Tractuell 13 E - tracto.com

TRACTUELL

TRACTUELL 13/E32

TR

AC

TU

ELL for collection

TT Group of companies

The only ch

oice

for perfect

pipe installat

ion

Edition No. 13 • September 2002

Newsletter from TRACTO-TECHNIK

Your GRUNDOMAT-Partner:

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

HDD systems

New GRUNDOROCKmud motor was designedfor mid size HDD rigson pages 4 - 5

Pipe bursting

US creek sewer projectwith Grundoram becameproject of the year on pages 16 - 17

EXCELL bore prize

First prize for the instal-lation of a seawater ex-traction lineon pages 12 - 15

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

TT UK Ltd10 Windsor RoadGB-Bedford MK 42 9SUTel.: +44 1234.342.566Fax: +44 1234.352.184www.tt-uk.comE-Mail: [email protected]

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

Tracto-Technik GmbHHead officeP.O. Box 40 20D-57356 LennestadtTel.: (+49) 2723/8080Fax: (+49) 2723/808189E-Mail: [email protected]

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: [email protected]

TT Ireland (left to right): Stephen Butler, customer support engineer, Stephen Wells, com-pany secretary, Paula Jones, office administrator, Billie Turner, operations director andDavid Toms, managing director.

were acquired in Navan, CoMeath. These are strategically pla-ced to cover the increased demandfor trenchless products both inNorthern Ireland and the Republicof Ireland. The TT Group wishesthem every success.

Customer after sales service re-mains a number one priority at TTUK and no amount of praise can begiven that would truly thank NigelGardener, customer services direc-tor, and Roger Atherton, generalmanager, for their contributionover the last 20 years.

TT UK would like to take thisopportunity to thank all the TTGroup partners for their moralsupport and commitment to tech-nical sales and marketing, parti-cularly over recent years whencompetition has been at its mostaggressive. May this continue forthe next 10 years and more!

Left: Roger Atherton and Nigel Gardener,customer services.

continued from page 31 - “20 Years TT UK”

TRACTUELL 13/E 3TRACTUELL 13/E2

Contents

4 - 5 Information:New Grundorock mud motor: designed for mid size HDD rigs

6 - 8 Application: Anchorage under ancient tomb inTurkey with Grundomat

9 HDD systems:Grundodrill 13X installs HD-PE pipeunderneath famous hangar

10 - 11 Pipe ramming:Steel pipe ramming in historic County Galway, Ireland

12 - 15 FaGeBo:Contractor DA-RI wins Excell bore prize with seawater extraction line

16 - 17 Project of the Year: TT Technologies is awarded prize for pipe bursting sewer project

18 - 21 Application:Rare Torrey pines were relocated with the help of GRUNDOMAT

22- 23 Pipe Bursting:Cast iron main from 1897 was replaced in Sydney/Australia

24- 25 Application:The new guided mole becomesintegral part of US gas industry

26 New product:Apollo, the world’s largest rammer

27 Short report:Joinery undercrossed with Goliath

28- 29 Application:Historical heritage in Sweden saved by Grundoburst

30 Information:· New HDD- technology centre at TT· New portal: nodig-construction.com

31- 32 Information:TT UK celebrates 20th anniversary

DDear readers,

almost 40 years ago, on November 11th 1962, my fatherfounded TRACTO-TECHNIK. My parents had to make alot of sacifices in the founding phase. My father startedwithout capital at that time, “only” with a head full ofgood ideas.

Real entrepreneurship, coupled with iron will, sound self-confidence, an unfailing sense for what is possible and dis-ciplined economy, made the company what is is today.

In the year 1994, I became my father’s successor.

The accomplishment of dynamic economic processes callsfor clear objectives and strategic alternatives as well as forutmost flexibilty, because our customers have the right toexpect total effort and support with the solving of theirspecific probems.

Due to the above-average growth in the past years, ourcompany had to be reorganized structurally, in personneland organizationally. This process is almost complete.Now the preconditions have been created to maintain thesuccess of TRACTO-TECHNIK in an ever changing mar-ket.

Finally, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank all the TTemployees and partners very much for their loyalty andeffort throughout the last four decades.

Yours sincerelyWolfgang Schmidt

© Copyright by:TRACTO-TECHNIK GmbHSpezialmaschinenD-57356 Lennestadt

Contents:Carola Schmidt

Setting and Layout:Anne Knour

Photograhy:Fotostudio Rickert

Printed by:Druckerei Hachenburgon recycable paper

Circulation:10.000 copies

Impressum

Pages 4 - 5 Pages 10 - 11

Pages 22 - 23

Steel pipe rammingin historic CountyGalway, Ireland

Excell bore prizefor spectacular in-stallation in Northsea resortGerman contractor DA-RI installeda seawater extraction line withGrundodrill 20S and won the Ex-cell bore prize at FaGeBo 2002.

New Grundorockmud motors forsmall and midi sizeHDD rigs

Pages 6- 8

Anchorage underancient tomb withGrundomatTo reinforce the foundation of theancient tomb “Alaca Kumbet”(dated from the year 1208) in Kay-seri(Turkey) 22 bores were madewith Grundomat 75 and filled withconcrete

The new Grundorock mud motorsfrom TT are designed for boresthrough rock with smaller drillingrigs with limited mud pump capacity.

As part of the extension of the uti-lity service networks in the natio-nal heritage town of Athenry asteel pipe Ø 500 mm was installedbeneath the railway line leading toDublin.

Trenchless removalof rare treesSeventeen 50-year-old Torrey pineswere removed and relocated inCalifornia with the help of Grun-domat soil displacement hammer.

Pages 18 - 21

Grundoburst playskey role in waterservices upgrade

Australia’s first pipe bursting ma-chine was applied for a major pipereplacement project in a suburb ofSydney.

Pages 12 - 15

New guided moleshows the way forUS gas industryGrundosteer was put throughrigorous field-testing in the USA.

Pages 24 - 25

S


Rock drilling:new mud motor

for small and midisize HDD rigs

I N F O R M A T I O N

conventional motors available,” hesaid. "The ability to use mud motorson the smaller end of the HDD equip-ment market opens up new prospectsfor small-to-medium drill rig opera-tors thus increasing the productivitydistinctively.”

The new mud motor has been fitted toRitebore’s Grundodrill 13X HDD sys-tem , and was initially used on sec-tions of NextGen Networks’ new na-tionwide optical fibre network cur-rently under construction. The firstapplication of the 13X/mud motorcombination was to bore a 100 mm Ø,170 m long bore under a creek nearDubbo, through rock with a hardnessof 40 MPa.

Ritebore’s new 13X is its third Grun-dodrill; other units include another13X and a 12G. All steerable boringsystems from TT have a patented per-cussive hammer guaranteeing thrustand steerability in difficult conditions,where systems without percussivehammer come to a standstill.

Another key feature is its very lownoise levels, with power comingfrom super-silenced Hatz diesel en-gines, making it suitable for work inresidential areas. The Grundodrill13X’s max. pullback is 125 kN whilerotational torque is up to 4000 Nm. Itcan bore up to a length of 350 m,with a max. backreaming Ø of 600mm, and a minimum bend radius of42 m.

According to Louis Pulo, Ritebore’smanaging director, the new13X/mud motor combination willprovide substantially improved capa-bilities in rock drilling applications."This new rock-boring rig is the onlyone of its kind in Australia and givesus the ability to bore in rock that wepreviously couldn’t manage, or wasextremely time-consuming and diffi-cult,” he said. "We found the ma-chine very easy to set up, and it canoperate in a very compact work area.

The use of mud motors opens up new prospects for small-to-medium drill rig operators

Since March 2002 Sydney-based HDDspecialist Ritebore has been operatinga Grundodrill 13X from TT fitted witha Grundorock low-flow mud motor toface the extreme soil conditions inAustralia.

Originally mud motors were used inthe oil industry. First smaller unitswere introduced to the market requi-ring bentonite flow that small andmid size HDD rigs could not produce.Now the Grundorock mud motorsfrom TT are designed for applyingthe "low-flow-technology" with smal-ler drilling rigs with limited mudpump capacity. The Grundorock mudmotors are available for differentpump sizes in diameters of 70 mm (27/8") and 90 mm (3 3/4").

