Pipe Dreams: The Advantages Of Installing Water Piping Using Trenchless Drilling

Posted on: 30 March 2017

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Installing new subterreanean water pipes can be a laborious and time-consuming job whichever way you slice it, and techniques capable of reducing the amount of hassle involved in water pipe installation are always welcome. To that end, trenchless drilling has become an enormously popular technique for speeding water pipe installation, and its easy to see why -- this modern and innovative drilling technique has a number of advantages over more conventional pipe laying methods.

What is trenchless drilling, and how can it be used to install water pipes?

Trenchless drilling is pretty self-explanatory; it allows extensive systems of horizontal tunnels to be drilled without the need for digging full-blown trenches. To achieve this, trenchless drilling services use sophisticated horizontal drills, which are fitted with remote controls, viewing cameras and other technology. The incredible precision afforded by such technology allows technicians to drill horizontal tunnels while minimising disturbance to areas both above and below the new piping layout.

What are the advantages of laying water pipes using trenchless drilling techniques?

Trenchless drilling processes can streamline water pipe installations in a number of attractive ways:

Faster installation: Trenchless drilling equipment can be set up relatively quickly and can drill extensive tunnel systems within a matter of hours. This is much faster than digging traditional pipe-laying trenches with backhoes and elbow grease and also saves time at the end of a pipe laying job since there are no trenches left behind to fill in and cover.

Cheaper installation: Faster installation also means cheaper installation, primarily because the workforce required to bore trenchless tunnels is much smaller than a full trench-digging crew. The rapid installation process also minimises how long the area in question remains inaccessible, a particular concern when installing water pipes under busy thoroughfares vital to the operation of a business.

Minimal access required: Trenchless drilling techniques are particularly useful for installing water piping in compact, enclosed areas, such as alleyways between homes, where conventional trenches would take up too much room and cause too much damage to surrounding structures. This technique can also be used to drill tunnels directly underneath buildings, provided they possess adequate structural stability and do not have particularly deep concrete foundations.

Minimal soil contamination: Because trenchless drilling does not disturb the earth nearly as much as conventional trench digging, it minimises the risks of contaminated soil being brought to the surface, where it can affect the health of employees and potentially contaminate surround groundwater. This quality is especially useful when drilling on former or current industrial sites, where even deep soils can be laced with various unpleasant chemical byproducts.