Preserving the Natural Environment Through Trenchless Technology
Popular romance stories often attribute love to the wind – ‘you can’t see it, but you can feel it’ (we’re looking at you, Nicholas Sparks). But taking love out the equation, could this also apply to underground utilities? You can’t see everything going on underneath your feet, but you trust it’s working well. If these essential systems we take for granted weren’t functioning, you’d definitely notice – whether it’s your water and sewer pipes, gas lines, or electrical wires. Despite underground systems being out of sight, their effectiveness is undeniable. To keep things running smoothly and to preserve the natural environment, we turn to the expertise of engineers, who use underground trenchless technology.
What is Trenchless Technology and How is it Better?
Trenchless technology is the process of replacing or rehabilitating underground existing pipes and public infrastructure while minimizing disruptions to daily life, keeping the surrounding community connected and functioning smoothly.
Trenchless technology offers several advantages over traditional excavation methods:
· This method causes less disruption, significantly reducing the impact on traffic, businesses, and daily activities.
· While the initial investment can be higher, trenchless technology saves money over time with reduced restoration expenses and environmental preservation.
· Projects can be completed faster, reducing the duration of inconvenience for the community.
How Can Trenchless Technology Preserve and Protect Community Spaces?
By enhancing the reliability and efficiency of underground utilities using trenchless technology, the ecological footprint of construction activities is reduced, minimizing noise, dust, and traffic disruptions during resident’s everyday activities. By decreasing the need for extensive excavation and restoration work, trenchless technologies can allow for preservation of parks, roads, and public areas, ensuring these spaces remain available for community use and enjoyment.
In the short term, trenchless technology has lower costs during construction and disruptions are reduced, and in the long term, it ensures sustainable infrastructure improvements, protecting natural and urban environments for future generations.
Saving Time and Money Through Trenchless Technology
In the City of Golden Valley, MN, the city experienced 10 watermain breaks in three years across their 3,500 LF of watermain beneath Glenwood Avenue. The watermain often broke in the winter, and excessive pavement thickness resulted in challenging and expensive watermain break repairs. This prompted the city to contact Bolton & Menk to investigate repair methods that were cost-effective and would have a minimal impact to residents and the country roadway.
Watermain breaks on Glenwood Avenue.
The solution was to use a trenchless Cured-in-Place Pipe (CIPP) liner to rehabilitate the existing watermain. During the feasibility study, the team also explored the option of open cutting and replacing this deteriorating watermain, directional drilling, pipe bursting, and slip lining but the cost was almost twice that of CIPP Lining. Nick Pawlak, municipal design engineer at Bolton & Menk noted “this trenchless technology method was the most cost-effective solution and was the least disruptive to the city, which allowed the roadway to remain open throughout the process.”
A downtown 4th street urban reconstruction project in another metro city included building-to-building refurbishment and spot improvements to utilities and stormwater systems. The Bolton & Menk design team consulted the trenchless team to find an effective rehabilitation method that eliminated the need for full excavation. They determined that replacing a 20-foot-deep sanitary manhole would necessitate extensive excavation in a busy 4-way intersection. These excavation limits would also impact service to newly installed private utilities situated near the structure designated for removal and replacement.
To address the issue, trenchless methods for the structural rehabilitation of the sanitary manhole were proposed to the city. After thorough discussion, the structural rehabilitation plan received approval. Multiple city departments, including public works, engineering, and transportation, were involved in the process, and community members were kept informed about the project timeline and anticipated impacts.
Mark Onken, municipal project engineer, explained, “This trenchless technology approach saved valuable weeks on the project schedule, minimized crucial transportation route shutdowns through this busy intersection, and saved the client money. By avoiding extensive excavation, the project was able to proceed more efficiently, reducing the overall impact on the community and ensuring a smoother, quicker completion.”
Topher the Gopher: Teaching Young Minds Trenchless Technology
A new Bolton & Menk children’s book was recently added to the series where readers can follow along on the journey of trenchless technology with Topher the Gopher. Initially inspired by the 2022 NASTT No-Dig Show in Minneapolis, the book was published in 2024. The book aimed to show that trenchless technology is more common and becoming a skilled, popular option. The children’s book seeks to make the topic accessible for kids, inspiring future interest and potential careers in the field.
The children’s books series, ranging from civil engineering to environmental engineering to landscape architecture and planning, are written by Bolton & Menk’s technical experts in an accessible way that kids can understand, while also being helpful to adults unfamiliar with technical jargon.
The concepts in Topher the Gopher can inspire the next generation to adopt these methods and innovate new technologies to solve future challenges. Teaching young people about trenchless technology early on can spark their interest in STEAM fields and encourage them to think creatively about sustainable infrastructure solutions.
Building a Sustainable Future from the (Under)Ground Up
Trenchless technology represents a significant advancement in the field of underground infrastructure. By minimizing disruptions to daily life, preserving community spaces, and offering cost-effective solutions, trenchless methods ensure that essential systems remain functional and reliable. The expertise of trenchless engineers plays a crucial role in maintaining and improving these unseen yet vital components of our cities. As we continue to implement these technologies, we not only enhance the efficiency and sustainability of our infrastructure but also protect the natural and urban environments for future generations. Embracing trenchless technology is a step toward a more resilient and connected community.
Mark Onken is a municipal project engineer who began his career in 2015. He is responsible for utility design and construction management of utility and roadway improvement initiatives, serving a wide variety of diverse clients from rural municipalities to regional sanitary districts across the Midwest. Mark’s proficiency lies in the intricacies of design, constructability reviews, trenchless construction methods, and hydraulics, with a focus on wastewater conveyance systems. Mark holds a seat on the Midwest Society for Trenchless Technologies (MSTT) Board of Directors, where he actively advocates for the advancement of trenchless technology and less impactful construction methods.
A design engineer with a passion for finding right-sized solutions, Nick Pawlak debuted his professional career with Bolton & Menk in 2022. He has extensive experience in watermain systems, having provided significant support on Golden Valley’s Glenwood Avenue (CR 40) Watermain Rehabilitation project. Nick is proficient in Civil 3D. He is driven by his love for problem solving and working with our clients to make plans a reality.
