To minimize disruption, the public works department wrote a 13-page “Horizontal Directional Drilling Guidelines Handbook” that specifies permitting, design, construction, stormwater pollution prevention, and drilling fluid requirements for contractors working for private utilities in the public right of way. Morehead then taught employees from other departments how to inspect construction sites, and began shutting down uncooperative contractors.

“They got with the program real quick after that,” Morehead says.

Require the project designer to conduct a geotechnical analysis. Soil conditions influence what construction method to use—pipe ramming, for example, works better for loose or unstable soil, such as sand, than in dense material like clay—and bid prices.

Most contract claims on trenchless installations arise from “changed ground conditions.” Owners can minimize potential liability by involving contractors as early as possible in geotechnical investigations.

The extent of the investigation depends on the project-delivery method, says Naresh Koirala, senior technical engineer with Golder Associates in Burnaby, British Columbia, a geotechnical and environmental consulting firm that works worldwide.

For conventional design-bid-build projects, the investigation should be carried out in phases: a preliminary investigation to determine what trenchless construction method would work best given the soil conditions and a more detailed investigation later during design.

With a design-build contract, the owner or its geotechnical adviser conducts only the preliminary investigation because the contractor is responsible for the more detailed investigation. Specialized Services Co., whose clients include Phoenix and Scottsdale, has been retained under design-build and contract-manager-at-risk contracts, not under design-bid-build.

With a “no product /no-pay contract,” the owner doesn't pay if the job isn't installed properly. Of course, owners pay handsomely for offloading all potential liability onto the contractor.

Write a competitive request for proposals. This is easier than you may think, says Jesse Van DeCreek, PE, an associate with underground consulting firm Hubbell, Roth & Clark Inc. in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Simply prepare a bid document with all the elements—such as excavation, traffic control, and restoration—of traditional cut-and-cover construction.

Then, assuming you've determined the appropriate trenchless method that will be used, prepare an alternative bid proposal in the same contract that includes all the elements of work unique to trenchless construction for the same length of pipe. In many cases, the per-foot cost to complete the work will be lower for the trenchless method.

For horizontal directional drilling projects, you can also require the contractor to submit a mud-mix design and drill plan that shows how the drill rig and bore path will be set up.

For pipe bursting, microtunneling, and in-situ lining, prequalify contractors or use a quality-based selection process to ensure all elements of the bid—not just price—are satisfactory. Low bid doesn't mean lowest project cost if the contractor isn't capable of the work.

While there's no zero-impact pipe installation method, trenchless construction methods are saving communities millions of dollars on pipe rehabilitation by minimizing disruption.

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• Read the article "Eenie, meenie, miney, or mo?" to learn about four rules of thumb for selecting the right application.