News Article Archive - Page 6 of 19

Setting a new benchmark for pipeline installation

When called in to partner on a trenchless pipeline installation in Townsville, Queensland, Edge Underground was given four weeks to complete the project. However, armed with some of the best microtunnelling equipment in the industry, and collaborating with a company that knew how it worked, Edge Underground exceeded everyone’s expectations and set a new benchmark for the industry when it completed the first stage of works in only six days. In mid-2019, Edge Underground was subcontracted to help complete the Northwood Sewer Project in Townsville, partnering up with local contractor NQ Excavations. Stuart Harrison, Managing Director at Edge Underground, said...

Pre-planning on microtunnelling projects to ensure a successful outcome

Tight timeframes on microtunnelling installations can increase the difficulty of a project as unforeseen circumstances can cause delays. The key to managing these challenges and ensuring a pipe installation is completed within the specified timeframe is pre-planning. Here, Stuart Harrison, Managing Director at Edge Underground, looks at four complications that can arise on projects, and how pre-planning can help mitigate them. Changing ground conditions Knowing the prevailing ground conditions at a site before beginning to drill is paramount to achieving a successful pipeline installation without time blowouts. However, it is not uncommon for contractors and subcontractors to arrive on site...

Breaking through hard ground

When undertaking a pipeline installation using microtunnelling, knowing the prevailing ground conditions on site is imperative for a successful and risk free project. However, it is not uncommon for ground conditions to be different than advised in the geotechnical survey. This increases the risk of an issue arising during the drill, and can make subcontractors wary of taking on a job where challenging conditions are already present. Edge Underground was contacted by civil engineering company Diona to see if it was willing to undertake a challenging microtunnelling installation in Victoria. “Diona approached us about a project that had difficult ground...

Installing a sewer pipeline in challenging conditions

Undertaking a pipeline installation in a tight access area can be logistically challenging, especially where there are risks from surrounding infrastructure. When a project in Maribyrnong in Melbourne’s inner west needed a sewer installed in such conditions, no subcontractor wanted to take in on except for Edge Underground, whose experience and confidence in its equipment made it confident it could complete the project on time and in budget. The project required a sewer pipeline to be installed for a high-rise development in a very tight access area in the middle of a road, close to tram tracks. Stuart Harrison, Managing...

Is it possible to balance quality, time and cost on pipeline projects?

When searching for pipeline installation contractors, clients are always looking to get the best quality, with the least time and cost. But this is rarely possible. Technology has come a long way though, and while in the past a higher standard of quality meant a higher cost and more time, this is no longer the case. With the right technology and technique, it is possible to get a quality pipeline installation on time and within budget. Choosing the right installation method There are a range of trenchless and non-trenchless installation methods that contractors offer including microtunnelling, horizontal directional drilling, pipe...

Avoiding time and cost blowouts on pipeline projects

Time and costs pressures are at the forefront of the minds of project managers, playing a key role when deciding the method of construction, and the contractor and materials selected. However, when something goes wrong delays can occur, causing time and cost blowouts. Here, Stuart Harrison, Managing Director at Edge Underground, looks at some of the common causes of delays on pipeline installation projects and how to avoid them. Mr Harrison the biggest causes of delays are poor planning and lacking the right information from the start of the project. “In the past, I have been contracted to complete numerous...

How does microtunnelling differ from other trenchless installation methods?

Trying to research and compare various methods of trenchless installation can raise more questions than it answers. What’s the difference between thrust boring and bed boring? Which trenchless techniques use guidance systems? And how big of a margin of error can I expect with each method? We’ll address each of these questions and more in a comparison of some of the most common trenchless methods in use today. Two categories of techniques A comparison of different trenchless methods starts with a distinction between two technology categories: shaft-launched and surface-launched. Shaft-launched approaches call for a large rectangular pit to be dug...