Microtunneling

Directions & Growth Microtunneling: High Performance and Effective

Our corporate group was set up in 1933 as a construction company. We Microtunnels for:
started off by specialising in building pipelines and sewers, but in the en-
■ wastewater pipes
suing years we gathered experience and grew with the challenges we were
■ pressure pipes for:
presented. Soon our pipeline and sewer products ranged from house ser-
– water
vice connection to the complete unit covering all rated sizes, pressure stages
– gas
and materials. Finally, we added microtunnelling and pipeline and sewer
– wastewater
refurbishing.
■ conduits
Today, we are one of the few companies in our sector featuring a
complete range of products and services. We handle each individual
phase of your project professionally and reliably.

■ U
 nderground pipeline and drainage construction with all rated sizes,
pressure stages and materials
■ T renchless refurbishment of pipeline and sewer systems ranging from
analysis, damage detection, needs analysis and drawing up refurbishing
plans and actual refurbishment
■ B
 uilding structures and plants as a general contractor for planning and
construction right down to starting complete systems including process
engineering, mechanical equipment and process measuring and control
technology
■ Microtunnelling
■ Emergency services for existing systems and 24-hour repair service
■ Installation of all technical equipment
■ Trade in pipes, machined parts, fittings and accessories

Global Our services:

You too can reap the rewards of our full
Your advantages:

Engineering services in the field of microtunneling.

We offer you:
■ Minimum civil engineering and
surface work
Excellence ■ structural analysis for pipes and shafts ■ Reduction of the earth movement
to a minimum
■ civil engineering for launch and
We have operations and subsidiaries reception shafts ■ Minimum obstruction of traffic
in many countries to offer you a ■ Minimum annoyance for residents
well-oiled international nexus of ■ microtunnels
superior services. These nodes are ■ pipe supply ■ Conservation of the environment
scattered all over Europe to lay the ■ Work in ground water
■ building the concrete structures
foundation for formidable connec-
and the shafts ■ No lowering of the ground
tions. Wherever you are and
wherever you see our logo, you ■ surface reconstruction water level
can rest assured that it stands for ■ Short construction times
■ surveying
expertise and reliability.
■ quality control
The Method Diameters from
Microtunneling is a high-performance and
200 to 3,200 mm
environmentally friendly alternative to pipe-
line construction with trenches; it can also
be used in the most demanding of circum-
stances: ground water and difficult geolo- Rated widths & lengths
gies are no problem for microtunneling,
and it has proven to be a very good method Depending on the diameter and the geo-
of avoiding obstructions in city centres. logy, tunnels of up to the following lengths
can be advanced:

Separation system DN Metres

Control container 200 - 300 up to 80

400 - 500 up to 100
600 - 700 up to 150
800 - 1,000 up to 250
Settlement tank Feed pump Jacking pipes 1,200 - 1,400 up to 500

Ground water level

≥ 1,600 up to 1,200
Launch shaft
Slurry Daily progress of up to 40 m can be achieved in
Slurry Discharge line Reception shaft
View of the Discharge line sandy and cohesive soils.
launch shaft Feed line
Reception seal
Launch seal Laser beam Jacking pipes

Laser

Cutting head
Jacking frame

Highest precision
The surveying-technology and the
control of the AVN make an accurate
drilling possible.
The cutter head (1) removes with its tools –
cutters, knives, chisels or discs – the surroun- Possible materials for
ding soil. This is taken to the crusher chamber DN vertical horizontal the jacking pipes
(2). This is where any stones are crushed (3). ■ Reinforced concrete
≤ 600 ± 20 ± 25
The drilling-suspension is initially pumped ■ Reinforced concrete compound
≥ 600 to ≤ 1,000 ± 25 ± 40
in a closed circuit into the crushing chamber, pipes with
is accumulated with the soil there and then ≥1,000 to ≤ 1,400 ± 30 ± 100
– PE sheathing
pumped back to the seperation plant. The ≥ 1,400 ± 50 ± 200
– PVC sheathing
separating system then separates the drilling-
Max. deviation in mm from the target – Ceramic sheathing
suspension from the soil. The soil is disposed
and the drilling-suspension is pumped back position for wastewater canals and pipes. ■ Ceramics (vitrified clay)
into the crushing chamber.
■ Polymer concrete
Using the hydraulic cylinders in the jacking 1 Cutter head 8 Distribution of the annular Maximum work safety ■ GFRP (Glass fiber reinforced pipes)
frame the pipe can be further pushed forward. space nozzles
2 Crusher chamber
A laser beam controls the location of the ma- 9 Distribution of the cutter In view of the fact that the microtunnel ■ Steel
3 Crusher
chine. The target board (4) reports the position head nozzles systems are operated from the control
of the laser point to the machine operator in 4 Target board
10 Manhole container, it is not necessary to have any
the control container. Hydraulic cylinders (12) 5 Main bearings workers in the pipeline. This also means
11 Suction piece
make possible steering the cutterhead and to 6 Switch cabinet it is not necessary to ventilate the pipeline
12 Control cylinder
correct the position. 7 Drive motors or to adhere to the statutory, required
minimum diameters for emergency exits.
Use of the Method in Order to Construct ...
… Wastewater pipes … Conduits
All diameters and materials can be advan- All materials can be used as conduits
ced without difficulty using microtunnel for cables or other purposes.
technology.

