Trenchless Pipe Rehabilitation Market Size, Share, Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2023-2028

Market Insights

The Trenchless Pipe Rehabilitation Market is projected to grow at a promising CAGR of 4.9% over the next five years to reach an estimated value of US$ 7.2 billion in 2028.

What is Trenchless Pipe Rehabilitation?

Trenchless pipe rehabilitation refers to a set of techniques used to repair or replace damaged or deteriorated underground pipes without the need for extensive excavation or trenching. The techniques involve the use of specialized equipment to access the damaged pipe from above ground or through existing access points, and then repair or replace the pipe by inserting new materials, coatings, or liners.

Market Dynamics

Trenchless pipe rehabilitation technologies are now catching the world’s attention because of their phenomenal performance and exceptional benefits. These techniques offer repair, renewal, or replacement of existing underground pipelines with minimal or no excavation. The key aspects of these technologies are that the rehabilitation of pipes is now becoming easier, cleaner, faster, and cheaper. In addition to that, these technologies avoid traffic jams and provide a delicate pipe relining without any foul smell. The equipment and liner materials used in these technologies have to be compliant with the certification and standards of NSF/ANSI 61, which has various norms related to the material used for the lining of water main pipelines to prevent contamination of potable drinking water.

The market is mainly driven by the increase in spending of government and municipal corporations of various countries towards infrastructure rehabilitation. Furthermore, increasing awareness towards trenchless (no-dig) technologies in many nations, especially emerging economies, catalyzes market growth.

Aging water main and wastewater pipelines in the major markets, such as the USA, Germany, and Canada, coupled with the increased traction towards trenchless pipe rehabilitation technologies are paving the way for an astounding growth of the market across regions. For instance, there were around more than two million miles of water main pipes installed alone in the USA and most of them were laid in the mid of the 20th Century. As per American Water Works Association, it has been estimated that >US$ 1 trillion of investment is required over the next 25 years to repair the degrading water services as well as to ensure their usefulness to serve the growing population of the nation. As the 26th annual municipal sewer/water infrastructure report card, the projected annual spending plans for pipe rehabilitation in the USA have reached US$ 10.3 billion for 2022 and are likely to reach US$ 11.3 billion in 2023. Similar trends were also observed in other major countries of the market such as Germany and Canada.

By Application Type

The market is segmented into water main pipes, wastewater pipes, and others. All three applications are estimated to witness promising growth in years to come; however, wastewater pipes are likely to remain dominant till 2025, and from 2026 onwards, water main pipes are likely to take over the leading position and then they are likely to remain dominant till 2028. Trenched pipe repair usually takes twice the time as trenchless pipe rehabilitation, increasing costs considerably. Furthermore, trenched pipe repair requires digging up the whole yard, which could destroy the landscaping and any other permanent structures present in the yard. To avoid that cost and disturbance, a wide range of trenchless pipe rehabilitation methods are available in the market. CIPP is the most preferable method used for the rehabilitation of wastewater pipes.

By Method Type

The market is segmented as CIPP, Pipe Bursting, Slip-lining, SIPP, and Others. CIPP is projected to remain the most dominant method during the forecast period, whereas pipe bursting is to remain the fastest-growing method during the same period. The high penetration of the CIPP technology is mainly due to its excellent performance over competing technologies along with its applicability in a wide range of pipe diameters. The installation time of the CIPP liner is five times faster than full pipe replacement.

Regional Analysis

North America is projected to remain the largest market for trenchless pipe rehabilitation during the forecast period. Most of the pipelines installed in the region have passed their retirement age or are approaching it; hence, there is a need for rehabilitation. Rehabilitation of infrastructure gives an extended life of around 30-50 years to the pipe. The USA is the growth engine of the North American market. The USA is not only the largest market for trenchless pipe rehabilitation in North America but also in the world. The country is also among the early mover in trenchless pipe rehabilitation through material adoption and technology.

Asia-Pacific is expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period primarily driven by Japan, China, and Australia. Aging pipeline infrastructure in key economies of the region is driving the demand for trenchless pipe rehabilitation. Incessantly increasing the infrastructure budget with the purpose to decrease water loss and improve water quality, and continuous shift towards trenchless technologies, are the major demand boosters of the Asia-Pacific’s trenchless pipe rehabilitation market.

Key Players

The market is highly populated with the presence of several local, regional, and global players. A huge change in market dynamics across regions, change in competitive landscapes from one trenchless pipe rehabilitation technology to another, and dominance of different players in different regions, are some of the factors resulting in high market fragmentation. However, over the years, the market has been gradually consolidating with major players acquiring smaller/local players. The following are the key players in the trenchless pipe rehabilitation market.

• Aegion Corporation
• PURIS Corporation
• Per Aarsleff A/S
• SAK Construction, LLC
• Reline UV Group
• SAERTEX Multicom® GmbH
• IMPREG Group
• Ashimori Industry Co, Ltd
• Michels Corporation
• Spinello Companies

Recent Market Acquisitions

Recent trends in the trenchless pipe rehabilitation market are the adoption of the predictive data model for identifying deteriorated pipes for rehabilitation, a paradigm shift towards trenchless techniques, and municipalities adopting asset management programs for civil infrastructure, which are driving companies to adapt to the changing industry dynamics. Below are some of the M&As:

• In 2020, Inland Pipe Rehabilitation acquired Murphy Pipeline Contractors, a leading company in providing unique trenchless solutions for the municipal potable water and wastewater markets
• In 2021, New Mountain Capital, a private equity firm entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Aegion Corporation at US$ 30 per share in cash
• In 2022, Aegion Corporation acquired En-Tech Corporation’s CIPP lining division, a leading provider of pipe maintenance and rehabilitation solutions across the Northeast since 1983
• Trelleborg industrial solutions acquired a German-based sewer and drainage pipe rehabilitation market leader, Innovative Sewer Technologies in 2022
• In 2022, Inland Pipe Rehabilitation (IPR) completes the acquisition of Granite’s Inliner business, a leading company in heat and UV-cured CIPP linings
• Recently, in 2023; Granite’s Inliner, Murphy Pipeline Contractors, and Inland Pipe Rehabilitation merged together to form one business entity, PURIS Corporation.