Mud motors are, as their name sug-gests, powered by mud. The bentoniteslurry is pumped down the inside ofthe drill rods; the slurry also carriesout a lubrication/cooling function, be-fore exiting back through the borebringing the cuttings with it.

The advantage of a mud motor is thatit powers rotation of the drill bit, ra-ther than using rotating drill rods. In-stead, the drill rods just provide thepushing and pulling force, plus trans-mission of the mud. The drill rods areonly rotated to maintain direction andinclination and to keep the cuttingsfrom setting, The rods are relieved ofmost of the stress connected withdrilling without a mud motor, whichmeans distinctively less wear on therods. The HDD rig is relieved, too, be-cause most of the power is producedby the mud pump.

“The end result is increased producti-vity and bore accuracy in rock andhard material applications and exten-ded service life for rigs and drillrods,” said Tom Hughes, managingdirector of the TT Group’s Australiansister company TT Asia Pacific. "In thepast, mud motors have only beenavailable for larger directional drillingrigs; TT´s mud motors use the low-flow mud motor technology, bring-ing this capability to mid-sized andsmaller HDD rigs".

“These new Grundorock mud motorscan run at a pump capacity as low as75-150 l/min of fluid, compared with350-450 l/min for the smallest sized

The fact that we can use a muchsmaller machine to drill in rockmeans that there is far less impact onthe environment. This is because themachine takes up a lot less space, sowe don’t have to disturb a large areain setting up,” he said."We’re also finding that the mudmotor works very well - in fact, it’sworking even better than I expected.”

Features of Grundorock low-flowmud motors:• for bores through rock up to 200

mm Ø even with smaller directio-nal drilling rigs (midi rigs).

• Through the patented, sealed bea-ring section maximum power is de-livered to the bore head with mimi-mum pressure loss.

• The power section, particularly de-veloped for HDD systems, enablesoptimum drilling performance atlow drilling fluid flow rates.

• The high strength, flexible trans-mission shaft has no movable com-ponents, which would be subject toextreme wear.

• The bent housing (fixed or adjusta-ble bending angle) ensures reliableperformance and precise steering.

• Extended open flow passages andconstruction of the sealed bearingsection enable the use of com-pressible media, such as nitrogen,air or foam.

• Due to the sealed bearing sectionthe full drilling fluid volume isavailable for cleaning the bore holebottom.

• The patented bearing section has anoil-lubrication system providinglong service life, optimum reliabilityand lower operating costs.

• Maintenance interval only every 300– 400 hours, instead of standard in-terval of 100 hours on the motors

• The rotary bits are equipped withflat cutting bits up to 220 Mpa orcone bits up 300 Mpa or with PCD’s(polycristraline diamonds) for evenharder soils.

Power sectionUniversal sectionBearing section (sealed) Bent housingBit BoxDrill Bit

TRACTUELL 13/E 7

GRUNDOMAT-anchorage under ancient tomb in Kayseri/Turkey

A P P L I C A T I O N

GRUNDOMAT

installs an HD-PE pipe

through a small space

between two foundations

GRUNDOMAT reaches the targetbetween two concrete piles

View of the tomb in the middle of the excvavation .

Kayseri, known as Caesarea inRoman times, one of the oldest citiesin Anatolia, has a 6000-year historyand because of its geographical posi-tion, it always has kept its impor-tance.

It is located on the, so-called, SilkWay and situated at the foot of anextinct vulcano, Mt.Ercyes (3.916 m),which these days has become a po-pular ski-resort.

The inner city, dominated by the By-zantine fortress, is full of historicbuildings, minarets and mosques,Turkish baths, fountains, tombs andinns. The presence of all these historicalmonuments, throughout the city,makes the planning of trafficthroughways and infrastructuralworks difficult.

The Municipality of Kayseri hadplanned for a junction free through-way through the city center, passingvery close to the walls of the fortress.This bypass was to run below thelevel of the local streets with bridgesconnecting the side streets at the op-posite sides of the new road.

In the middle of the planned routewas an ancient Tomb, the AlacaKumbet, dated from the year 1208.According to the plans the lanes ofthe new road had to pass left andright of the foundation of this monu-ment.

In order to reinforce the foundation,before the excavation works started,a series of 11 m deep boreholeswere made surrounding thetomb and concrete was pouredin to create concrete piles.

TRACTUELL 12/E8 TRACTUELL 13/E 9

Tomb

Concrete piles

Measuring pointMeasuring point

Measuring pointDistance A

Distance A

GRUNDOMA T

Starting position of the Grundomat 75 in front of the tomb at a depth of 3,5 m.

continued from page 9 - “GRUNDOMAT - anchorage under ancient tomb in Kayseri/Turkey”

Anchoring, to connect the concretepiles at opposite sides, was to bemade at two levels, by means of steelcables, first at 3,5 m and later at5,5 m deep, as the excavation pro-gressed.

Instead of using a special drill rig foranchoring bolts, the main contractorhad invited TT-Insaat (TrenchlessTechnology Insaat) to install the 60mm P-E pipes as ducts for the tensi-on cables.

TT-Insaat is the first contractor inTurkey, specialized in trenchless in-stallation of pipes and cables, andthe project was performed in co-ope-ration with Hidrotek, the Tracto-Technik distributor in Turkey.

A total of 22 bores had to be madewith lengths of 12 and 15 m and itwas decided to use the Grundomat75 for this job. The difficulty was tofind a method how to aim the ma-chine on the target, which was to be

TT UK was approached by utilitiescontractor Parrott Ltd., to assistwith the installation of 550 metresof 125 mm PE water main at theDriving Standards Agency whichis based on the old RAF Carding-ton site near Bedford, on behalf ofthe main contractor, Sisk Contrac-ting. Each bore was a minimum of100 metres in length with a depthof cover at approximately 1 metre.

The ground conditions throughoutthe demonstration were favoura-ble, being a soft to stiff clay.

The drilling rig utilised for thisparticular installation was the TTGroup GRUNDODRILL 13X ho-rizontal directional system withits unique on-board percussivehammer. The percussive hammerfacility is normally used in moredifficult/stonier type ground con-ditions.

The X range family of directionaldrilling rigs has been designedwith one ultimate objective, toassist in putting more pipe in theground. The many proven featuresguarantees fast set up and rod cas-

the space between two concrete pilesat the opposite side. The concretehad been poured directly in the soil,without casing, and therefore thepiles were very rough, not at regulardistances and sometimes the spacebetween two piles was closed.

A jackhammer had to be used atsome places to open a hole betweenthe piles. Because of the depth of theexcavation and the place of the buil-ding itself, it was impossible to usethe Grundoscope in the normal way.

A special method of aiming theGrundomat in the proper directionhad to be found. For this reason, bymeans of accurate measuring andsighting, the direction of the targetpoint had to be transferred to therear side of the machine, after whichthe Grundoscope was used directedto the back of the machine instead ofto the front. After the correct aimingmethod was found the job was per-formed successfully, albeit that themachine sometimes slowed downconsiderably because of stone en-closures under the tomb.

From the pattern of these obstacles itwas concluded that there shouldhave been a circular wall of an oldwell or other foundation under thetomb. However the power of theGrundomat was able to overcome allthese obstacles, at the end, 18 out of22 bores were on target, in the other4 cases the machine had to be assis-ted by widening the opening bet-ween the concrete piles by means ofthe jackhammer.

The main contractor and the munici-pality both were impressed with thepower and the accuracy of the Grun-domat.

sette box change for longer bores.Continuous drilling and a veryaccurate bore path using the 28 tvariable speed percussive hammersimultaneously with the standardthrust. This combination allowsdrilling in the toughest groundconditions.

Complimenting the rig’s powerand performance are the TwinDrive percussive drill rods. Theserods require much lower connec-tion and breakout forces which im-proves mudflow. To make thingseven easier, the Grundo-Bore-Helpand Planning software will give re-commendations on tooling anddrilling fluid requirements, as wellas efficient and precise bore pathplanning, keeping the drilling crewand productivity ahead of the com-petition.

The above installation was carriedout to the complete satisfaction ofthe main client and contractor. Thiswas the first time the clients hadcarried out this type of installationby utilizing directional drillingtechniques to install a polyethylenepipe.

Grundodrill 13Xdoes the job!

H D D S Y S T E M S

The route of the bore indicated by the redline.

