TRACTUELL

TRACTUELL 12/E24

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ELL for collection

TT Group of companies

The only ch

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for perfect

pipe installat

ion

Edition No. 12 • September 2001

Newsletter from TRACTO-TECHNIK

Your GRUNDOMAT-Partner:

http://www.tracto-technik.de Internet:

Pipe cracking

Renewal of a drinkingwater pipeline in a swissrocky mountain areaon pages 4 - 8

Giant Pipe Ram

Steel pipe installationwith the world’s largestPipe Rammer on pages 18 - 21

HDD Systems

New generation of steer-able boring system: theGRUNDODRILL X familyon pages 12 - 13

E X C E L L

TT Technologies Inc.2020 East New York St.USA-Aurora, IL 60504Tel.: +1 630-851-8200Fax: +1 630-851-8299www.tttechnologies.comE-Mail: info@tttechnologies.com

TT UK Ltd10 Windsor RoadGB-Bedford MK 42 9SUTel.: +44 1234.342.566Fax: +44 1234.352.184www.tt-uk.comE-Mail: ttuk@compuserve.com

TT Asia Pacific Pty Ltd31, Demand Avenue, Arundel, Goldcoast, Q 4214Queensland, AustraliaTel.: +61 (0) 7 55 614 999Fax: +61 (0) 7 55 614 900www.tt-asiapacific.comE-Mail: info@tt-asiapacific.com

Tracto-Technik GmbHHead officeP.O. Box 40 20D-57356 LennestadtTel.: (+49) 2723/8080Fax: (+49) 2723/808189E-Mail: export@tracto-technik.de

Tracto-TechniquesSiège SocialAvenue Benoit FrachonZ. I. de BoulazacF-24750 PérigueuxTel.: +33 5.53.53.89.83Fax: +33 5.53.09.39.41www.tracto-techniques.comE-Mail: info@tracto-techniques.com

The year 2001 will see the 3rdEXCELL bore prize competitionon directional drilling sites. Sincethe first competition in 1999 theEXCELL bore prize has gained aconsiderable reputation in the HDDindustry giving the winning com-panies a lot of publicity.

The competition is open to all con-tractors in the directional drillingindustry, not only TT customers,whereby the main emphasis is onsites, generally promoting the ideaof horizontal directional drilling.All contractors, as well as consult-ing companies involved in direc-tional drilling may participate.Three prizes will be allocated; thewinner of the first prize to receiveDM 10,000 in cash. During the nextFAGEBO (January 24th - 25th 2002)the winners will have the chanceto present their projects to a wideraudience.

Participating in the competition givesan insight into the contractor’s role inthe HDD industry, while creatinga basis for the general internationalacceptance of this technique.

All projects received will undergoan analysis by an international jury.A points-system has been set up toevaluate the different aspects of di-rectional drilling. The jury’s deci-sion is final.

Application forms for the EXCELL2001 competition can be obtaineddirectly from the organiser. Closingday for sending in the applicationsis October 31st, 2001.

MK HOFFE OrganisationsbüroP.O.Box 1445,D - 57379 SchmallenbergTel.: 0049 2971 87088 Fax: 0049 2971 87043 E-mail: hoffe@mkhoffe.de

EXCELL 2001open to all contractors in the HDD industryopen to all contractors in the HDD industry

TRACTUELL 12/E 3TRACTUELL 12/E2

Contents

4 - 8 Pipe CrackingRenewal of a drinking water pipeline in rocky mountain area

9 Application: Ramming of 82 “I” beams as wall structure for a railway underbridge

10 - 11 Information:The bore unit of the future and new applications

12 - 13 HDD systems:The GRUNDODRILL X family: New generation of HDD systems designed for worldwide use

14 - 15 Pipe Bursting:Contractor ARB replaces 152 mm steel pipe with GRUNDOBURSTmodel 1000G

16 - 17 Information: GRUNDO-BORE-HELP: Software for optimizing horizontal bores

18 - 21 Pipe ramming:Giant pipe ram in the USA with GRUNDORAM Taurus

22- 23 Pipe Bursting:Replacement of a cast water main with GRUNDOBURST 800G

24 EXCELL:International EXCELL bore prize 2001 is open to all contractors

DDear readers,

the worldwide economic decline also affects the buildingtrade and in this context, the question for the future of tren-chless technologies comes up. Manufacturers are facingstagnating sales figures, contractors register falling off ofoders. Nevertheless there’s no reason to be pessimistic, forthe present structural change in the market also createsnew perspectives, as for instance the intended networkextension in the telecommunication market.

What the HDD systems of the future and possible newapplications look like, is described by the acknowledgedexpert Dr. Bayer in this issue of Tractuell. For TT, as amanufacturer, it is thus essential to develop technicallyinnovative products with regard to current market require-ments for being internationally competitive in the longterm. Considering this, the GRUNDODRILL X family hasbeen developed, meeting the demand for a worldwideapplicable, flexible class of boring systems.

Certainly the strong relationship with our dealers and cus-tomers is as important as first-class products. The commonquality and service idea is and will be the decisive factor forsuccess. The technical and economical superiority of trench-less technologies is undisputed, as several examples in thisTractuell prove. But the lead is guaranteed by the “humanfactor”, the most valuable resource to hold one’s ground indifficult times. Looking at the TT partners, I am certain thatwe will master the challenges of the future together!

Yours sincerelyWolfgang Schmidt

© Copyright by:TRACTO-TECHNIKSpezialmaschinenD-57356 Lennestadt

Contents:Carola Schmidt

Setting and Layout:Anne Knour

Photograhy:Fotostudio Rickert

Printed by:Druckerei Hachenburgon recycable paper

Circulation:10.000 copies

Impressum

Muottas Muragl is a massive mountain above the village Samedan in theSwiss region of Engadin. Since 1907 a cable car has been running to thetop of the mountain to Muottas Muragl hotel.

The hotel receives its drinking water from a mountain lake situatedapproximately 4,5 km away. This pipeline had to be replaced. It was de-cided to use the trenchless pipe craking method. A difficult job even forexperienced operators.

