Replacing underground pipe without excavation

Ever done "pipe Bursting"? Does it work on pipe that changes direction?

The pipe is horizontal out of the meter for 10 feet, turns up 60 degrees after passing under a sidewalk, after ten feet of hill it turns horizontal and runs 30 feet, turns 40 degrees right, then is horizontal for 30 feet. It is Polybutylene pipe, and the soil is very rocky clay.

Between the sidewalk, rocks and the hill, trenching is going to be a huge hassle. There is no access for a small excavator due to the hill. (unless it can pull itself up. But, not too many folks like sitting in a cab at a 60 degree angle.)

Since the bursting cable goes through the pipe, it should follow the old pipe's path to some extent, but as long as it does not snap, it WILL arrive at the end point pulling the new pipe with it.

Imagine this. . .

hj said:

Since the bursting cable goes through the pipe, it should follow the old pipe's path to some extent, but as long as it does not snap, it WILL arrive at the end point pulling the new pipe with it.

Click to expand...

The hydraulic pump is by the meter, the force on the cable will be against the top of the pipe under the sidewalk. It slices through the soft plastic pipe then up through the soft backfill soil in an attempt to straighten out. The cable at the top of the hill slices downward into the rocky un-excavated clay soil. The result, a shallow pipe, or worse a broken sidewalk.

Has anybody seen it done under these circumstances?