GRUNDODRILL 13X in operation withthe support vehicle in the background.

The back reaming operation due to startwith the 125mm PE water main attachedto the backreamer Ø 190 mm by meansof a swivel. This backreaming operationtook approximately 1 hour to complete.

The famous Cardington hangar, where theR101 started its maiden flight.


P I P E R A M M I N G

The National Heritage Town ofAthenry, County Galway is stee-ped in Irish History and is reveredby all those interested in thisfascinating subject. In 1178 Pierrede’Bermingham was created theFirst Baron of Athenry and sobegan the development of this ma-gnificent fortified Medieval Town.

Through the intervening centuriesAthenry maintained its importanceas a principal trading centre beinggeographically situated on the mainroute between Dublin and Galway.The industrial revolution saw thearrival of steam power and thebuilding of Irelands first major rail-way line between these two Cities.This passed through Athenry, con-firming the town’s importance andassisting its further development.More recently steam gave way tomodern fossil or man made fuels,the line has been modernised, newcontinuous welded track laid andat a time of strong business andeconomic growth in the Irish Repu-blic, Athenry is determined tomaintain its justifiable place in mo-dern history.

Today, due to the demand for socialhousing and industrial units theTown has grown, spreading outsidethose original fortified walls (still90% complete) creating a need forthe expansion and refurbishment ofits existing utility services net-works, particularly water. RecentlyGalway Co Council through Con-sulting Engineers Ryan-Hanleyawarded a £7million contract called

Ancient and Modern:


The Tuam Regional Water SupplyScheme to international contractorsCoffey Construction. Part of thisscheme runs through Athenry cal-ling for a new main to be laid be-neath the Dublin-Galway and Gal-way-Limerick railway lines at anumber of designated crossings. Asit is essential to maintain all sche-duled services Coffey Constructionthrough Ryan – Hanley proposedthe trenchless technology methodof steel pipe ramming using the TTGRUNDORAM Goliath air hammersystem which has 1,300 t force ofdynamic impact.

Coffey knew that in using theGRUNDORAM system they couldsupport the tracks as they passedbeneath them and that their Goliathhammer had both the power andcapability to handle the toughest ofIrish ground conditions. In thiscase, boulder clay. David Barrett,construction manager for Ryan-Hanley said, "all rail crossings haveto be completed in a time slot. Opencutting is disruptive, noisy for localresidents and there is always therisk of not completing on time. Steelpipe ramming removes totally thatrisk, it is also faster, environmental-

ly more friendly and safer thanopen cut”. Unlike auger boring orpipe jacking, GRUNDORAM steelpipe ramming does not need a backabutment and can be operated evenin confined spaces. Whether itsramming an interlocked pipe archfor a bridge construction or steelsectioned welded pipe driven overa collapsed sewer pipe betweenmanholes, this method offers cost-effective solutions. It can installpipes from 200 mm Ø to 4 m overdistances up to 80 m. If requiredground stabilisation around thepipe and surface friction are hand-led using Bentonite. This is done bypumping Bentonite to the cuttingshoe fitted to the leading edge ofthe pipe. Bentonite passes throughthe shoe and is distributed aroundthe outside and inside of the pipe.Outside it, stabilises the bore, redu-ces surface friction between thepipe and bore, whilst inside thepipe, it assists the removal of theearth core. Stones and boulders upto the pipes internal diameter areeasily handled. No jamming theauger or creating slump. More im-portant is the capability of the sy-stem to lay large diameter pipes atshallow cover as only the wall

thickness of the pipe is being dis-placed. Approval for the use of thiswell proven method was firstsought through Iarnrod EireannIrish Rail’s (IEIR) Divisional En-gineer, Lee Maher. All aspects ofIEIR’s safety and operational poli-cies were met and the "go ahead”was given on the basis IEIR’s en-gineers would remain on site dur-ing the ram to check for any dis-turbance to the railway line. This

crossing at Castlelambert Road,Athenry was to be 12 m in lengthand called for the installation of a500 mm Ø steel pipe through whichwill pass the 350 mm Ø ductile ironwater main. Favourable site conditi-ons allowed Coffey Construction toexcavate the launch pit of sufficientsize to accommodate both the fullpipe length and Goliath air ham-mer. The launch pit was close shut-tered and the base levelled to take asteel I beam that was to supportand guide the 500mm pipe throughout the installation. With the 500 mm Ø pipe secured inthe start position a soil removal ad-apter was fitted between the trai-ling pipe end and the Goliath ham-mer. This assembly was held to-gether using chain strops; (no backabutment is required). The leadingend of the pipe had been reinforcedprior to its arrival on site by wel-ding a steel strip around its circum-ference. This proved to be a wiseprecaution, however the use of theTT Group's standard cutting shoesand pressure plates for core ejectionavoids the need for welding andsignificantly reduces the job time;the cutting shoe prevents the possi-bility of pipe deformation. A suita-ble air supply was coupled to theGRUNDORAM hammer and thedrive started, gently at half volumeto begin, increasing to full volumeonce Coffeys engineers had esta-blished ground penetration of thepipe. Despite strong boulder–clayconditions the pipe took just underone hour to install, making progressof a metre every 4/5 minutes.

Following arrival of the pipe in thereception pit a pressure plate waswelded in situ ready to eject theearth core inside the pipe. Due tosite safety practice this was doneonly after all visitors had left thesite. Iarnrod Eireann Irish Rails En-gineers confirmed there had beenno disturbance to their railway linedespite the reinforced pipe end cut-ting through a number of largeboulders en-route.

Enda Healy, Contracts Manager forCoffey Construction pointed outthat the ramming process only dis-places the wall thickness of the pipebeing installed and in this case thepipe cover was two and a half me-ters ensuring there was virtually norisk of line disturbance. Galway CoCouncil’s Senior Resident EngineerEoin O’Flaherty said "he was suita-bly impressed with the speed andefficiency of the whole processparticularly Grundorams groundhandling capability. More impor-tantly there had been no disrup-tion to IEIR's scheduled servicesthroughout the work.

The complete Tuam Regional WaterScheme includes the construction ofa reservoir, pumping station and

Ancient and Modern:


“Trenchless technology has a significant part toplay in assisting us protectour heritage”

the laying of 30.4 km of water mainsvarying in size from Ø 450 mm duc-tile iron to Ø 200 mm UPVC. EndaHealy for Coffey’s said "Steel piperamming is just one of the trench-less services we offer. In the nextfew weeks we will be rock drilling,again beneath the same line withTT’s 20S HDD system. We can alsooffer in line pipe replacement usingthe latest pipe bursting techniquessizes 50mm (2”) to 990mm (39”).Our Grundoburst 400G Quick-Locksystem handles cast-iron, ductile-iron, steel, UPVC, vitrified clay andasbestos cement materials. It’s high-ly productive replacing up to 200 mof pipe per day where site condi-tions permit.

Without doubt trenchless techno-logy has a significant part to play inassisting us protect our heritagebut as important it avoids disrup-tion to our transport infrastructurewhilst significantly reducing pro-ject costs”.


F A G E B O

Installation of a seawater extraction line

The resort visitors at the North andBaltic Sea appreciate the therapeu-tic effects of seawater on skin com-plaints and other illnesses. The Bal-tic Sea resort Zingst also realisedthis and had a seawater tappingline with pumping station built inorder to achieve the recognition asa spa. From there, seawater is fedto the different supply points suchas, for example therapy pools.

The whole project contained:1. Installation of a seawater suction

line DN 160 HDPE over a lengthof 316 m , of which 230m carriedout underwater below the BalticSea.

2. Installation of a water line DN 90HDPE and 2 protection pipesDN 63 HDPE for a power andcontrol line over a 55m length

taken from the building site plansand documented and taken intoconsideration when choosing thebore path.

Description of the extractiontechnology and supplying of sea-waterThe planned sea water pipe ismeant to extract seawater for se-veral local consumers for seawatertherapy baths. The seawater pipe-line was carried out in HDPE, ND150 (suction side, d160 x 14,6 mm)as well as max. ND 80 (pressure-side, d 90 x 8,2 mm). The installa-tion method used was the horizon-tal boring method using drillingfluid. The pipe axis was situated ata right-angle to the beach, sanddunes and forest area. The situa-tion of the bore rig for carrying outbores nos. 1 and 2 was behind thedyke on the seaside and in front ofthe forest area. The bore rig wasstationed at ground level. In thearea of the pipe entrance a collec-tion pit of approx. 2,5 x 2,5 x 2 mwas produced in order to collectthe used bore Bentonite suspen-sion.