Pipe Cracking in rocky mountain area

Pages 4 - 8

Pages 10 - 11

Pages 12 - 13

Bore know-how at the press of abutton

The bore unit ofthe future & newapplications

Enquiries about the future use ofHDD mainly concern the newfields of application and the resul-ting tasks in the horizontal direc-tional industry. These future taskshave a strong influence on the de-velopment of equipment and thenew technical operating possibi-lities of HDD systems.

An outlook on the future of HDDby Dr. Hans-Joachim Bayer, TT

New software foroptimising HDDbores

Pages 20 - 21

Giant Pipe RamNorthwest Boring Company usedthe world’s largest pipe rammerGrundoram Taurus to install an 80“steel pipe.

Pages 14 - 15

The X-Family

The new Grundodrill X familyfrom TT meets the growingdemand for a simple, reliable andrugged machine class, that canbe operated and serviced world-wide.

Find out more about Grundodrill7 X, 10 X and 13 X on

Pages 16 - 17

Grundoburst replaces steel pipeContractor ARB’s first attemptbursting steel pipe with Grundo-burst model 1000 G on

Pipe bursting castwater main

Pages 18 - 21

Convincing demontration of Grun-doburst 800 G in Northern Ireland

TRACTUELL 12/E 5TRACTUELL 12/E4

uottas Muragl is a mas-sive mountain above

the village Samedan in the Swissregion of Engadin. Since 1907 acable car has been running to thetop of the mountain to MuottasMuragl hotel from where a fascina-ting panoramic view of the En-gadin area to St. Moritz can be ad-mired.

Although there were no other buil-dings in the vicinity, there wereother problems which preventedpipe replacement by traditionalopen cut methods. It was decidedto use the trenchless burstliningmethod and the pipeline was upsi-zed by 100% in rocky ground con-ditions. A difficult job even for ex-perienced operators. This took justthree months even though the gro-und conditions were extremely dif-ficult and other associated trans-port and high altitude problemsencountered.

The hotel receives its drinkingwater from a mountain lake situa-ted approximately 4,5 km away.The pumping devices situated atthe lake develop sufficient pressurefor the water to be transported tothe hotel, overcoming the 400m

difference in altitude to the moun-tain top. Due to the topographicalprofile the bore path did not leadin a straight line upwards, but overvarious ridges and troughs. In1920, the hotel builders had tokeep to a 50cm wide mountainpath through the barren rocky sur-roundings.

A case for the Pipe cracker

Although the majority of the ho-tel’s pipes were replaced in 1992,the old water pipeline was not in-cluded. It was therefore envisagedthat these eighty year old grey castiron pipes were soon going to haveto be replaced. However, the me-thod of replacement needed to bedetermined. Heavy constructionequipment could not be taken upthe old mountain path. Therefore,open trenching would have meanthand digging which would havebeen extremely difficult and verytime consuming given the rockyground conditions.

The company Gawatech from Neu-hausen (Kanton Schaffhausen/Switzerland) won the public tenderwith their proposal to use atrenchless method. This con-

P I P E C R A C K I N G

Pipe cracking inrocky mountainarea

Muottas Muragl is a favourite tourist des-tination, due to its panoramic views overthe Engadin area. On a clear day - whichwas not the case when this photo wastaken – you can see St. Moritz.

M

Trenchless expanding

The old pipe line leading upwardsfrom the lake consisted of 70mmOD grey cast iron pipes. Once thefirst starting pit had been excava-ted and the pipe exposed the worstexpectations were soon justified.Massive incrustations had reducedthe effective pipe cross-section to

TRACTUELL 12/E 7

which is installed in the same wor-king process. Expanders are usual-ly recommended for one or twonominal sizes. In this case the ex-pander was 100mm larger than theold pipe.

When the Grundocrack, which canfollow slight bends of the old pipe,reaches the target pit, it is then re-trieved there. Depending on whatis required, the Grundocrack caninstall protection pipes or productpipes simultaneously. In this pro-ject, 140mm OD protection pipeswere used and the 125mm ODHDPE water pipes would then beinserted. Over the total 4,5km longdistance some 27 pits were exca-vated and the lengths replacedaveraged 150m each time.

Challenge through scenery andunderground

The actual layout of the startingand target pits was determinedby the space available. Lack ofpit space was – unusually - the

tracting company have been work-ing in the pipe renovation field forover 10 years. They have five expertsworking throughout Switzerland,who are widely known as ‘Pipe-crackers’. They prefer to use thepneumatic Grundocrack PCF 130supplied by TT. Even in the rockyground of the Muottas Muragl thismachine proved itself very capable.

an absolute minimum. In someplaces it posed difficulties in guid-ing the 13mm thick steel pullingcable through the old pipeline.

The pulling cable is connected to awinch at the side of the target pitand statically supports the dy-namic thrusting of the Grun-docrack machine. This is started atthe other end in the starting pit ofthe section to be renewed. The bla-des of the Grundocrack were usedin combination with a 180mm ex-pander, to which the new HDPEpipe was connected.

Using the energy supplied by acompressor the dynamic PipeBursting of the Grundocrack pro-pels itself forward through the exi-sting cast iron pipe channels. Theblades shatter the old pipe and dis-places the old pipe fragments intothe surrounding ground. The ex-pander enables the larger profile ofthe new pipe to be accommodated,

Space restrictions despite natural surroundings: on the narrow mountain path the set-upof the equipment and excavation of pits sometimes required Boy Scout abilities.

On the right is an intermediate storage place for the HDPE pipes. On the left the rele-vant pit can be seen, which is situated on the extremely steep side of the path. The provisional water supply runs across the picture.

All equipment and pipes were brought tothe jobsite by helicopter. Some of the total27 pits - as can be seen - were well insidethe mountain, which meant installationdepths of up to 2,50 m

Who wouldn’t like to spend a holiday here? But who would like to install a water pipe?Still, the chain-driven motor vehicle did help the ‘pipe-crackers’ to transport materials.

