2011 Micro Supp Microtunneling Microtunneling Microtunneling

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Cover Story8 Huber, Turkopp Help Forge a Path to Success

To recognize the role of pipe development and technology, two microtunneling pipe pioneers are being recognized for their contributions. Rick Turko-pp of Hobas Pipe USA (on the right in the photo) and Gary Huber of Permalok will receive the Micro-tunneling Achievement Award at the annual Micro-tunneling Short Course in February 2012.

Features12 Microtunneling Short Course: Leading Edge Education

Entering its 19th year in 2012, the Microtunneling Short Course has established itself as the premier instructional venue for microtunneling worldwide, having al-ready trained more than 1,900 professionals.

14 Technical Article: Design ConsiderationsThe design process has four stages: planning, risk assessment, design and contract documents. Each stage must be carefully considered to ensure a suc-cessful microtunneling project.

18 Rasa Gains Foothold in North American MarketTokyo-based Rasa Industries, which has produced 1,000 microtunneling sys-tems worldwide, is the newest entrant into the growing North American market.

20 Microtunneling the Balch Consolidation Conduit The microtunneling project is one of the fi nal elements of Portland’s CSO pro-gram that will convey combined sewer and stormwater fl ows from northwest Portland to the Swan Island Pump Station.

22 Guided Boring in HoustonHouston-based contractor Boyer Inc. used the guided boring method to install 7,000 lf of 30-in. conduit for CenterPoint Energy.

24 Long Distance for Small-bore TBMMidwest Mole is using a 72-in. hard-rock TBM to excavate 9,430 ft of tunnel in seven runs as part of the Shayler Run Segment C Sewer Replacement Project near Cincinnati.

26 Pilot Tube Tunneling in New YorkCruz Contractors LLC successfully completes its fi rst pilot tube microtunneling project in Hawthorne, N.Y., using ICON Tunnel Systems.

Departments28 Job Log

A look at some of the re-cently completed and current microtunneling jobs in North America.

30 ProductsInnovative new products available in the market are showcased.

32 DirectoryA who’s who of microtunnel-ing manufacturers, suppliers and contractors.

Table of Contents

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CONTRACTING FIRMSA. � UtilityB. � DistributionC. � Road Boring/

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North American Microtunneling 2011 Industry Review

Continuous Improvement

S ince its introduction in the United States in 1984, mi-crotunneling has continued to gain acceptance as a trenchless installation method. The past few years have

seen a remarkable uptick in innovation as contractors and en-gineers have better understood the capabilities of the equip-ment, and perhaps as important, its limitations. The results have produced longer drives with greater successes.

Portland, Ore., has been a hot spot for microtunneling in re-cent years. In 2008, Kiewit-Bilfi nger Berger garnered Trenchless Technology Project of the Year honors with a record-breaking 3,055-ft drive of 84-in. RCP as part of the East Side CSO project for the City of Portland Bureau of Environ-mental Services. That drive set a new U.S. standard for drive length, exceeding the previous mark of 1,625 ft established in by E.E. Cruz on the Hylan Boulevard project that began in 1989.

Northwest Boring’s Portsmouth Force Main Segment 1 project involved a 1,903-ft drive – the second-longest completed in the United States (this project was profi led in the 2010 North American Mircotunneling supplement). What was remarkable about that project was the fact that it was completed at an average jacking force of 130 tons under 40 ft of cover and an outside diameter of 81.6 in. In addition, crews bored through dif-fi cult geology including sands, silts and gravels with a host of wooden piles, logs and fi ll materials that crossed the alignment. Despite the challenges, the job was completed safely, on time and on budget – effectively showcasing the benefi ts and capabilities of microtunneling when carefully planned and executed.

In this issue, we focus on the Balch Consolidation Conduit project completed by James F. Fowler Co. The project involved more than 8,000 ft of microtunnels, 6,900 ft of 84-in. and 1,115 ft of 54-in. The longest drive was 1,690 ft with the minimum being 1,100 ft. The longest drive marks the third-longest in the United States, with all three of those drives in Portland.

It is also interesting to note that the 2011 Trenchless Technology Project of the Year, which is featured in the October 2011 issue, was another microtunneling project – the East Boston Branch Sewer. (The Portsmouth Force Main Segment 1 project was an Honorable Mention.) The microtunneling on the East Boston job was completed by Cruz Contractors and involved more than 12,000 ft of microtunneling in a very urban area through diffi cult ground that included hard tills, soft clays and large areas of fi ll.

Microtunneling Achievement AwardsThe staff at Benjamin Media would like to congratulate the recipients of the Micotun-

neling Achievement Awards, who are presented in the cover story of this issue. Rick Turkopp of Hobas Pipe USA and Gary Huber of Permalok have played key roles in getting their products accepted and used, and in the process have helped lead the charge for the industry itself. These two individuals will receive the award at the 2012 Microtunneling Short Course, which is being held Feb. 7-10 at the Colorado School of Mines campus in Golden.

Regards,

Jim Rush, Editor

PublisherBernard P. Krzys

Associate PublisherRobert D. Krzys

EditorJames W. Rush

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Contributing Staff EditorsKeith Gribbins • Pam KleinekeBradley Kramer • Kelly Pickerel

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Dr. Tom Iseley, P.E.Professor/Director at CEMT at IUPUI

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Dr. Samuel Ariaratnam P.E.Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona

Dr. David Bennett, P.E.Bennett Trenchless Engineers, Folson, California

Steven R. Kramer, P.E.Arcadis US Inc, Washington, D.C.

Joseph Loiacono, ing.Sanexen, Montreal, Quebec

Ronald T. Thompson, P.E.Malcolm Pirnie Inc., Jackson, Mississippi

Irene McSweeney, P.E.Boston Water and Sewer Commission

Boston, Massachusetts

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O ftentimes technological advances in the fi eld of microtunneling are associated with equip-ment — microtunnel boring machines, cut-ters, guidance systems, slurry cleaning sys-

tems, etc. Yet one of the most critical links in the chain is sometimes overlooked — the pipe.

Advances in pipe manufacturing and joints are instru-mental in helping make microtunneling projects success-ful. Pipes engineered specifi cally with microtunneling in

mind led to higher reliability, improved productivity and less cost.

To recognize the role of pipe development and technol-ogy, two microtunneling pipe pioneers are being recog-nized for their contributions. Rick Turkopp, Hobas Pipe USA, and Gary Huber, Permalok, will receive the Microtun-neling Achievement Award at the annual Microtunneling Short Course in February. The awards were established by course organizers Tim Coss, Microtunneling Inc., and


Huber, Turkopp Help Forge Huber, Turkopp Help Forge a Path to Successa Path to Success

Pipe Industry Veterans to Receive Mircotunneling Achievement Award

By Jim Rush

Gary Huber Rick Turkopp


Levent Ozdemir, Ozdemir Engineering, to recognize lead-ing individuals or companies who have made a lasting impact on the fi eld. Award winners will be offi cially rec-ognized at the Short Course banquet on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012, in Golden, Colo.

When microtunneling was fi rst introduced in the United States in 1984, contractors, engineers and own-ers had to live through the dreaded “learning curve.” One of the lessons learned was that conventional pipe for direct-bury projects was not ideally suited for mi-crotunneling projects. Improved geometries, joints and ability to withstand jacking forces were key properties for the pipe. And considering that microtunneling is a pipe jacking operation, one pipe failure can bring the whole tunneling process to a standstill.

Hobas Pipe USA and Permalok have been at the fore-front of the market by producing pipe specifi cally en-gineered for microtunneling, and Turkopp and Huber have played key roles in helping those products gain acceptance. Along with that acceptance and success, the microtunneling market has continued to offer own-ers with a method of installing pipe with minimal dis-ruption in urban or environmentally sensitive areas.

TurkoppRick Turkopp has been with Hobas Pipe USA from

the beginning as the European-based fiberglass pipe manufacturer was entering the North American mar-ket. An engineer by training who had previously worked in the fiberglass business, Turkopp was tasked with understanding the needs of the pipe from the in-stallation and end-use point of view, then engineering a product that would meet those needs.

The year was 1985, and microtunneling was still brand new in the United States. “Just as we were getting started, microtunneling was in its infancy in the Unit-ed States,” Turkopp said. “We were getting in on the ground fl oor, and we knew our pipes would be good for microtunneling so we pursued that opportunity.

“My role immediately was to understand our prod-uct: how people used it, what did they need from the products to be successful, how do we meet those needs relative to other products on the market. Im-mediately I noticed that microtunneling was a much more risky way to install pipe –much more complex and difficult. It solves certain problems and there was a need for it in the industry and the real key to its


Past Award WinnersMicrotunneling Achievement Award Winners

The Microtunneling Achievement Awards were established by Microtunneling Short Course organizers Tim Coss, Microtunneling Inc., and Levent Ozdemir, Ozdemir Engineering, to rec-ognize leading individuals or companies who have made a lasting impact on the field. The awards are formally presented at the annual Short Course held in Golden, Colo. This year’s winners – Gary Huber of Permalok and Rick Turkpp of Hobas Pipe USA – will be recognized at the Short Course banquet on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012.

Past recipients of the Microtunneling Achievement Award are:

Northwest Boring• Franco Coluccio, Frank Coluccio • Construction Co. Glenn Boyce, Jacobs• Dr. James Kwong, Yogi Kwong • EngineersStefan Trumpi-Althaus, Jack • Control Inc.Matt Roberts, Kiewit• Dennis Molvik, Northwest Boring•

Both Permalok and Hobas have figured prominently in the trenchless indus-try over the years. In fact, both companies have been cover stories for Trenchless Technology magazine. Permalok (shown with company founder Mike Argent) was profiled in April 1998, and Hobas (with Turkopp shown among the management team) was featured in February 2010.

success was reliability – the product had to work.”

Aside from the challenges associ-ated with engineering a pipe that would meet the needs of the in-staller and the owner, spreading the word and getting the pipe approved for use was another, according to Turkopp. “For a pipe to get used on a project, you must have approval of the agency where it is going to end up, you have to get the engineer to specify your product, and you have to get the contractor to buy it. If you fail on any one of those three fronts, you have no business.”

Getting the buy-in of the engineers was particularly challenging, Turko-pp said. “Engineers are trained in concrete and steel. They understand those products, but they don’t know much about fiberglass. So, you have to show them the benefits: the con-stant outside diameter that reduces drag, lightweight for decreased jack-ing loads, good hydraulics, and cor-rosion resistance. Additionally, our pipe is resilient, which helps pro-vide a uniform load on the joints when jacking.”

With the right product in hand, the company needed the right project to help showcase it. That came in the form of the Hylan Boulevard project on Staten Island. The project, which began in 1989, involved nearly 6,000 ft of 60-in. pipe installed by micro-tunneling, including jacking runs of 1,625, 1,450, 1,325 and 1,250 ft.

“That job was originally specifi ed as concrete pipe, but the contractor (E.E. Cruz) had just completed a proj-ect using concrete pipe that had some problems and issues, so he ended up choosing our pipe,” Turkopp said.

The project was a success. In fact, the 1,625-ft drive set a U.S. record that wasn’t surpassed until 2008. Then came the Greater Houston Wastewater Program, which would earn Houston the nickname “the Microtunneling Capital of the United States.” The work in Houston accounted for about half of all micortunneling completed in the United States through the mid-1990s.

“With those kinds of successes, microtunneling began to grow and grow,” Turkopp said.

