|
 |
For more info call 888-442-7829 |
 |
  |
 |
|
Ed Morgan Southern Hydro Vac, Inc
Guy, Tim and I appreciate the opportunity to do business with GapVax, Inc. and anticipate a long term relationship. In addition, we are all looking forward to visiting your facilities and various job sites. I believe that we are just in the advent of hydrovac excavation technology and as time, applicatin and ingenuity permit, it will be viewed as one of the most innovative and safe methods of excavation. Weare excited to play a part toward success.
Incidentally, all of us here have found your staff to be extremely informative and educated on performance and capability as well as application considerations. Out of all of the sales and support staffs that we've met during our entire truck selection process, I think that you have surrounded yourself with some of the finest personnel. They have each played an important part in our decision to go with GapVax.
Jann Ritchie Senior Collections System Operator
In 2005, the IEUA's Board of Directors approved the purchase of the Agency's new combination truck to be used by the collections Crew Staff for sewer line cleaning and many of the Agency's Plant Maintenance projects. The bid was awarded to GapVax. GapVax, a manufacturing company was known world wide and the second largest producer of industrial vacuum trucks in the Continental United States, is located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
The town of Johnstown, which was founded in 1800 and is approximately 70 miles east of Pittsburgh, became a thriving industrial community late in the century when modernized steel production in its mills was producing millions of tons of steel for railroad, warships, bridges, and the common nail. In fact, the first steel rails for the railroads were rolled in a Johnstown steel mill. Today, many of the steel and coal industries have left the Johnstown area, but the pride and craftsmanship is still very apparent.
The Agency's new combination truck, which was designed specifically for IEUA, has two distinct features, the ability to vacuum water and debris and a high pressure water pump. The 2,000 PSI pump supplies and 800' x 1" hose with 80 gallons of water per minute which goes through a cleaning noxxle. The cleaning nozzles are configured with different size orifices in a variety of set patterns. Specific nozzles are then selected to meet each unique cleaning situation. This truck has the ability to vacuum up to 1,000 gallons per minute and can pick up this water and over 100 feet vertically.
The truck is equipped with the largest positive displacement rotary vacuum pump in the industry. This pump produces 27" of mercury (The largest vacuum suction available in the industry) and moves 4,500 cubic feet of air per minute. The truck is also equipped with a debris tank that holds 10 cubic yards and a 1,500 gallon water tank, both of which are integrated into one tank and constructed with stainless steel.
Two of IEUA's employees had the priviledge of visting the GapVax facility this past December. They toured the plant to see the production process and the progress of the Agency's vehicle. They were then asked to make any final decisions before the truck was taken for final assembly and to be painted. The collections crew personel were truly impressed with the quality and craftsmanship of the product and you can be assured that this new piece of equipment will be a great benefit to the Agency for many years to come.
Aspen Times
VAIL — A rolling behemoth of a shop-vac could be the thing that saves Black Gore Creek, a stream along I-70 polluted with traction sand.
They call it the GapVax. It's a bright orange monster truck that the Colorado Department of Transportation bought to clean up tons of sand spread on slippery highways during the winter. The sand seeps into Black Gore Creek below the highway, smothers insects, harms fish and eventually settles in Gore Creek, the trout stream that flows through Vail.
The GapVax will make sand pickup much easier for the department of transportation, which has been criticized for its cleanup efforts. The Eagle River Watershed Council, an environmental watchdog group, has often said the department of transportation - CDOT - has been slow to clean out sediment basins along I-70.
"We're glad to see CDOT take more active roles in cleaning traction sand," said Maria Pastore, acting director of the Eagle River Watershed council. "This should have a huge impact and let them pick up things they haven't been able to pick up in the past."
The impressive thing for many people is the GapVax's power. It has the ability to lift 8-inch rocks 60 feet vertically, which shows it should be more than able to handle the dense, debris-filled muck that can make cleanup so difficult.
"It just has more vacuum power than anything else we have, which will be a valuable tool for cleaning up the sand along the shoulders, in and around guardrails and in our sediment ponds along the highways," said Ken Wissel, CDOT's deputy maintenance superintendent for the region.
The vacuum's power is particularly important to the watershed council, which funded an unsuccessful attempt to suck sand out of Black Gore Creek in 2005. Basically, the equipment being used was underpowered and couldn't handle the sticks and debris in the river.
"This should be able to get mass amounts of traction sand in one swoop," Pastore said.
The GapVax is the first vacuum truck purchased by CDOT exclusively for sand clean-up. It cost more than $400,000.
While Black Gore Creek will benefit from the truck, CDOT has to share the wealth. The GapVax will also be used on Straight Creek west of the Eisenhower Tunnel and near Berthoud Pass.
"As long as we can get enough time on Vail Pass, it should help a lot," said Anne Esson, a long time member of the Black Gore Creek steering committee, a part of the watershed council.
Cleanup work with the GapVax should begin in May.valign="top" style="padding-left:30px;">
| |
|
|
