Other Services

Vacuum excavation, pipe ramming, and trenching are provided by Turriff Group company, Underground Moling Services Ltd, known throughout the utility industry as UMS.

Vacuum Excavation

Vacuum extraction combines pressurised water and a vacuum system to create a non-destructive excavation method which eliminates the risk of damaging existing underground assets such as water and gas pipes, drains and expensive fibre optic communication cables.

Up to ten times faster than hand digging, vacuum excavation also eliminates back injuries - the primary cause of days lost to ill health in the construction industry.

Vacuum excavation is an ideal technique for confined spaces.

Pipe Ramming

Pipe ramming uses a pneumatic hammer to drive a steel casing through the ground from a launch pit to a reception pit. Typical casing diameters range from 150mm to 1.2m, and casing runs are rarely longer than 70m.

UMS often employs pipe ramming on the installation of larger diameter pipes under railways, roads and waterways where ground collapse could be catastrophic. As with all trenchless techniques, site disruption is minimal and there are potential cost savings from reduced reinstatement compared with traditional open cut trenching.

Trenching

UMS recognises that 'no-dig' techniques are not applicable in all situations and has built up a fleet of chain trenchers which can excavate over 500m of trench per day in favourable ground conditions. Chain trenchers are ideally suited for verges and fields.

For hard surfaces such as concrete and rock, UMS uses a chain trencher fitted with a 'rock wheel'. By producing a neat and compact trench, UMS is able to reduce the amount of reinstatement required.

Plant Hire

UMS's trenchless technologies such as horizontal directional drilling, impact moling and pipe bursting are playing an ever greater role in the rehabilitation and renewal of the nation's utility infrastructure. As demand has grown, UMS has responded by investing in new equipment and plant which it uses on its own projects but also to hire out to other contractors.