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In addition to his work with Hobas, Turkopp has been active in ASTM, ASCE (including work on the ASCE Microtunneling Guidelines), AWWA and the Trenchless Technology Center Industry Advisory Board.

HuberHuber had spent many years working in the steel piping indus-

try when he was approached by Permalok to help start up the new company and its distribution process for its trenchless steel casing.


Permalok was formed in 1993 by Mike Argent as an alternative to welded steel pipe. Permalok features a joint that snaps into place when jacked, helping to increase the production rate of installation. With labor cost a significant portion of the overall job cost, the ability to maximize production is critical for mi-crotunneling contractors.

As with any new product, acceptance was slow. “People were skeptical when the product was first introduced, and it was a difficult process to get it used on projects,” Huber said. “The first thing we had to do was get the contractors to understand the benefits of the Permalok joint. They had to see it in the field and see the benefits of not having to weld the steel casing.”

But it didn’t stop there. Permalok still needed to gain acceptance in the engineering and owner com-munities as well. “The design engineers at the time had no idea what Permalok was,” Huber added. “Of course the first reaction was, ‘If it’s not welded, it can’t be as strong.’ It was an education and learning process. We had to go out and talk to the cities and the engineering companies, and go to the conferenc-es and seminars to demonstrate the product.”

Now that the product has been established in the marketplace, it is well accepted, Huber said. In fact, more than 1.2 million ft of Permalok pipe has been installed by microtunneling, and the company is sup-plying 18,000 ft of 81-in. pipe for an upcoming proj-ect in Hawaii. “We are getting specced left and right now,” Huber said. “The contractors, engineers and owners see the benefits of the pipe. More than 90 percent of the steel pipe used for microtunneling is Permalok.”

Through the years, technical advances, increased experience and a better understanding of the process have expanded the scope of microtunneling. Early projects started small, with drives in the range of 300 to 400 ft, Huber said. Now, drives of 1,000 ft are not uncommon. “Advanced technology is evolving daily in this market,” he said. “It is making microtunneling a better option with increased capabilities.”

Technological advances, however, do not take the place of proper planning. “It is important to do your homework before any job,” Huber said. “You have to make sure you understand the scope, and what will get you where you need to complete the project as designed. I see many contractors try to take short-cuts and end up costing them more time and money in the end.”

With the well-documented infrastructure needs in the United States, microtunneling is likely to play a key role for urban utility construction. “It is a fact that the infrastructure of this country needs to be updated,” Huber said. “Each day, new and better in-stallation ideas are developed by contractors along with input of the new designs of the machine manu-factures. The potential of this industry is unlimited.”

Jim Rush is editor of Trenchless Technology.




The Microtunneling Short Course has established it-self as the premier instructional venue for microtun-neling worldwide. Entering its 19th year in 2012,

the course has already trained more than 1,900 profes-sionals, ranging from contractors and engineers to owner agency representatives.

The Microtunneling Short Course was established at a time when microtunneling was still gaining ac-ceptance in the utility construction industry, and has helped grow the market through education and un-derstanding. It has continued to evolve along with the industry, offering high-level education on leading-edge technologies and topics.

The 2012 Microtunneling Short Course, which will be held Feb. 8-10 with a one-day Pilot Tube seminar on of-fered on Feb. 7, covers the latest in emerging technolo-gies from this growing fi eld. With more and more de-mand for underground services in urban areas, the need to use minimally invasive construction techniques like microtunneling will only increase.

The Microtunneling Short Course is a three-day, inten-sive course presented by a panel of international experts and organized by Prof. Levent Ozdemir of Ozdemir Engi-neering and Timothy Coss of Microtunneling Inc. It will be held at the Green Center on the campus of the Colo-rado School of Mines in Golden, 40 miles west of Denver International Airport.

The course covers all aspects of mictotunneling in-cluding site investigation, ground stabilization, shaft construction, pipe considerations, microtunneling and slurry equipment advances, case studies, and more. It is intended for public works and utility offi-cials, engineers, planners, managers, contractors, and equipment manufacturers involved in any phase of trenchless technology.

Another attraction of the Microtunneling Short Course is the presentation of the Microtunneling Achievement Award winners, which are bestowed on the companies or individuals who have made a lasting impact on the mi-crotunneling industry. This year the awards will be given to Rick Turkopp, Hobas Pipe USA, and Gary Huber, Per-malok (see story on p. 8).

If you are involved with microtunneling or are planning to be involved, the Microtunneling Short Course is a must-attend event to obtain the latest technical information to ensure a successful project. The course is presented in co-operation with Microtunneling Inc., Trenchless Technology magazine and the Colorado School of Mines’ Offi ce of Spe-cial Programs and Continuing Education. To register for the course visit: http://csmspace.com/events/microtunnel


Microtunneling Short Course: Leading Edge Education

In addition to classroom sessions, the Microtunneling Short Course offers participants the chance to network with peers

from across the country, and around the world.

2011 course presenters featured many of the leading contrac-tors in the field of microtunneling, including (from left) Don Bergman, Frank Coluccio Construction; John Fowler, James W. Fowler Co.; Levent Ozdemir, Ozdemir Engineering (course director); Richard Palmer, Northeast Remsco Construction; Tim Coss, Microtunneling Inc. (course director); Dennis Molvik, Northwest Boring; Mike DeBenedetto, Walter C. Smith Co.; Les Bradshaw, Bradshaw Construction; and Scott Thibert,

James W. Fowler Co.

(From left) Billy Nelson, Mission Clay, Tim Coss,Microtunneling Inc., and Troy Stokes, Akkerman Inc.,

pause for a photo during a lab tour.


Successful design of microtunneling projects can be achieved by paying attention to the following:

Developing, understanding and defi ning project 1. needs and requirements,Exploring and defi ning ground conditions,2. Superimposing the project “in the ground”, and3. Creating a project “environment” that will allow for 4. Contractor success.

The design process has four stages: planning, risk as-sessment, design and contract documents. Each stage is discussed in detail in the rest of this paper.

PlanningPlanning questions must begin with “Is this a microtunnel

project?” There are many excellent trenchless construction methods to consider in addition to microtunneling: auger boring, pipe jacking, guided auger boring, pipe ramming, guided pipe ramming, horizontal directional drilling and conventional tunneling. Depending on the project length, diameter, ground conditions, groundwater conditions, ac-cess restrictions, allowable pipe material, permits, available right of way and available shaft locations, microtunneling may not be the preferred construction method. In fact, of the alternative trenchless methods, microtunneling repre-

sents “the Cadillac” method: costly, but capable of success-fully excavating within tight alignment tolerances in cohe-sionless soils below groundwater.

If it is determined microtunneling is the best alternative, the question “Can a microtunnel boring machine (MTBM) handle the project requirements and anticipated ground conditions?” must be answered. Experienced tunnel engi-neers are needed to evaluate the drive length, tunnel/shaft depth, hydrostatic head, anticipated ground conditions, po-tential for obstructions and contractor access and laydown areas to determine if the project can be designed and built using microtunneling methods. Contingencies must be considered to handle hard obstructions, mixed face ground conditions, hard rock or refuse fi ll if they occur.

If it is determined that an MTBM can handle project conditions, the question “Can the Owner afford the proj-ect?” must be answered. Before the project design begins, a planning level cost estimate must answer this question. Project risks and the resultant “risk pricing” anticipated for contingencies, potential third-party impacts or proj-ect parameters must be evaluated. In addition to cost es-timates for shafts and microtunnel drives, the designer should consider the cost for contingencies including: de-watering, if needed, for shaft construction; and ground modifi cation (chemical grouting, compaction grouting


Technical Report:

Design Considerations for MicrotunnelingDesign Considerations for MicrotunnelingProper Planning Needed to Ensure Successful Construction

By Tracy J. Lyman

or ground freezing) for shaft and/or microtunneling. Additional costs to cover potential impacts to third par-ties such as buried utilities or structure foundations above the microtunnel; or simply neighbors who may be inconvenienced by the project, must also be considered.

If the answer from all of this planning is still “Yes, this is a microtunnel project,” then let the design phase begin!

Risk AssessmentAn effective Project Risk Assessment is a powerful tool

to identify, assess and develop design control strategies to minimize project risks. Performed early in the design pro-cess, the Risk Assessment can engage key project partici-pants and encourage open communication about project risk. Risk Assessment is well-explained in an excellent doc-ument entitled “A Code of Practice for Risk Management of Tunnel Works” published by the International Tunneling Insurance Group in 2006. The reader is referred to this document for a thorough description of the Risk Manage-ment process and a discussion of its advantages.

Basically, a Risk Management process will ask the follow-ing questions: “What is uncertain?;” “What can change?;” “What scenarios would keep you up at night with wor-ry?;” “What problems/mistakes have been encountered elsewhere?;” and “What’s unacceptable to the project?.” Using a rigorous methodology for identifying each risk,

the probability that it could occur on the project and communicating the severity of the outcome of the risk to the project, the project risks can be ranked in a table like that shown in Figure 1.

The high, very high and extreme risk factors resulting from this process can then be mitigated with design solutions and communicated effectively to all project stakeholders.

DesignDesign is a process that ultimately communicates the min-

imum acceptable project technical requirements and opti-mizes the opportunities for project success. Design is usual-ly iterative, comprising four phases each with an increasing level of specifi city – preliminary (30 percent), 60 percent, 90 percent and fi nal design. The key design elements include




defi ning the ground conditions through subsurface investi-gations, determining project layout and alignment, defi ning shaft locations and logistics, specifying acceptable materials/equipment and determining cost/schedule.

Defi ning Ground Conditions/Subsurface InvestigationGood defi nition of anticipated subsurface conditions is

key to contractor and project success. The project stake-holders, including the designer, are urged to:

Be thorough • — more subsurface information is usu-ally betterBe thoughtful • — small diameter borings are not always the best tool Engineers! Communicate your results in language • contractors can understandContractors! Ask questions and get help if you don’t • understand the representation of ground conditions in the contract documents

Layout and AlignmentA well conceived project layout and alignment, both

horizontally and vertically, will allow the contractor to make optimum use of the microtunneling equipment, match equipment to anticipated ground conditions, min-imize the required number and type of shafts and avoid buried utility interferences. “Shortcuts” should be taken if right-of-way permits and access will allow. Sometimes microtunnel design projects begin as “open cut” and the alignment follows existing streets or other rights of way. Microtunneling does not need to follow these traditional rights of way and signifi cant pipeline length can be elimi-nated if alternatives are explored. Shaft locations and re-sultant drive length must be determined.

Shaft locations and tunnel drive length should be deter-mined, fi rst and foremost, based on establishing consistent ground conditions for each tunnel drive whenever shaft site access, future manhole locations, service and other connec-tions and permitting restrictions will allow. Drive lengths are typically in the range of 300 to 1,500 ft and depend on ground conditions, pipe diameter, pipe type (its roughness/adhesion affects jacking performance), pipe annulus lubri-cation and use of intermediate jacking stations.

Because of the excellent grade control with microtun-neling, most microtunnel projects are for gravity pipe-lines. Most often the vertical alignment is fi xed by project hydraulic constraints. However, vertical alignment opti-mization should be considered during design including:

include as much slope in the pipeline as possible• avoid mixed face or “tough” ground conditions• identify and “solve” any utility interferences•

ShaftsShaft locations must also provide enough room for

contractor access and egress; manageable haul and de-livery routes; muck storage and removal; and work hour limitations. Final shaft design is usually left to the con-tractor, but should be nominally addressed in the design and specifi cations; e.g. use of entry/exit seals and bottom heave avoidance measures. The design should also pro-vide anticipated ground behavior and maximum standup time/unsupported shaft depth. The design might provide

anticipated lateral ground pressure and/or propose a “buildable” shaft design or menu of preferred options.