Some 27 pits were exca-vated - arranged accord-ing to the profile of thelandscape

continued from page 5 - “Pipe cracking inrocky mountain area”

A P P L I C A T I O N

main problem on this jobsite. Themountain path was extremely nar-row and on both sides the terrainwas very steep and could not beutilised.

At some very tight points plat-forms even had to be made to ac-commodate the compressor andwinch, so that they had a secureanchorage.

For laying out the pipe string itwas only possible to use the moun-tain path. First of all a bypass linefor the water supply had to befound. Bypass sections of 1,3kmwere bridged before starting workwith an above ground auxiliarypipeline, as the water supply to thehotel could not be interrupted.

For protection against the waterline freezing, a safe minimumdepth of 1.5m was required. How-ever, due to the surface profile ofthe bore path, pipe depths of 2.5mwere often necessary. In this depthlarge rocks 20 to 30cm diameterwere often found. Nowadayswhen the ‘pipe-crackers’ from Ga-

A pit after completion of the Pipe Bursting. For the front section the winch was placedhere (target pit), above the slope at the front, the pipes for the section behind it werepulled-in (starting pit). Note the rocky structure of the ground.

watech look back and talk aboutthis jobsite, they are still astonishedthat they were brave enough to at-tempt this task. Pipe Bursting isusually carried out in the samecross-section of the old bore pipe,but the expander requires a displa-ceable soil to upsize the carryingcapacity of the new pipe.

Allowed time for climatic reasons

Even for the trenchless renewal ofthe pipeline there was still a fur-ther difficulty caused by transpor-tation problems. In the end all theequipment as well as all the instal-lation pipes were flown in by heli-copter and then moved from pit topit. For transport on the mountain,a small chain-driven motor vehiclewas used.

The new drinking water pipelineleading to the Muottas Muragl wasestablished in almost record timefrom the middle of June up to thebeginning of September 1999. Thatmeant that the hotel was providedwith a new water supply in theshortest possible time.

The local people of Engadin willalways tell you that they have 9months of Winter each year andthe other three months are cold.These three cold months were theonly time available for this jobsite.

continued from page 7 - “Pipe cracking in rocky mountain area”

TRACTUELL 12/E8

As part of a road improvementscheme for Kent County Council, itwas necessary to install 82 'I' beamsvarying in dimension from 775 mm to975 mm x 460 mm x 15 mm in lengthto create the roof and side wall struc-tures for a railway underbridge atNorthfleet in Kent.

The initial temporary works involvedsheet piling either side of the 10 mhigh railway embankment containinga 13.5 m section of track. The originalscheme was to install 27 tie bars by di-rectionally drilling from sheet pile tosheet pile, a total distance of 14 m.Thirteen of these tie bars were to beused to contain the sheet piles and theembankment while digging out con-tinued. Fourteen were used, again atdifferent levels, for the reaction framefor hydraulic jacking.

Genseed Underground Services Ltd.(GUSL), a company specialising intrenchless technology, were contactedby the main contractor, Christiani &Nielsen Ltd. (CANL) for the directio-nal drilling on this design and buildproject. On the initial site visit, Gen-seed put forward the concept of ram-ming rather than jacking the inter-locking 'I' beams using the Grundo-ram technique. It is believed that thiswas the the first time in the UK thatthis method has been used on such aproject. Extensive research was car-ried out to anticipate and overcomeany technical problems that were like-ly to arise. After consulting TT UK atBedford it was decided to purchase aKoloss ramming hammer.The first five tie bars used to retain thetop of the sheet piles were begun inApril 2000 at 1. 4 m below track run-ning level. This operation was accom-plished in two days, after which a fur-ther 1.6 m of earth was removed and alevel platform provided from whichthe roof 'I' beams were to be rammed.The first two beams were 'clutched'together taking great care to attain thecorrect line and level as all subsequentbeams were dependent upon them.Entry and exit holes were cut intoboth sheet pile walls and the rammingcommenced.

At the start of the third beam, it becameapparent that there was a problem. Byattempting to ram on the flange of asteel beam rather than a steel tube,some serious recoil problems were en-countered. The normal ratchet strapswere insufficient to contain the recoilforce and so a special ramming plate,

containing a tapered hole for the noseof the rammer and special fixings forthe plate to the beam, was producedusing a 75 mm thick armour plate.Once the problem of keeping therammer in contact with the beams hadbeen overcome, ensuring maximumenergy transfer, each beam was in-stalled in approximately 45 minutes.

42 beams were installed in 12 days,which met the target of 3.5 per day. Thebeams were then welded to the sheetpiles, through which they had passed,to stop the sheets from moving out-wards. By the 8 May another 4 m of soilhad been removed and another row of4 tie bars were installed. An unforeseenproblem arose at this stage because ofthe top row of beams. It proved impos-sible to track the head of the directionaldrill from above the ground. The taskwas made doubly difficult by the factthat the hole in the farther sheet wasonly 150 mm square.

By the 22nd May the second phase oframming for the side walls was readyto start. CANL, together with the helpfrom GUSL, had had produced twowalls, each containing eight 'I' beamslying on their sides and supported on aseries of suspended pads. Rammingcommenced from the top down usingthe next beam down in the stack as theguide for the ramming equipment. Thelast beam in each stack was drivenfrom a set of rails mounted between thesuspended pads. There were two morephases of beams installed using thesame method, giving a total of 20beams per side wall.

The last beam was successfully drivenon 4th July 2000, a total of 25 days (64hours) ramming time to install a totallength of 1.148 m of 'I' beams. Theworks were completed 10 days ahead

KolossalAchievement

of schedule, thanks mainly to the reli-abilty and power of the Koloss ram-ming hammer. The complete roof andwall beams were to within ±30 mm,which was well within specification.Both main contractor CANL and GUSLwere delighted with the successful out-come of the new joint venture.

