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A 21st Century Answer To Underground Leaks - Trenchless Pipe Bursting Systems

By: William Penworthy

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Trenchless pipe bursting systems and sewer pipe bursting technology has significantly changed the way in which utility companies, industries and contractors replace or repair existing sewer pipes and other underground pipe networks. The significance of the technology which allows for trenchless excavation and replacement work to take place has been entirely necessary, with fifty years separating us from the laying of most of the sewer pipes in many towns and cities. Fifty years ago those who laid the pipes didn’t envisage our urban areas to become as congested, built up and developed as they are today, and anything less than trenchless simply isn’t going to work.

The sight of half the road dug up, legions of traffic cones and tailbacks running through the main arteries of towns and cities is not only familiar, but depressingly so. The moment you hear that sewage pipes need replacing you instinctively know that there will be massive roadworks, widespread disruptions and long term congestion. Yet in reality, why should this be the case? When many of the existing sewer pipes were laid it made relatively little difference to block off half the road. But times have changes, and utility companies and contractors can no longer afford the luxury of being able to import heavy plant machinery, dig up large stretches of urban roadways, and disrupt local businesses, services and traffic routes.

Not only does this disruption cause many problems to others, but it is both time-consuming and expensive from the point of view of the contractor or company carrying out the necessary maintenance. There’s clearly no option - if sewage pipes are in a state of disrepair, which many of them are, then they must be replaced or repaired. In some cases sewage pipes can be repaired - but not all. In those instances where sewage pipes have been so badly damaged, broken, fractured, penetrated or displaced, nothing less than trenchless pipe bursting systems will do. But what is sewer pipe bursting technology, and how does it work?

Trenchless pipe excavation and repair has transformed the way that sewage and water pipes buried deep underground are renovated. In most cases this involves digging two bore holes, one at either end of the section of sewer pipe needing to be repaired. Once the bore holes are dug, a special guided machine is inserted into one end of the pipe, and guided remotely through the length of pipe towards the second bore hole.

This is where pipe bursting systems and pipe renovation systems differ. For basic pipe renovation and simple repair all that is necessary is either to spray an epoxy resin onto the inner wall of the existing pipe, or draw in a polyethylene tube behind the machine which then either expands to fill the tube, or is fixed to the side wall using hot air or ultraviolet light.

But what if the sewer pipe is so damaged that it can’t be fixed that way? If a tree root has penetrated deep into the sewer pipe, or if the ground has shifted slightly, causing significant displacement of the pipe, then this is not likely to be resolved through merely patching the inside of the pipe with resin or plastic.

In these cases the machine is lowered into the first bore hole, and an auger attachment fitted to the front. It is then guided remotely along the existing pipe’s path, or the corrected, straightened version of the path. As the pipe bursting auger head moves along the pipe, thin blades slice through the sewer pipe’s wall, shredding it. The sides of the pipe are then forced out to the sides, and the new, replacement tube is drawn in behind it, filling the newly formed tunnel. In this way, no disturbance of the surface or ground heave is caused, no digging of large trenches or disruption of local services, and yet the existing pipe is entirely replaced with brand new pipe.

In the cases where tree roots are to blame, the route and positioning of the replacement pipe can actually be adjusted to accommodate the roots, allowing the tree to continue growing undamaged, and ensuring that no further damage or movement is likely to be caused to the replacement sewer pipe.

Trenchless pipe bursting systems can burst through pipes made from cast iron, clay, concrete, asbestos concrete or other materials, and may either slice through the walls, or simply punch or burst the walls out sideways. The existing pipe walls are forced outwards, and remain underground. The new pipe is laid along the exact same route, or a corrected route. The remote guidance for the sewer pipe bursting technology is accurate to within a few millimetres, and provides a 21st century solution to a problem that has lain under our feet for years.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

trenchless pipe bursting systems | sewer pipe bursting technology | www.warriorworldwide.com

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