Pipe AlternativesThe project owner often provides input on acceptable

pipe types based on his preferences. Pipe selection is typically based on familiarity/favorable past experience, research results and product standards with documented loading/stresses within an allowable range for the proj-ect. There are currently several good jacking pipe alterna-tives available for microtunneling:

Vitrifi ed Clay Pipe (VCP)• Reinforced Concrete Pipe (RCP)• Steel Pipe• Fiberglass Reinforced Polymer Mortar (FRPM)• Polymer Concrete Pipe (PCP)•

All of the above pipe products meet the industry toler-ances for circumference, exterior roundness, end square-ness, straightness and length.

MTBM RequirementsUltimately, the fi nal choice of an MTBM is a critical con-

tractor project decision. However, the design should pro-vide minimum machine requirements: diameter, power and torque, cutting head confi guration, face stabilization capabili-ties and slurry system confi guration. The design documents should leave room for innovation by equipment manufactur-


ers and contractors, therefore the designer is encouraged to only document minimum machine requirements.

Slurry System Slurry system selection should be left to the contrac-

tor. Minimum slurry system performance requirements should be included in the design documents. The amount and character of fi nes (minus 200-sieve fraction) in the project soils should be provided to the contractors during project bidding to enable them to design the slurry sepa-ration system. Hydrometer tests are necessary to provide the detail required for slurry separation system design.

Settlement/Heave and Third-Party ImpactsThe potential settlement and heave from microtunnel-

ing should be estimated during design to enable a risk evaluation of potential impacts to third parties – owners of nearby buildings, utilities and roadway surfaces. Settle-ment can be calculated for soft ground microtunneling using standard predictive equations. These rely on esti-mates of ground losses at the face, shield and tail sections of the MTBM. Larger ground losses, potentially resulting in sinkhole formations or large settlements at the ground surface, often accompany mixed face conditions where a harder/stiffer soil occurs in the lower portion of the tun-nel face or where obstructions are encountered in the lower portion of the tunnel face.

Contract DocumentsContract documents, i.e. the business terms/plans/and

specifi cations, must clearly communicate expectations and minimum technical project requirements to prospec-tive bidders. Contract documents should include:

General conditions – the typical ‘boiler plate’ contrac-• tual/business termsSpecial conditions – any unique contractual/business • terms for this contract, such as any contractor prequal-ifi cation, differing site conditions (DSC) clause, and/or dispute resolution parametersTechnical provisions, such as plans and specifi cations• Subsurface information, typically in the form of geo-• technical data reports (GDR) and geotechnical base-line reports (GBR)Payment details and schedule •

Closing ThoughtsGood design is an extremely effi cient form of commu-

nication. Each element of project design results from con-scious deliberation and optimization to produce project success. It answers the questions:

Is it a microtunnel project?• What are the project requirements?• What are the ground conditions?• How will the ground behave in response to micro-• tunneling?What are the risks of that behavior and are they accept-• able to the owner?What can be done to reduce the project risks to ac-• ceptable levels for the owner?What can be done to provide a project plan that maxi-• mizes the contractor’s opportunity to succeed?

What can be done to deliver an acceptable project to • the owner at a fair price?

The design process requires planning and communication between the owner, engineer and any potentially affected third parties. Good design requires an understanding of what the project is “up against,” and clearly delineates the mini-mum technical requirements needed to achieve project suc-cess. Good design doesn’t ignore risk, but rather plans for po-tential problems and seeks to minimize the potential adverse impacts of those problems on the construction process.

In summary, successful design comes down to:Keep it simple• Don’t skimp on subsurface information• Plan carefully for risk mitigation and project (and • contractor) successCommunicate clearly•

Tracy Lyman, P.G., P.E., is a Senior Consultant with Brierley Associates LLC. He has over 35 years of experience in geo-logical and geotechnical engineering specializing in rock and soil engineering and hydrogeology. He has applied this expertise to a variety of tunneling, water and wastewater infrastructure, trenchless technology, highway and bridge, mass transit, water development, hydroelectric, power, min-ing, and industrial waste management and remediation projects throughout the United States and abroad.




Rasa Industries, based in Tokyo, Japan, is the new-est entrant into the growing North American mi-crotunneling market. The company got its start in microtunneling in about 1980 and has since

produced 1,000 microtunneling systems. Microtunnel-ing is part of the company’s Machinery Division. It also has a Chemicals Division and an Electronic Materials Di-vision. Rasa’s company goal is to “produce many kinds of industrial products that helps create a comfortable living environment for people everywhere.”

Rasa was founded in 1907 when the company’s founder discovered phosphate on an uninhibited re-mote island called Rasa, which is located southeast of Okinawa. The company thus took its name from that island where phosphate ore was mined as a key ingre-dient of fertilizer. Rasa is a publicly traded company on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. It has revenue of over $400 million.

Rasa’s microtunneling and pipejacking systems have developed an excellent track record around the world with a focus on Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and China. Thus, the company’s expansion into North America brings with it extensive experience.

In meeting with Tadao Ando, Overseas Section of Rasa Industries, and Noboru Kiyota, Construction Machinery Division of Rasa Corporation, recently in Tokyo, they discussed that most Asian microtunneling projects in-clude curved drives. In fact, they discussed that outside


Rasa Tunneling Gains Foothold in North American Market

By Bernie Krzys

Rasa microtunneling systems have been used on projects in Hawaii (above) and Alabama (below).

of North America probably 90 percent of the microtun-neling projects include a curved drive. Recent diffi cult projects have included long curved drives in Hong Kong and Korea in diffi cult ground conditions. Besides North America, Rasa is entering markets in Qatar and India.

Pipe diameters typically installed by Rasa machines have been in the range of 40 to 104 in. in diameter. Pipe typically installed in Japan is concrete with some clay. A unique feature of Rasa microtunneling system is the To-kyo Keiki Gyro Guidance System (Compass Mode). This innovative system provides real time data with a laser guides system.The Tokyo Keiki system includes an alarm and continues to operate the microtunneling system should it go off target.

The fi rst two Rasa microtunneling systems brought into North America were acquired by Bradshaw Con-struction, based in Eldersburg, Md., and Frank Coluc-cio Construction Co. of Seattle. Both companies have a long history in tunneling and underground construc-tion projects.

Bradshaw has used its Rasa system on projects in Ala-bama, Indianapolis and Florida. The system is a Unicorn 1900. Bradshaw purchased a system that was custom built for a project in Alabama that had requirements regard-ing allowable overcut. Due to the varying size of pipes to be installed — 78 and 96 in. — a custom-built 82.87-in. MTBM allowed the contractor to skin up the machine and use the same equipment for both tunnel runs.

“We looked around the world for any manufacturer we could fi nd, and Rasa committed to building the size we needed within the timeframe we needed it,” Bradshaw Construction microtunneling manager Grahame Turn-bull said.

The Rasa Unicorn 1900 slurry machine features an electrically driven cutterhead with face access to change the cutters. The base machine had a diameter of 2,105 mm (82.87 in.) with a factory-built skin set and cutter-head that enlarged the diameter to 2,470 mm (97.25 in.). The machine provides 340,000 Newton meters of torque. The main jacks provided 1,000 metric tons of maximum thrust, upgradeable to 1,500 metric tons.

The project consisted of four microtunnel drives and eight shafts – four launch shats 24 ft in diameter and four receiving shafts 16 ft in diameter. The drives ranged from 114 to 213 ft under railroad tracks and busy roadways with shallow cover, in some cases as little as 4 ft.

Frank Coluccio Construction Co. has its 82-in. Rasa MTBM currently on the Beachwalk Force Main project in Hawaii for the City and County of Honolulu. The $37 mil-lion project involves the installation of 5,800 lf of 72-in. pipe to replace temporary pipelines that were installed after a massive pipeline break in 2006. Four of the fi ve drives have been completed using Hobas pipe, with the fi nal drive being a 1,240-ft curved drive that will use Mey-er Polycrete pipe.

Because of the need to cross under the canal (twice) with no allowances for rescue shafts, the machine was built with access to the face and the ability to employ compressed air to maintain pressure. When complete, the project will allow removal of the temporary piping

and provide a redundant means of transporting wastewa-ter out of Waikiki.

Microtunneling in North America continues to gain traction and now Rasa provides another equipment solu-tion and guidance system for contractors to choose.

Bernie Krzys is publisher of Trenchless Technology.



Trenchless Technology publisher Bernie Krzys (center)recently met with Rasa’s Noboru Kiyota (left) and Tadao Ando in Tokyo.


The City of Portland (Ore.) Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) is in the fi nal phase of constructing an underground tunnel network to reduce com-bined sewer overfl ow (CSO) into the Willamette

River. Portland’s program includes several other landmark projects, such as the West Side and East Side CSO Tun-nels. The Balch Consolidation Conduit is one of the fi nal elements of Portland’s CSO program that will convey com-bined sewer and stormwater fl ows from northwest Port-land to the Swan Island Pump Station. When the program is complete, CSOs will have been reduced from approxi-mately 6 billion gallons to 250 million gallons annually.

What Lies BeneathThe soil along the Balch Consolidation Conduit was char-

acterized by the geotechnical engineer as Guilds Lake Alluvi-um, which consists of very soft to medium stiff silt, clayey silt, and clay with minor constituents of fi ne grained sand. When the initial borings were drilled throughout this section, some of the vertical borings had blow counts that were less than 3 blows per ft at the planned elevation of the pipeline. Other variable and challenging subsurface conditions encountered along the 8,000 ft of microtunnel alignment included gravel, cobbles and boulders and a cemented gravel unique to Port-land called Troutdale formation; a former lake fi lled in with a

variety of soft lake sediments, sand, sluiced gravel and wood railroad trestles; and a former landfi ll.

High, variable groundwater pressures were also present. The groundwater levels ranged from 10 to 15 ft below the ground surface, fl uctuating seasonally. The water levels of the nearby Willamette River also infl uence the groundwa-ter pressures. Contaminated groundwater was also present along the alignment from sources associated with historic industrial activity in the project area, including incineration and metals processing activities.

Digging ItThe project included 6,900 ft of 84-in. microtunneling in

fi ve drives and 1,115 ft of 54-in. microtunneling in a single drive. All microtunnel drives were a minimum of 1,100 ft with the longer drive of the project of 1,690 ft beneath a heavily traveled highway. This drive through aggressive grav-els had proven diffi cult to microtunnel on previous projects in the Portland area. During the drive, the machine hit a large object, presumed to be a boulder or rock shelf. Instead of digging a rescue shaft, the project team working together to continue tunneling.

Five launch and reception shafts were constructed at depths ranging from 35 to 75 ft deep in soil zones where de-watering has to be minimized to prevent the movement of


Microtunneling the Balch Consolidation Conduit

contamination plumes. The shafts were constructed using the cutter soil mixing (CSM) method. This fl exible meth-od had never been used in Oregon and would prove to be adaptable to the wide range of ground conditions and shaft confi gurations required on the project. The project is also the fi rst known use of CSM panels for ground sup-port. Utilities in the project area were known to be a ma-jor concern during construction. Early identifi cation and coordination with a variety of service providers enabled waterline, gas pipelines, overhead power, underground telecommunications and railroad lines to be adjusted or protected prior to construction.

