UKSTT PRESENTATION

AN INTRODUCTION TO TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGY

AUTHOR: NORMAN HOWELL

UKSTT Council Member & SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER
SUBTERRA

SYNOPSIS

This paper provides an introduction to the benefits of using trenchless technology as a

sustainable pipeline construction tool. Details of the advantages of the systems are given
together with usage of the technology both in the UK and Internationally. An overview of the
techniques currently available for the trenchless installation and rehabilitation of pipelines,
ducts and cables is also included.

INTRODUCTION
Streetworks have become an everyday occurrence and can take the form of highway works
involving either carriageway reconstruction or resurfacing or utility works involving either
the installation of new networks or the repair of existing services. In both cases these are
essential works, which are being undertaken for the benefit of the general public, but some
level of delay and disruption is unavoidable during the construction phase. This of course
leads to a cost in terms of lost time and the use of extra resources, which is difficult to
quantify and is not usually taken into consideration in the overall cost of the works. The
Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) estimate this indirect cost of trenching is about twice
the installation cost of all utility installation works each year – so some new initiative is at
best overdue.

By careful planning of the works disruption can be kept to a minimum but for highway works
there is no magic formula since the works must involve a certain degree of carriageway
occupancy. Their effects can be reduced by optimising the sequence of the works and
undertaken them out of peak hours but the general public will still be inconvenienced. With
utility works there are a number of construction options available many of which utilise
trenchless technology however there successful application relies on the works being planned.

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Where a ‘fix when broken’ philosophy is adopted then the options are reduced to open cu
t
only. Trenchless technology can substantially reduce disruption as it offers:

Greater productivity due faster installation times

Reduced access requirements and smaller footprint size therefore less excavation is
required.

More environmentally friendly as there is less requirements for land fill space and
quarried backfill materials. This also helps to reduce construction traffic movements.
Trenchless technology is being used in conjunction with other initiatives such as the
use of recycled backfill materials and soil stabilisers by a number utility companies to
limit even further the impact of utility works. Some companies have set targets to
reduce material being taken to landfill sites, which again will help to promote the use
of trenchless technology. Trenchless techniques can also prevent tree root damage,
which is a major hazard when open trench methods are employed.

It is perhaps worth defining at this point that when a technique is described as trenchless or a
no dig method that it does not necessarily mean that its use does not involve some excavation.
Whilst there are some techniques which can be operated from existing manholes and
chambers such as Cured in Place Pipe Techniques and some Sliplining and Pipe bursting
system most systems require some form of entry and exit pits to allow them to be operated.
They are therefore better described as low dig systems but they are no less valuable tools to
the utility engineer for this clarification.

USE OF TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGY WITHIN THE UNITED KINGDOM

The use of trenchless technology within the UK utilities industry varies considerably although
most companies are aware of the considerable advantages it offers. To allow the technology
to be used widely it is essential that all work is undertaken on a planned basis. In the water
industry capital water main distribution rehabilitation works are usually thoroughly
investigated and planned and this allows optimum use of trenchless technology with many
projects having over 80% of the pipelines renewed using trenchless techniques. However in
terms of general distribution maintenance work this figure drops considerably since there are
no drivers to complete condition assessment works to identify potential problems. So
inevitably repair work is undertaken on a reactive basis rather than having a planned
maintenance programme. Once a pipe has either burst or collapsed then the usual solution

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employed is an open trench method. These works are unplanned and therefore lead to high
levels of road disruption, which could have been avoid had the problem been identified prior
to failure.
For sewer pipeline rehabilitation the Office of Water Services (OFWAT) uses key
performance indicators that measure retrospective events such as flooding and pipe collapses
there are no indicators for condition monitoring and therefore most of the sewer maintenance
work is undertaken on a reactive basis. Moreover pro-active attention is focussed on the 20%
of so called critical sewers. This again causes substantial disruption when incidents occur as
open trench techniques are used. During the AMP3 period CCTV inspection work has been
reduced significantly by many water companies as they seek cost reductions and this lack of
data collection will effect their future investment decisions.

