Trenchless
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Trenchless technology is a rapidly growing sector of the construction and civil engineering industries. It can be defined as:
The set of techniques to develop, maintain, and terminate the subsurface utility netrworks which are linked by the lack of need for excavating continuous trenches.
This method or technology consists of two primary industry sectors:
- Trenchless construction refers to such construction methods as tunneling, microtunneling, horizontal directional drilling, pipe ramming, pipe jacking, moling, auger boring and other methods for the installation of pipelines and cables below the ground with minimal excavation. Large diameter tunnels such as those constructed by a tunnel boring machine (TBM), and drill-and-blast techniques are larger versions of trenchless construction.
- Trenchless rehabilitation refers to such construction methods as sliplining, shotcrete, gunite, cured-in-place pipe, thermoformed pipe, grout-in-place pipe, pipebursting and other methods for the repair, rehabilitation, or replacement of existing buried pipes and structures without excavation, or at least with minimal excavation. Trenchless Rehabilitation methods are generally more cost-effective than traditional exhume and replace methods and are common tools in modern water and sewer asset management programs around the world.
The trenchless technology industry is represented by several industry associations in addition to standing committees within almost every water and sewer related industry association. The National Association of Sewer Service Companies or NASSCO was established in 1976 and is the oldest such association with a trenchless focus. The Indian Society for Trenchless Technology or IndSTT is the apex organizarion to promote Trenchless Technology in South Asia. It was established in 1995 with its head office at New Delhi.
