Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) has been successfully used to perform trenchless pipeline installations under highways, roads, waterways, and other situations where traditional open cut-and-cover methods result in significant traffic disruptions and/or environmental damage. In the case of pavements, utility and pipeline cuts have been shown to accelerate pavement deterioration and create significant user delays. Initially trenchless pipeline construction bids were higher than open cut-and-cover methods. However, if full life cycle costing methods are used trenchless construction methods are more cost-effective than the low bid open cut. This is the first known study that investigates the comparative impacts of directional drilled and conventional open cut and cover pipeline installations on pavement integrity and performance. This paper reports on a joint effort between The Centre for Advancement of Trenchless Technologies (CATT) and The Centre for Pavement and Transportation Technology (CPATT), both located in the University of Waterloo Department of Civil Engineering, to carry out the foregoing comparisons. For the covering abstract of this conference see ITRD number E211395.
Abstract