How pipe bursting works
A steel cable is threaded through the old sewer line from an exit pit to an entry pit. A conical bursting head is fixed to the cable with the new HDPE pipe attached behind it. A hydraulic rig then pulls the head back through the line. The cone forces the old pipe outward into the surrounding soil, and the new pipe follows into the space that opens up.
The result is a brand new pipe along the original path, with no trench between the two pits and no old pipe left inside it.
Bursting compared with lining
Both are trenchless, and homeowners often hear them described as if they are interchangeable. They are not.
The short version: lining renews a pipe that is still structurally there. Bursting replaces a pipe that is not.
When bursting is the right call in Littleton
- Partially collapsed clay. The cone pushes through where a liner could not cure.
- Undersized laterals. Some older Littleton homes were connected with three-inch pipe. Bursting is the only trenchless way to come out at four.
- Badly scaled cast iron. Where lining would leave too little bore.
- Long runs under finished surfaces. The deep-setback lots in Ken Caryl and the mature streets in Columbine are where this saves the most.
It is not the answer everywhere. A fully collapsed section gives the head nothing to follow, and very tight bends stop the pull. Orangeburg is a judgement call — sometimes the head gets through, often it does not.
What bursting does to the ground around it
The old pipe fragments stay in the soil, pushed outward. That is normal and it is how the method is designed to work. What it means practically is that anything sitting very close alongside the line — a gas service, a water line, a sprinkler main — needs to be located first, because the displacement affects a zone around the pipe rather than just the pipe itself.
Colorado 811 gets called before any pull. Where another utility runs tight against the sewer, we will say so and recommend open-cut for that stretch rather than risk it.
Not sure if your line can be burst?
The camera run tells us. It takes under an hour and the footage is yours.
Call (303) 555-0147Questions we get asked
Is pipe bursting better than lining?
Neither is better in general. Bursting gives you a new pipe and can upsize the diameter, so it suits collapsed, undersized or badly scaled lines. Lining is less disruptive and suits pipe that is cracked or root-infiltrated but still round. The camera inspection decides which applies.
Can you burst through an Orangeburg line?
Sometimes. Orangeburg deforms rather than shattering, so the head can struggle to get a clean break through a badly flattened section. Where the camera shows it is still roughly round, bursting often works. Where it has gone flat, open-cut replacement is the reliable route.
Does the old pipe stay in the ground?
Yes. The bursting head splits it outward and the fragments remain in the soil around the new pipe. That is how the method works and it is standard practice, but it is also why nearby utilities are located carefully before the pull.
Is bursting right for your line?
Bursting suits lines that are collapsed, undersized or too far gone to line. The camera run tells us whether the old pipe will break cleanly along its length.
Platte Sewer Co. — sewer line repair in Littleton, CO. Open 24 hours.