Water companies have been unable in the past to establish long-term network investment
programmes since the 5-year review imposed by the Water Industry Regulator generated
uncertainty about the regulated funding available for both revenue and capital expenditure.
For the next regularity period this is to extended and this will help to promote planned
maintenance programmes so that a better investment strategy can be developed. In doing this
greater use of trenchless technology will be achieved with a consequential improvement in
streetworks disruption. Greater volumes and better continuity of trenchless work will also
improve operator efficiency with the attendant cost savings to the utilities and ultimately the
consumer.

Within the gas industry Transco and its predecessor British Gas had a long-term programme
to replace cast iron pipes and they made extensive use of trenchless technology to deliver the
programme. To improve output performance they became actively involved in the
development of trenchless techniques many of which have now become established as
mainstream rehabilitation and installation systems such as close fit lining, pipebursting, and
directional drilling. They have now embarked on a further 30-year programme to replace the
remainder of their iron pipe network. Whilst this programme is driven by safety issues,
because it is planned over a long period, it provides an opportunity to make investment
decisions, which allow for the use trenchless techniques to limit disruption. The water
industry is now proposing to follow this lead and extend there periodic review periods
significantly this should provide the major benefit of being able to plan their investment
strategy more effectively to allow their rehabilitation works to make better use of trenchless
technology. At present the 5 year programme only allows the water companies to keep their
systems working with no investment being made for the future.

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The electric and telecom industries have benefited less from the development of trenchless
methods since most of their installations are at relatively shallow depths, which limit the
application of trenchless methods. However they do utilise both moling and directional
drilling methods for some cable installations. The telecom industry in particular is very fast
moving and with the introduction of competition the customer has a wide choice of service
providers. This results in a substantial volume of reactive works, as customers require new
connections in very short time frames. Clearly with this type of workload most of these new
connections are made using open trench methods, which result in disruption to the general
public. Many water companies have identified the value of their sewer assets as potential
conduits for new telecommunication networks and these networks are now being installed in
major UK cities. This work is normally undertaken at night thus avoiding delays and
disruption during their installation period.

The ultimate solution is where all of the utilities plan their work together so that if we are to
experience disruption then it only happens once and for as shorter time as possible. This has
been the goal of the utility industry for many years and for this to be achieved we will need to
see much greater co-operation between not only the utility companies but also the highway
authorities so that all streetworks are planned and co-ordinated. This ideal situation would
certainly allow optimum use of trenchless technology to limit even further disruption on the
highway. Changes in the New Roads and Streetworks Act in April 2001 saw the induction of
Section 74, which allows highway authorities to charge utility companies who overrun on
agreed periods for carrying out streetworks. Further changes our being proposed by
Government to enable highway authorities to charge utility companies for the length of time
that they occupy roads while carrying out works (lane rental). These charges are in addition
to the section 74 charges referred to above. Both of these measures are encouraging greater
use of trenchless technology to enable faster completion of utility works taking place in the
highway.

INTERNATIONAL USE OF TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGY

Within developed areas of the world such as North America, Europe and Japan the use of
trenchless technology is similar to the UK since its considerable advantages in terms of speed
of installation, reduced environmental impact and minimal disruption during the installation
period are well recognised. In less well-developed regions take up has been slow due to

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initial high equipment purchase costs and low levels of technical expertise within the local
labour forces. Whilst training can be given the overall cost of introducing trenchless
technology is prohibitively high when compared with traditional pipeline construction
methods. However, in major cities where traffic congestion is sever and major utility works
would create gridlock trenchless technology is being successfully introduced to limit
disruption. As greater usage is achieved the unit costs will reduce and this will result in
trenchless methods becoming more popular as the preferred solution for pipeline and cable
installation worldwide.

