What is Keyhole Technology?

Keyhole Technology is performing maintenance activities on gas and water utility pipes utilizing a small hole opening in the ground instead of the traditional much larger open-cut excavation. Kravitch Machine Company manufactures an extensive line of patented keyhole tools to perform numerous repairs to underground gas and water utilities such as Cathodic Protection Maintenance, Service Tee Abandonment, Service Tee Installation, Service Tee Renewal, Cap Replacement…

Advantage of using a Keyhole (Small-Hole) versus an Open Cut Excavation

The traditional open-cut excavation requires the ground to be broken up by heavy equipment such as a ram hoe, the soil & asphalt scooped up by more heavy equipment such as a backhoe. The soil and asphalt are removed. Often times the trench must be temporarily supported using some type of shoring before a utility worker can enter the hole to perform the repairs to the utility pipe. This process is costly, time consuming, dangerous and is inconvenient to traffic patterns. Once the repairs are performed and the hole is filled then temporary patching is done and later costly milling and overlaying is required.

The Keyhole excavation is accomplished by coring an 12 – 24″ diameter coupon above the utility pipe to be repaired. The coupon is removed and saved. The soil is then removed by vacuum excavation. Kravitch’s patented long-handled (Keyhole) tools are used to reach into the small hole excavation to perform the repairs to the utility. After the repairs are made the hole is filled up and the core/coupon reinstated. This process is more cost-efficient, less dangerous and less disruptive to traffic patterns because there is no additional milling and overlaying of the road. The small hole requires little replacement materials to fill the hole and the original cored asphalt/concrete coupon is reinstated into place restoring traffic flow more rapidly.

How do Kravitch Keyhole Tools Work?

Kravitch Keyhole Tools are long-handled tools that are used to reach into a small hole to perform various repair functions. Our tools consist of a long reach tool called a Pike. On top of the Pike are quick-disconnect Operators which are used to drive the Pike. They transmit torsional, axial, and impact force to the Pike which in turn transmits torsional, axial, and impact force to the Adapters on the bottom of the Pike. The quick-disconnect Adapters on the bottom of the Pike are used to perform the work on the utility pipe or service tee. The quick-disconnect system allows tools to be quickly and easily interchanged. This is more cost effective since you only purchase the tools that you need. The operators and adapters can be easily stored in a tool box.

See our Keyhole Catalog for various Pikes, Operators, Adapters, Hardware and Accessories.

We are developing new tools on a regular basis. If you do not see a tool you are looking for or are unsure if the tools listed will perform the function you need, please contact us.