Bore No. 1 (OD 160 HDPE seawater gradeline)

• The length of the line in the Bal-tic Sea area was approx. 231 m

• The length of the line in thebeach and sand dune area wasapprox. 75 m

• The length of the line in the fo-rest area was approx. 10 – 20 m

Bore No. 2 (ND 80 seawater pressure line as wellas 2 x ND50 as cable protection pipein a pipe-bundle with an outerdiameter of approx. 190 mm)

using the horizontal boring me-thod with drilling fluid.

3. Open type construction of a sea-water pumping works and theremaining connection to the spacentre and other consumers.

The planning area is situated onthe Baltic peninsula Darß and isbordered by the Baltic Sea, sanddunes, beach, woods and dyke inthe north, west and east and in thesouth by the town Zingst.

The planning areais situated in themiddle betweensea-level (0,0 m)and the beach up to4,10 m above sea-level.

The following inventory and plan-ning work had to be carried out:• Draft of surveyance documents

by the surveyor’s office Döring(Wismar) from 08.06.1999

• Soil report of engineering officefor soil mechanics and founda-tions Prof. Reeck & Partner (Wis-mar)

• Inventory plans from service andutility companies

• Various planning documents ofengineering office WIREC (Neu-münster, Germany)

• Statement on the approvabilityof the building project by WSAStralsund

• Statement on the approvabilityof the building project by StAUNStralsund

The amount of available gas anddrinking water supply pipes, drai-nage canal capacity, as well as theamount of cables and pipes were


ContractorDARI wins

EXCELLbore prize

continued from page 13 - “Installation of a seawater extraction line”

The minimal installation depthbelow the terrainand seagroundwas at least 2 m

• The length of the line in the dykearea was approx. 27 m

• The length of the line in the roadcrossing area was approx. 5 – 10m

• The length of the line in the Dü-nenstraße road area was approx.10 – 15 m

An approx. 6,5 m deep pit, resis-tant to seawater, was placed in alowered position in the plannedarea of the bore rig with a diameterof 1,5 m. The seawater extractionline runs into this pit. Respective to

the water level of the Baltic Sea thelevel adjusted water level in thelower regions of the pit sets itselfaccordingly. To extract the sea-water 2 submersible motor-drivenpumps were installed, which alter-nately supply the seawater to therequested consumer point via apressure line. A signal cable NYY-J24 x 2,5 mm2 had to be installedparallel to the pressure line, inorder to control the seawaterpump.

Installation of the seawater ex-traction pipelineThe company Biotec GmbH inGrimmen gave orders to Daber-kow and Ringenberg GmbH, 17335Strasburg to carry out the bore. On02.05.2001 the pilot bore couldbegin. From the bore rig’s positionan entrance angle of 15° was neces-sary. The minimal installationdepth below the terrain and sea-ground was at least 2 m. Due tosome unsurpassable obstacles thepilot bore had to be postponedafter 150 m and after steering diffi-culties at 158 m. On 04.05. the drillstems were retrieved and a newpilot bore was started, which hadto be abandoned on 07.05. due to afaulty sonde. After exchanging thesonde the bore was restarted on08.08. in the same path and com-pleted on 09.05 during rough sea.

pressure of the water. The usedBentonite was collected in a collec-tion pit and disposed of via the citywater works.

The diving company Jörg Ramlowfrom Rostock installed an elevatedfloat with pulley block at sea on alevel with the target point. Thebore head was connected under-water with the pulley block andthe drill rod was pulled to thewater surface, where the bore headcould be disassembled.

The next working step was the as-sembly of a 265mm size back-reamer. The pipe-puller was as-sembled to the product pipe on dryland. Afterwards the product pipewas pulled into the sea, aligned inthe pulling direction and connec-ted to the backreamer. The pipewas flooded and additionallymade heavier with concreteweights, so that it was forceddownwards. The installation start-ed on 10.05. at 18.00 hrs and wenton through the night for approxi-mately 8 hours. After the installa-tion the pipe was closed off with aplug 1 m above the bottom of thesea by a diver.

Due to the saltwater a special dril-ling fluid had to be used. As salt-water would destroy the fluid, itwas essential to mix Flock Gel (Po-lymer) into the fluid. Dolomite wasnecessary for the density of thefluid, because of the strong back

View from the shoreline over the Baltic Sea to the suggested target


Crews attached an 18-inch (460 mm)Grundoram Goliath to the rear of thepipe string to provide extra pushingpower for long burst runs.

P R O J E C T O F T H E Y E A R

When it was founded in January1942, the Goleta Sanitary Districtserved just 1,500 people living inCalifornia’s largely agricultural Go-leta Valley.

In the early 1970s, following a pe-riod of rapid expansion, the Districtconstructed a 2.1 km long trunksewer that today serves 60 percentof the service area. The trunk sewerwas constructed of a newly intro-duced resin-impregnated, fibre-glass-wound pipe, known as Te-chite, which was expected to have aservice life of 50 years or more.After 25 years of service, however,the Techite pipe started showingsigns of failure and stress, believedto be the result of gradual deteriora-tion of the fibrous pipe material.The alignment of the pipe varied indepth and diameter , ran alongsidethe environmentally sensitive Atas-

cadero Creek and crisscrossedroads and a heavily travelled bikepath used for recreation and com-muting. The area along the Creekalso serves as a natural habitat tobirds that use the area for nestingbetween July and November, whichmeant that construction in this areawas restricted during this time.

"While some portions of the 2.1 kmof the interceptor were in func-tioning condition, the District elec-ted to replace the entire interceptorsince it had reached the end of itsuseful life,” said Kamil S. Azoury,P.E., general manager and districtengineer for Goleta SanitaryDistrict. "Any future failure of anysection of the interceptor wouldhave cost the District substantialfunds due to the nature of the re-quired repairs in the environ-mentally sensitive surroundings of

this interceptor.

To replace theaging trunksewer, the Dis-trict demandeda solution thatwould not dis-turb the envi-ronmentally sen-sitive creek,would cause litt-le disruption toresidents andbusinesses andwould meet theexpected popu-lation growth ofthe Goleta Val-ley. In addition,given the state ofthe pipeline, itneeded an an-swer quickly.It was deemedby the Districtand its engineer,Penfield andSmith of Santa

Barbara, that trenchless construc-tion techniques could achieve costsavings of 50 percent compared toconventional open-cut construction.Based on growth models, theDistrict also required that the trunksewer be enlarged in diameter withan SDR 17 HDPE pipe. As a result,cured-in-place piping, the originaloption, was eliminated because ofits slight decrease in pipe capacity.The District and its engineers thenturned to pipe bursting due to itsevasive trenchless qualities and itsability to upsize the existing pipe tomeet future growth.

Given the unique features of theproject, including its length, diffi-cult ground conditions and proxi-mity to environmental, residentialand business areas, the District de-veloped a strict set of requirementsfor potential contractors. In May2000, the project went to bid, andthe District awarded a $ 2.4 millioncontract to ARB Inc., California,based on price plus qualifications.Construction began in August 2000and was completed in February.

The existing pipe consisted of ap-prox. 2.1 km of 609 mm (24 in.) to762 mm (30 in.) diameter pipe loca-ted under soil depths ranging from3 - 7.20 m (10 - 24 ft). In addition tothe Techite, portions of the linewere constructed of vitrified claypipe. In total, 700 m of 863 mm (34in.) and 1445 m of 914 mm (36 in.)HDPE were installed. In addition,220 new 1820 mm (72 in.) manholeswere installed and coated.

In many locations along the pipealignment, the groundwater tableis shallower than the pipe. Theground predominantly consists ofsilty and sandy soils, which easilyerode. The average planned burstlengths were 120 m (400 ft), basedon the distance between manholes.The collapsing nature of the soil re-

quired the use of a Bentonite lubri-cating system that decreased dragon the pipe over these long dis-tances.

