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A New Pipe Installation Technique That's Thrusting Aside Traditional Methods

By: William Penworthy

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Virgin pipe installation is becoming increasingly challenging, not least because of the fact that both above ground and below it is becoming crowded. Laying new lateral pipes beneath the ground is often a matter of guesswork - will the planned route be clear? Will there be unexpected obstacles such as other pipes and cables or large rocks in the way? It's often difficult to tell, which is why when it comes to installation, pipes are laid only after a wide open trench has been dug and the planned route established or diverted as necessary.

However, creating a large open trench for pipe installation may itself cause damage to existing pipes or cables, since heavy plant machinery is not known for its subtle gentleness. This is just one of many problems facing industries and utility companies, and one to which there has been no preferable alternative, until now.

Thrust boring pipe installation solves almost every problem or risk associated with traditional open trench installations, reducing the disruption and inconvenience to both the business concerned and other businesses in the vicinity, significantly minimising damage to the environment, and lowering the possibility of damage to nearby cables or pipes which may lie close to the intended path of the new pipe.

In addition to these benefits thrust boring pipe installation is also significantly cheaper, as only two operators are required and no heavy plant machinery. The entire process takes much less time, which saves even more money. Without doubt, when it comes to a virgin installation, pipes laid using thrust boring techniques are in place quicker, safer and more economically.

The method of thrust boring is simple enough to understand, consisting of just two small pits dug at either end of the planned section of pipe. A thrust boring machine such as the WR4 or the WR6 is then lowered into the starting pit.

A series of connecting rods are then thrust through the ground towards the receiving pit. The head of the rod is cleverly designed in such a way that its direction and path can be adjusted. This ability to steer or guide the connecting rods across from one pit to the other allows the path to be created in such a way that any nearby obstacles, pipes or cables are avoided. This is achieved through the use of detection technology built in to the head of the rod. The Warrior WR4 and 6 are the only thrust boring machines to feature full directional control.

This subterranean detection system allows the operators to identify obstacles in the ground, and position the rods to within millimetres, affording precise and accurate positioning. With an increasing number of underground pipe systems and cables it is more important than ever to ensure precise and accurate positioning of any new pipe installation.

There is no room for guesswork, and it is only with the sophisticated and accurate detection system built into the head of the directional rod that a course can be established which is guaranteed to be clean and sufficiently distant from neighbouring pipes or cables that no damage will be caused, and no delays caused due to unforeseen obstacles.

Once the connecting rods emerge into the receiving pit, an expanding head is attached. Behind this expanding head is the first section of the new pipe to be laid. The thrust boring machine then draws the rod back towards the starting pit. As it is pulled back, the expanding head pushes aside the surrounding earth creating a wider cavity into which the new pipe is drawn.

As the connecting rods are pulled back through into the starting pit they are removed a section at a time, until the expanding head is pulled clear. The head is then also removed, leaving the new section of pipe safely in place - positioned to within a few millimetres, safely without disturbing any neighbouring pipes or cables, with no ground heave, minimal disruption and in a fraction of the time it would have taken to create an open trench.

Not only that, but there would be no need for the motorway traffic to be disrupted in any way. Traffic could continue above ground during the entire procedure, largely unaware that anything is occurring underground at all. Without doubt, when it comes to 21st century pipe installation, it’s a technique that’s thrusting traditional pipe installation techniques out of the way.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Pipe Installation | www.warriorworldwide.com | Installation Pipes

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