Tecnologie open-cut vs trenchless: analisi socio-economica, ambientale e di sicurezza in ambito urbano

Trenchless (no-dig) technologies represent an increasingly strategic alternative to traditional open-cut methods for the replacement and rehabilitation of sewer and water supply networks in urban areas. Although conventional excavation is still widely used along existing urban routes, it involves high construction complexity, significant indirect costs, and considerable environmental impacts. The adoption of open-cut techniques presents design challenges related to installation depth, pavement stratigraphy, and subsurface geological conditions. No-dig solutions — including HDD (Horizontal Directional Drilling), microtunneling, pipe ramming, and pipe bursting — help reduce these critical issues by limiting interference with traffic and the surrounding urban environment. Selecting the most appropriate technology requires balancing environmental and social sustainability, with the aim of minimizing noise, dust, CO₂ emissions, and disruption to the community. The article highlights how the adoption of trenchless technologies generates significant economic and environmental benefits, including the reduction of mobility-related social costs, which can amount to millions of euros annually as well as improvements in safety and urban economic vitality.