The underground infrastructure of our piping is vast and complicated. With a mixture of gas, water, sewage, and electrical power all sharing the same configuration, with this brings the risk of utility strikes going up, leaving contractors to opt for moling, in order to keep distribution costs, and safety of workers at a minimum.
Traditional moling methods
Traditional methods of moling usually involve open cut excavation, which in turn brings its own set of risks. This technique, combined with the lack of ability to steer the mole results in a very high risk of damaging a neighbouring pipeline.
Dangers
Different pipes bare different dangers when digging underground. Water pipelines offer very little danger to a worker; however, it is important to bear in mind that a strong jet from a burst water pipe during a utility strike could cause some damage.
Electricity pipes can cause a variety of problems ranging from injuries to workers, to distribution above and underground due to a utility strike. When working with electricity so close instead of choosing a trenchless route, the risks of burns and fires multiply.
Gas pipes also feature the danger of fire when being worked on, utility strikes and leaks caused by moling can result in fire and explosions.
The danger that a pipeline presents when moling is down to the nature of the fluid within it. Flammables all present the risk of fire and explosions, whereas sewage and toxic gases all present the danger of contamination. However, it is important to note that any pipeline presents a danger when moling due to the elevated pressure.
Trenchless technology
Trenchless Pipe pulling has become a suitable and sustainable solution for contactors to keep these dangers at a minimum. Instead of open excavation and the danger of a utility strike, pipe pulling simply utilises what is in place and extracts the old piping and replaces it with new, therefore also minimising the danger of old uncommission piping effecting the ground environmentally by contamination.
Our technology technologies reduces lots of these dangers. Our KPP300 and KPP400 are designed with a small footprint, with a tapered design on the foot allows better clearance from surrounding utilities. These machines extract the old pipe providing smooth extraction without the need for large excavations.