Coring Trucks
One Call. One Team. Get More Out.
Keyhole coring cuts a small, precise opening in a road or sidewalk so vacuum excavation crews can reach underground utilities quickly and safely, with minimal disruption to the hard surface. OE cores, excavates, backfills and reinstates the original core, so the excavation looks like it never happened.
Keyhole Coring From One Company
OE takes pride in making excavation look like it never happened.
OE starts with excavations that are as small and neat as possible, and fully restores the ground surface to look as good or better than before. The coring, the hydro excavation and the restoration are all done by OE's own team, never contracted out to third-party providers.
One call gives fast, easy access to streamlined end-to-end services, from coring to restoration.
OE starts with excavations that are as small and neat as possible.
The existing core is reinstated with Utilibond, with minimal disturbance to the structure and appearance of the surface.
Hard and soft surfaces are fully restored to look as good or better than before.
A fleet of over 200 units, with crews at 6 locations across Ontario.
What Keyhole Coring Is
Keyhole coring cuts a circular hole through the road pavement or sidewalk, and the material beneath it is removed by vacuum excavation.
OE's coring machine cuts the core and sets it aside. Hydro excavation then removes the soil safely and without damage, exposing the utility while protecting underground infrastructure. Once the work is done, the hole is backfilled and the existing core is reinstated with Utilibond, restoring the road or sidewalk to its original state. Utilibond is a bonding compound for permanently reinstating pavement cores, developed and field-proven by the Consumers Gas Company, now Enbridge Gas Distribution.
Coring Capabilities
From the first cut to the finished surface.
Concrete and Asphalt Coring
Utility access coring through asphalt and concrete roads, sidewalks and other hard surfaces, with asphalt and surface restoration.
Read More →Concrete Restoration
Concrete surfaces restored after the work, so the excavation looks like it never happened.
Read More →Turnkey SUE Test Holes
Keyhole coring as part of turnkey Quality Level A test holes, from locates to restoration.
Read More →Small, neat openings, restored like they never happened
OE's 24/7 emergency hotline is ready when you need it.
Where Keyhole Coring Fits
Wherever a utility sits under a hard surface that should stay intact.
SUE Test Holes
Keyhole access for subsurface utility engineering (SUE) test holes.
Utility Exposure
Quick, safe access to underground utilities through hard surfaces.
Water Box Valve Replacement
Restoring the hard surface after a water box valve is replaced.
Water Distribution Work
Coring trucks support OE's water box, curb stop and water service work.
Gas Distribution Work
Coring trucks support OE's gas service excavation and restoration.
Road Pavement
Cores through asphalt, concrete and composite road pavements.
Sidewalks
Openings through sidewalks, with the original core reinstated.
Other Hard Surfaces
Restoration of interlocking brick, patio stone, flagstone and concrete.
One Company From Core to Reinstatement
Coring, excavation, backfill and reinstatement by one team, in one mobilization, instead of a separate contractor for each step.
Bundling the coring with the excavation, backfill and reinstatement that follow, in one mobilization, is where OE's LEAN approach pays off: up to 10% cost savings and 50% productivity gains when Customers book the full job with OE. OE runs integrated operations from 6 Ontario locations, and co-location reduces travel, emissions and cost. OE's NextGen units are still working trucks, but roughly ten decibels quieter than conventional ones.
Restoration in Action
A real OE job from a Toronto residential street.
Restoring a hard surface after a water box valve replacement
"The OE team courteously explained what they were doing, completed the work with the neatest sidewalk / lawn surgery I've seen, and left the sidewalk cleaner than it had been when they arrived. I'm impressed."
More Than Coring — A Complete Utility Infrastructure Partner
Coring is one capability within OE's full service offering. Here's what else the team handles.
Hydrovac Trucks
Non-destructive daylighting, slot trenching, and utility exposure — safe digging around buried gas, electric, water, and telecom.
Read More →U-Fill Concrete Trucks
Controlled low strength material (CLSM), utility backfill, road base stabilization, and void filling.
Read More →Material Slinger Trucks
Precise placement of stone, gravel, and topsoil — including long-distance and tight-access deliveries.
Read More →Traffic Control
Traffic Control Plans (TCP), lane closure permits, flagging personnel, and municipal coordination.
Read More →Turnkey SUE — Level A
Turnkey subsurface utility engineering (SUE) test holes: locates, permits, coring, hydro excavation, backfill and restoration.
Read More →Soil Recycling
Hydrovac waste turned into clean fill, premium-grade sand and reclaimed water at the ECA-approved central GTA soil recycling facility OE utilizes.
Read More →Additional Services
Dump Trucks and Soft Services — material hauling, locates, permits, and project management that keep utility projects on schedule.
Read More →Keyhole Coring FAQ
Answers to the questions OE's sales team hears most often.
What is keyhole coring?
How big is a keyhole core?
How is the core put back?
What is used to backfill the hole?
What if the core can't be reused?
What surfaces does OE restore?
OE Crews Across Ontario
OE serves Customers from six locations across Ontario. Select any location for detailed service area information.
Request a Quote
Tell us about your project — we'll respond within 24 hours with a tailored quote and next steps. For urgent or after-hours needs, call our 24/7 dispatch line directly.