TRACTUELL 12/E 9

TRACTUELL 12/E 11TRACTUELL 12/E10

dustry; these branches requiresound specialised knowledge.First example is the completerange of ground water manage-ment. In the surroundings ofbrown coal and hard coal miningregions, covering a wide space, anelaborate and cost-intensive artifi-cial regulation of the ground waterregime is called for. Until now,these measures taken for loweringthe ground water level or, in otherareas, for lifting it, could only beperformed with a large number ofvertical drillings. Meanwhile, inorder to decrease the number ofdrillings and to gain more hydrau-

lic efficiency, there is an extremelystrong tendency towards horizon-tal drillings with built-in filterstrings. Selection of the right filterstrings (also in view of existing pa-tents, which should not be viola-ted) and pulling them in requiresan enormous know-how in hydro-geology and drilling technology.These drilling-technical, water-en-gineering methods are also appliedfor draining embankments and sli-ding slopes, house drainage, drin-

king water systems, as well as hy-draulic waste redevelopment mea-sures.

Further examples for the increas-ing rate of horizontal drilling are,among others, installations of navi-gation lights (lighting) at airports,without interruption while keep-ing up the air traffic. Special blisterlights, stuck into drilled profileholes in the take-off runway, haveto be connected to their supplylines underground without har-ming or damaging the runway andto make sure the airport traffic isnot disturbed. The paths of thesupply lines are drilled from thegrass covered surfaces along thesides of the runway directly on tar-get to the lamp holes; due to thelarge number of lamps required,many kilometres of HDD drillingsmay accumulate beneath a run-way. However, this method of ad-ditionally installing navigationlights is protected by patent andmay only be applied after licencefee payment to the three patent-holding companies. But the num-ber of requests from airports isgrowing yearly.

Tools, facilities and instruments,which are installed underground,open up further application fields,but the conventional drilling me-thods can also be carried out in abetter and more intelligent way.

Enquiries about the future use ofHDD mainly concern the newfields of application and the resul-ting tasks in the horizontal direc-tional industry. These future taskshave a strong influence on the de-velopment of equipment and thenew technical operating possibi-lities of HDD systems.

In the last few years, besides thewell-known application for instal-ling mains and services, HDDunits have been increasingly requi-red for pulling in multi-duct pipesfor fibre-optictelecommunicationcables. Reasons for this boom infibre-opticinstallation are the pri-vatisation of the telecom compa-nies and the enormous growth ofthe mobile phone and internet ap-plications, a continuous trend forthe near future. At the time being,"information-highways", fibre-op-ticstrings in bundles of 128 or 256fibres per line, with 4 to 12 parallellines pulled into empty pipes, arebeing installed everywhere alongs-ide motorways, railway tracks orpipelines.

In this business, parallel bores andcrossings are the preferred jobs forthe HDD units. We are experien-cing a strong competitive massproduction of these units rightnow, and as such bores are oftenvery similar, an uncomplicatedand robust bore rig at a low initialcost is in high demand; these fea-tures are ideally fulfilled by theGrundodrill 10X.

The answer to the major concernabout whether this fibre-opticboom is going to continue in thecoming years, can only be yes.Short set-backs and stagnationmust surely be reckoned with inthis market, but in the long term,the trend is leading towards addi-tional requirements for fibre-optic-lines. Even though many interstatelines have already been establishedbetween the large cities of Europeand North America, and manyfibre-opticcity networks are cur-rently under construction, stillthere is an enormous increasingpotential for the coming years.

This increase results from further,new phone carriers, from the ra-pidly growing need for transmit-ting capacities via internet andfrom a future, even more effec-tive mobile radiotelephone field(UMTS), with main transmittingways taking the course of a verybroad-banded fixed telephone net.

Further growth is also possible innew application branches waybeyond the mains and services in-

The Bore Unit of theFuture and New Fieldsof Applicationby Dr. Hans Joachim Bayer,TRACTO-TECHNIK GmbH,

HDD units have been increasingly required for pulling in multi-ductpipes for glass-fibre telecommuni-cation cables

I N F O R M A T I O N

TT bore rig

Conventional bore rig

Planned airport lights

Oblique view

Position of boresin relation to thenavigation lights

Application example: Installation of additionalairport navigation lights(while continuing air traffic)

Top view

The TT has been studying toolingfor drillers to op- timise drillingpreparations and follow-up workand effect bores in a more cleverand effective way. With this too-ling in hand, drilling shall becomeeasier, it will use up less power,time and material and a higher-quality drilling and drilling docu-mentation will be possible. TheGRUNDO-BORE-HELP is a handysmall device and a qualified helpfor soil investigation, supportingthe optimal selection of the suitabledrilling suspension and drillingtools, while the GRUNDO-BORE-PLANNER is intended as an indi-spensable helper for drill pathplanning and drilling documentati-on, as well as for calculating safetydistances and material parameters.

A summary of the applicationfields mentioned above and themachine development tendenciesresulting from them shows a cleartendency. The boom of installing afibre-optic cable network across thecontinents and big cities of theworld is going to continue for somemore years, demanding simple, butvery durable machine types for newand initial installation.

Those regions with existing fibre-opticlines are additionally confron-ted with the problem of high occu-pation density in confined spaces,making HDD units with exact

steering and documentation abi-lities an absolute necessity. A highdegree of automation is essentialfor these units, as well as the abili-ty to fulfil the recording demandsof the German Standard GW 321(requiring the written documenta-tion of the pulling forces appliedwhen installing water and gasmains without ducts). With suchsensor-fitted bore rigs, precise andhighly automated, even tasks innew application fields, like paralleldrilling or pulling in vulnerableproduct pipes (i. e. drainage pipes,monitoring lines) can be managed,installing additional lines in confi-ned spaces is possible and specialtasks, like soil sampling or instal-ling navigation lights in airports,can be performed.

Furthermore, the future will bringus more tooling for precise soilanalysis, for improved monitoringand control of the drilling (bento-nite) suspension and for betterplanning and documentation of thebore itself. These are the precondi-tions for "intelligent" drilling,which enable the installation oflines and cables in less time, requi-ring less material and manpower.

TRACTUELL 12/E 13TRACTUELL 12/E12

The X-Family -

The last few years have seen alarge increase in the worldwideuse of horizontal directional drills.Numerous large fiber-optic cableprojects in every part of this planethave created a huge market for theuse of directional drills.

