History Of Trenchless Technology

Pipe Surgeons is one of the premier resources for trenchless pipe lining in Port St. Lucie, FL, though we do much more. For anyone who has never had a severe plumbing issue, the phrase “trenchless technology” might be new, but in fact, it has been fifty years since it was discovered that pipes could be replaced without having to dig a trench down to them.

Though he was an agricultural engineer in the United Kingdom, pipe-lining companies like ours owe a lot to Eric Wood. Back in 1970, he needed to replace an air duct that could not be removed due to its position over a mushroom bed. To work around this problem, he developed a way to insert an uncured pipe into the existing line, using felt, resin, plastic, and air. Once this felt and resin pipe was inserted inside the existing air duct, it was inflated and left to cure.

In the term CIPP pipe lining, CIPP stands for “cured in place pipe.” Though it would be another several years before this method was attempted in the United States, by 1980 it was in use in over 25 different countries and remains a common practice today.

Once we began curing pipes in place, then ways were developed to destroy old pipes “in situ” without digging them out. The methods of trenchless technology and CIPP have continued to advance ever since. One of those advancements is why our list of available services includes cast iron pipe lining.

At Pipe Surgeons, we repair and replace standard pipes as well as sewer pipe linings. Contact us for more information on this and other trenchless services we provide.

Trenchless Repairs