Pipe Bursting, Pipe Cracking and Pipe Jacking

Mainly used in the UK for the replacement of gas & water services and main line sewers pipe bursting can also be utilised in the replacement of household drains, one of the main benefits of this No dig repair method is that you have the ability to increase the size of the pipe being repaired by up to 50% on each installation, so you can go from a 100mm to a 150mm diameter drain without the upheaval of an open cut excavation.

When pitch fibre pipe work is too deformed to be re-rounded or a clay system is too displaced to be relined then pipe bursting is an ideal method of repair, this is also a handy method for replacing a failed liner if a winch cable can be passed through the deformity.

As always there are several methods for pipe bursting using either pneumatic or hydraulic units with the host pipe being shattered and displaced into the surrounding sub-soil from the internal pressure of the pipe bursting head, as the head is winced through the system the new pipe is simultaneously installed behind.

The new HDPE pipe work can be jointed above ground and installed in long lengths from entry and exit excavations, or snap fit pipe work can be used in small lengths when the works are undertaken from chamber to chamber.

These are very powerful bits of kit with pulling power in excess of 30 tonnes so pipe work constructed from concrete, cast iron, plastic and vitrified clay have little resistance given that the force is coming from the inside of the pipe and pushing out.

Click on the images to the right to see an animation showing the basic principle of pipe bursting and a video showing how compact the kit is.                                

Pitch Fibre Re-Rounding

Pitch Fibre is a very poor quality material that until recent years meant a full blown excavation if it was to be renewed, however there are now No Dig methods on the market to minimise the disruption.

Pipe Re-Rounding is not dissimilar to pipe bursting in as much as a head or pig is winched through the system in order to reshape and return the deformed pipe work to its original state, a CIPP liner is then installed to maintain the structural integrity of the pipe work.

The works can be undertaken from excavations or existing chambers however branch lines to gullies and toilet connection will normally require excavation and repair

The following is an animation showing the process