Keeping pace with rapidly advancing technology can be a challenge. But as Andrew Wyderka of Heiden Plumbing Co. Inc., can attest, there’s a payoff: New tools can help contractors win jobs by offering customers better, more cost-effective alternatives to conventional techniques and solutions.

For Heiden, that tool is a HammerHead PortaBurst lateral pipe bursting system. Manufactured by Earth Tool Co. LLC, the machine can replace 2- to 6-inch failed laterals without expensive and disruptive open-cut excavating. The system employs a burst head that breaks apart broken lateral lines; at the same time, it pulls into place behind it a new, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe.

“My father bought the unit in the late 1990s,” says Wyderka, the vice president of the Milwaukee-based company. Established in 1925, Heiden does drain cleaning, general plumbing and lateral repairs, among other services. “We were the first one in the state to own one. It’s a great option in our bag of tools.

“We always like to set ourselves ahead of the game in terms of new technology because it provides more options for customers,” he continues. “It sets us apart from competitors if we can supply another option that is faster and more cost-effective – and that’s less destructive, too.

“On an average residential application, you probably save about 20 percent compared to the cost of conventional excavation techniques,” he concludes.

A good portion of that savings stems from reduced labor costs and increased productivity. A conventional open-cut lateral replacement might require up to four workers and take five or six days to complete, while pipe bursting typically requires only three employees and takes about three days, Wyderka says.

Pipe bursting isn’t always the best option, he notes. Sometimes, excavating and replacing a failed lateral is more cost-effective, depending on various factors. But in many cases – especially in high-density commercial areas with many underground utility lines in the way or residential lots with new landscaping in play – pipe bursting quickly becomes a more attractive option, he says.

“The PortaBurst improves our productivity by about 20 percent from start to finish on jobs,” Wyderka points out. “Over the course of a year, it all adds up. If I can do, say, 10 more jobs a year, that’s 10 more than we otherwise would have completed.”

The easily transportable PortaBurst replaces failed laterals with a solid, butt-fused HDPE pipeline that can be the same size or larger than the failed pipeline. It exerts 30 tons of pulling force, and can operate at production rates of up to three feet per minute.

Thanks to a small footprint, the unit does not require a large excavation, which also saves time. It operates at low pressure, and runs on either a dedicated hydraulic power pack or a third-party supply (a backhoe or mini excavator, for example) that can produce 3,000 psi and a minimum flow of 13 gpm.

Wyderka says the PortaBurst also boosts employee health and safety. Working in an open excavation always increases the risk of injury and takes its toll on workers through bodily wear and tear.

“The PortaBurst allows us to work safer and smarter,” Wyderka says. “I can’t put a price tag on it, but anyone on a job site would see that trenching in mud all day long is more dangerous than a technique where you hop in a small hole that’s completely protected by a 4- by 4-foot-square aluminum shaft.”

Overall, Wyderka says the PortaBurst unit is a valuable company asset. In terms of return on investment, he says it took only 10 jobs to recoup the unit’s $25,000 cost.

“There’s definitely a payoff,” he notes. “But you have to educate yourself about a good product and look for opportunities where that product can help you. We’re always willing to take an educated risk. As my father always says, ‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained.’ We’re constantly trying to stay ahead.”