While sandbags are the traditional solution to keep water from running down trenches, they pose a number of potential problems. If the trench is too narrow, you’ll have to spend the time and money to widen it. You’ll also have to acquire a larger crew and factor in the time it takes to fill up the sandbags, transport them, and haul them over to the trench. Instead of using the old-fashioned sandbag method, you should try a modern and more advanced trench breaker solution. 

Baird Foundation Repair has an easier and more efficient solution for trench breaker applications. By utilizing the latest spray foam insulation, trench breakers are ready in a fraction of the time that a larger crew would require to build with sandbags. The cured Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) support is inert, environmentally safe, and immune to moisture damage. 

Keep reading to find out why SPF is an amazing material with applications across numerous industries, including oil and gas pipeline installation. 

Why Trench Breakers Are Needed for Pipelines

Trench breakers are primarily used in the pipeline industry to control erosion. Pipelines are often laid at an incline that can cause erosion of the land and compromise the integrity of the actual pipes. Our SPF foam trench breakers offer many advantages that dominate the outdated sandbag approach. 

Using a spray foam insulation keeps the ditch lines and hill slides in place. Efficient trench breakers form a complete seal and divert water that collects in a way that sandbags never will. Trench breakers do not rot or break down when buried under soil, and they are less labor intensive than sandbags, which in turn reduce the cost of upkeep and maintenance over the years. 

Old vs. New Options for an Efficient Trench Breaker

In the past, traditional sandbags were used as a dam, providing a temporary “bed” or “pillow” for the pipeline itself. Sandbags were used to prevent water from running down the trench, however, sandbags are becoming less popular due to multiple reasons, including causing significant damage to pipelines. They tend to scrape and scratch the pipelines, causing abrasions and potentially compromising the structural integrity of the pipeline. 

Today, there is a better alternative for trench breakers. More and more pipeline construction workers are instead turning to spray polyurethane foam (SPF) insulation to ensure pipeline safety. Trench breaker foam is more efficient and is usually applied down hills, terraces, or other terrain where water problems frequently occur.

Benefits of an SPF Foam Insulation 

Transitioning to SPF foam insulation has never been an easier choice. Foam breakers provide more safety, save time, money and are environmentally friendly. 

If that’s not enough to convince you to switch to foam, here are some other benefits: 

• SPF Foam will not break down over time. A bonus: the foam expands, hardens and cures within minutes of installation. 
• No need for breaker installation to widen the trench. 
• Trench breakers are applied in less time than sandbags. 
• Trench breaker foam is a better value. You’ll no longer have to round up bags, find sand, fill the bags, transport the sandbags, or place them in the trench. 
• SPF foam bonds to the trench in a way that the breaker will never shift. 
• The texture of the foam is gentler, and there is no danger of the breaker causing damage to the pipeline. 

Baird Foundation Repair is proud to serve the San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Houston, Austin, and surrounding areas in Texas. If you’re tired of sandbags causing your business more harm than good, contact us today to get started on your transition to SPF.