With the new Grundodrill X fami-ly, TT meets the growing need fora simple, reliable, and rugged ma-chine class, that can be operatedand serviced worldwide with theavailable personnel.

The simplicity of the design meetsthe important requirement our en-gineers had for the design of the Xfamily: TT wanted machines thatcan be checked and serviced by theend-user/ customer himself, incase the drill is working a long di-stance from the nearest service sta-tion. TT’s X machines perfectlymatch this requirement: virtuallyall-hydraulic, they have only theabsolute minimum in electronicsnecessary. As a result, a mechanicwith a hydraulics back-ground andsome additional service training byskilled TT training personnel, iscapable of finding and fixing vir-tually all problems within a shorttime period. An unbeatable advan-tage when it comes to reducingdown time!

As with all Grundodrills, the X ma-chines are equipped with TT’s pa-tented percussive hammer, offe-ring 28 tons of additional rammingenergy and allowing them to workin soil conditions (and finish thejob), where regular drills reach

their limit or have to switch torock-drilling equipment. Poweredby super-silenced Hatz diesel en-gines, the X-machines impress withvery low noise levels, as pleasedoperators have repeatedly told us.

A semi-automatic drill rod lubrica-tion system ensures proper lubrica-tion of the rods - and thus increas-es their longevity. The Grundodrillare equipped with a patented semi-automatic rod handling system. 48rods of 3 m length each can be heldin the actual rod handling box andare individually taken out of thebox (respectively put back into thebox during the backreaming pro-cess) and moved into drilling posi-tion by simply pushing a button.For bore lengths exceeding 145 m,the entire rod box can easily andquickly be exchanged for a secondrod box within minutes.

Obviously, the Grundodrill rodshave to withstand enormous dyna-mic forces, something that stan-dard rods, as offered commonplacein the market, cannot handle. Thepatented Twin Drive percussivedrill rods offer a number of advan-tages over standard rods by othersuppliers:• less susceptible to breakages,

withstanding high stress due tospecial design and special heattreatment

• up to 40% less torque requiredwhen loosening the drill rods

• up to 40% better service life• less wear on patented threads• better resistance to drilling fluids• improved mud flow

From the ergonomically designed,pivotable operator control seat thedriller has an excellent view of the

clamp and break-away and rodhandling systems and all impor-tant instruments. Through the inte-grated remote control, the operatorperforms all drilling and drivingfunctions. When moving the drill,the remote control can be dis-connected (13 X) from the controlseat, enabling the operator to safe-ly move and position the drill.

The heavy weight of the Grundo-drill X compares favourably tothrust and pullback forces, resul-ting - in combination with rear andfront stabilisators - in great stan-ding stability of the drill rigs. ForGrundodrill 10 X (option) andGrundodrill 13 X (standard) TT ad-ditionally offers a unique hydrau-lic anchoring hammer, superior tothe traditional anchor bore systemsespecially in tough soil conditions

The Grundodrill 7X is the first drillavailable with an on-board just-in-time bentonite mixing system (pa-tent pending), making it the first"real" self-contained drill in theworld:• no large water tanks, only one

water connection• simple to adjust bentonite consi-

stency in varying soils• saves a further operator• simple bentonite mixing• high bentonite flow, no bentonite

left-overs.

All in all, the Grundodrill X ma-chines fulfill the high performanceand quaility requirements in direc-tional drilling: minimal maintenan-ce and a long life, simple and userfriendly operation and a slim pro-file for trenchless pipe installationsin narrow streets and pedestrianareas.

H D D S Y S T E M S

GRUNDODRILL 13 X

GRUNDODRILL 10 X

GRUNDODRILL 7 X for pipes ≤ 250 mm Ø, bore length ≤ 200 m

with on-board mixng unit

for pipes ≤ 355 mm, bore length ≤ 250

for pipes ≤ 450 mm, bore length ≤ 350with hydraulic achoring hammer

works under Xtreme conditions - worldwide

TRACTUELL 12/E 15TRACTUELL 12/E14

Pipe bursting was the method ofchoice for this particular project.However, traditional pneumaticpipe bursting has been largely un-successful in bursting ductile andsteel pipe. ARB rehabilitation ma-nager Dave Arthurs turned to thehydraulically powered Grundo-burst from TT Technologies.

Bursting SteelThe recently introduced Grundo-burst 1000 G (the largest of threemodels) is a hydraulically opera-ted static pipe bursting system.

According to TT Technologies PipeBursting Specialist Collins Orton,several of the system’s featuresmake bursting steel, as well asductile iron, possible. He said:"During the static bursting process,

see this technology having agreat impact on the gas andwater industries. There are milesof steel and ductile iron lines inCalifornia and throughout NorthAmerica that are undersizedand/or deteriorating and need tobe replaced. Some are even requi-red by legislation to be replaced.

Being able to replace and upsizethese lines without digging themup, is a benefit to everyone."

The JobFor the STPUD project the ARBcrew dug a 5 x 15 ft (1,5 x 4,5 m)launch pit at the beginning of therun and another 5 x 20 ft (1,5 x6,0 m) exit pit 330 feet (100 m)away. The bursting unit was po-sitioned in the exit pit and connec-

Recently, West Coast pipe reha-bilitation contractor ARB, Inc.from California/USA was able todo something few contractors inNorth America have, replace a 6-inch (152 mm) 10 gauge steelwater main with 8-inch (230 mm)HDPE pipe through static pipebursting.

The project, completed for theSouth Tahoe Public Utility District(STPUD) from California was ac-complished with the help of TTTechnologies.

The existing 330-ft (101 m) steelwater main was being replaced aspart of a water tank rehabilitationproject. Because the line ranthrough a section of national forest,open cutting was not an option.

a special bladed roller cutting headis pulled through the existing lineby the bursting unit. As the bladedrollers are pulled through, theysplit the host pipe. An expanderattached to the rollers forces thefragmented pipe into the surroun-ding soil while simultaneouslypulling in the new pipe."