… Pressure pipes
In view of the fact that we draw on cutter Wherever horizontal directed drilling
heads that match the steel pipe dimensions technology (HDD) cannot be used:
in terms of the exterior diameter, it is also
■ for difficult and rough gravel soils,
possible to lay pressure pipes for water
and gas. ■ soils with erratic blocks,

The advance of the cutter head takes place ■ in city centres,

with the steel pipes. ■ where there is no space to extend
Your advantages: and retract,

■ The pipe canal cannot collapse. microtunneling methods are a true

alternative.
■ The bentonite lubrication means that
damage to the pipe surface can be
excluded.
Use in Difficult Geologies
In normal cases, ground water, stony
sub-soils and rock soils are seen as Rocks
obstructions to construction projects. In The modern technology offers new,
almost all circumstances, microtunneling uncomplicated options even when
is now a reliable method and an effec- drilling through rocks with high degrees
tive alternative to costly detonations or of hardness. In places that previously
mortise work. required detonation or mortise work,
microtunneling is now seen as a reliable
alternative.
If the drill tools are worn out, the walk-in
face means that they can be replaced
easily if the diameter exceeds 1,200 mm.

Stones and erratic blocks

Innovative technology creates new
options: The use of mixed drill heads,
which are fitted with knives and cutters
for cohesive soils, as well as chisels and
discs that can crush erratic blocks or
rock layers, means that even the most
difficult of soils can be drilled.
After exceeding 1,000 m drift

Flowing soils
Soil-aligned apertures in the cutter head
mean that the soil excavation can be
Greater security in the ground water … … and in contaminated soils adjusted to suit the mass required by
Using passage seals it is possible to extend In view of the fact that the interior of the the pipe displacement.
and retract the starting- and receiving pits pipes and the soil are hermetically separa-
without water penetrating the shafts. This ted from each other in the cutter head,
means that many risks that are most com- hazardous liquids or gases cannot pene-
monly prevalent in this kind of construction trate the pipeline. The contaminated soil is
project– e.g. structural subsidence – can taken away in the separation system. The
be excluded. rinsing water can be treated using a filter.
The launch and reception shafts are worked
in the ground water. This takes place by lowe-
ring concrete rings or by installing sheet
piling or concrete pillars. Concrete is applied
to the base under water. Once the water
has been pumped off, the shaft is located
in the ground water.
The system extends and retracts in and out
of the water using passage seals, without
water penetrating the shafts.
Special Areas of Use
You can reap the rewards of micro-
tunneling, especially in demanding
areas: no river is too broad, no water
too deep.
River crossings
River tunnels with excavations are largely
a thing of the past. Even the broadest
currents can be crossed safely using
microtunneling.
Bends
Modern surveying technologies mean that
all diameters larger than DN 800 can also
travel around bends. It is therefore possible
to start on the banks of the river, to follow
the river bed and to rise again on the other
side.
Outfalls
Pipelines that end in rivers, lakes or the sea
can be laid securely using the microtunnel
method. Drilling takes place from the land
until the machine lies free in the water.
Once drilling is complete, the supply lines
for the cutter head are removed and the
head is lifted using a floating crane.
The Trend
Innovative, auto-controlled lubrication
systems mean that longer and longer
stretches can be drilled. In order to
make full use of these advantages, we
follow the path of the roads in city
centres and draw on the option of
travelling in bends. This reduces the
required number of launch and
reception shafts.
While almost nothing can be felt
above ground, a new infrastructure
is created many metres beneath
the flowing traffic.
Certified Expertise

Our extensive range of products has put Ludwig Pfeiffer at the forefront
of service companies in the underground pipeline business in Europe.
We handle your whole supply project for water, gas, power and district
heat or your sewage water disposal project including all planning,
coordination, engineering and construction.
A wide range of certificates, permits and licenses bears witness to our
engineering excellence:

 DVGW certifications W1, G1 and AGFW FW 601

 The seal of approval for advance in the VM assessment group
 The seal of approval for drainage construction in the AK1, S
assessment group
 DIN EN ISO 9001, SCC and WHG 19 certified
 Licenses for a variety of refurbishing techniques

LUDWIG PFEIFFER Kassel Ludwig Pfeiffer Berlin

Lilienthalstraße 33
34123 Kassel
Germany
Phone: +49 / 561 / 9 53 47 -0
Fax: +49 / 561 / 9 53 47 -50
e-mail: kassel@ludwigpfeiffer.com
Groß-Berliner-Damm 73 D
12487 Berlin
Germany
Phone: +49 / 30 / 63 99 99 70
Fax: +49 / 30 / 63 99 99 74
e-mail: berlin@ludwigpfeiffer.com

PFEIFFER ITALIA Pfeiffer France

Via L. Valla 16 1, Rue de la Terre de Feu
20141 Milano 91940 Les Ulis (Paris)
Italy France
Phone: +39 / 02 / 847 423 07 Phone: +33 / 1 69 28 37 19
Fax: +39 / 02 / 847 423 08 Fax: +33 / 1 69 28 92 79
e-mail: pfeiffer.italia@virgilio.it e-mail: France@ludwigpfeiffer.com

ZEPRIS Prag PFEIFFER Bucuresti

Mezi Vodami 639/27 Sos. Bucuresti-Ploiesti nr. 73-81
14320 Praha 4 Victoria Business Park corp 3,
Czech Republic et. 3, birou 442
Phone: +420 / 2 / 417 728 36 Bucuresti 013685, sector 1
Fax: +420 / 2 / 417 734 73 Romania
e-mail: zepris@zepris.cz Phone: +40 / 21 / 455 43 10
Fax: +40 / 21 / 455 43 11
e-mail: office_bucuresti@pfeiffer.ro

www.ludwigpfeiffer.com