It takes precision, efficiency, and structural integrity to properly install underground utilities.
Bore spacers are a critical tool in ensuring the long-term durability and preventing potential hazards when installing multiple utility conduits.
What is a Bore Spacer?
A bore spacer is a structural component used to support and maintain the alignment of multiple conduits within a borehole during the installation of underground utilities. These spacers help ensure that conduits remain separated, properly aligned, and structurally sound, preventing potential damage due to external pressures, shifting soil, or thermal expansion.
Bore spacers are commonly used in horizontal directional drilling (HDD) applications, where utilities such as telecommunications, water, gas, and electrical conduits need to be installed underground without traditional trenching methods. They come in various designs and materials, including high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene, stainless steel, and composite materials, depending on the specific application requirements.
Functions of Bore Spacers in Utility Locating
Bore spacers serve multiple critical functions in the underground installation of utilities, including:
- Maintaining Conduit Separation: Bore spacers prevent conduits from coming into contact with each other, reducing wear and tear, minimizing friction, and preventing potential electrical interference in power and communication lines.
- Ensuring Proper Alignment: By keeping conduits evenly spaced, bore spacers help maintain the structural integrity of the installation and prevent misalignment that could complicate future repairs or maintenance.
- Load Distribution: Spacers help distribute external loads evenly across all conduits, reducing stress and potential collapse due to soil movement, external forces, or fluid pressure within the pipes.
- Facilitating Easier Installation: Proper spacing and alignment simplify the pulling or pushing of conduits through the borehole, reducing installation time and labor costs.
- Enhancing Protection Against Damage: Bore spacers reduce the risk of abrasion and mechanical stress, extending the longevity of utility lines and minimizing the likelihood of service disruptions.
Pros of Using Bore Spacers in Utility Installation
Improved Structural Integrity
Bore spacers provide enhanced stability and protection to conduits, reducing the risk of buckling, sagging, or misalignment. This is particularly important in applications where external pressures, shifting soils, or high temperatures could otherwise compromise the integrity of the installation.
Reduced Risk of Utility Damage
By keeping conduits separated, bore spacers help prevent mechanical damage caused by vibration, thermal expansion, or ground movement. This is especially beneficial in high-traffic or industrial areas where underground utilities are exposed to significant stress factors.
Enhanced Safety and Compliance
Regulatory bodies often require proper spacing between utility conduits to meet safety standards. Bore spacers help ensure compliance with these regulations, reducing liability risks for utility companies and contractors.
Increased Installation Efficiency
Bore spacers make the installation process more efficient by preventing delays caused by misalignment or conduit damage. Their use simplifies conduit pulling and reduces the need for rework, leading to faster project completion times.
Cost Savings Over Time
Although bore spacers add an initial cost to the project, they help reduce long-term maintenance expenses by preventing utility damage and reducing the need for emergency repairs. This can result in significant cost savings over the lifespan of the installation.
Cons of Using Bore Spacers in Utility Installation
Higher Initial Costs
The purchase and installation of bore spacers add to the upfront cost of utility installation. While they provide long-term benefits, some contractors may opt for more cost-effective alternatives in budget-sensitive projects.
Additional Installation Time
Properly installing bore spacers requires careful planning and additional time compared to installations without them. This could extend project timelines, especially for complex installations involving multiple conduits and difficult terrain.
Limited Flexibility in Certain Applications
Some utility installations may require flexible conduit positioning due to unique site conditions. Bore spacers, while excellent for maintaining alignment, may restrict this flexibility, making adjustments more challenging in the field.
Compatibility Considerations
Not all bore spacers are suitable for every type of conduit material or installation method. Choosing the wrong type can lead to increased friction, difficulty in conduit insertion, or compatibility issues with surrounding materials.
Potential for Over-Specification
In some cases, using bore spacers may not be necessary, especially in installations where conduits are installed with protective casings or have minimal external stressors. Over-specification of spacers can lead to unnecessary costs without a proportional benefit.
Whether or not you’re using bore spacers, the best way to fully mitigate the risk of damaging existing underground utilities when installing new ones is to hire a professional utility locating and mapping company to provide you with complete, accurate infrastructure information prior to excavation.
GPRS offers 99.8% accurate utility locating services, utilizing ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electromagnetic (EM) locating to find everything from conduit and gas lines to underground storage tanks (USTs). And all this field-verified data is always at your fingertips thanks to SiteMap® (patent pending), our proprietary project & facility management application that provides accurate existing conditions documentation to protect your assets and people.
Eliminate mistakes caused by communications by having your vital infrastructure easily accessible, yet securely shareable 24/7, from any computer, tablet, or smartphone.
Click below to schedule your live, personal SiteMap® demo today!
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I get when I hire GPRS to conduct a utility locate?
Our SIM-certified Project Managers flag and paint their findings directly on the ground, which we’ve found to be the most accurate form of marking when excavation is expected to commence within a few days of service.
We also use a global positioning system (GPS) to collect data points of findings to generate a plan, KMZ file, satellite overlay, or CAD file to permanently preserve results for future use.
All this accurate, field-verified data is at your fingertips thanks to SiteMap® (patent pending), GPRS’ project & facility management application that provides accurate existing conditions documentation to protect your assets and people.
Every GPRS customer receives a complimentary SiteMap® Personal account with every utility locate.
Can GPRS locate PVC piping and non-conductive utilities?
Yes! Ground penetrating radar (GPR) scanning is exceptionally effective at locating all types of subsurface materials. There are times, however, when PVC pipes do not provide an adequate signal for GPR equipment and can’t be properly located by traditional methods. Fortunately, GPRS Project Managers are expertly trained at multiple methods of utility locating, including using electromagnetic (EM) locators to compensate for GPR’s limitations.