The specially designed bladedrollers are essential to the burst-ing process. The blades actuallysplit the host pipe instead of rip-ping or tearing it. This makes theprocess very clean and preventspotential damage to the productpipe.

According to Orton, this is a sig-nificant advancement in trench-less pipe replacement. He said: "I

ted to a hydraulic power pack. Thecrew then began inserting theQuickLock bursting rods throughthe host pipe and into the launchpit. The patented rods are linkedtogether, not threaded. This speedsinstallation and breakdown andprevents twisting the line duringoperation. A flexible guide rod

attached to the front of the first rodwas used to help ensure thesmooth installation of the Quick-Lock rods.

Once at the launch pit, the ARBcrew removed the guide rod andattached the bladed cuttingwheels, the bursting head, the ex-pander and the new HDPE pipe.The entire configuration was thenpullec back through the host pipe

by the hydraulic bursting unit. The8-inch (230 mm) HDPE pipe wasinstalled without incident.

After the HDPE pipe was in place,the ARB crew removed the bur-sting equipment. The new mainwas then chlorinated, tested andput into service.

Arthurs said: "Our crew was veryimpressed by how easy the ma-chine was to operate. They wereeven more impressed with the re-sults of the project. This was ourfirst attempt bursting steel pipe. Ianticipate a good deal more ofthis work in the future".

P I P E B U R S T I N G

Pipe Bursting Steel Water Main in California

TRACTUELL 12/E16 TRACTUELL 12/E 17

rameters within a short period oftime. By simply using a touchscreen the head of the bore-crewenters the information he has kno-wledge of into the PDA (Pocket PCor hand held computer). The soft-ware then processes the input data.The leader of the bore-crew thenobtains recommendations, whichcan support him in making decisi-ons enabling him to carry out asuccessful bore. The risk of makingincorrect decisions is minimised.Due to the software and thereforethe help in making decisions thesystematic analysis optimises thechoice of accessories and drillingfluid and therefore increases theefficiency and safety of the boreimmensely.

Adapting to the soil

The soil can vary immensely, butthe possibilities to have suitable so-lutions to hand are also variable.By using GRUNDO-BORE-HELP itis easy to choose the correct acces-sory.

At the end of the analysis theGRUNDO-BORE-HELP indicatesthe most suitable accessory, inclu-ding the correct part description.There is no need to search through

parts lists. Even placing an order,if necessary, could be carried outquickly. This also eliminates sour-ces of error, which optimises thechoice of accessories and alsosaves time in the process.

The drill fluid must be correctlyoptimised.

A bore hole is reliant on the dril-ling fluid. That is well known. TheGRUNDO-BORE-HELP also as-sists in choosing the correct dril-ling fluid structure.

The GRUNDO-BORE-HELP soft-ware calculates a recommendationfor the drilling fluid structure byusing the details entered by thebore-crew leader. The result isbased on soil data, which has beensystematically analysed. Thisgreatly increases the possibility ofthe correct and efficient use ofBentonite for example. This is notonly an economical advantage.

Valuable bore assistant

The GRUNDO-BORE-HELP sys-tem case will soon become a fa-vourite accessory to have to handat jobsites. The software for deter-mining and checking the soil will

Bore know-how at the press of abutton

A very strongly capable machinetechnique is still the main priorityfor carrying out a successful borewith the horizontal boring techni-que using drilling fluid. That is nolonger sufficient. Only after the in-telligent application and connec-tion of all important parameters,such as bore unit, accessories anddrilling fluid technique, does a ho-rizontal bore become capable ofbeing calculated. Especially thesoil, where the bore is to takeplace, must be taken into conside-ration. Nowadays nobody can takethe risk of relying on chance any-more.

Tracto-Technik is moving into adifferent direction aiming at per-fection.

Perfection, not only in the machinetechnique, but also in the applica-tion technique. It is here where thedangers of damages, poor bore re-sults or in the worst case having toabandon a jobsite, lie awaiting.

Efficiency and stable quality…that is also possible with horizontal bores

The new GRUNDO-BORE-HELPhelps to optimise horizontal bores.Most importantly where the suc-cess is usually decided: at the jobsi-te.

Supported by the software the con-tractor or head of the jobsite candetermine essential parameters re-garding the ground conditions. He

will receive recommendations forthe choice of accessories, bore sus-pension structure and informationregarding many other influentialbore factors.

The soil below is decisive

Before starting the pilot bore, at thelatest, everybody’s attention is di-verted to an essential influentialfactor: the soil conditions. Is theinformation regarding the soil con-ditions correct? Which porosityand granulation are shown in theground? What are the water con-tents of the ground?

There are numerous geological ex-aminations, tests and methods fordetermining the necessary groundcharacteristics. But the question is,when should which method beapplied, what do these resultsmean and what has to be thereforeconsidered?

Software for helping make decisi-ons

The GRUNDO-BORE-HELP offersan easy to operate system, whichincludes all essential undergroundcriteria and helps the bore-crewdetermine the most important pa-

GRUNDO-BORE-HELPNew software from TT for optimisinghorizontal bores

The correct drilling fluid structure can only be chosen by determing the soil type.

I N F O R M A T I O N

become so important, that nobodywill want to be without it. Also theadditional programmes of the PDAare valuable assistance at the job-site. For instance, there is a conver-sion programme for all physicalcontents, which can occur during abore process.

The GRUNDO-BORE-HELP sys-tem case for optimising bores:• Software programme for helping

determine bore parameters (choiceof accessory, bore suspension)

• Conversion programme for allimportant physical contents (me-tric/imperial)

• Easy to use, rigid PDA (PocketComputer) with touch screen-Operating surface

• Computer system Windows CE• Choice of language, German or

English• Aluminium case with all impor-

tant utensils (ruler, pocket knife,testing means, glasses, marker,measuring cup)

The GRUNDO-BORE-HELP programme andmeasuring kit to deter-mine the correct Bento-nite and tooling for aparticular site

TRACTUELL 12/E 19TRACTUELL 12/E18

by Jim Schill,Lime Valley,

USA

dent Don Gonzales drew on yearsof experience to create an optimalproject design and enlisted thehelp of the world’s largest piperammer, the Grundoram Taurusfrom TT Technologies.

