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 drain 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.

The clip below left shows how compact the smaller versions of the bursting rigs can be, i thing that one had a pull of about 30 tonne, the second clip gives you an idea of how the bursting head operates as it passes through the host pipe

There are numerous pipe bursting contractors around and a couple of suppliers who will be happy to sell you the kit, if your looking to do a one off job there are also a couple of specialist hire companies.