TeamworkThe Balch project was awarded under a variant of the

typical construction manager/general contractor contract known as the Portland Method. This approach, originally implemented by Portland BES for the West Side CSO proj-ect, results in a true partnership between the owner, de-signer and contractor where risk is shared equitably and the parties are participants in the decision-making process. The impact of the collaborative working relationship result-ed in signifi cant savings to the city.

During the pre-construction services agreement (PSA) phase, the project team reviewed specifi c high-cost ele-

ments and offered a number of value engineering solutions resulting in signifi cant changes and savings. In terms of economic sustainability, the overall cost of the project was reduced by over $15 million during the PSA phase and by over $3.725 million in the construction phase. Major cost savings realized during the PSA phase included the deci-sion to microtunnel rather than open-cut the 54-in. line, revisiting the need for sewer improvements on a portion of the alignment and the redesign and reconfi guration of several shafts.

Expanding BoundariesDuring the construction phase, the contractor submit-

ted a method for support of shaft excavation and ground improvement that was untested in Oregon. Rather than using secant piles and sheet piles for support of the shaft excavation, cutter soil mixing (CSM) was proposed. The method had no track record of success in the types of soils on site – a very aggressive, hard fl uvial deposition of basalt and quartzite gravels, cobbles and boulders overlain by a stratifi ed sand/silt.

Without prior experience in similar soils, the owner was reluctant to approve this change. The contractor proposed to use CSM for the temporary support of excavation of the six shafts and for ground improvement outside of the shafts and on one tunneling run through very low strength soils. The CSM was initially proposed for cost and schedule sav-ings. Further investigation, however, revealed that it would also reduce the amount of waste generated. The elimina-tion of 13,200 tons of waste to go to landfi lls also reduced fuel consumption by over 8,000 gallons. Re-use of the tun-nel tailings for shaft backfi ll also reduced waste destined for landfi lls. This translated into over 4,900 gallons of fuel saved, over 7,000 tons of material no longer destined for a landfi ll, and a corresponding reduction in the transporta-tion of import fi ll to the project site.

Equal OpportunityThe City of Portland prides itself on its city-wide pro-

gram to promote the use of minority, women, emerging small businesses (MWESBs). The Balch Consolidation Conduit project is primarily a microtunneling project, with few opportunities for using MWESBs. The Portland Method allowed the city to work closely with the contrac-tor to develop an MWESB plan during the PSA Phase. This plan initially identifi ed $3.4 million of opportunities for MWESB participation. The Portland Method also allowed the city to work closely with the contractor throughout construction to explore non-traditional opportunities for optimizing MWESB participation. With the project com-plete, MWESB participation exceeded 430 percent (more than $14.7 million) of the goal set at the start of construc-tion. More than 100 contract awards have been made to MWESB fi rms.

Project Owner• : City of Portland Bureau of Environ-mental ServicesEngineer• : Kennedy/Jenks ConsultantsContractor• : James W. Fowler Co.MTBM Supplier• : Herrenknecht



In the 1990s, Houston was known as the “Microtunneling Capital of the United States” because of the ambitious Great Houston Waste-

water Program. The program rep-resented the fi rst large-scale use of microtunneling in the United States and helped establish it as a viable trenchless method.

Fast-forward 20 years and Houston is now employing guided boring/pilot tube microtunneling on a large scale, and with similar successes. In this case, though, it is not being used for waste-water. CenterPoint Energy, provider of electrical service to 2 million busi-nesses and residences in the Houston area, is upgrading overhead lines with approximately 10,400 lf of pipe.

CenterPoint hired Houston-based Boyer Inc. to install more than 2 miles of 30-in. pipe to house 138 kV cables via three individual 8-in. HDPE and one 4-in. HDPE conduit lines with a ther-mally conductive grout fi ll. Boyer chose guided boring to install about 7,000 ft of 30-in. Hobas pipe using an Akkerman GBM under the streets of Houston.

It was Boyer’s fi rst time using the guided boring method, but installa-tion went off without a hitch, accord-ing to Boyer project manager Barry Buse. “We have several Akkerman bor-ing machines so we knew the Akker-man product and knew its reliability, so we decided to use the Akkerman GBM for this project,” he said. “We also knew that Akkerman had the sup-port systems in place so that if we had any questions they could defi nitely help us out. When we got the ma-chine, one of their technicians came in and he gave us some pointers and we started drilling. But we had some experienced crews and they were able to get started boring right away.”

The guided boring method consists of a three-pass system. The fi rst phase involves drilling a pilot hole using a the-odolite guidance system, followed by a reaming pass using augered casings. Finally, a Powered Cutting Head is used to expand the hole to its fi nal diameter. The product pipe is pulled behind the Powered Cutting Head.


Boyer Inc. used an Akkerman Guided Boring Machine to install 20-ft lengths of 30-in. diameter Hobas pipe in Houston.

Guided Boring in HoustonBoyer Inc. Installs 7,000 ft of 30-in. Conduit

By Jim Rush


In Boyer’s case, crews reamed the hole to 16 in. in diameter and used a 32-in. Powered Cutting Head to leave room for the 30-in. diameter pipe. Boy-er worked with Baroid in customizing a drilling fl uid recipe for lubricating and maintaining the hole in the Beaumont clay that was encountered along most of the alignment.

In all, Boyer completed 16 shots us-ing the guided boring method, aver-aging around 400 ft per shot. Boyer reported a long drive of 470 ft, and a best day of 180 ft, which was ac-complished on several occasions, Buse said. “The productivity we were able to achieve was probably double what we would get with conventional equipment,” he said.

Pit depths ranged from 20 to 30 ft deep to help alleviate utility confl icts. Boyer used three crews on the project: a bor-ing crew, a crew building pits in advance of the boring crew, and a pit deconstruc-tion crew that followed. Groundwater encountered in the pits was removed using dewatering pumps.

The pits were typically 12 ft wide and 30 ft long. The length of the pit was determined by the length of pipe – in this case 20-ft lengths of Hobas were installed. “One of the key factors in do-ing this is making sure you have a large enough pit to get your product in the ground,” Buse said. “We were using 20 ft joints so our bore pits were 30 ft in length so we had room to work.”

Buse said the boring crew was typi-cally in a location 8 to 10 days before completing the bore and moving to the next launching pit location. Staging equipment was critical in keeping the operation moving while also minimiz-ing disruption to the traffi c.

Boyer Inc. began boring in April 2011 and fi nished in October. Buse sees an opportunity for more work involving electric in the future. “It is becoming more and more common to put these types of cables in urban ar-eas,” he said.

In fact, phase two of the project will begin next year, and will include 1.5 miles of pipe across downtown Houston, the majority of which will

be microtunneled. “The City of Hous-ton was very happy with us using the guided boring machine because we didn’t disturb their major thorough-fares, other than where we had our

pits. Traffi c was able to fl ow pretty regularly at all times,” Buse said.

Jim Rush is editor of Trenchless Technology.



Ohio’s Shayler Run Segment C Sewer Replacement proj-ect near Cincinnati was identifi ed as a priority proj-

ect due to severe pipeline erosion at Shayler Creek. An existing sewer pipe was installed in 1978 directly into the creek, and since then the en-vironment has exposed the pipe to the elements, putting some sections at high risk of failure. The pipe has now dumped raw sewage into the creek on several occasions.

The Clermont County Water Re-sources Department is working to remedy the situation with a $15 million project — one of the largest in the agency’s history — that will replace and upgrade the exposed

sewer system while protecting the environmentally sensitive area.

General contractor Midwest Mole Inc., Indianapolis, Ind., is respon-sible for construction of a new and higher capacity pipeline far below the creek bed. The project consists of seven gravity sewer tunnels criss-crossing the waterway. Each cross-ing is connected by a 32 ft diameter launch and receiving shaft, with a total of eight shafts in all. The shafts will eventually become fi berglass manhole structures to access the new pipeline.

All seven of the tunnels and the eight manhole shafts are expected to be complete by May 2012. The con-tractor is utilizing a 72-in. diameter

hard rock, self-propelled TBM, to excavate 9,430 ft of tunnel in total, with seven individual bores ranging from 816 to 2,014 ft long. Original plans called for microtunneling or two-pass tunneling with a conven-tion TBM. Midwest Mole opted to use a conventional TBM with a Rob-bins Rockhead.

“The Rockhead was the best suit-ed to the project conditions based on our previous experience with similar Robbins machines. Two-pass tunneling with a Double Shield Rockhead was also more cost effec-tive than microtunneling when we prepared our estimates,” said Steve Abernathy, vice president of opera-tions at Midwest Mole.


Long Distance for Small-bore TBMLong Distance for Small-bore TBMShayler Run Segment C Sewer Replacement Project

Sets New Standard


The Double Shield Rockhead was designed with a mixed ground cut-terhead that can be changed out for a hard rock cutterhead later on. The mixed ground cutterhead features 6.5-in. single disc cutters and carbide bits, combined with large openings in the cutterhead to ingest mixed ground and to allow for cutter changes. The hard rock cutterhead is dressed with 11.5-in. diameter single disc cutters and abrasion-resistant muck scrapers, as well as a cutterhead opening for cut-ter changes. Crews can switch out the cutterhead between crossings in one of the launch/receiving shafts, based on the ground conditions en-countered while tunneling.

Tunnel design called for a pri-mary liner of ring beams and lag-ging, which is set every 5 ft follow-ing each machine push. After each ring is built, a muck train consisting of a battery-operated locomotive and three muck cars removes spoils from the tunnel. The muck will be used as back-fi ll around some of the shaft sites after project completion, and potentially as fi ll on private property in the area.

The use of a small-diameter, hard-rock tunneling machine on seven tunnels is unprecedented. This sum-mer, the machine excavated its fi fth and longest tunnel, measuring 2,014 ft. The long excavations are particu-larly challenging due to the small tunnel diameter. Limited space for ventilation allows for adequate air lines up to around 2,000 ft, mean-ing the length of the fi fth tunnel is at the upper limit of possibility.

“Our ventilation has a limited duct diameter due to the small diameter of the tunnel,” Abernathy said. “We can adequately ventilate 2,000 ft tunnels, but we would need larger size fans for longer tunnels.”

Overall, he feels that the method has worked well for the long tun-nels at Shayler Run: “We have be-come very effi cient at setup, launch, and conveyor installation during the start of each tunnel, as well as removal of the machine after it breaks through each shaft. We have gotten great production with the Rockhead and are currently right on schedule.”

Excavation in mixed ground con-ditions due to the gravity sewer construction also posed challenges. Each tunnel is at a slightly different grade to maintain specifi ed slope. Midwest Mole needed a machine that could hit the specifi ed man-hole locations within a foot of line at 1 percent to 2 percent grade. The variance results in a change of 177 vertical ft over the course of the project. As a result of the elevation change, the tunnels were predicted to travel through different strata in-cluding softer shale and limestone for the fi rst 3,000 ft, changing to harder, drier shale and limestone for the later tunnels — up to 24,000 psi UCS. The tunneling machine, known as a Double Shield Rock-

head, was custom designed by The Robbins Company. The machine was mounted with a mixed ground cut-terhead that could be changed out for a hard rock cutterhead later on. Crews have the option to switch out the cutterhead between crossings in one of the launch/receiving shafts, based on the ground conditions en-countered while tunneling.

The Midwest Mole crew reported advance rates averaging 6 in. per minute in low strength shale using the mixed ground cutterhead. Pro-duction rates have been as high as 70 ft in one 12-hour shift, and are consistently in the range of 40 to 60 ft per shift, thus producing 80 to 120 ft per day. The swift advance comes despite some unforeseen dif-fi culties — the crew tunneled just 4 ft below a creek bed into highly saturated ground, requiring tem-porary diversion of the waterway. Crews cleaned the machine several times and carefully monitored grip-per slippage in the soft, wet ground during machine pushes.