To facilitate the bursts, a 507 mm(20 in.) by-pass system was estab-lished and ran 24 hours a daythroughout the project. The ARBcrew also videotaped the existinglines before bursting, and the newlines after they were installed. A"Data-Logger” was required for allHDPE fusion welds, which allowedthe inspector to accurately locateeach fusion weld in the pipe for usein as-built drawings. After mobi-lization and installation of approx.220 m of bypass, the pipe burstingwork was ready to begin.

ARB opted to use a 609 mm (24 in.)Grundocrack Taurus pneumaticpipe bursting tool from TT Techno-logies for the project. This airdriven hammer generates in excessof 20 kN of impact force, cycling ap-prox. 20 m per hour. For hydrosta-tic support Taurus was connectedto a 40-ton winch.

Pipe pushing was simultaneouslyachieved using an 18-in. Grundor-am Goliath tool at the rear of thestring. ARB fabricated a pipe ram-ming adaptor to allow the second

hammer to provide an additional9,590 ft-lbs of pushing force to helpovercome pipe drag.

"It took everyone involved puttingour heads together to meet the chal-lenges of this project,” said DaveArthurs of ARB. "We were almostdoubling the size of the pipe indifficult soil conditions, so we need-ed all the power we could get. Weknew from the onset that this wasnot going to be an easy task.”

The bursting head was equippedwith cutting heads welded to theguide head. The blades focus thepercussive action of the tool andgreatly enhance overall burstingpower. The bursting head was thenwelded to a 1066 mm (42 in) expan-der, designed to be lightweight forassembly and handling. The "over-cut” allows room for the new pipeto be pulled in and for the introduc-tion of lubricant.

One of the most critical componentsof the equipment was the Bentonitelubrication system, a necessity onany large diameter pipe burstingoperation. To lubricate the pipestring, a special manifold is instal-led through the wall of the pipe afew feet behind the expander. TheBentonite is pumped at relativelylow pressure (300 psi) through themanifold during bursting operati-ons. The Bentonite is intended to lu-bricate the pipe, not fill the annulus,which could result in hydrostaticlockup.

For this project, two 2000-l mixingtanks were mounted on a flatbedtruck and a water truck was used tosupply the tanks. Bentonite solutionwas continuously mixed, thentransferred by a pump to a 1200-lGrundomudd system for deliveryto the bursting operation. Typicalruns lasted between two and fivehours, with some runs lastingas long as eight hours. As the jobprogressed, ground conditionschanged to a more stable clay,which allowed ARB to reach ahigh of three runs in a single week.

In the end, Goleta Sanitary Distric-t’s decision to incorporate trench-less solutions not only saved anestimated $2 million in constructioncost vs. open-cut, but also minimi-sed disruption to residents, busin-ess and environment. The project,which was awarded the project ofthe year in the environmental tech-nology section of the American

Public Works Association (APWA)chapter of Santa Barbara County,was completed within the nestingseason time limits and did not in-terrupt the farming season, as waspreviously agreed upon.

The 120 m runs were some of thelongest runs achieved up to date,considering the soil conditions,depth and large pipe diameters. Inaddition, the District was able toachieve its long-term growth plans. "This showed the capabilities ofpipe bursting,” Arthurs said. "Wewere able to complete the projectsuccessfully, in adverse conditions,within the environmental, politicaland social constraints placed onit. It was difficult, but we showedthat it can be done.” AddedAzoury: "We knew that pipe burs-ting technology for such large pipesize, under such soil conditions andfor such long bursting pulls had notbeen experienced by any contractorin the nation. We were thorough inour selection of a contractor for thisproject. Furthermore, a good ‘part-nering’ relationship with the con-tractor and understanding thepioneering efforts sought for thisproject were essential for its suc-cess. The District, the contractorand the consulting engineers simp-ly could not afford failure.”

Atascadero Creek Sewer Project:Creative Solutionsfor Pipe Rehabilitationby James W. Rush, editor of Trenchless Technology

“We knew fromthe onset thatthis was notgoing to be aneasy task”



Trenchless construction methodsare often the centerpieces of anyconstruction project. Sometimes,however, they can contribute to aproject in a small way and stillhave a big impact. Such was thecase recently for Telliard Construc-tion, San Diego, California, on aproject for the city of San Diego.

In an effort to relieve traffic con-gestion, the city of San Diego deci-ded to reconfigure a major inter-section in La Jolla (a suburb of SanDiego). The area is well known forthe magnificent and rare Torreypine trees that tower above moto-rists from the intersection’s island.In order to alleviate traffic conge-stion, the intersection needed to bereconfigured and the Torrey pinetrees moved.

City officials turned to TelliardConstruction, San Diego, CA. for asolution to the problem. Accordingto Telliard Construction ProjectManager Dave Telliard, the citydid not intend to sacrifice the trees.He said, "The city wanted the treesremoved and relocated. Somecould be re-planted immediately,but some would have to wait untila new island was constructed befo-re they could be replanted. Uponaccepting the project, we becameresponsible for the trees for threeyears.”

Successfully removing and reloca-ting the trees was a difficult under-taking made easier through the useof trenchless technology, specifi-cally a Grundomat piercing toolfrom TT Technologies, Aurora, IL.

Trenchless Tree Removal

Relocation of rareTorrey Pines

by Jim Schill

TrafficSolving the traffic congestion prob-lem in San Diego is one of the toppriorities of the city’s mayor. Accor-ding to the Texas Transportation In-stitute’s 2001 Urban Mobility Re-port, of the 68 cities evaluated in thereport, San Diego received the fifthworst travel rate index.

The project in La Jolla is a smallpart of San Diego’s effort to reducetraffic congestion. Telliard said,"The two major roads that runthrough La Jolla merge at the islandintersection the city planned to re-configure. It’s a major traffic zoneand suffers from terrible congesti-on. The island between the roadswas home to seventeen rare andprotected Torrey pine trees. Thecity planned to create a new inter-section in order to alleviate some ofthe traffic flow problems.”

Not only was Telliard responsible forthe relocated trees, he was respon-sible also for the their well being. En-suring the 50-plus-year-old trees sur-vival took great skill and know-how.

ArboricultureTelliard Construction has a gooddeal of experience handling andmoving trees. Telliard said, "I wasfortunate to work on several com-plex tree moving projects in thepast. My father also worked forsome prominent hotels and movedpalm trees, some of which were thelargest ever moved, at the time. Weare still primarily a general con-tractor, but we do have our lands-caping license and a good deal ofthat type of experience.”

As part of the bid package, Telliardwas required to hire a consultingarborist for the project. The arbo-rist provided on-site consultationin terms of how the trees should beremoved, i.e. which roots to cut,how they should be cut and how tocontain them, and how the treesshould be cared for after they weremoved.

Telliard said, "As I mentioned,we’re responsible for the trees forthree years. The arborist’s job wasto consult with us and report to thecity. He tells them how the treesare doing and, early in the project,evaluated the trees’ chances of sur-vival. He provides recommenda-tions for care of the trees as well.”

Root BallAs the Telliard crew prepared tobegin removing the trees, it be-came apparent that the project wasgoing to be more difficult than an-ticipated. According to Telliard,the trees were planted very close tothe curb and gutter, and accessingenough of the trees’ root systemsto remove them successfully wasgoing to be a challenge.

Telliard said, "We needed to digdown and collect the tree’s rootsinto a root ball. The root ball keepsthe tree alive while it is beingmoved. When the tree is replanted,these roots grow back into the soiland the tree continues to grow.Because of the curb and gutterissue, we had to have the arbo- riston site, helping identify whichroots to cut. We had to be

In all, seventeen 50-year-old rare Torrey pine trees were removed andrelocated. The trees weighed between 32 and 45 tons and stood between15 and 21 meters tall. A certified arborist consulted on the project.

In order to get the drill stems in place, theTelliard crew used a Grundomat P 180 toram the drill stems under the root ball ofeach tree. Each lifting grid was composedof twelve to fifteen drill stems.


very careful during this processand make sure we could get toenough roots for the trees to survi-ve.”

Telliard and his crew chose to ga-ther each tree’s roots in a circularroot ball. Each root ball measured5 m in diameter, a radius of 2,4 mfrom the trunk of each tree. Tel-liard carefully dug around the tree,using a mini-excavator, exposingthe tree roots to a depth of appro-ximately five feet. Once the rootswere exposed and cut, they wereencased in landscape-grade burlapand secured with a wire mess. Atthis point, the root ball was com-plete and the trees were then pre-pared for moving.

