Page 20 - Trenchless Technology Piping Installation and Inspection

New Developments

ince 1990, when, by the establishment of the North American
Society for Trenchless Technology (NASTT), the trenchless
Stechnology industry started and organized in the United
States, many major accomplishments have been made. The organiza-
tional activities have been led by many developments in trenchless
equipment and methods. These developments include manufactur-
ing more powerful and versatile horizontal directional drilling
equipment, including new locating and tracking tools by Digital
Control, manufacturing of first microtunneling boring machine
(MTBM) in the United States in 1997 by Akkerman, Inc., and develop-
ment of more capable pipe bursting/replacement and pipe ramming
equipment. On the area of renewing deteriorated and old pipelines,
we have seen developments in pipeline inspection technologies, and
new gravity and pressure pipelines (such as new potable water distri-
bution spray-in-place pipe by 3M water infrastructure) and manhole
renewal methods. Other developments include new methods and
tools in existing pipeline inspections (such as use of laser and pipe
scanning technologies, and use of ground penetrating radar ∗ ), under-
ground mapping and utility locating, see ahead technologies, curved
pipe jacking and microtunneling, new MTBM cutterheads (such as
high pressure flushing systems), new steering and tracking tools for
horizontal auger boring machines, and new on-grade installations
for gravity pipelines. The examples of on-grade installation are
®
Vacuum Boring System (AXIS ) by Vermeer (see Fig. 1), ArrowBore ®
by Trenchless Flowline (see Fig. 2), Ditch Witch Grade Drilling
®
Method (see Fig. 3), and new restraint joint PVC pipe for trenchless
applications by S & B Technical Products (see Fig. 4).
Many times, contractors may choose more than one method to
address project challenges. Examples of these “hybrid” technologies

∗ Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a real-time, nondestructive testing technique
that uses radio waves to image pipes. Referred to as Pipe Penetrating Radar ®
(PPR) by SewerVUE, this emerging method can be used to detect pipe wall cracks,
changes in material, reinforcing location and placement, and pipe wall thickness
for concrete, polyethylene, vitrified clay, and similar pipe materials.

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