This project is an excellent ex-ample of all parties working to-gether — project owner, contract, and equipment manufacturer. Original plans called for 11 shafts and 10 tunnels, but Midwest Mole worked with the project owner to obtain new easement rights, change the alignment and reduce the number of bores. The value engineering resulted in substan-tial cost savings — lowering the estimated construction price from $15.2 million to $14.5 million – and a shortened project schedule. Midwest Mole also worked exten-sively with the machine manufac-turer to optimize and modify the machine based on the ground con-ditions encountered in the first tunnel. Changes included modi-fying the hydraulic system for in-creased gripper strength and roll correction in extremely soft, of-ten wet rock. Other modifications were made to the muck haulage system — specifically to increase the volume of the muck car box-es. The greater capacity boxes al-lowed the machine to be ready to mine after one ring set was com-pletely built, resulting in greater production and less downtime.


Cruz Contractors LLC of Holmdel, N.J., successfully completed the in-stallation of a 36-in. steel casing un-

der the Taconic Parkway and Metro North Railway with the assistance of ICON Tunnel Systems and its pilot tube microtunneling technology for the fi rst time.

Cruz is no stranger to microtunnel-ing projects. Since 1951, the company has been a major player for infrastruc-ture projects, including microtunneling throughout New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Delaware, Connecticut, North Carolina and Virginia.

Cruz was subcontracted by Arben Group LLC of Pleasantville, N.Y., to han-dle the trenchless portion of the water system distribution improvements. The project called for 210 lf of 36-in. steel casing to be installed under the Taconic Parkway and Metro North Railway. Origi-nally, the project specifi cations called for a remote-controlled microtunneling ma-chine in order to handle the native soil, which was thought to consist of stones, rocks and large cobles.

However, the soil boring logs did not show this soil condition being present.


Pilot Tube Tunneling in New York

Cruz Contractors LLC Successfully Completes First Pilot Tube Microtunneling Project with ICON Tunnel Systems


The logs actually indicated soft sands, traces of small gravel and clay silts. In addition, the work area would be very tight as the jacking pit for the microtunnel would be placed at the edge of a cemetery. Because of this, Cruz felt the remote-controlled microtunneling equipment would not be the solution because of the amount of equipment needed and large jobsite layout required.

Cruz contacted ICON Tunnel Systems for advice and inquired about the Bohrtec pilot tube microtunnel-ing system. ICON reviewed the soil reports and deter-mined that pilot tube microtunneling was a feasible alternative to the remote-controlled microtunnel ma-chine specifi ed.

David Crandall, Vice President of ICON Tunnel Sys-tems, along with Cruz and Arben worked with engi-neering fi rm Malcolm Pirnie, of Fair Lawn, N.J., and Westchester County to successfully modify the pipe in-stallation method on the project specifi cation to allow for pilot tube microtunneling.

“We worked closely with all parties in order to prop-erly incorporate the pilot tube microtunneling pipe in-stallation method into the project specifi cation,” says Crandall. “We recommended the BM600LS pilot tube machine for the project due to its powerful 262 tons of jacking force and 22,186.83 ft-lbs of torque in case we encountered any unforeseen diffi cult soil conditions.”

“Having the specifi cation modifi ed to meet the pilot tube pipe installation method was a huge advantage and saved everyone time and money on the project,” says Dominic Pillari, Chief Project Manager of Cruz Contractors LLC.

Being heavily involved in rental, sale and lease of trench shoring equipment, ICON also supplied Ar-ben Group LLC with the required slide rail jacking and receiving pits for the pilot tube microtunneling operation. In addition, ICON provided site specifi c engineering submittals with paper calculations and drawings with a New York P.E. stamp for our slide rail shoring systems used on the project.

The jacking pit size was 20.5 ft long by 13.12 ft wide by 14 ft deep and the receiving pit was 24 ft long by 13.12 ft wide by 12 ft deep. ICON supplied their new Transformer Rails for the side rail system, which are 30 to 40 percent stronger than other rail systems and ver-satile enough to handle three different types of brac-ing including; fi xed rail, roller rail and angled raker bracing.

Andrew Kerry, ICON Tunnel Systems Pilot Tube Op-erator, and Rob Langenbach, Operations Manager for ICON Tunnel Systems, were on site to assist with the proper installation of both jacking and receiving pits and worked side-by-side with Cruz during the pilot tube machine setup and operation.

“ICON worked seamlessly with Arben in setting the shoring for the tunnel access pits and worked carefully with our crew during the pilot tube ma-

chine setup and operation, keeping the project on schedule,” says Pillari.

Large double wall pilot tube rods with an outside diameter of 5.5 in. and a length of 4.92 ft were used for the initial pilot bore. “We experienced relatively low jacking and torque pressures while installing the pilot rods,” says Langenbach.

Once the pilot rods were installed on line and grade, Cruz and ICON would attach a steel adapter head to the last pilot rod. The steel adapter head would increase the bore from 5.5 in. to 36 in. Once the adapter head was attached, they attached the fi rst auger and steel casing to the adapter head. “The augers are placed in-side the steel casing and can be moved independently from the casing to assist with the material removal pro-cess,” says Langenbach.

During the installation of the 36-in. casing, crews en-countered several areas with large boulders, some of which were 14 in. in diameter. “The large opening of the 36-in. casing allowed the larger material and po-tential obstructions to enter the casing at which point the augers would pull all of the material back to the jacking pit where it was then removed,” says Langen-bach. “We were able to muscle our way through these diffi cult areas using the sheer power of the BM600LS and successfully install the steel casing on line and grade without disruptions to the highway or Metro North Railway.”

“The pilot tube machine was the perfect fi t for this project and has allowed us to expand our services for future short run pipe installations on line and grade,” says Pillari. “ICON was with us every step of the project and really showcased their services from engineering and planning to shoring and tunneling. They made our fi rst pilot tube project a true success.”

Since 1982, ICON has steadily grown in technology and expertise to become a full-service trench shoring and pilot tube guided boring company and industry-leader in underground construction projects. ICON has the in-house resources to handle projects of any size in any location across North America and provide a comprehensive line of services that include consult-ing, design, engineering, manufacturing and distribu-tion, leasing and equipment rentals.

This article was supplied by ICON Tunnel Systems.

“The pilot tube machine was the perfect fit for this project and has allowed us to expand our services for future short run pipe installations on line and grade.”

—Dominic Pillari


CALIFORNIASan Francisco

The $37.5 million Sunnydale Auxiliary Sewer includes a 617-ft drive of 84-in. Hobas pipe. Super Excavators completed the drive using an Akkerman SL 74. The San Francisco Public Utilities Com-mission was the owner and Jacobs Associates was the designer. The job began on June 20 and completed on Sept. 16.

COLORADOAdams County

BTrenchless Inc., a division of BT Construction Inc., has com-pleted the $2.2 million Dahlia Ponds and Kenwood Outfall project for the Adams County Urban Drainage using an Akkerman SL 51 MTBM. ICON Engineering was the engineer. The job involved 240 lf of 54-in. micotunnel in running sands, gravels and cobbles, and in contaminated groundwater. It also included 60 lf of 84-in. res-cue handtunnel in running sands, cobbles and gravels. The tunnel was constructed under I-76 with shallow cover and contaminated groundwater system up to 2,000 gpm. The rescue handtunnel was required as a result of failed attempt by a previous contractor. The shafts reached depths of 28 ft. The tunnel crossed under a live 25-mgd sewer line with 18 in. of cover and met with previous tunneled casing on line and grade.

AuroraBTrenchless Inc. is about 60 percent complete on the $14 million

Tollgate North project for the City of Aurora. The project involves constructing a sanitary sewer main under I-225 and includes three crossings of Tollgate Creek. The project is located in tight construc-tion corridors with remnants of the old Fitzsimons army hospital located throughout the project. Crews are using a 54-in. Akkerman SL 51 MTBM to complete six drives through soft, mixed ground con-ditions. Drive lengths are 520 lf, 730 lf, 234 lf, 945 lf, 480 lf and 215 lf. Crews will push in 42-in. Hobas pipe as a carrier pipe. CDM is the engineer. The project began in April and is expected to be complete by August 2012.

CONNECTICUTHartford

The Granby Street Area Sewer Separation Project 2/5 for the Metropolitan District Commission involves one 900-lf drive of 60-in. RCP at an average depth of 25 ft through extremely soft slit/clay below water table; 1,500 ft of 48-in. RCP completed in two drives at an average depth of 30 ft through extremely soft slit/clay below water table; and one 140-lf drive of 42-in. RCP at an average depth of 20 ft through extremely soft silt/clay above water table. Bradshaw Construction is using three different MTBMs to complete the work: a Herrenknecht AVN-1500 (73.5 in.); Herrenknecht AVN-1200 (60 in.), and an Akkerman-420 (52.5 in.). Additional slurry separation efforts were required due to high percentage of fi ne soils. Addition-ally, the work site is residential street with restrictions on working space and working hours. Work began in July 2011 and is scheduled for a February 2012 completion. The engineer is Tighe & Bond.

HartfordNortheast Remsco Construction has completed the Garden Street

Relief Sewer Project for the Metropolitan District Commission. The project consisted of a single 740-lf drive of 48-in. RCP through weak silts and clays using a Herrenknecht AVN 1200T. The project was completed in August 2011.

FLORIDAFort Lauderdale

Huxted Tunneling completed the I-595 Corridor Roadway Im-provements microtunnels for the Florida Department of Transpor-

tation in September 2011. Huxted, working as a subcontractor to Dragados, completed 350 ft of 60-in. RCP and 550 ft of 72-in. RCP storm water pipes. The drives ranged from 15 to 30 ft deep through lime rock. The tunnels included a crossing of the Florida Turnpike with just 6 ft of cover. Crews used a 74-in. OD Iseki Unclemole and an 89-in. OD Herrenknecht AVN.

JacksonvilleHuxted Tunneling completed the Royal Lakes 24-in. Forcemain

project for the Jacksonville Electric Authority in November 2011. The project consisted of 280 ft of 42-in. Permalok steel casing in-stalled under a state highway 20 ft deep in sand. Huxted used a 43-in. Iseki Unclemole to complete the job.

MiamiHuxted Tunneling in March competed the Port of Miami Sewer

Relocation project for the Miami Dade Water and Sewer Department working as a subcontractor to Bouygues Civil Works. Huxted used a 31-in. Iseki Unclemole to install 290 ft of 30-in. Permalok steel casing in two drives to relocate a 10-in. sanitary sewer main that confl icts with the alignment of the new Port of Miami Tunnel connecting the mainland and Watson Island. Both drives were 20 ft deep through lime rock.

SarasotaHuxted Tunneling is working on the Lift Station 87 project for

the City of Sarasota as a subcontractor to Westra Construction. The project consists of 1,400 ft of 36-in. vitrifi ed clay pipe (VCP) in three drives, 20 ft deep in siltstone, and 1,000 ft of 24-in. VCP in two drives, 15 ft deep in sand and silt. The 36-in. drives began in Sep-tember with an anticipated completion date of January 2012, while the 24-in. drives are expected to begin in April 2012 and end in June 2012. Crews are using Iseki Unclemoles, one 43-in. OD and one 31-in. OD, to complete the work.

