Utility

Utility Overview

A vast network of underground utility lines brings the services we could not live without to homes and businesses. Clean tap water is delivered through a series of pipelines, while sewage and runoff is returned through the cavernous storm water system. We can access the wonders of the internet, stream video and watch cable television thanks to a vast web of fiber optic and wire cable that spans the continent. Think cellular technology has eliminated the need for wires? Think again. Wires connect cellular towers to the grid. While electricity is largely transmitted through above-ground transmission towers and power lines, buried lines bring it to meters and into our homes.

Our Role

When utility providers are installing, repairing or updating new or existing utility services, they often require the trenchless construction services of The Crossing Group to complete small but critical parts of the project.

Our horizontal directional drilling, boring and auguring services help our clients install lines beneath busy and complex obstacles – such as roadways and river bodies.  Whatever the requirement, we have the tools, the technologies and the team to get the job done. Safely. Economically. Efficiently.

The Crossing Group - Applications - Utility Lines - Fibre Optic Cables - Water and Sewer - Natural Gas - The Crossing Company - Hydrovac - HDD - Tunneling

The Right Solutions

Whether a project involves the installation of large-diameter, heavy duty pipe or the delicate touch needed when dealing with sensitive fiber lines, The Crossing Group will ensure your job is completed to the highest quality standards. Guided by your trenchless design blueprints and geotechnical investigation, we will ensure you receive the services you require, when you need them, within your budget parameters.

The Crossing Group - Applications - Utility Lines - Fibre Optic Cables - Water and Sewer - Natural Gas - The Crossing Company - Hydrovac - HDD - Tunneling

RAIL LINE INTEGRITY RESTS ON CULVERT

Catastrophic flooding in Calgary, Banff and Canmore in 2013 wiped out a bridge along a section of CP track in Banff National Park. This exposed a major drainage oversight. The challenge? How to install a massive 11’ diameter culvert in a shallow cover situation without impeding rail traffic?

Explore the Case Study |

Delivering the Comforts & Necessities of Modern Living

Electricity. Heat. Hot water. Internet and TV. We take these modern luxuries for granted. They are only possible due to a vast infrastructure of cables, conduits and pipelines. The Crossing Group helps utility companies and municipalities across North America to install and upgrade these systems with minimal inconvenience to the public.

CASE STUDIES

TUNNEL BORING / PIPE JACKING

Tunnel Boring and Pipe Jacking Systems are used to hydraulically install underground pipelines up to 4.2 m (168 in) in OD range within strict alignment and grade tolerances. The likelihood of settling or sloughing is very low. Wheel machines are equipped with various cutter heads and sand shelves. A closed-face attachment is available for boring in unstable ground conditions. This versatile system can be easily adapted to work with any jacking pipe, in any pipe joint length. It can accommodate a wide range of pipe diameters.

Tunnel Boring Machines are used to excavate tunnels with a circular cross section through a variety of soil and rock strata. They can bore through hard rock, sand, and almost anything in between. Tunnel diameters can range from 1 m and exceed 15 m (3 ft to 49 ft).

The Crossing Group - The Tunneling Company - Tunnel Boring - Pipe Jacking - Trenchless Construction - Tunneling - Augering, Boring & Pipe Ramming

SLIP BORING

A boring technique commonly used for installing oil & gas pipelines ranging from 51 mm to 1067 mm (2 in to 42 in) in diameter without leaving casing in the ground. Product pipe is welded to steel casings and either pushed or pulled through the ground in sections. The casing is cut off and removed, leaving just the product pipe. Maximum installation length is 150 m (492 ft).

The Crossing Group - The Tunneling Company - Slip Boring - Trenchless Construction - Tunneling - Augering, Boring & Pipe Ramming

DOWN THE HOLE HAMMER

A pneumatic hammer is attached to the inside edge of the casing. The front of the DTH breaks cobles, boulders and even solid rock into small pebbles or dust. The spoil makes its way through the hammer and into the casing, where it is removed by airway augers.

The Crossing Group - The Tunneling Company - Down The Hole Hammer - DTH - Trenchless Construction - Tunneling - Augering, Boring & Pipe Ramming

GUIDED BORING

A Guided Boring Machine (GBM) is used to install 305 mm to 3.6 m diameter pipe (12 in to 144 in) with grade and alignment precision. It is commonly used for installations 50 m to 150 m in length (164 ft to 492 ft) or when line and grade accuracy is critical in displaceable soil. Our GBM is extremely versatile and our customers continually approach us with new applications.

The pipe installation involves a two-step process where launch and reception shafts are strategically located to minimize surface disruption. A pilot tube with a theodolite guidance system is then pushed through the ground at the precise grade and alignment specified in the design into the reception shaft. A reaming head is welded to the pilot tube and the casing and the pilot tube is used as a guide to install casing. The GBM can be used in conjunction with auger boring or pipe ramming methodologies.

The Crossing Group - The Tunneling Company - Guided Boring - Trenchless Construction - Tunneling - Augering, Boring & Pipe Ramming

PNEUMATIC PIPE RAMMING

Pipe Ramming is used in a wide variety of soil types including gravel, cobble or sand. A pneumatic hammer is attached to the back of the casing pipe and driven through the material at any angle: from horizontal to vertical. The material is cleaned out of the pipe using an auger boring machine. Pipe Ramming methods are used for pipe diameters of 305 mm to 3.6 m (12 in to 144 in).

The Crossing Group - The Tunneling Company - Pneumatic Pipe Ramming - Tunneling - Augering, Boring & Pipe Ramming