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 subsurface tunnels without the need for excavating continuous trenches.
Trenchless technology can be broken down into two primary types:
- Trenchless construction refers to such construction methods as tunneling, microtunneling, horizontal directional drilling also known as directional boring, 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.
Several organizations bring out Technical Journals for sensitizing the readers about such techniques. No Dig India is the official Journal of IndSTT and its copies are hosted on the web for easy access.