Gonzales said, "We worked direct-ly with the owner of the projectand [general contractor] HamiltonConstruction [Springfield, OR] tocreate a successful project. Severalproposals were considered beforethe project was finalized. In theend we came up with a very solidproject that also reduced costs tothe owner.”

The Big "Y”Like many states throughout thecountry, Oregon is working tomaintain an aging, and in manycases under capacitated, road andbridge infrastructure. In order toincrease traffic flow and improveconnectivity in the North Medfordarea, ODOT has developed a mas-sive highway reconfiguration pro-ject in an area known locally as theBig "Y”.

According to ODOT, the $18 milli-on project includes everything

The Oregon Department of Trans-portation (ODOT) is currently un-dertaking several large scale roadand bridge improvement projects.The Highway 238-to-Jackson Streetproject is just one portion of acollection of projects totalling$135 million dollars. According toODOT, the Highway 238 project isthe largest construction project inJackson County, Oregon, in morethan a decade.

Ten years ago such a project maynot have included the use of tren-chless technology, specificallypneumatic pipe ramming. Todaythe story is different and contrac-tors like Northwest Boring Com-pany, Inc., Woodinville, WA arepushing the limits of trenchlessmethods and equipment. North-west Boring Company is a pioneerin the trenchless construction indu-stry on the West Coast. Its roots goback to the first auger boring pro-ject completed in central Californiain 1951.

For the installation of an 80”(2032mm) storm sewer casing under-neath Highway 99 in Medford,Oregon Northwest Boring Presi-

from rehabilitating existing road-ways and constructing new ones toinstalling storm drainage systemsand traffic signals. Minimizingdisruption in areas where oldmeets new can be challenging. Mi-nimizing disruption while tryingto install an 80”(2032 mm) steel cas-ing underneath a state highway isbeyond challenging, unless theright contractor is paired with theright equipment.

Pipe Ramming BackgroundPipe ramming has been aroundnearly as long as piercing tools.Using a piercing tool to install asmall-diameter casing in the gro-und is not a difficult task. The dif-ficulty or challenge in pipe ram-ming comes with large-diametercasing installation and long di-stances. According to TT Techno-logies Pipe Ramming SpecialistMike Schwager pipe ramming isprogressing into some of the lar-gest diameters and lengths ever at-tempted.

He said, "I’ve worked on severallarge diameter ramming projectsover the last few years. We are star-ting to see contractors, like North-

west Boring, push the technologyto new levels. The tools to completethose types of projects are outthere, but a lot of it has to do withthe contractor. This project hadeverything, difficult soil, a largediameter casing and an extremelylong bore length. This was easilyone of the longest pipe rams of thisdiameter ever accomplished.”

P I P E R A M M I N G

Northwest Boring Conquers

Giant Pipe Ram in Oregon/USA

The Grundoram Taurus was connected tothe casing through a series of special taperedram cones. Note the bentonite line on topof the casing. Several thousand gallons ofbentonite were used on the project.

The Northwest Boring crew used theworld’s largest pipe rammer to install the80” (2032 mm) casing, the 24” (610 mm)diameter Grundoram Taurus from TTTechnologies.

With a casing of 80” (2032 mm), the180-ft(55 m) ram in Medford, Oregon, was oneof the longest large-diameter pipe ramsever attempted.

TRACTUELL 12/E 21

tapered cones were used. The con-figuration for the Medford ram in-cluded two tapered ram cones.

A special push ring was used withthe Permalok casing so that the ac-tual ramming force was transferredto the casing itself rather than thepipe’s connection joints. The first80-inch ram cone reduced the over-all diameter from 80” (2032 mm) toapproximately 36” (914 mm). Thenext cone further reduced the overall diameter to the point where thetool is connected, friction fit, tothe cone thereby completing theassembly.

After the final tool assembly, ram-ming began at a furious pace withthe first 20-ft (6.1 m) section takingapproximately 30 minutes to ramin place. The next section of pipewas lowered into position the sameday and partially rammed in place.Operations halted briefly after anabandoned water line was encoun-tered in the bore path. Once remo-ved, ramming continued. TheNorthwest Boring crew checkedline and grade measurements peri-odically and removed 8 to 10 feet(2.4 to 3.0 m) of spoil with a mini-excavator after each pipe sectionwas installed.

continued from page 15 - “Northwest Boring conquers Giant Pipe Ram...”

job site for what would be one ofthe world’s longest, large-diameterpipe rams ever attempted. Thelaunch pit was excavated and con-structed using driven sheet pilingsfor added safety.

The crew poured a concrete plat-form and used auger boring tracksas a drive platform. Hydraulicjacking cylinders were also used inconjunction with the pipe rammerto help eliminate rebound by ad-ding a constant pushing force. Ayoke frame was constructed tohelp transfer the force evenly.

Gonzales said, "Hamilton was agreat general contractor to workwith. The pit they constructed forus was a work of art.”

After the track and driving plat-form were assembled, the Nor-thwest crew began work on thecutting shoe for pipe rammingoperations. According to Schwa-ger, the cutting shoe is an integralpart of the pipe ramming process.He said, "The cutting shoe helpsstrengthen the tip of the leadingpipe for maximum penetrationthrough difficult soil and rocks. Italso reduces both external and in-ternal pipe friction due to its over-size cut.”

Difficult soil conditions weregoing to make the project anythingbut easy, but ramming helpedovercome the conditions. Somecasing installation methods are im-paired or even rendered inoper-able by rock or boulder filled soils.Pipe ramming is different. Duringpipe ramming, boulders and rocksas large as the casing itself can be"swallowed up” as the casingmoves through the soil and can beremoved after the installation iscomplete. The Northwest Boringcrew encountered some big rocksduring this ram but were able toget past them without incident.The soil conditions also made ben-tonite lubrication an essential partof the project. The Northwestcrew installed a bentonite linealong the top edge of the lead ca-sing. In this case, the cutting shoecreated a channel for the flow ofthe bentonite/polymer mixture.Several thousand gallons wereused during the project.

