GTA Trenchless Installation

As the prime contractor of the GTA Mainline project, Michels was responsible for managing the installation of 46.9km of NPS 36 & 42 pipeline throughout Canada’s most densely populated city. Because of the size, schedule and complexity of this project, its success depended on expertise and integration of trenchless technology – with a twist of unconventional methodology.

Seventy critical trenchless crossings were installed under protected watercourses, major highways, and urban streets. Methodologies utilized included: 16 HDDs; 3 Direct Pipe ®; 3 Horizontal Directional Bores; 5 Guided Pilot Bores; 3 Guided Pipe Rams; 7 Steerable Track Bores; and 33 Conventional Track Bores. Michels Canada responded flexibly to new challenges, drawing on broad trenchless expertise and internal resources to solve the numerous crossing challenges.

The project marked milestones in the industry, including the efficient utilization of many types of trenchless technology toward the same goal; the no-contact crossing of 520 buried utilities; 16 trenchless crossing installations operating simultaneously on the same job; and 840 workers focused on a single spread. In terms of Industry advancement, the GTA Mainline project brought the first employment of Direct Pipe ® in the province of Ontario and the first 36-inch Direct Pipe ® in Canada.