VeniceHuxted Tunneling completed a water main crossing for the Peace

River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority as a subcontracter to Garney Construction. Huxted used a 61-in. OD Iseki Unclemole to install 210 ft of 60-in. Permalok steel casing 30 ft deep in sand, clay and limestone. A 42-in. water main will be placed in the casing. The project was completed in January 2011.

HAWAIIHonolulu

Frank Coluccio Construction Co. is using a 82-in. Rasa MTBM to build the Beachwalk Force Main project for the City and County of Honolulu. The $37 million project involves the installation of 5,800 lf of 72-in. pipe to replace temporary pipelines that were installed after a massive pipeline break in 2006. Four of the fi ve drives have been completed using Hobas pipe, with the fi nal drive being a 1,240-ft curved drive (1,000 ft radius) that will use Mey-er Polycrete pipe. Because of the need to cross under the canal (twice) with no allowances for rescue shafts, the machine was built with access to the face and the ability to employ compressed air to maintain pressure.

ILLINOISChicago

Super Excavators has completed microtunneling on the Calumet Area Systems, Contract No. 1-2, Section 2 project for the City of Chi-cago Department of Water Management. The general contractor was Di Paolo. Microtunneling included the installation of 2,120 lf of 72-in. reinforced concrete pipe installed in three drives. The job started on Dec. 6, 2010, and ended on July 20.

North American Microtunneling Job Log


INDIANAIndianapolis

The Castleton Relief Sewer Project – Phase 1 for Citizens Ener-gy Group (formerly the City of Indianapolis Department of Public Works) involved installation of 2,740 lf of 42-in. RCP (52.5 in. OD) in four drives: 805 lf, 780 lf, 675 lf and 480 lf. The drives had an average cover of 10 to 20 ft and traversed coarse sand, gravel, cobbles and boulders below the groundwater table (+/-5ft below ground sur-face). Bradshaw Construction was the general contract, United Con-sulting was the engineer, and Black & Veatch was the tunneling con-sultant. Bradshaw used a Herrenknecht AVN-1000 for the tunneling. The general contract was bid at $5,988,200, with microtunneling comprising $3.5 million and shafts $1.75 million. Microtunneling was conducted in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Indianapolis beneath Howland Ditch and Riverwood Park, featuring a newly con-structed public Spray Park. An additional crossing beneath Keystone Avenue Bridge went between the bridge’s foundations. Works is about 66 percent complete.

IOWACenterville

Huxted Tunneling completed the Lake Rathbun Water Intake proj-ect for the Rathbun Water District in March 2011. The project involved one drive of 36-in. coated and lined Permalok Type 7 raw water intake pipe. The 37-in. Iseki Unclemole MTBM was launched from a 50-ft deep caisson shaft and drove through clay and limestone into a wet recovery. The project was delayed from June 2010 to November 2010 as a result of fl ooding that left the site under 10 ft of water. Huxted was working as a subcontractor to Building Crafts Inc.

MARYLANDBaltimore

Cruz Contractors LLC is constructing the Improvements to Her-ring Run Interceptors – Phase I project for the City of Baltimore with a contract price of $11.7 million. The project will be carried out in two phases. Phase 1 consists of the installation of 4,120 lf of sanitary sewers ranging between 8 and 54 in. Of the 4,120 lf, 2,500 lf is to be microtunneled.

ColumbiaThe Little Patuxent Parallel Interceptor Sewer – Section 11 project

for Howard County involved the installation of 60-in. steel casing in two microtunneled crossings under raised highways. Bradshaw Construction was the microtunneling contractor, W. F. Wilson & Sons was the general contractor, and Dewberry & Davis LLC was the engineer. Bradshaw used a Herrenknecht AVN-1200 to drive the tunnels. The fi rst crossing was 420 lf, 13 ft deep at shaft locations with a maximum cover of 30 ft. Ground conditions included silty sands and gravels. The second crossing was 205 lf, also 13 ft deep at shaft locations with a maximum cover of 30 ft. Ground condi-tions included silty sand, silty clay and decomposed rock. Bradshaw installed 36-in. carrier pipe in Crossing 1 and 30-in. carrier pipe in Crossing 2. Due to work restrictions, the project required two mobilizations. The contract had a tight schedule and included early completion incentives for the contractor. The fi rst tunnel is com-plete and the second tunnel scheduled for mobilization on Dec. 1. Estimated completion date is Jan. 6, 2012.

Howard CountyThe Little Patuxent Parallel Interceptor Sewer- Section 9 project

for Howard County involved 514 lf of 36-in. fi berglass reinforced pipe in 60-in. steel casing by in two bores. Ground conditions were mixed face. Bradshaw Construction was the microtunneling con-tractor, American Infrastructure was the general contractor and Dewberry & Davis was the engineer. Crews used a Herrenknecht AVN 1200 to complete this $835,000 project, which started in Feb-ruary and fi nished in April.

WaldorfThe $2.58 million Piney Branch Sewer Interceptor Upgrade

Phase I project for Charles County involved installation of 1,600 lf of 42-in. PVC in 60-in. steel casing that was completed in fi ve drives

through soft ground. Bradshaw Construction used a Herrenknecht AVN 1200 to complete the job, which ran from April to August.

NEW JERSEYCarteret

Cruz Contractors LLC is building the $2.2 million Turnpike Sani-tary Sewer Crossing project for the Borough of Carteret. The project generally consists of microtunnel installation of approximately 760 lf of 30-in. sanitary sewer interceptor in a 48-in. casing under the New Jersey Turnpike, installation of approximately 155 lf of 8-, 21- and 30-in. gravity sewers in the adjacent area, and lining an existing 24-in. sanitary sewer.

WeehawkenCruz Contractors LLC is constructing the 18th Street Pumping

Station CSO Force Main and Outfall with a contract price of $3.6 million. The work includes the installation of approximately 270 lf of 48-in. forcemain using open-cut excavation and approximately 290 lf of 48-in. forcemain to be installed in a 66-in. microtunneled casing.

NEW YORKNew York

Cruz Contractors LLC was hired by Tutor Perini to install 2,200 lf of 48-in. RCP by microtunneling for 15 crossings under the MTA railroad in Queens. This subcontact is valued at $6.9 million.

OHIOAkron

Michels Tunneling is installing 42- and 48-in. sewer pipe for the City of Akron. The project includes the construction of seven 35-ft deep shafts and six tunnel runs totaling 4,253 ft — 1,328 ft of 48-in. and 2,925 ft of 42-in. Each run ranged from 300 ft to more than 1,000 ft. The project, which is a major upgrade to the sanitary sewer system in Akron, is estimated to be completed in spring 2012.

ClevelandSuper Excavators completed the $6 million Walworth Run Inter-

ceptor project for the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District using an Akkerman SL 60 MTBM. The project involved the installation of 1,209 lf of 60-in. Hobas fi berglass pipe at an average depth of 50 ft. There was a total of three drives. The ground conditions were satu-rated sands and silts with many boulders and cobbles. DLZ Ohio Inc. was the engineer. The project began Nov. 6, 2010, and was com-pleted in June 2011.

VIRGINIAArlington

The $2.63 million Potomac Interceptor project for Arlington County involves construction of 240 lf of 48-in. fi berglass reinforced pipe inside 60 in. steel casing, and 945 lf of 48-in. direct jacked rein-forced concrete pipe in two bores. The ground conditions for steel casing are expected to be soft ground, while the expected ground conditions for the concrete portion is rock. Bradshaw Construction is the microtunneling contractor, Flippo Construction Inc. is the general contractor, and CDM is the engineer. Bradshaw is using a Herrenknecht AVN 1200 for the microtunnels. The job started in November 2011 and is expected to be completed in May 2012.

WISCONSINMilwaukee

The $4,538,204 Bluemound Road-North 79th Street to Glen-view Avenue project for the City of Milwaukee Department of Pub-lic Works was completed by Super Excavators using an Akkerman guided boring machine and an Akkerman SL 30 MTBM. The proj-ect included the following components: 346 lf of 8-in. clay pipe in-stalled by GBM, 25 ft deep, in one drive; 309 lf of 15-in. clay pipe installed by GBM, 25 ft deep, completed in one drive; and 1,208 lf of 30-in. RCP installed by MTBM, 25 ft deep, completed in two drives. Ground conditions consisted of stiff wet clays with cobbles. The project began Jan. 1, 2011, and was completed on June 15, 2011. The project was completed in an urban environment.


Akkerman 5000 Series II Pump UnitThe original 5000 Series Pump Unit, the

fl agship product for Akkerman and the heart of its all-in-one 5000 Series pipejacking sys-tem, has been a powerful companion on an vast number of pipejacking jobs over the last 30-years.The completely revamped and

enhanced 5000 Series II Pump Unit features streamlined operation and functions, an in-corporated dual-feed pump to power all TBM sizes, a raised operator’s station with ergonomic controls, many safety provisions and improved maintenance accessibility. The 5000 Series II Pump Unit requires less pit height than its predecessor due to an integrated dual pump feed. The two, low-pressure, 100-hp (74-kW) Totally Enclosed Fan Cooled (TEFC) electric motors provide low-pressure power for the TBM and con-veyor at 3,000 psi (207 bar) and up to 120 gpm (454 L/min).

Barbco PATHFINDER/TRIBORBarbco’s PATHFINDER Pilot Tube Steer-

ing System is specifi cally designed for ac-curacy when installing line and grade critical

casing. The PATHFINDER is powered by the existing power pack of a conventional auger boring machine, eliminating the need for a secondary power source. Pilot tube boring is a two-step process. The fi rst step is to establish the bore path with pilot tubes utilizing video surveillance to monitor line and grade. The second step is to follow the pilot tube with larger diameter casing. In addition to the Pathfi nder system, Bar-bco recently unveiled the TRIBOR System, which combines three common methods of trenchless installation. A hybrid built for directional drilling, auger boring and guided pilot tube boring creating one very versatile drilling machine. TRIBOR’s strongest mode of operation is directional drilling. TRIBOR is available in models that are comparable to 150,000 to 750,000 lb directional drills.

Bohrtec Auger Boring MachineBohrtec GMBH launches the newest

addition to its already impressive product line. The BM400LSC machine has been designed to install large diameter jacking pipes with a maximum outside diameter of 36 in. from a 13.5-ft shaft for a 2-m long pipe and a 10.5-ft shaft for a 1-m long pipe with 224 tons of jacking force, 101 tons of pull back force and 21,020 ft-lbs of torque. The BM400LSC is specially designed to work in conjunction with a 75 kW or 100-hp hydrau-lic variable speed power pack. Unlike other machines on the market the jacking frame of the BM400LSC can be easily extended to accommodate a variety of pipe and lengths up to 60 ft. The products are serviced and handled by ICON Tunnel Systems, USA.

Can-Clay Denlok PipeDenlok jacking pipes offer unsurpassed

proven life in sanitary sewer installations. Denlok pipes have resulted in successful projects now on six continents. Ceramic pipe is combined with 29 psi joints of 316 stainless steel which results in water tight performance to depths of greater than 70

ft. Denlok’s high compression strengths of greater than 10,875 psi results in high jack-ing strengths of up to 2,800 tons. World re-cord lengths of microtunneling drives have been performed when using Denlok pipes. Denlok is offered in sizes from 4 to 48 in. di-ameters and lengths to 10 ft. Choose Den-lok for unsurpassed installation success and sustainable low cost ownership. Man-ufactured under a certifi ed ISO 9001:2008 quality control system. Supplied with fac-tory manufactured cushion rings.