TRENCHLESS TECHNIQUES
The trenchless techniques that are currently available can be conveniently split into these 5
categories:

1. Location Systems

Prior to the commencement of any project there is a need to determine what utilities lie
beneath the surface and where they are located. There are a wide variety of techniques
for doing this, Electro magnetic cable locators and ground probing radar are used
extensively to locate buried pipes and cables. Having located the pipeline there is then a
requirement to determine the condition of the underground asset. For pipes and ducts this
can be done using CCTV camera systems and there are also a variety of more
sophisticated methods that have been developed for underwater inspection, assessing
corrosion damage and detecting leaks.

2. Stabilisation

Stabilisation systems are primarily used on sewer pipelines where the pipeline is
structurally intact but suffers from infiltration through the joints. There are various joint
sealing and testing techniques, with these each joint can be tested using a specially
adapted packer and a sealant gel can be injected into the joint if it is found to be leaking.
Alternatively the line including joints, laterals and manholes can be treated with
chemicals by a fill and drain technique.

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3. Localised Repairs

Again these systems are mainly used on sewer pipelines and are used where on local
defects exist and therefore it would prove more economically to carry out short localised
repairs rather than lining the entire pipeline. The techniques in this category include
epoxy resin injection repairs, patch repairs and robotic repairs. The resin injection and
patch repairs both involve the use of a packer, which acts as a former to hold the repair
material in place. The patches are manufactured from either polyester felt and or glass
fibre and form a localised short liner within the existing pipe. For resin injection the
epoxy resin has a very high viscosity when it is mixed and this allows it to penetrate
through the defects in the pipe and consolidate the ground around the pipe as well as
gluing together the fractured pieces of pipe. Pipe Robots are very much the Black and
Decker of the Pipeline Engineer’s tool kit, these can be fitted with drills, cutters, grinders
and sealing guns to undertake the removal of intrusions into the pipeline and seal cracks
etc.

4. Lining Methods

Lining methods can be used on all pipelines and vary from spray lining methods which
have no structural capabilities to systems that provide a full structural lining;
The main systems used are:
Scrape and Lining Techniques This is a technique for applying either a cementitious or
resin based lining and is used predominately for potable water mains of iron or steel
construction to improve water quality. The pipeline is initially cleaned by scraping the
inside of the pipe and then the lining is applied by a high speed rotating head, which is
winched through the pipeline.

The second group of lining techniques in this category are cured in place pipe lining.
This technique has dominated the non-man entry sewer renovation market in many
countries for over 25 years with about 25,000kms installed worldwide. It consists of a
lining sleeve similar to those used for patch repairs, which is installed by a pull in and
inflate or air or water inversion method into the pipeline to be renovated, the sleeve resin
system is usually cured either by the application of heat or ultra violet light.

The final group of techniques in this category are those involving the various lining
systems, which use polyethylene pipes.

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Sliplining or insertion as it is sometimes know is the simplest of all of the lining systems
available. This consists of a new pipe of smaller diameter being inserted into the existing
pipeline.

Close fit lining systems provide minimal loss of cross-sectional area of the existing pipe.
There are two types of systems, the first being the temporary reduction of the diameter of
the PE pipe sufficient to allow easy insertion then allowing the pipe to recover to produce
a close fit to the existing pipe. Examples of this process are Swagelining where the
reduction in diameter is achieved by drawing the pipe through dies and Rolldown where
the reduction in diameter is achieved by pushing the pipe through a series of rollers.

The second process is the use of Polyethylene pipe, which has been folded to produce a U
profile. This reduces the cross-sectional area substantially and allows the pipe to be
inserted easily into the existing pipe. Examples of these systems are Subcoil and
Thermopipe which use factory deformed pipe supplied to site coiled on drums and
Subcoil, where the pipe is deformed on site.

5. On Line Replacement Methods

These systems can be used on all pipelines and allow the pipeline to be completely
replaced on a size for size or upsize basis by utilising the existing asset as a guide.

