Houston replaces 50,000 feet of residential water main with pipe bursting project

HOUSTON, TX, FEB 12, 2020 -- One of the largest pre-chlorinated pipe bursting projects to date in North America was just completed, replacing 4-inch through 12-inch water main with new HDPE pipe in Houston. The trenchless pre-chlorinated pipe bursting process replaced 10 miles of water distribution main ranging from 6-inch through 12-inch.

All the water main was in densely populated, mature residential neighborhoods, which is why Murphy Pipelines used static pipe bursting to minimize the impact to residents in the area. Residents drove in/out of driveways, with no traffic disruption needed. Water service was maintained by a temporary bypass, and limited civil engineering was required for the project, as the process follows the existing utility path. This results in 86% less digging vs. open trench.

The fast tracked project schedule included 500 to 600 feet replaced per day.