What Is Trenchless Utility Installation—and Why Is It the Preferred Solution for Some Projects?

The answer is Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD).

HDD is a trenchless construction method that allows underground utilities to be installed with little to no surface disruption. Rather than excavating long, open trenches through roadways, parking lots, retaining walls, or landscaped areas, crews work from strategically located entry and exit pits while specialized drilling equipment bores a precise path underground.

Working in partnership with Directional Mining & Drilling, Sandpiper has begun constructing the entry and exit pits on the south and north sides of Stewardson Way. Once complete, the team will install nearly 100 metres of new storm pipe beneath the roadway without interrupting the flow of traffic above.

Although this installation won't surpass Sandpiper's previous HDD milestone—pulling more than 700 metres of pipe beneath the Harrison River—it remains a technically challenging project due to the busy transportation corridor and the sensitive underground infrastructure in the area.

One of the project's key considerations is its proximity to an existing Metro Vancouver trunk sewer. Before drilling began, a comprehensive geotechnical assessment was completed to evaluate the proposed crossing and establish the construction requirements.

Throughout the installation, the HDD operation is being carried out in accordance with those geotechnical recommendations, including continuous monitoring of both ground movement and the nearby trunk sewer. This real-time monitoring verifies that the drilling operation does not adversely affect the existing infrastructure and helps ensure the work is completed safely while protecting the integrity of surrounding underground utilities.

By eliminating the need for extensive excavation, Horizontal Directional Drilling minimizes disruption to the public, shortens construction schedules, reduces impacts on surrounding infrastructure, and allows essential utility upgrades to be completed where conventional open-cut construction would be impractical or highly disruptive.