Traffic is an unavoidable fact of modern life, and it’s getting worse. According to a recent report, the average American commuter spends 42 hours a year stuck in traffic. Engineers are exploring faster, more efficient ways to make necessary updates and repairs to underground infrastructure to combat this growing problem. Trenchless technologies are often the least expensive and least disruptive options.
What Are They?
As the name implies, a trenchless technology is one that requires few or no continuous trenches. A type of subterranean construction work, it is generally used to install, replace, or repair underground infrastructure, including water, sewer, gas, and industrial pipelines. It can also be used for electrical conduits and fiber optics. Because trenchless technologies require minimal excavation, they are considered a marked improvement over traditional open-cut construction methods.
The Benefits
Although they can be utilized anywhere, trenchless technologies are especially attractive in urban areas with high pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Here’s why:
- Faster – Even with the right equipment, trenches take a long time to dig and later refill. Skipping this step can save the average construction crew several hours or more.
- Less disruptive – Digging up streets, sidewalks, and local properties not only takes time, but it also takes room. As such, it is often necessary to shut down portions of the area, which can lead to traffic jams, detours, and other inconveniences.
- Fewer accidents – Although uncommon, it is possible for crews to damage or destroy existing utilities during excavations.
- Cheaper – Because up to 70 percent of the costs of open-cut methods are for excavating and refilling, trenchless methods can save builders a bundle. According to some experts, they may be up to 50 percent cheaper.
- Fewer social costs – The equipment that is needed to dig large holes in pavement or earth causes a lot of noise and air pollution. These are costs that must be borne, without consent, by local residents.
Utility Installations
While it’s highly effective for replacements and repairs, trenchless technology is even better when it comes to installations. A small subsurface tunnel is all it takes for construction crews to put in new service lines for water, gas, electric, and telecommunications. Trenchless methods and techniques can also be used to install new utilities under rivers, canals, and railways with minimal surface disruption or damage to the environment.
With all those advantages, it is clear that trenchless technologies are vastly superior to traditional open-cut methods.