What Are the Challenges of Sewer Pipe Replacement?
Nothing can be expected to last forever, with sewer pipes being no exception to this rule. Over time, as sewer pipes continue to see more and more use, they accumulate wear and tear at a steady rate, which will build and build until they are in serious danger of failure that will result in a huge mess and even worse. Before that time can come, the people responsible for the sewer pipes need to make sure that they notice the mounting issues and act to correct them as soon as possible. After all, it is a general rule that the more deteriorated that something already is, the faster that it will continue to deteriorate, meaning that even slight carelessness when it comes to sewer pipes can come with extremely serious and extremely unpleasant consequences.
With that said, replacing sewer pipes is much easier said than done. Using traditional methods, the ground would have to be dug up so that the sewer pipes can be exposed to the construction workers, which will necessitate not just an enormous amount of time and effort but also the interruption of its services. Even worse, there are a number of factors that can interfere with such construction work, which can cause an already expensive project to become that much more so through nothing more than a simple prolonging.
How Does Pipe Bursting Technology Work?
Pipe bursting is called trenchless for the simple reason that it eliminates the need for a construction trench. In short, it sees the use of a conical expander head, which is wider than the diameter of the pipe that needs to be replaced. As the expander header is pulled through the pipe that needs to be replaced, it causes the existing pipe to burst open so that it can be replaced by the new pipe that is attached behind it. In some cases, the expander head will even come with fins that will be used to cut through tougher materials, thus enabling it to prove useful even in those situations.
Originally, pipe bursting was developed for use with gas distribution lines made using cast iron, which could be burst open because it was a brittle material that was vulnerable to the application of force in said manner. However, it is important to note that since that time, new advances in techniques and technologies have enabled pipe bursting to work with all sorts of pipes made using all sorts of materials, thus making it a simple and straightforward solution to an expensive, complicated, and time-consuming problem that can be used under a wide range of circumstances.
Further Considerations
Of course, this is no more than a short introduction to the concept of pipe bursting technology. Those interested in learning more about the technology as well as its possibilities should not hesitate to seek out a sewer pipe specialist as soon as time permits. After all, by making sure that they are fully-informed about the possibilities, they can be sure of making the right choices for their sewer pipe replacement needs.