BACKGROUND

Trenchless pipe replacement is useful for replacement of pipes or other buried conduits without the need to excavate the length of pipe to be replaced. An example of trenchless pipe replacement includes pulling a cutting blade with an expander through the pipe to be replaced, and attaching a new pipe behind the cutting blade. The pipe to be replaced is split, and pushed into the surrounding soil, and the new pipe, of equal or larger diameter, is pulled into the new space within the split pipe. Splitters are commonly used for small diameter pipes, and for pipes of a material that lends itself to splitting. Another example of trenchless pipe replacement includes pipe bursting.

Gas lines are one example of pipes where splitting is useful in pipe replacement. An example includes high density polyethylene (HDPE) gas pipe. For example, large quantities of 2 inch diameter HDPE gas pipes are currently in need of replacement. 300 miles of gas pipe in a single city in need of replacement is not uncommon. Given the desirability of minimizing trenches, it is also desirable to minimize the size of entry and exit pits for operating trenchless equipment. Cutting pipes in small entry and exit pits can be a challenge due to the small amount of available space to operate cutting tooling.