The PlanRemoving the 15- to 21- meter tallpine trees proved even more chal-lenging than preparing the rootballs. Telliard, however, had aplan. He created a grid composedof 100 mm diameter, 4,5 m longsteel drill stems under the root ball.This allowed a large crane to liftthe trees and place them on atransport vehicle. The problemarose in getting the drill stems inplace to form the lifting grid.

Telliard said, "We tried many diffe-rent methods to get the pipethrough the ground and in placeunder the trees. We tried pre-drill-ing. We tried pounding them inwith a Bobcat breaker. We tried apneumatic hammer, but we just we-ren’t getting the results we wanteduntil we talked with Dennis Oellersfrom TT Technologies.”TT Technologies Product SpecialistDennis Oellers brought severalpneumatic piercing tools to the jobsite. Telliard said, "Luckily I wasable to get a hold of Dennis. Hecame down with all his differenttools and we tried to figure outwhich one worked best. We wentwith the biggest, baddest one hehad.” The tool Telliard selected wasthe 180 mm diameter Grundomat-P180.

Piercing ToolTelliard didn’t intend to use thepiercing tool for boring; instead hewanted to use it as a pipe rammer todrive the steel rods under the trees.The results were amazing. Insteadof taking all day to pound one ortwo stems in place, it took a matterof minutes.

Oellers said, "Each tree required upto 15 rods to complete the grid. Bet-ween ten and 12 rods were rammedunder the root ball running north tosouth, spaced approximately six in-ches apart. The last two were put inplace manually, one rod on thenorth end and one rod on the southend. The final configuration ap-peared similar to a wooden raft.With the Grundomat, we were ableto get the steel pipes in place in twoor three minutes per stem.”

Ramming the steel rods in placewith the piercing tool was a simpleoperation. The rods were placed atthe base of the root ball and theGrundomat secured to the end of arod with straps, similar to the onesused in pipe ramming. Once the airwas turned on, ramming wasunder way. Telliard said, "It wasunbelievable. The tool performedlike no other. The amount of pro-ductivity we got from this toolprobab ly saved us a month’sworth of time and labor.”

Remove, Relocate & ReplantAccording to Telliard, the crewworked in a two-week rotation.The crew spent two weeks prepa-ring a group of trees. Then camemoving day and the crew wouldmove seven to eight trees at onetime. A 300-ton crane was used tolift the trees, which Telliard es-timates weighed between 32 and45 tons each. The trees were thenplaced on a lowboy trailer andrelocated until they could be re-planted.

Telliard said, "We tied the pipesthat made up the grid together, butwhen the crane lifted the trees theweight alone was enough to keepeverything in place. Before thecranes got there we would go upon lifts above the canopy of thetree and drop what we calledmessenger ropes to the ground.When the crane came, we wouldattach the ropes to the crane’sstraps and guide them through thetree to keep them from break anybranches.” Over a period of one month, all se-venteen trees were successfully re-moved. To date, eight of the seven-teen trees have been replanted. Theremaining trees will be replantedupon completion of a new islandintersection. Telliard was verypleased with the results of the pro-ject. He said, "We didn’t inventthese methods for removing thetrees, but we saw so many ways toimprove upon the techniques.That’s why I was so glad to get ahold of Dennis at TT Technologies.That just made it a great project.”

In order to successfully lift the TorreyPine trees, the Telliard construction crewcreated a lifting grid for the Torrey pinetrees out of 4,5 m long drill stems.

Before utilizing the Grundomat piercingtool, the Telliard crew place an average ofone or two drill stems per day. With thepiercing tool, Telliard was able to ram thestems in place in approx. one to three mi-nutes per stem.

Each root ball was approximately 5 m in diameter or a radius of 2,4 mfrom the trunk ofthe tree. The root balls were wrapped in landscape grade burlap and secured with wiremesh.

Removing the 50 to 70 ft tall pinetrees proved even more challen-ging than preparing the root balls

continued from page 19 - “Relocation of rare Torrey Pines”


Australia’s first Grundoburst 800Gpipe burster has been an importantcontributor to the success of a majorpipe bursting and replacement pro-ject in one of Sydney’s best-knownand most built-up suburbs.

Pipe bursting specialist CollexNoDig is using the Grundoburst800G in the replacement of nearly800 m of old water mains in thePotts Point/Kings Cross region. Theoriginal 200 mm diameter cast-ironpipe, dating back to 1897, is being re-placed with 225 mm diameter poly-ethylene pipe. The pipe to be re-placed consists of two sections: one580 m long and the other 190 m long.

Challenges facing Collex NoDig inthis project include the built up na-ture of the area, with many existingunderground services, high levels ofvehicular and pedestrian traffic, andthe need to ensure water services arecut off for only a few hours. "In this

area, there are many high-rise apart-ments, all with automatic fire sys-tems to protect the properties andtheir occupants,” said Todd Sten-ning, Collex NoDig’s project mana-ger. "For that reason, it’s critical thatwe have water services restored eachnight so that people are not withoutthese fire services.”

Using the Grundoburst, CollexNoDig has been bursting 90 m runs,although the Grundoburst is capableof replacing in excess of 200m ofpipe per day in favourable condi-tions, due to the quick relocation abi-lities of the machine. The Grundo-burst 800G bursts the existing pipe;then the polyethylene pipe, weldedin sections up to 90 m long, is fedinto the burst sections and reconnec-ted. During the course of the project,which started in early July, CollexNoDig is opening a total of nine ac-cess points, seven in Victoria Street,and two in Challis Street.

A job of this length would normallybe completed in just a few weeks.However, due to the congested na-ture of the site, the high level of ser-vice connections and cross connec-tions, the project is scheduled forcompletion in August.

"We’ve been very impressed withthe Grundoburst,” said Stenning."It’s a very advanced machine interms of its technology, and achiev-ing what we want from this job."It’s also very compact, which is par-ticularly useful in the area we’reworking around, what with all thetraffic, pedestrians and undergroundservices.Normally, you’d expect amuch bigger machine with this a-mount of power.

"Our operators found it very easyto operate. We had about a day’straining from the supplier, TT AsiaPacific - plus we’ve had plenty of ex-perience with pipe-bursting equip-ment - and that was all we needed,”he said. ‘In addition, forward motionand all hydraulics are electronicallycontrolled, and there’s a digital read-out which very clearly shows what’sgoing on. That’s a key feature.”

Stenning said the Grundoburst’sQuickLock rods were a lot quickerand easier to use than conventionalscrew-type rods, both when insertingthe rods into the pipe, and haulingback with the pipe-bursting headand replacement pipe sections. "It’s avery quick action; you just dropthem into place, lower them down,push the rod forward and you’re

GRUNDOBURST plays key role in water services upgrade in Sydney, Australia

ready for the next one. Pulling back,the operation is simply reversed.They don’t tend to jam like thescrew-type rods can - often we’dneed to use a Stillson to tighten orunscrew them - and the maintenanceis a lot less,” he said.

Collex NoDig (formerly known asNo-Dig Pipelaying Pty Ltd) wasformed in 1991. The involvement ofCollex, a subsidiary of Vivendi, theworld’s largest water company,brings significant resources to theorganisation. Following this involve-ment, the business has recently ex-panded its range of services frombeing Australia’s leading pipe bur-sting company to now also pro-viding a range of other rehabilitationservices such as insitu lining, robo-tics, grouting, patch-lining andhouse service lining. As a result ofthis, Collex NoDig is now a total ser-vice provider in rehabilitation of un-derground pipes. Pipe bursting re-mains a key tool in pipeline rehabi-litation, as it is the only technologysuitable for both pressure and non-pressure rehabilitation, upsizing,and size-for-size replacement with-out any loss of internal capacity.

Key to Collex NoDig’s success hasbeen its relationship with industry-lea-ding suppliers such as the TT Group(represented in Australia by TT AsiaPacific), who continue to supply theequipment to keep Collex NoDig onestep ahead of its competitors.

TT Group’s Grundoburst range ofpipe-bursters includes 400 kN and800 kN machines. Both comprise arig with hydraulic cylinders, a hy-draulic power pack, patentedQuickLock bursting rods with burs-ting head and various diameter ex-panders for pulling in the new pipe.The compact nature of these machi-nes means that small pits are re-quired, minimising excavation costsand disturbance of the work area.

