What is Pipe Bursting?
Residential and commercial trenchless pipe bursting is an excellent way for people to save on labor costs and reduce the amount of excavation needed during residential sewer repair. That being said, if you choose the wrong company for sewer line installation, you may end up with a bigger problem on your hands.
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How Does Trenchless Pipe Bursting Work?
Pipe bursting is a trenchless pipe repair method used for replacing buried pipelines without the need for a traditional construction trench that involves digging up the entire landscaping around your home or business. Or to avoid the damage that would be caused by digging up the foundation around the property. This pipe bursting method is a way of getting around the high cost of traditional sewer pipe repair methods and minimizing property damage.
Trenchless pipe bursting technology for sewer repair is used when the less invasive operation of pipe lining is insufficient to get the job done. It uses two small entry and exit points above ground that are connected to a new sewer pipe. The old damaged pipe is then burst as the new one moves along the line.
When a pipe is burst, it’s done so with the help of five key pieces of equipment. The expander head sends water into an expanding core which then forces outwards against nearby pipes or vessels to break them apart safely; pulling rods are used for maintaining pressure on either side while technicians work their way along in order to make repairs. If necessary-a hydraulic power pack is used to help operate all this machinery!
Today’s expander heads have a leading end much smaller in diameter than the trailing (bursting) end, small enough to fit through the pipe that will be replaced. With the new leading-end design, we can ensure that your project is completed successfully. The smaller size and improved precision make it easier for you to burst through all of those pipes without any issues!
The leading end of the pipe has “fins” that make first contact with existing pipes. These fins act as a primary breaking point, ensuring you break along all circumference points and not just one spot where stress might be concentrated near transition joints or other areas prone to failure. This method provides a very effective way to make sure the piping is broken along the full circumference.
The receiving pit holds a pulling machine that pulls the expander head and the new pipe is pulled into the line. The heavy, interlocking links form a chain that pulls the head. Each of these links can weigh several hundred pounds. Each weight is close enough to its individual size, so they can be connected with ease by one single technician who has experience in this area of workmanship.
The entire process in the pipe bursting operation can be powered by one or multiple hydraulic engines. Pipe bursting is a technique that can also be used to expand pipeline carrying capacity by replacing smaller pipelines with larger pipes. The gas and water industries have invested extensive time into proving this process, which they’ve demonstrated successfully scalable up through 36-inch diameters of pipe replacement!
The Four-Step Process Looks Like This:
- A licensed plumber inserts a specially designed high-resolution video camera into the sewer drain. The camera transmits video back while recording via radio transmission the underground depth and exact physical location of the break or obstruction in the pipe.
- Two small holes are then dug at the entry and exit points at both ends of the problem area.
- The replacement pipe is welded above ground to make sure that no breaks or tree roots will cause the same problem in the future.
- The new pipe is then mechanically pulled through the old pipe – bursting the old and installing the new simultaneously.
Benefits and Advantages of Pipe Bursting
Less Labor Intensive
When the project involves no digging, it’s a much more efficient process – no big machinery or team of workers will be needed to dig up the yard. The contractor won’t be doing that either! The length of time to complete the project is much shorter.
Cost-Effective
Pipe bursting will save you money in the end. You won’t need to spend money on workers that would be needed to dig up the entire yard, which could potentially involve demolishing the sidewalk or worse, the foundation around your property. Then, followed by the inconvenience of hiring landscapers and a cleanup crew, you might also have to pay for the costs of replacing the concrete that was removed in order to get to the pipes.
Safer
Excavations are not all that safe. In fact, asbestos and mold are problems often found in plumbing underneath homes. So, when you dig up your sewer lines, this path opens you and your family to a whole host of health hazards and a potentially very bad situation. Hence, pipe bursting is a safer solution to traditional methods and will help minimize the hazard.
Less Damaging
Sewer line bursting is an environmentally friendly solution to fixing pipes that also causes less damage in the area you’re working. A smaller mess means less cleanup and repair for homeowners and property management services. This solution is also “greener” than other more traditional methods of pipe repair.
Is Trenchless Pipe Bursting A Better Option?
At SWE Sewer Solutions & Engineering, our licensed plumbers know how to safely and effectively use trenchless pipe busting to fix broken and crumbling pipes. That’s why our customers trust us to provide unrivaled, lasting professional service at competitive prices.
Why is trenchless pipe installation the better option?
For starters, it requires very little excavation. Traditional sewer line repair involves digging massive amounts of dirt and concrete even when the affected section is relatively small.
Additionally, these repairs cost more because of the equipment and manpower used. Trenchless rehabilitation and installation is the better choice because it’s a less invasive process that requires less time on the job and very little disturbance to your yard or driveway.
Trenchless Bursting Techniques
There are two ways to use trenchless technologies: pipe bursting and hammerhead mole installation. Let’s take a moment to go over the basics of each of these options…
Pipe Bursting: After a video camera inspection reveals the damaged section of the pipe’s location, we determine if pipe bursting is a reasonable option. If the answer is yes, we then draw a new tube through the existing tube.
The new pipe has a metal tip that breaks up the old, damaged pipe as the new tube moves through it and into place. A positive about pipe bursting is that only a small hole needs to be made in the yard’s surface to access the pipe and lay the new one.
Hammerhead Mole: Unlike pipe bursting, the hammerhead mole is a tunneling device. The mole is deployed underground where it tunnels through the soil, creating a pathway through sensitive parts of the yard where a trench isn’t ideal for placing.
Once the tunnel forms, the Hammerhead mole pushes the new pipe through and into place. While this trenchless technology offers budget-friendly options for our customers, it’s not always an option. Soil conditions must be favorable. Your technician will help you determine if your soil meets the requirements.