Derrick Equipment CentrifugeDerrick Equipment’s DE-7200 VFD

(Variable Frequency Drive) Centrifuge provides a new concept in centrifuge operation and control. Automatic load sensing and feed pump control en-ables automated performance up to 500 gpm volumetric capacity and 12-14 T/Hr of fi ne solids discharge. High capacity fi ne solids removal enables contractors to more effi ciently maintain desired drilling fl uid properties, with reduced mud disposal costs and in-creased production. The inverter duty drive system has a 150-hp bowl drive and 60-hp conveyor drive powered by AC drives. Motor drives and peripheral devices are controlled by an environ-mentally hardened PLC that offers op-erating fl exibility and data storage. The PLC controls the feed pump through an AC drive and is automatic or manual. Automatic control maximizes centrifuge throughput by employing a Proportion-al-Integral-Derivative (PID) loop. As feed slurry properties change, the PID loop dynamically adjusts pump output to maintain the torque set-point.

North American Microtunneling Products


HOBAS Jacking PipeHOBAS centrifugally cast, fi berglass-

reinforced, polymer mortar pipe is ideal for nearly every trenchless application includ-ing microtunneling/jacking, sliplining and tunnel lining for both pressure and gravity applications. It provides inherent corrosion resistance, superior hydraulics and a long, maintenance-free life. Key applications are sanitary sewers, potable water and cor-

rosive environments. Sections join with push-together, leak-free, gasket-sealed couplings. After more than 50 years of re-liable service, the use of HOBAS pipe is expanding faster than ever and it can be found in most U.S. municipalities.

iNTERpipe Jacking PipeiNTERpipe offers pipe, jacking pipe, man-

holes, tunnel segments and custom castings. iNTERpipe Polymers has technical expertise with decades of polymer concrete experi-ence in acid containment and corrosive applications. iNTERpipe has demonstrated superior durability over existing products by combining inherent corrosion resistance

with steel reinforcement per ASTM and in-dustry standards. iNTERpipe partners with local precast producers to reduce freight costs and increase availability of a full line of corrosion resistant polymer products. When service conditions call for high performance materials choose iNTERpipe, the leader in polymer concrete product technology.

McLaughlin Steering HeadThe McLaughlin ON Target auger boring

system steering head allows contractors to not only control horizontal directional

changes, but also allows for lateral chang-es. Until now auger boring contractors were limited to a steering head that offered only horizontal or grade (up and down) direction changes during the bore. The ON Target

system allows contractor to also control the direction of the bore in a lateral (left to right) movement, providing more accuracy for diffi cult on-grade bores. The cutting path — grade and lateral movement — of the steer-ing head is controlled by hydraulic actuated panels that open and close to keep the head on the intended path. A control station features a hydraulic power pack to control the movement of the steering head, and a built-in water level helps monitor grade throughout the bore.

NO-DIG Jacking PipeNO-DIG Vitrifi ed Clay Jacking Pipe is

manufactured in Pittsburg, Kan., by Mis-sion Clay Products. This gravity fl ow sewer pipe has been used for slurry microtunnel-ing, pilot tube microtunneling (GBM), static pipe bursting, and sliplining casing pipe. This vitrifi ed clay pipe is manufactured from 100 percent natural materials – a blend of clays, shales and slate. NO-DIG is manu-factured with a Precision Ground Joint, a Polyisoprene, EPDM, or Nitrile Elastomer gasket, and a Series 316 Stainless Steel Collar. Chipboard compression rings, for axial load transfer during installation, are supplied and used at each joint. NO-DIG Pipe meets the specifi cation requirements of ASTM C1208/C; 1208M and EN 295-7.

NO-DIG Vitrifi ed Clay Jacking Pipe has been the predominant tunneling pipe material used in the 8 through 36 in. size range due to its high compressive strength (18,000 psi average), low-profi le zero-leak-age joint, and affordability in the typical 1 or 2 m pipe lengths.

Permalok Jacking PipePermalok Steel Pipe with its patented

Interlocking Press-Fit Connection requires no fi eld welding. This makes it the ideal solution for all trenchless steel pipe instal-lations, including microtunneling, auger boring, pipe ramming, pipe jacking and guided boring. Newer joint types allow Permalok Steel Pipe to be used in pres-

sure applications and HDD installations. It is available in sizes from 6 to 144 in. diam-eter and wall thickness up to 1.75 in.

Vermeer AXIS Guided Boring System

The AXIS guided boring system, devel-oped by Vermeer, is designed to install 10- to 14-in. pipe at lengths up to 350 ft, and can maintain grades of less than 0.5 per-cent. Made up of four main components, the AXIS system includes a power unit, rack, vacuum pump and vacuum tank. The power unit contains the engine and hy-draulic pumps and connects to the rack to power thrust and pull back of the drill stem. The rack includes the thrust/pullback car-

riage assembly and gearbox. As the thrust/pullback carriage assembly moves up the rack, the gearbox simultaneously provides rotation to the cutter bit at the front of the drill head. The drill head uses a fl at-face cut-ter and when combined with the laser guid-ance system, the AXIS system is capable of completing fl atter grades more accurately. As the drill stem cuts its way through the soil, the displaced material is simultane-ously removed by a high-power vacuum system. Spoil is then diverted to a vacuum storage tank.


CONTRACTORSBradshaw Construction Corp. Lester M. Bradshaw, President Eric Eisold, Area Mgr. 173 West Liberty Rd.. Eldersburg, MD 21784 United States 410-970-8300 [email protected] www.bradshawcc.com Large Diameter Tunneling, Microtunneling, Pipe Jacking, Shafts, Tunneling-Large Diameter

BRH-Garver ConstructionPeck Boswell, President Phil Reed, VP Estimating 7600 S. Santa Fe, Bldg. A-1East Houston, TX [email protected]

BTrenchless9885 Emporia St. Henderson, CO 80640-8459303-286-0202www.BTrenchless.com

Carp-SecaStephen Leius77 Bloomfield Ave.Staten Island, NY [email protected]

Cruz Contractors LLC Dominic Pillari, Chief Project Mgr. 952 Holmdel Rd. Holmdel, NJ 07733 732-946-8400 [email protected] www.cruzcontractors.com Pipe Jacking, Microtunneling, Shafts, Pipe Jacking, Shafts

D’Agostini & Sons 15801 23 Mile Road Macomb, MI 48042 586-781-5800

ECIRoss Johnson, VP PO Box 7095 St. Paul, MN 55107657-298-9111 [email protected] www.eandci.com Grouting, Dewatering, Microtunneling, Shafts, Demolition

E E Cruz & Co. Inc.Edward Cruz 952 Holmdel Rd., Cruz PlazaHolmdel, NJ 07733732-946-9700www.eeccruz.com

EIC Associates 140 Mountain Ave., Suite 303 Springfield, NJ 07081 973-315-0200www.eicassociates.com

Frank Coluccio Construction Co. Don Bergman, Cheif Estimator Bill Austell, Senior Estimator/PM 9600 Martin Luther King Way South Seattle, WA 98118-5693 United States 206-722-5306 [email protected] www.coluccio.com Grouting, Shafts, Pipe Jacking, Microtunneling, Dewatering, Auger Boring, Relining, Tunnel Linings, Tunnel Support, Jet Grouting, Large Diameter Tunneling, Drilling, Shafts, Microtunneling, Pipe Jacking, Tunneling-Large Diameter

Henkels & McCoy Inc. 985 Jolly Rd. Blue Bell, PA 19422-0900215283-7600 [email protected] www.henkels.com Auger Boring, Pipe Jacking, Other, Microtunneling, Drilling, Large Diameter Tunneling

Horizontal Boring & Tunneling Co. Brent L. Moore, President505 S. River Ave. PO Box 429 Exeter, NE 68351402-266-5347 [email protected] Auger Boring, Tunneling-Large Diameter, Pipe Jacking, Microtunneling, Auger Boring, Large Diameter Tunneling, Drilling, Microtunneling, Pipe Jacking, Grouting

Huxted TunnelingSteve Caneen, President3208 17th St.East Palmetto, FL 34221941-722-6613scaneen@huxtedtunneling.comwww.huxtedtunneling.com

Iowa TrenchlessJason ClarkPO Box 846, 222 SE 12th St.Panora, IA [email protected]

James W. Fowler Co.John Fowler, VP Sondra Jamison, Marketing Manager PO Box 489 Dallas, OR 97338 503-623-5373 [email protected] www.jwfowler.com Large Diameter Tunneling, Tunnel Linings, Relining, Auger Boring, Microtunneling, Pipe Jacking, Shafts

Jay Dee Contractors Inc. Tom DiPonio3881 Schoolcraft Rd. Livonia, MI 48150734-591-3400 www.jaydeecontr.com Large Diameter Tunneling, Large Diameter Shaft Drilling, Dewatering, Microtunneling, Pipe Jacking, Shafts, Tunneling-Large Diameter

JR Cruz Corp.Evarett Cruz Jr., P.E.675 Line Rd.Aberdeen, NJ [email protected]

Kiewit Construction Co. 1000 Kiewit Plaza Suite E200 Omaha, NE 68131 402-346-8535 www.kiewit.com Drilling, Tunneling-Large Diameter, Shafts, Pipe Jacking, Microtunneling, Relining, Tunnel Linings, Tunnel Support, Large Diameter Shaft Drilling, Raise Bore, Jet Grouting, Slurry Wall, Ground Freezing & Dewatering, Large Diameter Tunneling, Grouting

Lametti & Sons Inc. Guy Larson, VP PO Box 375 Hugo, MN 55038651-426-1380 [email protected] www.lametti.com Auger Boring, Relining, Seals, Auger Boring, Dewatering, Microtunneling, Pipe Jacking, Shafts, Tunneling-Large Diameter, Tunnel Linings, Tunnel Support, Large Diameter Shaft Drilling, Grouting, Pipe Jacking, Dewatering, Microtunneling, Drilling, Large Diameter Tunneling, Grouting, Design/Build, Cost Estimation

Michels Tunneling Ray Post 16500 W. Rogers Dr. New Berlin, WI 53151262-814-0100 www.michels.com Pipe Jacking, Microtunneling, Shafts, Drilling, Large Diameter Tunneling, Large Diameter Shaft Drilling

Midwest Mole Dan Liotti, PE, President Jason Miller, VP 2460 N Graham Av. Indianapolis, IN 46218317-545-1335 [email protected] www.midwestmole.com Large Diameter Tunneling, Relining, Microtunneling, Pipe Jacking, Tunneling-Large Diameter, Other

Nada Pacific Corp.P.O. Box 8 Caruthers, CA 93609 559-864-8850 www.nadapacific.com Northeast Remsco Construction Inc. Alberto Solana, Sr. VP Engineering Richard Palmer, Tunneling Manager 1433 Route 34 South Building B Farmingdale, NJ 07727732-557-6100 [email protected] www.superna.com Large Diameter Tunneling, Divers, Auger Boring, Microtunneling, Pipe Jacking, Grouting

Northwest Boring Co. Inc.Don Gonzales13248 NE 177th Pl. Woodinville, WA [email protected] Boring, Rock Drilling, Pipe Jacking, Pipe Ramming, Microtunneling

Pacific Blasting & Demolition Ltd. Ron Elliott, VP Ron Woolf, GM-Mining 3183 Norland Ave. Burnaby, BC V5B 3A9 Canada 604-291-1255 [email protected] www.pacificblasting.com Microtunneling, Drilling, Tunnel Support, Demolition, Microtunneling