The Grundoburst 800G can deliver380 kN of thrust and 770 kN of pull-back, and is suitable for pipes from80 mm to 450 mm nominal diameter.Required pit dimensions are 3400mm long by 800 mm wide by 250mm deeper than the pipe being re-placed. Bursting speeds (dependenton the pipe material and soil condi-tions) of 100 m per hour can beachieved. Power for the bursting unitcomes from a TT B100 hydraulicdrive unit, powered by a 43 kW die-sel engine and delivering a maxi-mum pressure of 250 bar.

“Pipe bursting remains a key toolin pipeline rehabilitation, as it isthe only technology suitable forboth pressure and non-pressurerehabilitation, ...”

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

GRUNDOBURST plays key role in water services upgrade in Sydney, Australiaby Tom Hughes, Managing Director TT Asia Pacific


With a customer base of over 2.6million people, KeySpan EnergyDelivery needs to remain as effi-cient as possible to meet the needsof its customers. One way that Key-Span has increased its efficiency isthrough the use of new technologyfor service installations and conver-sions. According to KeySpan’s An-gelo Fabiano, Principal EngineerOperations Research, the growth inthe gas industry drives the develop-ment of new and more efficient in-stallation technologies. Trenchlessinstallation methods have becomean integral part of the gas industry.And in many ways, the gas indu-stry has prompted growth in thetrenchless equipment industry.”

The most recent piece of trenchlesstechnology that KeySpan is utili-zing promises to have a great im-pact on the gas industry - theworld’s first truly steerable pneu-matic piercing tool.

Development of the steerable pier-cing tool began in 1992. The Gas Re-search Institute (GRI), Chicago,identified a need in the industry foran installation tool that had similarcapabilities to a directional drill, butrequired a smaller crew and couldoperate in areas that a conventional

drill rig could not. Through the co-ordination of the GRI, the enginee-ring firm of Foster Miller, Inc.,Waltham, created a design for thetool.

Trenchless equipment manufactu-rer TT Technologies, Aurora, Illi-nois (TT Group) was selected tobuild and market the guided moleunder the trade name Grundo-steer®. Digital Control Inc., locationand tracking equipment manufactu-rer, Renton, WA, was chosen toproduce the tool’s guidance system.Finally, several large gas utilities,including Brooklyn Union Gas(now part of KeySpan), were selec-ted to put the Grundosteer throughrigorous field-testing.

After several years of developmentand testing, the partners have arri-ved at the final tool design. Likeconventional piercing tools, theGrundosteer is pneumatically ope-rated and is powered by a piston in-side of a casing. It can be surfacelaunched by hand or pit launchedfrom a starting cradle. The 75 mmdiameter tool can bore up to 60 m.In all respects it operates and func-tions like a regular piercing toolwith one big difference - it can besteered. Sensors on the tool provide

pitch and roll information to theoperator. An above ground locatoris used to track the tool’s positionand movement.

Depending on soil conditions, thetool can be steered at a maximum27 m radius. The operator can makeadjustments to the tool’s course byrotating the air hose with a hydrau-lic tensioning unit called a torquer.A specially designed tapered steer-ing head rotates accordingly thensets the tool’s course.According to TT Technologies Pier-cing Tool Specialist Brian Mattson,the tool is ideally suited for the gasindustry. He said, “It is not alwayspractical to use a directional drill rigfor difficult service installations.Conventional piercing tools are notalways the right choice either. TheGrundosteer combines the best ofboth methods.” Those abilities wererecently put to the test in the chal-lenging service area of KeySpanEnergy Delivery.

Conversions, installations and sys-tem upgrades occur on a daily basiswithin the KeySpan service area, in-cluding the area once known asBrooklyn Union Gas. KeySpanmaintains two full time directionaldrilling crews in the New York area

and many other service crews areequipped with piercing tools. Forone particular conversion in LongIsland, neither a directional drill nora conventional piercing tool wouldbe practical. The Grundosteerwould have to overcome severalchallenges.

Fabiano said, “The Long Island jobcalled for the installation of a 25 mmMDPE gas service from a 100 mmsteel gas main, running parallel tothe roadway, to the house located30 m away. From the launch pit, thebore path dropped slightly for thefirst 5 m then traveled up hill at 55%grade for 15 m. At that point, thegrade of the bore changed to 15%for the last 10 m until reaching theexit pit located next to the house.”In addition to the challenging grade,the soils in that area are not verypiercing tool friendly. Mattson ex-plained, “Sandy soils are some ofthe most difficult soils to bore infor any piercing tool. The lack ofground resistance can cause the toolto ‘swim.’ In this case we encounte-red sandy and rocky soil conditionsand had to run the tool at 1/3 powerto prevent it from swimming.”

Mattson and the KeySpan crew duga small launch pit. The Grundosteerwas launched in the 6 o’clock positi-on at 0.8 m deep. The crew let thetool travel downward to match asmall drop in grade before reachingthe base of the hill. At approximate-ly 5 m, the crew rotated the air hoseand positioned the tool head in the12 o’clock position. At this point thetool began to climb the hill.

Mattson said, “Mapping the borepath out before the shot is very im-portant, especially in a situation likethis. The tool was at its shallowestduring the first 5 m of the bore.Given the distance we had to workwith, we knew that after the tool tur-ned to climb the hill, it would not beable to match the 55% grade beforeit reached the surface. Therefore, itwould continue to gain depththroughout a majority of the bore. However, we did not want to bedeeper than 1.8 m at any point du-ring the bore. We needed to deter-mine what grade we could achievegiven the Grundosteer’s rate of turnand the bore length; how deep thatgrade would take us; and wherewould the tool be when it crestedthe hill.”

After traveling the first 5 m and ma-king the turn upward, the tool even-tually achieved a 35% grade climb.At that grade, the tool never excee-ded 1.8 m deep at any given pointduring the bore. At the 15 m mark,the grade of the hill lessened drama-tically to 15 %. When the DigiTrakReceiver from Digital Control, sho-wed the tool beginning to shallow,the crew rotated the hose once againand positioned the tool head back at6 o’clock. The tool began to arc slow-ly and surfaced 5 m from the house.

After the Grundosteer surfaced, theKeySpan crew trenched the final 5 mto the house. The new 25 mm MDPEpipe was installed by attaching it tothe Grundosteer’s air hose. As theair hose was removed, the newMDPE was pulled into place.

Fabiano said, “This tool will let usdo some things we weren’t pre-viously able to do. It is definitelyanother tool in our arsenal. As far assaving money goes, it takes a smal-ler crew to operate than a directio-nal drill rig and can go places wherea directional can’t. It can also dothings that a conventional piercingtool can’t. And it’s trenchless. Andtrenchless methods are designed forminimizing public disruption andlowering restoration costs. I lookforward to seeing the tool reach itsfull potential.”

The 30 m bore dropped slightly for thefirst 5 m, then traveled up hill at 55% gradefor 15 m. The grade then changed to 15%for the last 10 m.

Like a conventional piercing tool, theGrundosteer can be surface launched byhand or pit launched.

A specially designed sonde within theGrundosteer’s tapered head providespitch and roll information to an above ground locator.

GRUNDOSTEER

The new guided mole in the USA:

Steering the gas industryin the right direction



the site of Leipa’spaper -mill in eastern Germany,the civil engineering company TRSGmbH recently installed a steelpipe of 1430 mm diameter and awall-thickness of 20 cm under thecompany-owned joinery over alength of 24 m at a depth of 3 m.Purpose of the bore was the diver-sion of a sewage line over 300 mlong due to the construction of anew production hall on the site.This new hall will accomodate apaper machine PM 4 for the pro-duction of newsprint. Leipa hasaround 450 employees whichmainly produce packings, proces-sing approximately 140 truckloadsof recycled paper each day. In thecourse of this ramming project arailway embankment was also un-dercrossed over a length of 22 m.

Goliathunder- crosses joinery

After ramming and manual removal of the soil, a concrete pipe Ø 1000 mm was inserted in the steel pipe. The Goliath ramming machine was driven by a compressor supplying 36 cbm.

To avoid flaring of the steel pipe while being pushed forward, cutting seg-ments were used.

Professional welding of the steel pipe with aroot filling and cover seam weld.

