Trenchless rehabilitation: planning the investigation

Overview

Rehabilitation planning starts with the asset condition, service constraints and access available for investigation. Gather records and inspect the relevant sections before selecting an intervention. Define what defects, dimensions, connectivity and operating conditions must be confirmed.

Prepare a documented investigation and review process covering survey evidence, obstructions, host asset condition, temporary service needs and worksite constraints. Compare candidate methods against project-specific structural, hydraulic and installation requirements. A generic product description is not a rehabilitation design or an approved construction method.

Set acceptance requirements for inspection, testing, installation records and handover. Record what was observed, what remains uncertain and who approves changes when field conditions differ from the design assumptions. Coordinate permits, service continuity and site responsibilities with the relevant authorities and project team.

Organise the evidence around the rehabilitation decision. Existing drawings can inform planning, but field conditions may require confirmation of dimensions, alignment, connections, obstructions and defect condition. Describe the limits of each investigation method. If a critical part of the asset cannot be inspected, include the uncertainty and the action needed before design acceptance rather than assuming that the inaccessible section matches an adjacent section.

A comparison matrix should use the same project requirements for each candidate method. Include service continuity, access, installed capacity, construction constraints, acceptance testing and future maintenance. Record which entries are supported by evidence and which need supplier or field confirmation. Avoid selecting a method only because a product illustration looks compatible with the asset.

Before mobilisation, assign responsibilities for drawings, method review, temporary arrangements, inspection records and change approval. When site conditions differ, stop the affected decision and follow the agreed review process. The final digital handover should link installation and acceptance evidence to the asset identity and identify any unresolved actions that the operating team must manage.

Key considerations

• Define the operating question and asset boundary.
• Record input quality, units, ownership and revision.
• Agree review responsibilities and acceptance criteria.
• Verify project-specific requirements before implementation.

Related solutions

Trenchless Utility Installation

Pipeline Rehabilitation

Horizontal Directional Drilling

Product capabilities

• Define the operating question and asset boundary.
• Record input quality, units, ownership and revision.
• Agree review responsibilities and acceptance criteria.
• Verify project-specific requirements before implementation.