C O L U M N

Rules of Keivan Rafie

Thumb Keivan is aislead

In the first of this two-part series, columnist Keivan Rafie covers microtunnelling

T
HE FIRST MINIATURE TBM was the cutterhead counterbalances ground MTBM will automatically lubricate the
developed by the Japanese, and a load, and the slurry counterbalances pipe to some extent.
few years later, one was groundwater pressure.
developed by the Germans. This Applications include a wide variety of
development led to the term Alignment control system: The ground conditions, and MTBMs are very
microtunnelling, which in its simplest alignment is controlled by placing several versatile. Some common applications
form, is the use of a remote-controlled, jacks around the articulated joint near the include crossings under active taxiways,
computer-assisted, miniature, earth cutterhead. Controlling these jacks allows runways, and interstate highways; driving
pressure or slurry pressure balance the head of the machine to be directed intake structures in lakes; or establishing
tunnelling machine. The latest machine and make course corrections so the initial support for larger-scale tunnels.
nomenclature is micro tunnel boring microtunnels can be driven at a precise More inventive applications include
machine (MTBM). MTBMs can be used to line and grade. On most MTBMs the underpinning buildings, placing pipes for
mine soil, mixed face, glacial deposits, cutterhead is also bidirectional, helping to ground freezing, installing monitoring
alluvial deposits, gravels, cobbles, maintain alignment. Line and grade are instrumentation under landfills, crossing
boulders, weak rock, and hard rock. often monitored by a laser system using a under wetlands, and installing an
In microtunnels, machine steering target located at the back of the machine. impermeable layer under a containment
jacks are controlled remotely from the For long drives or curves gyro based structure. Applications that require the
surface. The equipment and control surveying systems are used. most critical thinking in terms of MTBM
house for the remote-control equipment include deposits of gravels, cobbles and
are usually on ground level either directly Propulsion system: The objective of the boulders, and wood debris
over or adjacent to the jacking shaft. propulsion system is to push the MTBM
Microtunnelling can be carried out and pipe/lining (pipe string) behind it
from small shafts to meet specific and through the ground. This is accomplished
highly-restrictive site requirements, using a jacking system in the jacking Suggested reading
such as using only one-lane of a roadway. shaft (i.e., launch shaft). Jacking systems
For practical purposes, a jacking shaft of typically consist of number of jacks that An Engineer’s Lessons Learned from
a minimum 20ft to 24ft (6.1m to 7.3m) react against the back wall of the shaft. DSC Claims, 24th Annual
diameter and a reception shaft of 16ft to The wall of the pit must be designed to Microtunneling Short Course, University
18ft (4.8m to 5.4m) diameter are needed. withstand the forces generated by the of Colorado at Boulder, February 7-9, 2017
Though microtunnelling has been face-pressure resistance of the machine
completed using much smaller shafts. and skin friction along the pipe. When a An introduction to pipe jacking and
American Augers, Herrenknecht, Iseki, drive length exceeds approximately 400ft microtunnel design, The Pipe Jacking
Robbins, RASA and Akkerman are a few (122m), interjacking stations are often Association
of the manufacturers making or installed to overcome increasing pipe
furnishing MTBMs. weight and frictional forces. Means and Methods - In the Engineer’s
Domain?, Del Nero, D. Trenchless World
Excavation system: MTBMs are Pipe lubrication system: MTBMs are Magazine (2013)
designed with a cutterhead that is rotated designed to produce a hole with a
Pipe jacking and Microtunneling,
by a drive motor, and it can be configured diameter slightly larger than the trailing
Thomson, J. (1993)
as a peripheral drive or central drive pipe, which is known as overcut. Overcut
machine. Each configuration has its pros size is one of the more critical decisions Standard Design and Construction
and cons. The cutterhead is configured to make on a project. Overcut helps Guidelines for Microtunneling,
with face tools suitable for excavating the reduce the jacking forces along the pipe. ASCE (2015)
anticipated ground ahead. A lubricant can be injected into the
Once excavated, the material enters a annular space around the pipe to reduce Trenchless Technology for Installation
chamber behind the cutterhead and is the jacking forces and allow for longer of Cables and Pipelines, Stein, D. (2005)
mixed with water or some mixture of jacking lengths. Use of a slurry-type
water, bentonite, and polymer to achieve
a toothpaste like consistency. The soil
slurry mixture is then pumped through
slurry discharge lines where the mixture is Agree or disagree?
processed, and the “cleaned” slurry Let us know what your experience has taught you. Or let us know what topic should be
pumped back to the cutterhead through included in future Rules of Thumb columns. [email protected]
“charge” slurry lines. In theory, the face of

40 | April ~ May 2017 | www.tunnelsandtunnelling.com

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