Inside view of the joinery whichwas undercrossed.

OnS H O R T R E P O R T

TRACTO-TECHNIKbuilds the world’s largest ramming machine

TRACTO-TECHNIK’s smallest and largest pipe ramming machines in comparison

N E W P R O D U C T

he world’s largest rammingmachine, Apollo, is momen-

tarily doing its first job in the USstate of Oregon, 50 miles to thewest of Portland, where a 144" (ap-prox. 3,80 m) steel pipe is to berammed underneath the Interstate54 and railway lines. The steel pipewill have the purpose of a passagefor salmon fish. The total length ofthe pipe to be installed is roughly70 meters.

The Apollo is the latest addition tothe ramming family, which al-ready has 12 members. The new

T rammer, operated by compressedair with a diameter of 800 mm, alength of 4,40 m and a total weightof 11,5 t has truly gigantic dimen-sions. The maximum air consump-tion is 100 cbm/min.

Five of the largest mobile compres-sors, each with 20 l/cbm air supplyare required to produce the maxi-mum thrust energy of 40500 Nm,meaning that the rammer in com-parison has a pushing force of40.000 kN (= 4000 t). The impressi-ve starting behaviour of the 3,5 theavy piston can already be seen

when only one compressor isconnected. Pipes up to 4 m diame-ter and over lengths of approx. 40m can be pushed in with the Apol-lo.

The stroke frequency of 180 strokesper minute increases the singlestriking energy and allows a reli-able propulsion even when en-countering increasing resistance.

The development of such a ma-chine with outstanding capacitiescould only be achieved due to theexperience of over 20 years and theknow how and high quality levelsof Tracto-Technik. The machinecasing consists of a solidly forgedsteel block, just like the other 12ramming types, making it extreme-ly rigid and highly capable.

A special job taking place in theUSA led to the construction of therammer. The planning phase tookapprox. 4 months and 40 weekswere estimated for the total manu-facturing process.

The first tests, which took place onthe site of the TT premises, wereextremely satisfactory. Practicalapplications will show what theApollo is really capable of doing.


Pipe burstingsaves historicalcultural heritagein Sweden

The county needed to repair theexisting water pipe which is ofgrey cast iron and with an insidediameter of 200 mm by replacing itwith a new polyethylene (HD-PE)pipe with a diameter of 225 mmand a pressure of 10 bar.

The vibration free bursting methodwas chosen because there was awastewater main pipe crossing thewater pipe in several places and therisk of damaging the pipe using tra-ditional bursting method with pneu-matic hammer was considerable. Themethod would not require extensiveexcavation and large trenches.

The job was performed using aGrundoburst 800 G3 from TT. TheGrundoburst 800 G3 has a maxi-mum pulling force of 800 kN andoperated with specially designedpatented QuickLock rods whichare quicker and easier to use thanconventional screw-type rods.

The Grundoburst 800 can thereforebe handled by a single operatorbased in the operation pit. Withminimal amount of effort the rodsare put through the old pipe to thestarting pit where the rods areconnected to a cracking device inthis case the so called Roller bladesystem. The unique Roller bladesystem offers the opportunity toburst any existing pipe materialsincluding cast iron and ductilesteel pipes. Thanks to Grundobur-st’s unique system, operation timeand labour are minimized.

During the demonstration work aRoller blade capable of bursting upto maximum 250 mm was usedcoupled with an expander withoutside diameter of 296 mm. A new replacement HD-PE-pipewas secured inside the expanderwith special straps which efficient-ly lock the HD-PE-pipe to the ex-pander without any need for com-plicated bolts or other attachments.

More than 100 people including re-presentatives from Swedish coun-ties, entrepreneurs, technicians andother interested parties were pre-sent and witnessed a very success-ful demonstration. The finisheddistance was 55 meters and theoperation lasted 5 hours.

During the demonstration the visi-tors had coffee, sandwiches andlunch. Simultaneously the VRET-MASKIN staff gave them informa-tion about other products. TheScandinavian Society for Trench-less Technologies (SSTT) alsoattended the demonstration andinformed about their operationsand offered the possibility for visi-tors to obtain their new manual fortrenchless technologies.

The visitors were very satisfiedwith the day and returned backhome with new experiences from avery successful vibration free pipebursting demonstration with Grun-doburst. In the meantime a greatpart of historical heritage in En-köping was preserved.

The spectators follow every step in thebursting work with great attention.

View over the starting pit. The roller bladeis connected to the expander with newPEH pipe ready to start the burst.The Grundoburst 800 G3 in the starting pit. The rod box contains 35 bursting rods.

The swedish TT sales partner Vret-maskin performed a pipe burstingdemonstration during August inEnköping County approximately 70km west of Stockholm. Enköping isone of the most important historicaland cultural sites in Sweden andtherefore an interesting place for ar-cheological activities which employmany professional archaeologists.These activities are defined by regu-lations and guidelines that call forpreservation and protection of ar-chaeological sites and objects. Theuse of trenches and excavation du-ring the pipe construction must the-refore be limited.

Enköping is one

of the most im-

portant histori-

cal and cultural

sites in Sweden


TRACTUELL 13/E30

In an ever changing technologicaland economic climate, TT UK andit’s hardworking team continue tobuild on their earlier successes, of-fering turn-key methods andequipment solutions to TrenchlessTechnology problems and continu-ed improvements in the method ofinstalling or replacing pipe and ca-bles underground.

TT UK’s employment philosophyhas always been to have a youthpolicy introducing new faces withyoung enthusiastic ideas to encou-rage both the experienced and notso experienced to learn from oneanother and to work together forthe future success of the company. Many members of TT UK staffhave remained with the companyin excess of 10 years. It is this pro-ven capable experience which issynonymous with TT UKs continu-ed success both here and in manyoverseas distributor outlets.

Modern communications systemshave always been key to our suc-cess particularly with the increasedsales opportunities in the exportmarket. Sales and technical en-gineers regularly visit far awayplaces like India, Malaysia, SouthAfrica, to name but a few. Over-

Left to right - Front row: Cheryl Birkbeck, David Toms, Nigel Gardener, Linda Hutson,Tricia Bowes - Back row: Matthew Izzard, Roger Atherton, Peter Atkins, Paul Dunne,Steve Robson, Jim Albarella, Stephen Buckle

seas activities are supported by astrong distributor network whereagents and distributors are encou-raged to assist TT UK to capitaliseon the opportunities presented tothem by actively promoting ourcomplete range of Trenchless Tech-nology systems.

20 Years TT UKI N F O R M A T I O N

TRACTUELL 12/E 31

The training facilities can accomo-date 20 customers, offering the latesttechnical equipment for theoreticaltraining and practical demonstra-tions of TT’s HDD systems.

The modern and pleasant atmos-phere will hopefully inspire TT’sHDD specialists to innovative ideasfor the benefit of our customers.

After only one year of buildingtime a new technology and trainingcentre at Tracto-Technik’s plant IIIin Lennestadt-Langenei was ope-ned on July 18th, 2002.

The new building has 1.500 m2 us-able space, including 800 m2 for theR&D department and a modernopen-plan office for 18 engineers.



nodig-construction.comunder construction

20 Years TT UK

The new branch portal nodig-cons-truction.com is a market place for allpersons concerned with the trench-less installation of pipes and cables:civil engineering and utility compa-nies, pipeline contractors, cable in-stallation contractors, road and pathbuilders, associations, engineeringand planning offices. The site is mo-mentarily under construction, thefirst topic available is a platform forused machines.

In the future you will find informa-tion on international service line andnetwork installation projects, links toassociations, trade magazines, etc...

Any suggestions from our customersand dealers regarding contents andtopics and are welcome!

Innovation advancement

For example India has achievedmany early successes selling theGrundodrill HDD equipment. Thisyear has also seen Grundopilessold to South Africa, Grundomatsto Nigeria and Grundoburst to Sin-gapore. TT UK wishes to thank allits sales partners for their continu-ed support.

TT UK marks it 20 year annivers-ary by announcing the opening ofits first ever wholly owned subsidi-ary TT Ireland.This Spring BillieTurner, one of TT UKs senior salesexecutives, took on the role of Ope-rations Director, and new premises

The Indian commissioning ceremony of theGrundodrill 13X prior to working the rig.

Documents

Tractuell 13 E - tracto.com