Utility companies, municipalities, and contractors alike face a growing challenge in replacing underground service pipes. As existing infrastructure ages, costly repairs become more frequent. Federal, state, and local initiatives to replace hazardous lead water pipes are also increasing the demand for pipe replacement.
Trenching, the traditional approach to replacement, requires digging extensive trenches to remove the existing pipes and lay the new service lines. Not surprisingly, it significantly disrupts the surrounding environment, adds cost, and increases the risks and labor requirements.
Fortunately, trenchless technologies have emerged that can minimize much of the excavation otherwise required.
Pipe Pulling Provides the Best Solution
Pipe pulling is a trenchless method for removing a length of underground pipe. Specialized equipment is used to complete the removal from a single excavation point without disturbing the surface above the rest of the pipe. By attaching the replacement pipe to the other end via a second excavation point, the replacement pipe can be towed into place simultaneously.
Since its incorporation in 2005, Kobus engineers have aimed to create a pipe puller with the precision and power to revolutionize trenchless pipe removal. The company’s most advanced machine, the KPP400, offers enormous advantages over traditional trenching.
With Kobus equipment, pipe pulling offers a modern, efficient, and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional trenching. Specifically, it offers five significant advantages that should be considered before beginning any replacement project.
1. Faster progress
Projects conducted with pipe pulling are completed faster than those using traditional trenching. This is because pipe pulling eliminates the need for extensive excavation and the corresponding restoration work, which are time-consuming tasks.
In urban settings with densely packed infrastructure, trenching requires careful navigation around other utilities and can require extensive remediation of the surface above. Pipe pulling bypasses these challenges by allowing crews to remove and replace lead, steel, copper, and plastic service pipes without resorting to open-cut trenching.
Instead, the KPP400 removes up to 80 feet of pipe in a single pull from a pit as small as 2’ x 2’ and at up to 20 feet per minute. Utilizing the technology results in fewer disruptions, making it easier to meet tight project timelines with minimal risk to surrounding utilities.
2. Lower Costs
One of the most attractive advantages of pipe pulling is its cost-effectiveness. Traditional trenching may seem straightforward on paper, but the costs quickly escalate when you account for the additional expenses tied to the excavation, soil disposal, site cleanup, and landscaping restoration.
Pipe pulling reduces or eliminates many of these expenses. By minimizing excavation, less equipment and labor are required on-site. Plus, restoration costs are minimal because you’re not disrupting landscapes or infrastructure as extensively. Equipment costs are also lowered since the KPP400 is designed to be mounted on a compact excavator.
3. Safer for the Crew and Client
Safety is paramount for any construction or utility project—both for the crew performing the work and the community affected by it. Traditional trenching involves heavy equipment, deep excavations, and open trenches, posing risks such as cave-ins, equipment accidents, and worker injuries.
Pipe pulling mitigates these risks. Because it is trenchless, crews can work above ground without needing large-scale excavation, reducing the likelihood of accidents. Additionally, fewer disruptions to traffic and pedestrian areas ensure better public safety.
When attached to an excavator, the KPP400 can be operated without additional crew in the vicinity. The machine’s 360° rotating head allows the excavator to be positioned almost anywhere. There’s no need to stop traffic, set up traffic light systems or even partially close the road.
Without significant excavation, the potential for accidental damage to existing underground utilities is also reduced. During open-cut trenching, utility strikes are a common and costly hazard that pipe removal and replacement crews typically expect to encounter. Since the Kobus Pipe Puller tows the replacement pipe through the borehole created by the decommissioned pipe, there’s no risk of damaging nearby utilities.
4. More Environmentally Sound
Pipe pulling is the clear winner for organizations prioritizing sustainability. Traditional trenching can devastate the environment—damaging tree roots, displacing soil ecosystems, and requiring significant fuel emissions from large machinery.
By contrast, pipe pulling is considerably less invasive. It requires only small entry and exit points, keeping the surrounding environment intact. Pipe pulling can protect sensitive ecosystems and be well-suited for projects near water sources. Using the KPP400 removes decommissioned pipes completely, leaving no contaminated materials in the ground and allowing the project to maintain strict compliance requirements.
5. Predictable Performance
One of traditional trenching’s biggest drawbacks is the potential for unforeseen problems. Hidden obstacles like underground utilities, unstable soil, or rock formations often lead to unpredictable delays and budget overruns.
Pipe pulling, on the other hand, offers a more controlled and predictable process. It uses existing pathways to reduce the risk caused by excavation, pulling the old pipe out and threading in the new one in one fluid movement.
Kobus’s trenchless solutions are trusted by leading U.S. municipalities and utilities thanks to faster project completion times, cost savings, and safer operations. Success rates using the KPP400 are very high, making it a preferred replacement method for many contractors. The machine’s robust design and unique pulling cable construction ensure high productivity rates.
Complete Your Next Project with Confidence
Before planning another pipe replacement project using traditional trenching methods, contact a Kobus representative to learn more about the industry’s best trenchless technology.
Find more reasons to choose the KPP400 at www.kobuspipepuller.com.