Ramming SpeedIn order to connect the 24” (610mm) diameter Grundoram Taurusramming tool with the 80” (2032mm) Permalok casing, a series of

Product PipePermalok steel casings were cho-sen for the Medford project. Oftenduring a ramming or a jack andbore project welding casing seg-ments can take many hours of pro-duction time. Permalok casingsemploy a mechanical press fit de-sign that provides a strong, quickconnection between casings as analternative to welding.

Gonzales said, "The physical im-pact from pipe ramming, especial-ly large diameter ramming, on acasing is immense. I have neverhad a Permalok joint fail. Wechose Permalok for two reasons.One was the production timesaved from not having to weld.And two was the success rate. Ifwe’re going to use the world’s big-gest and most powerful pipe ram-mer, the Taurus, on pipe, I wantPermalok.”

Site PrepAfter finalizing the scope of theproject, the Hamilton Constructioncrew set to work on preparing the

Ramming times ranged between 30and 40 minutes up to 140 ft (42.7 m).As expected, ramming times in-creased during the final sections ofpipe. After the final 20-ft (6.1 m)section of pipe was installed, theNorthwest crew removed the spoilusing a 48” (1219 mm) auger boringmachine. The new 80” (2032 mm)storm sewer was in place, on lineand grade, at the amazing distanceof 180 total feet (54.9 m), 80 x 180(24.4 x 54.9 m).

ReactionAccording to Gonzales, everyonewas pleased with the results of theproject. Gonzales said, "Creating aviable ramming project was key tothe success of the job. Once thatwas accomplished, the [on-site]preparation and planning were ex-cellent. When the pipe rammer ar-rived on site we were ready to putit to work. We had to make a cou-ple of adjustments to grade at thebeginning of the job, but after thatthe pipe stayed right on grade.In fact the line was perfect andthe grade was within a mere 0.16”(4 mm) of design. That’s a remark-able accomplishment.”

TRACTUELL 12/E20

After each 20-ft (6.1 m) casing section wasrammed in place, the Northwest Boringwould remove 8 to 10 feet (2.4 to 3.0 m)of spoil with a mini excavator.

Permalok casing was chosen for the stormdrain project. The casings are connectedby a special joint system that does not re-quire welding.

The giant pipe ram was part of a large scale highway and bridge improvement project inJackson County, Oregon.

TRACTUELL 12/E 23TRACTUELL 12/E22

Pipe bursting techniques have beenrecently employedby ContractorEarney Contracts Lt on the HighBangor/Donaghadee Road Water-main replacement, near Bangor inNorthern Ireland.

The project consisted of the replace-ment of 2,700 m of 100 mm cast ironwater main upsized with a 250 mmPE Pipe. The whole project wasplanned to be completed by opencut techniques, however, the maincontractor, Earney Contracts Ltd ofLisburn, selected a 400 m section ofthis work to trial TT UK’s 80 tGRUNDOBURST 800G pipe bur-sting system. The 800G is suppliedwith the patented QuickLock bur-sting rods which have a simpleclick lock, ladder rod system as op-

posed to the traditional screwthreaded rods with a friction drive.QuickLock rods offer huge advan-tages in time and labour savings, gi-ving continuous operation i.e. noneed to stop bursting in order toconnect or disconnect rods, greatlyreduced wear and tear on the bur-sting rod threads and the rig jawcomponents.

Excavations were taken out at ap-proximately 100m intervals, wherethe GRUNDOBURST 800G rig waspositioned and the QuickLock rodswere pushed up the existing 150mm water mains in readiness forbursting. The QuickLock rods andfoot remote control allows for aconstant auto rod cycle. Followingthe success of the first trials Thomas

Earney, has since purchased hisown TT 800G GRUNDOBURST rigand is delighted with the significanttime savings being made and saysthat using traditional open cutwould have taken at least twoweeks, whereas with careful plan-ning and preparation using hydrau-lic pipe bursting the project wascompleted in only two days.

Simon Brown, RE for this WaterService project also commented onthe beneficial time savings madeusing bursting. Based on the simpli-city of the operation and the savingon reinstatement of a highway, heconsidered that Water Servicewould have no problem utilisingpipe bursting in appropriate cir-cumstances.

The bursting section ran along the vergeof Donaghadee Road. Had this sectionbeen open-cut, traffic disruption for up totwo weeks would have been inevitable.The use of TT’s pipe bursting techniqueskept disruption to a minimum.

Pipe BurstingCast Water Main

P I P E B U R S T I N G

Upon arrival at the reception pit, the leadpilot rod is removed and replaced by a rol-ler cutter blade assembly, 300mm expanderand a towing head pulling in the new 250mm PE water main. The final connectionsare made to the roller cutter blade and ar-ticulated swivel joint which are easilyconnected to the burst rod string locatedin the existing water main pipe.

During the pull-back operation the QuickLock burst rods pass through the rig and backinto the next 100m section of existing 4” (203 mm) main thus enabling a 2-way burstproviding yet even further time saving.

Once the tooling connection is completethe 800G rig is then operated in pull-backmode and bursting commences.

In normal circumstances a hydraulic bursting rig of capacity 30 – 50 t would have beenselected for this pipe material/ diameter. However in this instance, the 800G rig hadbeen selected for demonstration purposes.

Consequently combined with the high quality and superb features of the rig and the 80 tcapacity, the 800G rig made light work of the 400 m section. With typical rod pushingtimes of 60 minutes, pull back/bursting times were as little as 65 min. Also due to the ad-vanced design of the Roller Blade Cutter, the tonnage required to burst the actual pipewas typically as little as 16 – 20 t (32 tons for joint and repair collars).

The complete system, comprising of thehydraulic power pack, bursting rig, Quick-Lock rods and tooling is easily transportedon a 7.5 t truck.

GRUNDOBURST 800 Gconvinces contractor