

What are the compressed air requirements for the air-spade®?

Compressed air requirements: 25 – 225 cfm @ 90 psi. The Air-Spade 2000 has 150 cfm and 4′ barrel. The Air-Spade is available by itself or in the Standard Arbor Kit. One AIR-SPADE® with a 150 cfm / 90 psi nozzle, 4 foot barrel, ergonomic handle, 45 degree angled adapter, 10′ comfort hose, and storage case with lock.

What is the difference between air knives and air blowers?

A compressed air operated air knife provides significantly more force than a typical blower. Air knives are ideal for liquid and dust blow off. Air knives provide clean, heated air; low operating noise (even without sound enclosures); and easy installation and operation.