Utility Trenching NZ

Multi-utility corridors need a trench wide enough to accommodate each service plus the separation clearance required between them, on subdivision, urban and commercial sites where several utilities are installed in one pass rather than as separate jobs. Existing services nearby, hard-compacted fill and sealed surfaces are all common on utility trenching sites.

Excavator-mounted trenchers are common for utility work because the excavator is often already on site for other earthworks, and a 360° turntable lets it work close to boundaries and existing services that a fixed-direction machine can't reach. Stone-handling capability matters too — a unit that crushes or pulls larger stones out of the trench keeps the crew from having to hand-clear obstructions on hard urban ground.

Things Worth Considering

• Number and type of services sharing the corridor, and the separation clearance required between them
• Trench width needed to accommodate multiple conduits or pipes at once
• Ground hardness and existing hard surfaces — asphalt, concrete, compacted fill
• Carrier already available on site (excavator or skid steer) and its tonnage or hydraulic flow
• Reinstatement standard required on roads, driveways and berms

Utility Trenching is one of the applications TrenchWorks supports most often in the Civil Engineering sector. For the full range of applications and considerations for that industry, see the Civil Engineering industry guide, or read the complete Trenchers NZ guide for how this fits into choosing a trencher generally.