News Article Archive - Edge Underground

Edge Underground wraps another successful project in Warragul

Locals in Warragul, Victoria, are becoming increasingly familiar with Edge Underground crews on site, and there’s a good reason for it. After a strong history of delivering successful trenchless projects for Gippsland Water in the region, Edge Underground recently completed another standout microtunnelling job, this time for Fulton Hogan. The complex installation involved 14 bores across multiple pipe sizes, with outside diameters ranging from 460mm to 580mm and bore lengths between 26 and 92 metres. In total, more than 800 metres of pipe was installed underground, navigating difficult conditions such as sandy clay and greasy grey clay. To maintain...

Edge Underground completes milestone TasWater project

Edge Underground has successfully delivered its first project in Tasmania; a complex, time-critical microtunnelling installation for TasWater. This milestone project marked a major step in Edge Underground’s expansion, showcasing the team’s ability to mobilise quickly, work in diverse conditions, and deliver efficient trenchless solutions on tight timelines. The job involved installing glass reinforced plastic jointed pipe (GRPJP) with an outer diameter of 1099mm, requiring a bore diameter of 1130mm – a large size by microtunnelling standards. Edge Underground deployed its next-generation AdaptX machine, which is engineered for both precision and power, even in difficult conditions. Developed by Edge Underground's parent...

How new versatile equipment is reducing risks to project delivery in microtunnelling

Microtunnelling projects often encounter a variety of complex challenges that can prove costly and push out project delivery timelines. However, contractors with versatile equipment can easily adjust to unexpected issues – by changing drilling heads, and being able to install a wide range of pipe materials and diameters – to ensure a project is delivered on time and on budget. When working with versatile equipment, contractors are able to adapt and adjust their approach whilst using their knowledge around the existing ground conditions and their equipment, to dramatically reduce risk in a microtunnelling project. Versatility is especially important given the...

Never resting on laurels: striving to expand trenchless capabilities, even after major successes

With the help of innovative technology such as the AXIS, Edge Underground has installed hundreds of thousands of meters of sewer and water pipelines under various ground conditions - from easy to challenging. However, despite these successes, Edge Underground is always looking for ways to increase capabilities and reduce risks to project delivery. Maribyrnong development sewer When the builders of a new 20-storey development, located beside a busy tram stop in Maribyrnong, needed to install a sewer for the building, they found it difficult to find contractors who would take the job. The development was in the middle of a...

What are some of the new innovations increasing capabilities in the microtunnelling industry?

As new technologies and innovations emerge in the microtunnelling industry, contractors’ capabilities to meet some of the industry’s toughest challenges continue to grow. For example, very hard rock used to result in most contractors turning down projects or stopping a job part way through when they unexpectedly hit these conditions. This is because most microtunnelling tools struggle to drill through very hard rock and install a pipeline to specifications, but new cutting-edge trenchless equipment can now do so with high precision. This is only one example, there are a number of new technologies that are helping to pave the way...

Expertise and innovation: increasing the capabilities of microtunnelling machines

In order to make the microtunnelling industry more competitive and able to take on even more jobs, the committed team from Edge Underground – part of OptionX Group – uses its expertise and drive to set a benchmark in the industry, pushing the limitations of current equipment capabilities by modifying and designing new equipment that is more capable. This culture of innovation has led to the development of the air hammer, a drilling tool that addresses the challenges of drilling in very hard rock, providing microtunnelling contractors a solution that increases rates of successful pipeline installation, while still maintaining accuracy,...

What are the benefits of utilising an air hammer drilling tool in microtunnelling?

In the past, very hard rock has posed a problem for microtunnelling machines, with most tooling struggling to successfully drill through it to install a pipeline to specifications. This means most contractors turn down projects where the geotechnical information has identified this ground condition or stop a job part way through when they unexpectedly hit very hard ground. A new drilling tool – an air hammer – has been designed and proven to work in very hard rock while maintaining accuracy, productivity and efficiency, and providing additional environmental and work health and safety benefits. Drilling through rock The new technology...