Microtunneling – trenchless method of laying pipelines
Microtunneling is a trenchless method of laying pipelines, under highways, roads, railroads, taxiways, runways, ports, rivers and other environmentally sensitive locations.
By definition, it is a remote-controlled, laser-guided method of laying pipelines that allows for continuous work with full soil stabilization. The determinant of microtunneling is the provision of full protection of the front of the bore disc, unlike other bezywkop methods where an open disc is introduced.
Microtunneling requires a starting chamber and a receiving chamber at two opposite ends of each borehole. The microtunnel machine is pushed into the ground by means of hydraulic cylinders mounted on a pushing station. After the machine and each successive pipeline member are pushed in, the cylinders are withdrawn to the initial position, the scrubber lines and control cables are uncoupled. The next pipeline member is then lowered into the vacant space at the pushing station and connected to the previously pushed-in member. The mud lines and control cables are hooked up and the drilling process takes place, which culminates in the installation of the next tunnel section in the ground. This process is repeated until the head exits at the receiving shaft, where the drilling head is picked up and all the mud and control infrastructure is pulled out of the pipeline.
The microtunnel system consists of a drill head using a rotary disk that cuts the soil, which then passes through a crushing chamber and, after grinding, enters a flushing circuit that transports the excavated material to a separator. The pressure mud chamber allows full stabilization of the face, by operating the appropriate parameters of mud flow and pressure. Further components of the system such as a control cabin, a pushing station with hydraulic cylinders, flow meters, a pipeline lubrification system and all monitoring equipment ensure full control over the course of the work and absolute accuracy of the parameters of the laid pipeline.
Safety for the environment
Microtunneling is the safest trenchless method for both the environment and the people working on the pipelines. An important safety factor is that the number of people below ground level is minimized during drilling.
Due to optimized parameters and a fully closed production cycle, environmentally microtunneling is the safest method of underground infrastructure construction.