Southland Contracting Inc. 616A Shelby Rd. Fort Worth, TX 76140817-293-4263 [email protected] www.scitunneling.com Drilling, Tunneling-Large Diameter, Shafts, Pipe Jacking, Microtunneling, Dewatering, Divers, Large Diameter Shaft Drilling, Jet Grouting, Ground Freezing & Dewatering, Large Diameter Tunneling, Grouting

Super Excavators Inc.Pete Schraufnagel, VP N59 W 14601 Bobolink Ave. Menomonee Falls, WI 53951262-252-3200 [email protected] Boring, Microtunneling, Tunneling-Large Diameter, Sliplining, Pipe Ramming, Pipe Jacking, Grouting, Pipe Bursting/Splitting, Pipe Fusion, Shafts

Taisei Corp. Alan Hobelman, VP of US Office Tsutomu Segawa, General Manager 6261 Katella Ave. Irvine, CA 90630714-886-1530 [email protected] www.taisei.co.jp Tunneling-Large Diameter, Shafts, Pipe Jacking, Microtunneling, Demolition, Tunnel Linings, Tunnel Support, Large Diameter Shaft Drilling, Jet Grouting, Slurry Wall, Ground Freezing & Dewatering, Large Diameter Tunneling, Tunnel Inspections, Design/Build

Triad Engineering & Contracting Co.Clifford Kassouf Phil Kassouf7575 Northfield Road Walton Hills, OH [email protected] www.triad-engineering.com Large Diameter Tunneling, Large Diameter Shaft Drilling, Tunnel Support, Tunnel Linings, Auger Boring, Dewatering, Pipe Jacking, Shafts, Grouting

Vadnais Corp.Paul Vadnais, PresidentDan Schitea, VP2130 La Mirada Drive Vista, CA [email protected] Microtunneling

Walter C. Smith Co., Inc.Ben Genco, Administrative Assistant849 Osmun Circe Clovis, CA [email protected] Boring, Pipe Jacking, Pipe Ramming, Tunneling-Large Diameter, Microtunneling

North American Microtunneling 2011 Directory


Willco Far West Frank Willden, CEO 3435 W. 500 S. Salt Lake City, UT 84104801-886-2111 [email protected] www.willcofarwest.com Auger Boring, Pipe Jacking, Microtunneling, Drilling, Large Diameter Tunneling

MANUFACTURERS AND SUPPLIERSAkkerman Inc. Steve Garbisch, Sales & Leasing Robin Lorenzen, Sales & Leasing 58256 266th St. Brownsdale, MN 55918 800-533-0386 Fax: 507-567-2605 [email protected] www.akkerman.com Pipe Jacking, Microtunneling, Large Diameter Tunneling, Microtunneling Systems/Equipment, Tunnel Boring Machines, Used/Rental Equipment, Machine Service/Repair

Allentown Shotcrete Technology Inc. Patrick Bridger, President 421 Schantz Rd. Allentown, PA 18104 610-398-0451 [email protected] www.allentownshotcrete.com Grout, Shotcrete/Shotcrete Additives, Pumps, Pipe-Concrete

Alpine Sales & Rental Corp. Chip Kogelmann, Vice President PO Box 681 State College, PA 16804 814-466-7134 [email protected] www.alpinecutters.com Cutters, Drills & Rigs, Microtunneling Systems/Equipment, Tunnel Boring Machines, Used/Rental Equipment, Roadheaders, Ventilation, Engineering/Design, Cost Estimation

American Augers Inc.PO Box 814West Salem, OH 44287419-869-7107www.americanaugers.comGuided Boring Equipment, Mud Systems

B McDowell Equipment Ltd Kevin McDowell, General Manager 2018 Kingsway Sudbury, ON P3B 4J8 Canada 705-566-8190 [email protected] www.bmcdowell.com Concrete Reinforcement, Equipment Rentals, Locomotives/Haulage Equipment, Cranes & Hoists, Ancillary Equipment, Raise Drills, TBM Rolling Stock, Grout Pumps, Rock Breaking/Grinding, Coatings, Excavators, Rock Bolts, Concrete/Concrete Additives, Concrete/Grout Pumps, Drills & Rigs, Tunnel Boring Machines, Used/Rental Equipment, Roadheaders, Ventilation, Drilling Consumables, Shotcrete/Shotcrete Additives, Cost Estimation, Machine Service/Repair, Construction Management

Baroid Industrial Drilling ProductsPO Box 1675Houston, TX [email protected] Systems

Baker Corp. Paul Rezmer, Sales Rep. 2205 E. Lincoln Hwy Chicago Hts., IL 60411 708-758-5277 Fax: 708-758-5815 [email protected] www.bakercorp.com Dewatering Pumps, Equipment Rentals, Pumps, Pipe-HDPE

Can Clay Corp.402 Washington St.Cannelton, IN [email protected]

CIBA / BASF Christopher Kessler, Senior Account Manager 17 Black Friar Rd Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 610-526-0779 [email protected] www.ciba.com Grouting, Tunneling-Large Diameter, Microtunneling, Dewatering, Ground Freezing & Dewatering, Slurry Wall, Large Diameter Shaft Drilling, Coatings, Dust Control, Pumps, Soil Conditioning Agents, Solids Control/Separation, Concrete/Concrete Additives, Dewatering Pumps, Environmental Studies, Other, Dust Control, Consultant

Derrick Equipment Co.Ben Clark15630 Export Plaza DriveHouston, TX 77032281-590-3003bhclark@derrickequipment.comwww.derrickinternational.comMicrotunneling Systems/Equipment, Pumps - Mud, Mud Systems, Mud Recycling, Solids Control/Separation

Elgood Mayo Corp. D. Brennan, CEO B. Leisenring, President PO Box 1413 Lancaster, PA 17603 717-397-6201 [email protected] www.elgoodmayo.com Pipe Jacking, Drills & Rigs, Microtunneling Systems/Equipment, Tunnel Boring Machines, Roadheaders, Engineering/Design

Herrenknecht Tunnelling Systems USA Inc. 1221 29th St. NW Ste. DAuburn, WA 98001253-833-7366jbrockway@herrenknecht-usa.comwww.herrenknecht.deCutters, Microtunneling Systems/Equipment, Used/Rental Equipment, Survey/Guidance Instrumentation

Hobas Pipe USAKimberly Paggioli, P.E.1423 E. Richey Rd.Houston, TX [email protected]

Icon Equipment Distributors Inc.Brian Crandall300 Ryders LaneEast Brunswick, NJ 08816800-836-5011b.crandall@iconjds.comwww.iconjds.comMicrotunneling Systems/Equipment, Guided Boring Equipment, Used/Rental Equipment

Interpipe Mike Olson, Business Development 301 SE 8th St Des Moines, IA 50309 515-267-8884 Fax: 515-267-9148 [email protected] www.polymerpipe.com Pipe-Composite/FRP, Concrete/Concrete Additives, Sliplining, Coatings, Pipe Jacking, Concrete Reinforcement, Pipe-Polymer Concrete, Consultant

Kem-Tron Technologies Inc.Chuck Skillman10404-B Cash Rd. Stafford, TX [email protected] Systems/Equipment, Pumps - Mud, Mud Systems

Michael Byrne Mfg.Jim Weist1855 Earth Boring Rd., PO Box 444Mansfield, OH [email protected] Bits, Used/Rental Equipment, Guided Boring Equipment, Microtunneling Systems/Equipment, Engineering/Design Microtunneling Inc.Timothy R. CossPO Box 7367 Boulder, CO 80306303-444-2650timcoss@microtunneling.comwww.microtunneling.comCutters, Pipe-Polymer Concrete, Mud Recycling, Locators, Mud Systems, Microtunneling Systems/Equipment, Lubrication, Solids Control/Separation, Disputes Review, Education/Research, General Consulting

Mission Clay Products/No DigBilly NelsonPO Box 201927San Antonio, TX 78220800-683-2568nelsoncb55@aol.comwww.no-dig-pipe.comMicrotunneling Systems/Equipment, Pipe-Clay

Palmieri USA Allen Holbert, President Andrew Holbert, Shop Foreman 171 Locust Ave. Ext. Ste. 101 Mt. Morris, PA 15349 724-324-5898 [email protected] Auger Boring, Cutters, Drills & Rigs, Microtunneling Systems/Equipment, Tunnel Boring Machines, Tunnel Support

Permalok Corp.Gary W. Huber472 Paul Ave.St. Louis, MO [email protected]

Polycast Structures Inc. Mike Olson, Business Dev. PO Box 1296 Des Moines, IA 50305 515-208-9690 [email protected] www.polycaststructures.com Tunnel Linings, Reinforcing Fiber, Pipe Jacking, Pipe-Concrete

Schauenburg Flexadux Corp. John Kelleher, President Dick Lange, Sales & Mktg 2233 Sanford Dr. Grand Junction, CO 81505 970-245-9400 Fax: 970-245-9402 [email protected] www.schauenburg-us.com Ventilation, Safety, Pipe-Composite/FRP, Safety

TBM Exchange International Peter J. Tarkoy 17 Everett St. Sherborn, MA 01770 508-650-3600 [email protected] www.tbmexchange.com Cutters, Microtunneling Systems/Equipment, Tunnel Boring Machines, Used/Rental Equipment

Technicore Underground Corp. Tony DiMillo, President Lynn Jackson, VP 102 Bales Dr East PO Box 93089 Newmarket, ON L3Y 8K3 Canada 905-898-4889 [email protected] www.technicore.ca Grouting, Pipe Jacking, Microtunneling, Shafts, Drilling, Drills & Rigs, Microtunneling Systems/Equipment, Tunnel Boring Machines, Tunnel Linings

Wyo-Ben Inc.1345 Discovery Dr., PO Box 1979Billings, MT [email protected], Microtunneling Systems/Equipment, Drilling Fluids, Mud Systems

ADVERTISER INDEXAkkerman ............................................................................................................................................................11Barbco ....................................................................................................................................................Back CoverBMI Online Buyer’s Guides ...................................................................................................................................34BMI Resource Center ...........................................................................................................................................35Bradshaw Construction ........................................................................................................................................19Brierley Associates LLC .......................................................................................................................................12Colorado School of Mines ......................................................................................................................................7Herrenknecht Tunneling Systems ............................................................................................................................2Midwest Mole ......................................................................................................................................................17NASTT’s 2012 No-Dig Show ..................................................................................................................................3Northeast Remsco Construction ...........................................................................................................................15Permalok Corp. ......................................................................................................................................................9U.S. Composite Pipe South, LLC (USCPS) ............................................................................................................23





MICROTUNNELING GUIDES

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Guide to Best Practice for the Installation of Pipe Jacks and MicrotunnelsLearn the essential elements that are necessary for the design, specifi cation and installation of pipes. The guide provides a checklist and summarizes associated matters such as:• Site investigation, method selection, and installation • Friction loads in different ground conditions • Characteristics of pipe joints and packing materials • Jacking and friction loads and lubrication • Contractual and safety considerations • Current regulations and standards

Developed By: U.K. based Pipe Jacking AssociationPrice: $84.99*

Practical Guideline for the Application of Microtunneling Methods• 85 fi gures and diagrams • 26 charts with unique color graphics • Connection to main lines and laterals • Pilot tube and conventional microtunnelling • Economic comparison of open-cut and trenchless methods

Author: Author: Professor, Dr. Dietrich Stein; Stein and Partner GmbHPrice: $55.00*


2011 Micro Supp Microtunneling Microtunneling Microtunneling

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