SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Petra, the first company capable of undergrounding critical utility infrastructure in all geologies - from difficult hard rock to flowing sands - announced the launch its new Petra Platform™ designed to meet the needs of diverse projects and adapt to changing geologies with a single machine. The innovative Petra Platform™, the first hybrid-powered trenchless multi-tool on the market, is a game-changer in the trenchless industry that saves time, reduces costs, and minimizes carbon footprint.
Four years ago, Petra embarked on a mission to develop a trenchless tunneling technology capable of boring through the hardest and most abrasive rocks. Our goal was to de-risk underground projects and carve new utility tunnels through bedrock beneath existing infrastructure. For instance, a Seattle utility tunneling project faced a 4 ft. deep hard rock boulder that cost $15M and 3.5 months to resolve. Our technology can bore through this type of rock in a fraction of the time (for example, we bore a 30-inch diameter tunnel 14 feet through hard abrasive granite in 4 hours).
This ability to bore through challenging geologies like hard rock enables us to expand our offerings in underground utility projects and makes undergrounding critical infrastructure in all communities more economical. However, hard rock isn't the only difficult geology. After spending years in R&D, we announced our rock-boring trenchless method in December 2021. Construction companies around the world quickly came out of the woodwork to share their "nightmare" experiences of unexpected geologies derailing their projects.
Construction companies encounter a variety of geologies, with hard rock being among the most challenging and expensive to bore through but certainly not the only geology that creates problems. Other geologies that bedevil underground utility line construction efforts include silty sands, waterlogged sand/soil, hard compact clay (caliche), cohesive clay, soils littered with cobblestones and boulders, “bay mud”, and tar. Current trenchless tools lack flexibility, causing problems when unanticipated geologies, especially these difficult ground conditions mentioned above, are encountered.
In early 2022, we decided to develop a method to bore through not only hard rock, but also other geologies. We recognized that the trenchless industry primarily produced narrow-purpose tools, which were often defined by their thrust force and torque capacities. These tools were tailored to specific use cases and lacked the flexibility to adapt to varying project requirements and could not excavate all geologies, especially difficult ones. There were no tools on the market that could offer variable thrust force, accommodate different diameters, and operate as hybrid-powered systems utilizing multiple energy sources.
This is a multi-billion dollar problem. Unanticipated geologies are the biggest risk in underground utility construction. When construction teams encounter geologies they didn’t anticipate, their machines often have to be rescued. Many times you can’t even access their machines underground and they just get left in the ground. Encountering unexpected geologies can lead to hundreds of millions of dollars in cost overruns on underground utility jobs.
We set out to remove the risk associated with encountering unexpected geologies. Instead of adding another “one-trick pony” to the market, we focused on creating an all-geology trenchless method, culminating in the Petra Platform™, our first commercial product. Petra's modular and flexible multi-tool derisks these projects, combining the capabilities of multiple conventional trenchless machines into one single platform. We swap in the appropriate module based on the geology and use case.
By incorporating variable thrust force capabilities, the ability to work with a range of diameters, and a hybrid power system that can draw from multiple energy sources, the Petra Platform™ stands out as a comprehensive and versatile solution in the trenchless industry. This innovative approach not only addresses the existing gaps in the market but also redefines the industry's expectations for what a trenchless tool can accomplish.
We've been testing a multi-tool system in LATAM for the past year, deploying earlier prototype versions of the Petra Platform™ on 28 crossing jobs and improving waterways in underserved communities.
This past week, we released our Petra Platform™, and tested it in upstate NY in waterlogged clay. Our very cold crew swapped between our assisted dynamic boring and our auger boring module. The platform features swappable modules for boring through all geologies at various diameters and is hybrid powered. Its modular design allows us to address 100% of the trenchless market and expand into new routes through previously impenetrable geologies, creating a new service category.
The Petra Platform™ boasts several firsts:
- The first green multitool powered by electricity, reducing its carbon footprint.
- The first tool with swappable boring modules, taking only 15 minutes to swap.
- The first trenchless tool with a non-contact jet bore module for excavating the hardest rocks at a fraction of the cost.
- The first flexible trenchless tool that adjusts thrust force and installs pipes at various diameters.
- The first trenchless multitool for new pipeline installation and rehabilitation.
The Petra Platform is equipped with six innovative modules to address a variety of challenges:
- Piloting Module: This module creates a center line to ensure accurate installation of pipeline (millimeter precision can be achieved). It provides precise guidance for the drilling process, minimizing deviations and reducing potential issues related to misalignment.
- Auger Boring/Guided Boring Module: Designed for regular ground conditions, the auger boring module efficiently excavates soil and transports the spoils back to the surface. This module is ideal for projects involving softer earth and various soil types. The auger boring module can be combined with the piloting module for Guided Boring capability.
- Assisted Dynamic Boring™ Module: A proprietary invention by Petra, the Assisted Dynamic Boring™ module expands upon traditional pipe jacking and pipe ramming capabilities. This module utilizes hydraulic jacks to compress the casing before pipe ramming it into the ground, resulting in much more effective energy transfer through the drill string. Once the casing is fully installed, the auger boring module then removes the displaced material. This module is suitable for complex ground conditions like hard-as-rock caliche, cobbles, boulders, flowing sands, water-logged, and unstable ground. In addition to directional boring, this mode is also suitable for conductor barrel applications.
- Pilot Pullback Boring Module: This module creates a small pilot hole by which a pilot tubes are installed. Once pilot tubes reach the exit shaft, a pulling device (such as a winch) is attached, and used to slowly retract an expander containing high pressure water nozzles. The direction of the installation is reversed. The expander enlarges the tunnel at the same time as it pulls in place the final service pipeline (such as HDPE product pipe). This is a very efficient, low cost method of installing small diameter pipelines.
- Static Pipe Bursting / Rehabilitation Module: Ideal for pipeline rehabilitation, this module uses a powerful bursting head to break apart the existing pipe while simultaneously pulling a new pipe into its place. This technique minimizes excavation and streamlines the process of upgrading aging infrastructure.
- Jet Boring™ Module: Another proprietary innovation by Petra, the Jet Boring™ system uses a non-contact cutterhead to excavate rock without coming into contact with it. This innovative approach reduces wear and tear on the equipment while allowing for efficient excavation of even the hardest, most abrasive, intact rock. This innovation is the first of its kind in the industry and is the only method that can economically bore small diameter pipelines through hard rock.
By incorporating these six modules, Petra's versatile platform meets the needs of diverse projects and adapts to changing geologies with a single machine, making it a game-changer in the trenchless industry. This innovation saves time and reduces costs.
Petra's mission is to simplify the undergrounding of critical infrastructure by boring through all geologies. As the first company to develop an all-geology trenchless method, we aim to lead the industry and provide a groundbreaking solution that will positively impact lives and communities. Stay connected with us and follow our progress as we roll out this revolutionary technology across the United States, transforming the landscape of underground construction.
To get in touch and learn more about the Petra Platform, reach out to us at sales@petra.cc