The main technique in this category is pipebursting. Essentially the system is based on
the relatively simple concept of introducing a device, which is usually conical in shape
into a defective pipeline, and moving it through the pipeline. The device fractures and
fragments the existing pipe and displaces the fragments radially outwards into the
surrounding ground. The soil adjacent to the pipeline is compressed to provide a void of
sufficient size to accept the new pipe, which is introduced directly behind the
pipebursting device. For small diameter pipelines the pipebursting machine is usually
powerful enough to pull in the new pipe for larger diameter installations a pipe pushing
machine is used.
There are currently three basic systems of pipebursting, pneumatically powered machine
systems, hydraulically powered machine systems and hydraulic rod systems.
Recently special splitting heads, have been developed which allow the technique to be
used to replace pipelines, which are constructed of ductile materials such as steel and
ductile iron and also burst through repair clamps which previously prevented the
replacement operation from been completed.

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6. New Installation Methods

These systems provide a completely new asset in a new location and the first technique
with this category is Impact Moling

This system is probably the most widely used trenchless technique throughout the world
and involves the formation of a bore by soil displacement using a self-propelled torpedo
shaped percussive Impact Mole. It is principally used for installing pipes over short
distances and is used extensively for the installation of gas and water service pipes from
the distribution main in the road to a consumer’s property.

Pipe Ramming uses similar impact hammers to those used for moling. But in this process
the hammer is used to drive an open ended steel casing into the ground to form the bore.
Pipes with diameters from 200 to 1400mm can be installed using this system. Again
directional stability is determined by the initial set up within the launch excavation and
therefore it is generally used for relatively short strategic crossings. This technique has
the advantage that it requires very little ground movement during the installation process
since most of the spoil is contained within the bore of the pipe.

A more sophisticated form of steel sleeve installation is Auger Boring here the steel
sleeve contains an auger flight so the spoil is removed as the installation progresses. The
site set up is similar to that used for pipe ramming with a track installed in the launch
excavation. The pipe is pushed forward as the spoil is removed. Again as each pipe is
installed the next pipe is welded to it. This system has limited steering capabilities, which
is achieved by adjusting the cutting head at the front of the auger string. Once the bore is
completed the auger string is removed to complete the installation.

Microtunnelling has the considerable advantage over the other techniques in this category
in that it can be used to install rigid pipes to an accurate line and level, which makes it a
popular choice for installing gravity sewers. The system requires launch and reception
shafts, which are normally, situated approximately 100 metres apart along the route of the
pipeline. The tunnelling machine comprises of a cutting head, which is located at the
front of a shield, which is normally slightly larger than the diameter of the pipe to be laid.
A launch cradle is constructed in the drive shaft and the tunnelling machine is placed on
the cradle and accurately aligned. After the machine is launched product pipes are placed
behind the machine and the whole assembly is moved forward using powerful hydraulic
jacks.

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Guided Boring or Directional Drilling techniques are used for the installation of new
pipelines ducts and cables. The drill path may be straight or gradually curved and the
direction of the drill head can be adjusted at any stage during the bore to steer around
obstructions or under highways, rivers or railways. Drilling can be carried out between
pre-excavated launch and reception pits or from the surface by setting the machine to drill
into the ground at a shallow angle. The installation of the produce pipe or duct is usually
a two stage operation. A pilot hole is first drilled along the required path and the bore is
then back reamed to a larger diameter to accommodate the product pipe.

CONCLUSIONS

As can be seen from the details given above there are a wide range of techniques and
systems available which can provide a trenchless solution for most situations that arise.
To allow engineers to utilise these systems to reduce the delays and disruption caused by
utility works taking place in the highway they must wherever possible have time to plan
their works. Clearly there will always be unforeseen events where pipes burst or collapse
and in these cases open trench methods will prevail but by embracing a proactive
approach to planned maintenance many of these incidents could be avoided. The final
connection between the newly installed utility and the domestic or industrial user remains
a problem at this time, generally requiring open cut working. Making the connection can
also benefit from ‘low dig’ methods such as vacuum excavation, the solution requires
investment in development which will surely flow from a vibrant trenchless industry. It is
important for industry regulators to use serviceability indicators that provide the
information required to establish an effective investment strategy for both revenue and
capital works. This will allow greater use of non-disruptive construction techniques,
which will significantly reduce the delays suffered and their costs borne by the general
public when they encounter essential utility maintenance works in the highway.