18 Jan 2010
When Southern Water discovered a problem with collapsed sewers in Tonbridge, Kent, their term contractor, Clancy Docwra called us in to investigate and recommend a trenchless solution. With the 150mm pipes running under the back gardens of several houses, open cut wasn’t a viable option. An additional complication was that there were numerous unmapped laterals which had been added to the original sewer pipe.
Because of the risk of flooding and possible damage to homes, the project was treated as an emergency.
The sewer had suffered collapses in several places. We were commissioned to investigate, recommend a solution and provide a remedy to the problem.
Pipe bursting was the obvious solution as it would allow the original sewer capacity to be maintained. When it came to the choice of pipe materials, we opted for a mix of Snapit sectional pipe for shorter sections and for continuously welded pipe for longer sections. The need to avoid or minimise excavations was paramount so we deployed a Miniburst rig. Miniburst is man-portable and can be operated from existing manholes without the need for mechanical plant. The works were carried out over two weeks and at the end of the project any disruption to the back gardens was reinstated to the residents’ satisfaction.
The existing 25” cast iron rising main carries sew...
Perco - Specialists In Trenchless Technology
