Trenching through Metro Vancouver’s established urban corridors often reveals unexpected subterranean challenges. On William Street, an active excavation for utility installation ran directly into a dense seam of embedded rock. With neighboring residential foundations, active underground utility mains, and paved roadways just inches away, high-vibration hammering or traditional blasting were strictly out of the question.
The Rockbusters team was brought on-site to execute a controlled, low-vibration rock-splitting operation to keep the utility installation moving safely.
Project Breakdown
- Location: William Street, Metro Vancouver, BC
- Scope: Controlled bedrock and boulder removal within an active utility trench
- Timeline: Completed in 2 days
- Crew: 2-man crew
- Equipment & Technique: Pneumatic rock drills, high-force pneumatic splitters, and expansive demolition grout
The Challenge & Solution
Deep, narrow trenches leave little room for heavy equipment, and excessive ground vibration can destabilize trench walls or compromise nearby infrastructure.
To overcome these tight-access constraints, our 2-man team deployed a dual non-explosive breaking system:
- Precision Trench Drilling: Utilizing compact pneumatic rock drills, our crew pattern-drilled targeted expansion holes deep into the rock face directly inside the trench.
- Pneumatic Splitting & Expansive Grout: For immediate stress relief, pneumatic rock splitters were used to instantly open initial fracture lines. Expansive grout was then applied in stubborn sections to silently break down the remaining high-density rock overnight without seismic shock.
- Clean Extraction: The shattered rock was systematically reduced into easily manageable pieces and hoisted out, leaving a clean, straight utility path.
In just 48 hours, the obstruction was completely cleared with zero disruption to the surrounding neighborhood or existing utilities.
Hitting rock in your trenching or civil excavation project?