Conventional Trenching

Published: March 30, 2017 | Last updated: July 5, 2023

What Does Conventional Trenching Mean?

Conventional trenching is a method for building or maintaining underground infrastructure. It involves digging a trench in the ground that's eventually deep and long enough to install, construct, maintain or inspect a conduit, pipe or tunnel. Upon project completion, the underground structure is buried and the surface restored.

Trenchlesspedia Explains Conventional Trenching

Conventional trenching may involve an open trench as deep and as long as needed to install, inspect or maintain piping, conduits or cables. After the project is completed, the trench is simply filled with the dirt removed during the trenching phase and the surface is restored. Conventional trenching may also be called called "cut-and-cover" construction, a process that prepares the space for the underground infrastructure from the top down, as digging progresses. This process may allow surface activities to resume in a limited or modified way.

Conventional trenching is an alternative to trenchless construction involving a tunnel boring machine, or "mole."

Synonyms

open trenching

trenching

cut-and-cover

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