While pipe bursting is a well accepted in-line replacement method for gravity sewers and drains in North America, it presents several limitations. The size of the equipment needed to burst pipes 200 mm or greater in diameter is too large to fit inside a typical 1.2 m diameter manhole. Also, the force needed to fragment the host pipe, displace the soil and push the fragments into the soil is substantial. A reaction wall is typically needed to counteract this force. In cases where the manhole wall has been used for this purpose, damage has been sustained necessitating extensive rebuilding of the manhole structure. This could be particularly costly in hilly areas characterized by deep, gravity driven collection systems.
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