Maximize your payload
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Three new hydroexcavator models from Supervac offer large loads to keep workers on the job
Payload is keypoint
Time is money in the hydroexcavation industry. That means that taking the time to empty your spoils tank is money out of your pocket. The larger the tank, the longer your techs can spend on the jobsite. With their two new trailer-mounted hydroexcavators (the Atlas and Boreas) along with the super-sized Hercules XL truck-mounted hydroexcavator from Supervac, you’d think this much payload capacity wouldn’t be legal … but you’d be wrong!
At 37’ feet long, the new Hercules XL is perfect for applications where weight is not as much of a concern. It can carry an industry leading 18 cubic yards of debris and it has available a payload capacity of an market-topping 25,000 pounds before Canadian payload laws are exceeded. The increased payload capacity will help save time and money, as not only is dumping available on site, the length of the Hercules XL will maintain its legal highway capacity.
“Everyone now is looking for as much payload potential as possible,” says Steeve Sheehy, SuperVac’s National Sales Manager. “The key for us was using a flexible SPIF #22 four-axle configuration that allowed us to distribute the weight evenly.”
Exclusive design
When designing the new unit, the biggest challenge for Supervac’s development team was transferring weight to the front and second axle of the truck. Sheehy says that most hydroexcavators tend to shift weight toward the back, which can overload the rear axle and limit payload capacity. “It’s so hard not to get overweight on your rear axle with a full spoils tank,” he says. “On the Hercules XL, we moved much of the equipment to get more of that weight distribution up front.
In the new setup, the 3,600-gallon debris tank is mounted as close as possible to the truck’s cab. It’s 3,800 cfm, 27-inches Hg blower is more compact than its predecessors, and mounted directly over the truck’s second axle. In addition, more equipment, including its 30-ton hydraulic dump hoist and 400,000 Btu boiler are compactly situated near the cab to allow for more even weight distribution. The unit’s 185 cfm air excavation compressor, Wabasto diesel fuel heater, 3,000 psi high-pressure water pump, controls, aluminum tool boxes and six 250-gallon (1,500-gallon total capacity) plastic water tanks are evenly distributed along the sides of the unit, adding to the even weight distribution.
“There just aren’t many trucks out there that offer this kind of weight distribution,” says Sheehy. “The great thing about this truck is that, despite its size and huge payload capacity, it rides perfectly down the road. It is basically our Atlas unit mounted on a truck, with a few components downsized to maximize payload.”
The Atlas trailer-mounted hydroexcavator is the heavy lifter of Supervac’s high payload series. At 33’ feet, the Atlas offers the compact versatility of a regular vacuum truck, with an astonishing payload capacity of 45,000 pounds. It comes equipped with a 3,600-gallon carbon steel debris tank and baffle, and a catwalk access ladder and handrail. Like the Hercules XL, its six side-mounted and evenly distributed plastic water tanks (three on each side) have a total capacity of 1,500 gallons. It is designed to run off the chassis engine of the tractor being used to haul the trailer, which saves fuel costs, but also helps shrink the unit’s overall environmental footprint.
Extreme weather conditions
The Boreas offers all the features of the Atlas hydroexcavator, both outfitted to work effectively in the cold climates of Canada and the northern United States. The heated front enclosure and isolated water pump cabinet protect the equipment from the freezing temperatures.
At 33,5’ feet, the Boreas offers a payload capacity of 42,000 pounds. It features similar specs to the Atlas, with a single compartment carbon steel debris tank offering 4,000-gallon of debris handling and 1,260 gallons of water tank for hydroexcavation work, and a catwalk access ladder and handrail. All the water is inside the enclosure, and all is heated to prevent freeze-ups. The unit is currently in operation in several northern climates, and has been tested down to -35 degrees F, which means it should be operational anywhere, anytime. The Boreas and Altas cold-weather package is also available on the Hercules XL.
“There is no worry about freezing with out cold-weather packages,” says Sheehy. “All the piping is heated to prevent freeze issues. With the high payload availability and cold weather options, they are a great fit for both Canada and the northern U.S.”.