Edge Underground is looking to push the boundaries on what is possible in trenchless pipeline installation.
The company has reinforced its commitment to innovation and workforce development, recently completing dedicated AdaptX technology training for its site-based workers at the company’s Melbourne base.
The training focused on how Edge Underground is using equipment in a way few others do, including modified Vermeer AXIS machines upgraded with AdaptX technology, enabling the team to continue pushing boundaries in advanced vacuum microtunnelling.
Rather than relying on conventional approaches, Edge Underground is investing in specialised capability across its crews, ensuring operators and site teams are equipped with the knowledge and confidence to deliver high-performance trenchless outcomes in demanding ground conditions.
For employees who have only ever worked in trenchless with Edge Underground, the training offered a new perspective on what sets the company apart.
“I worked on a project where we completed a drive for another contractor who had walked away,” one employee said.
“But I didn’t fully realise just how much greater our capability is, purely because of the machines we use and how we run them.”
Stuart Harrison, CEO of OptionX Group and founder of Edge Underground, said training plays a vital role in supporting the people who deliver results on site every day.
“We want our team to feel backed, supported and confident in the work they’re doing,” Harrison said.
“Ongoing training is a big part of that. When we invest in our workers, we’re investing in safer, more efficient projects and better outcomes for our clients.”
The AdaptX technology training formed part of Edge Underground’s broader strategy to continuously improve operational efficiency and expand what is possible in trenchless pipeline installation.
By modifying and upgrading AXIS machines using AdaptX technology, Edge Underground continues to develop advanced methods that increase production while reducing many of the challenges traditionally associated with microtunnelling.
“Edge Underground has always been about doing things differently,” Harrison said. “We’re not just using machines in the standard way. We’re improving them, refining our methods, and training our crews to operate at a level that sets a new benchmark.”
Advanced vacuum microtunnelling, which uses vacuum extraction to remove broken ground immediately, can provide major advantages across a range of conditions.
By maintaining a clean, stable bore and minimising resistance during installation, vacuum extraction supports smoother advancement and helps reduce unnecessary stress on equipment.
Harrison believes this capability is reshaping how the industry should view gravity sewer installation.
“I see advanced vacuum microtunnelling as a replacement to open-cut trenching for gravity sewer installation in almost all situations,” he said.
“It’s a smarter way to install pipelines. It reduces disruption, improves control, and delivers the kind of results modern infrastructure projects demand.”
With a strong focus on ongoing training, innovation, and continuous improvement, Edge Underground remains committed to developing solutions that make trenchless installation more efficient, more reliable and more widely achievable.