Why Trenchless?

Not all tunneling techniques are created equal! Discover why Midwest Mole prefers trenchless technology.

What is trenchless construction?

Trenchless construction is, in its simplest form, tunneling beneath the earth to install critical utilities that would otherwise require open cut trenches. Digging a trench isn’t always an option, and when it’s not, we’re here to help.

Learn More About Trenchless Construction

What is trenchless construction?

Trenchless construction is, in its simplest form, tunneling beneath the earth to install critical utilities that would otherwise require open cut trenches. Digging a trench isn’t always an option, and when it’s not, we’re here to help.

Fewer Disruptions

With trenchless construction, we can install new utilities or repair existing ones without disrupting everyday life above. Thanks to the minimal footprint we require, most everyone doesn’t even know we’re there.

Minimal Environmental Impact

Beyond the minimal footprint with trenchless, it’s also the best choice for digging under rivers, creeks, and other environmentally sensitive areas.

Lower Overall Cost

Even though trenchless is more expensive than open cut at face value, it often saves money by avoiding relocating utilities and slowing down commerce.

Safer

Trenches are notoriously dangerous. Since there’s no open trenches involved and a lot less soil moved, trenchless construction is often a much safer option to install utilities.

Man standing next to large pipe

Advantages of Trenchless

Fewer Disruptions

With more traditional tunneling methods like open cut excavation, there is far more impact on society than there is with trenchless. After all, if you dig under a road with heavy traffic, you can do the work without disturbing traffic, whereas if you use the open cut method, you would likely need to close the road and reroute traffic along other streets. With trenchless technology, we can install new pipes, repair existing sewer lines, and accomplish a variety of other tasks without disrupting everyday life on the surface.

Environmental Impact

Trenchless tunneling is also a great way to minimize environmental impacts. Especially when it comes to digging under creeks, rivers, and lakes, the ability to reduce our effect on the water is a huge benefit, and we also don’t disturb any animal populations that may be living on the surface. Furthermore, when you’re digging and excavating large trenches ― and then working in an exposed open cut ― there’s more air pollution than there is with trenchless methods.

Lower Overall Cost

You can also often save money with trenchless, largely because it helps avoid relocating existing utilities. Other tunneling methods are more disruptive to underground utilities, and whether you move those utilities or reroute your excavation plans to work around them, your costs can skyrocket in a big hurry. Even though trenchless technology is slightly more expensive than open cut excavation, in the long run it often saves money by preventing problems with existing utilities.

Safety

Most importantly, trenchless is often safer, especially when dealing with tight spaces that would require steep excavations. Because there’s no need to dig trenches, it’s easier to avoid issues like mud and water in the tunnel, and landslides are basically nonexistent. In addition, because less ground is affected by trenchless tunneling, there’s also fewer surprises regarding what might be hiding in the soil. You never know when you’re going to encounter unexpected hazards underground, and the less soil you’re moving, the better.

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Are you interested in leveraging Midwest Mole's industry-best services for your project? Drop us a line with some basic information about the job, and we'll get back to you with a pricing estimate as soon as possible.

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