Edge Underground has successfully broken through on a trenchless installation under extremely challenging circumstances.
Delivering a trenchless install for Able Drainage, the project involved installing 345OD GRP through Coode Island silt, with blow counts as low as N=0 in some locations.
The milestone was achieved, what’s more, in notoriously unforgiving ground conditions that were super soft and wet.
While trenchless methods are often chosen to minimise disruption and improve efficiency in built-up environments, not every bore presents a cooperative ground profile.
In Docklands, the challenge was considered extreme.
Coode Island silt offers virtually no natural resistance, making stability difficult and increasing the risk of deviation, collapse, or loss of control during installation.
“In ground like this, everything wants to move,” the team said from site.
“There’s no structure which means no forgiveness. If your tooling and set up isn’t right, the job will derail very quickly.”
A custom-built solution for super soft ground
Rather than relying on conventional tooling, Edge Underground approached the Docklands project with a purpose-built solution.
The team deployed a new super soft drill head, specifically designed to operate in ultra-soft, saturated ground conditions where standard heads struggle to perform.
The custom head was engineered to manage the unique challenges of Coode Island silt, reducing disturbance at the face and maintaining stability in material offering almost no natural resistance.
Combined with the vacuum extraction technology used by Edge Underground, broken ground was immediately removed, helping to keep the bore clean, stable, and predictable throughout the installation.
“Super soft ground demands a completely different approach,” said Stuart Harrison, CEO of OptionX Group and founder of Edge Underground.
“You need to be able to extract ground yet it is very easy to over extract. We have a pressure balance bit which goes a long way to control this, giving the operator more options than ever.”
By using the super soft head in combination with vacuum extraction, the team was able to maintain control at the face and deliver a true gunbarrel pipeline install, even in conditions that would normally derail a job entirely.
Maintaining line and level where others walk away
In ground with a blow count of zero, achieving accuracy is often the biggest challenge. The absence of resistance means any imbalance or disturbance can quickly translate into deviation.
“The biggest win was consistency,” the crew said. “The head behaved predictably, which allowed us to hold line and level instead of constantly reacting to the ground.”
That predictability proved critical to the success of the installation.
Despite the saturated conditions and lack of ground strength, Edge Underground delivered the pipeline exactly as planned.
Redefining what’s possible in trenchless
The successful Docklands breakthrough reinforces Edge Underground’s reputation for tackling complex trenchless projects that push the limits of conventional practice.
“Trenchless construction is about solving problems underground without disrupting what’s happening above,” said Harrison.
“When we can take on a job that looks impossible on paper and deliver a clean, accurate result, it’s a win for our client and a win for the industry.”
As trenchless construction continues to expand across Australia’s cities and infrastructure corridors, projects like this demonstrate the importance of innovation, custom engineering and practical experience in overcoming extreme ground conditions.
From a client perspective, the moment of breakthrough was one worth celebrating.
“Seeing the customer’s reaction to a perfect installation in such challenging conditions is something that we pride ourselves on.”
Edge Underground continues to develop solutions that make trenchless installation more efficient, more reliable and more widely achievable.
For more information visit https://edgeunderground.co/