Fewer shutdowns, faster pipe upgrades
Industrial production loses thousands of dollars for every hour a process line is offline. Trenchless pipe installation, using horizontal directional drilling (HDD), pipe bursting, or cured-in-place lining, replaces aging water, sewer, and process conduits without opening long trenches across busy yards. A 2024 North American Society for Trenchless Technology survey found that facilities switching from open-cut excavation to HDD reduced surface disruption by 85 percent and trimmed total schedule days by one-third.
Key advantages of trenchless pipe methods
Continuous production and safe access
Work zones stay confined to small launch and exit pits, so forklifts, cranes, and delivery trucks maintain normal routes. On a recent Michigan chemical plant upgrade, the crew pulled 600 feet of 10-inch HDPE under an active rail spur without interrupting shipments, protecting USD 420,000 in daily outbound product value.
Lower restoration and environmental costs
Because pavement, tracks, and landscaping remain intact, restoration budgets drop by up to 60 percent. HDD also minimizes spoil generation; typical fluid volumes are 50 percent lower than open-cut excavation, reducing disposal fees and permitting paperwork.
Precision alignment under crowded corridors
Digital steering heads and gyroscopic sondes guide the drill string within 0.05 feet, sliding new pipe beneath existing steam, fiber, and high-voltage lines. Real-time telemetry alerts operators to steering drift, preventing costly strike incidents.
Equipment matching the soil and pipe type
Geotechnical profiling and fluid management
Before drilling, contractors collect borings every 100 feet along the alignment to chart clay lenses, cobbles, or sand pockets. Engineers specify bentonite-based drilling fluids with polymer additives that match soil conditions, keeping downhole pressures below 15 psi to avoid frac-outs.
Rig sizing and pullback calculations
Tensile load calculations consider pipe diameter, weight, and bend radii. A 100,000-pound class drill can typically pull 12-inch HDPE 800 feet in stable clay at 250 feet per hour. Onboard torque sensors stop the operation if loads exceed 75 percent of pipe yield strength, protecting the new line.
Compliance plus community goodwill
Quiet, low-vibration operations
Trenchless rigs generate about 75 dB at 50 feet, roughly the sound of a vacuum cleaner, versus 95 dB for pavement breakers. Lower noise keeps community complaint calls down and secures smoother permit renewals with local authorities.
Cleaner runoff, simpler permits
Because spoil remains underground, stormwater discharge samples remain clear, satisfying Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) turbidity thresholds without costly treatment systems.
Prepare your facility with our environmental compliance checklist to see how trenchless methods fit state regulations.
Implementation checklist
- Verify geotechnical data and select a compatible drilling fluid recipe.
- Locate and pothole all buried utilities along the alignment before the pilot bore.
- Calibrate telemetry and pullback load monitors to project specifications.
- Stage spill-containment materials at entry and exit pits in case of fluid release.
- Conduct post-installation CCTV inspection and upload as-built drawings to the plant asset database.
Ready to modernize underground infrastructure without halting production? Talk with Verdeterre Contracting’s trenchless services team to keep your industrial facility running smoothly.