TECHNOLOGY
Trenchless repair no longer a pipe dream As communities urbanise across Australia, local governments are facing the pressure of maintaining thousands of kilometres of stormwater and wastewater pipes.
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raditional dig-and-replace methods are no longer viable for many councils looking to replace pipes, which can be decades old and in states of deterioration. They are disruptive, costly, and often socially unpopular due to their impact on traffic, businesses, and residents. In today’s environment, non-invasive trenchless technologies offer a smarter, more sustainable solution – minimising disruption, reducing costs, and extending the lifespan of critical assets. As community expectations rise and environmental regulations tighten, trenchless pipe repair is becoming a necessity for local government asset managers across Australia.
CERTIFIED TRENCHLESS SOLUTION TRAINING
Recognising this shift, global engineering solutions provider Trelleborg, together with Asset Training, has developed a
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certified training program to support councils and their contractors in deploying safe, compliant, and longlasting trenchless repairs. Offered in partnership with SECA, the DrainPacker Product Training Course equips professionals with the skills and knowledge to carry out point repairs on gravity sewer and stormwater pipes using certified no-dig techniques. “This training is designed to meet the very real infrastructure challenges that Australian councils are facing,” explained William Wong, Business Development Manager APAC at Trelleborg. “The DrainPacker system allows for fast, localised repairs with minimal surface disruption – ideal for use beneath roads, parks, heritage areas, and other sensitive locations.”
WHAT’S ON THE SYLLABUS
The training course is highly practical and directly aligned with the operational
realities faced by local government works teams and approved contractors. The course covers: • Understanding DrainPacker system components – including certified resins and fibreglass materials, and the importance of a complete system to achieve long term solutions • Damage assessment – identifying cracks, infiltration, corrosion and other common issues in gravity pipes that are suitable for repair using the DrainPacker system • Material calculation – ensuring correct resin volumes and thickness for structural integrity • Installation techniques – from pre-site, packer preparation, mixing resin, pot life, wetting out material, installation, curing and safe removal • Documentation and traceability – ensuring compliance with audit, warranty and reporting