In the field of surgery there has been a great deal of research in orthoscopicrnmicrosurgery. New techniques have emerged which use equipment that requiresrnmuch smaller incisions yet still completes the required process effectively andrnproperly. The result is far less patient trauma, faster recovery, and less scarringrnof the skin. As in medicine, civil engineering has developed innovative methodsrnfor maintenance from the road surface through much smaller incisions – KeyholernTechnology. This reduces the disruption to the road user and also to the roadrnstructure itself.rnIn addition, companies using these keyhole techniques experience a decreasernin costs for specific tasks. A vacuum truck can eliminate the need for severalrnother pieces of equipment such as backhoe and dump truck. The smallerrnexcavation means reduced backfill and paving costs and can mean lesser permitrncosts. Cost benefit analysis on the investment for vacuum equipment can showrnshort payback periods (2 years or less).rnWhile there have been differing needs, the development of keyholerntechnologies in North America by interested parties have generally followedrnsimilar paths. Equipment is typically used for a maintenance operation, and therernis also general agreement that accurate location of facilities to be exposedrnbecomes a pressing issue. In conjunction with keyhole technology there will be arnneed for location technology that is as accurate as possible.rnDevelopment approaches in the topic area have focused on three aspects ofrnthe keyhole work. They fall into:rn1. Pavement opening and restorationrn2. Vacuum excavation equipment and their safetyrn3. Specialized tools to perform the keyhole excavation and maintenancernoperations.
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