Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO on 08/29/13. Copyright ASCE.

For personal use only; all rights reserved.

PIPE-JACKING: STATE-OF-THE ART

IN UK AND EUROPE
By T. E. Clarkson 1 and J. C. Thomson, 2 M. ASCE

(Reviewed by the Pipeline Division)

ABSTRACT: This article considers the development of pipe and box jacking tech-
niques in the UK and Europe. There is particular reference to the installation
of large rectangular units to serve as structural foundations for bridges, or as
tunnels and culverts. Typical construction and design details of pipe joints and
equipment are considered, and brief case histories of certain projects demon-
strating the main techniques are given.

INTRODUCTION

In September 1979 a paper by Clarence B. Drennon was published

called "Pipe JackingState of the Art." Essentially, as Drennon pointed
out, the paper was a summation of the state-of-the-art of pipe-jacking
in the United States and, in view of the development that has taken
place in Europe, it would appear to be of interest to have a parallel paper
for comparison.
Initial developments in pipe-jacking in Europe followed a similar pat-
tern to that of the United States. Prior to the 1950's there are records of
various isolated works being undertaken in the countries of Europe. But
quite independently in the late 1950's in the United Kingdom, France,
Germany, and Scandinavia the use of pipe-jacking became established.
During the 1960's and 1970's the techniques were refined and developed
to establish a major form of tunneling and subsurface installation of
structures.
Due to the widely varying physical conditions within Europe and the
specific requirements of the many administrations responsible for capital
projects, development has not been totally consistent throughout Eu-
rope. Pipe-jacking contractors, therefore, have developed their tech-
niques and operations to meet local requirements.
It is interesting to speculate on the reasons for the upsurge in these
techniques in a number of countries at about the same time. On the one
hand there was an increasing need for the installation of underground
services for infrastructure development, and also for the replacement
'Dir., Cementation Projects, Ltd., London, United Kingdom.
2
Engr. Consultant, Geneva, Switzerland.
Note.Discussion open until June 1, 1983. To extend the closing date one
month, a written request must be filed with the ASCE Manager of Technical and
Professional Publications. The manuscript for this paper was submitted for re-
view and possible publication on January 22, 1982. This paper is part of the Jour-
nal of Transportation Engineering, Vol. 109, Nd. 1, January, 1983. ASCE, ISSN
0733-947X/83/0001-0057/$01.00. Proc. No. 17632.
57

J. Transp. Eng. 1983.109:57-72.

 and reinforcement of outdated and worn out services. Furthermore,
these installations were particularly required in the urban areas where
disturbance to roads, rail tracks and buildings was economically and
socially unacceptable. On the other hand, the traditional skills used pre-
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO on 08/29/13. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

viously in headings and tunneling were in short supply and in great

demand for the major schemes being undertaken at that time. The re-
quirement of specifying authorities for installations to be made in situ-
ations of difficult ground conditions and with shallow cover without
settlement simply called for new techniques to be considered.
Pipe-jacking offered a solution which allowed work to be done in such
conditions by operators who could be trained in the methods and skills
much more quickly than those of traditional heading work.
The rapid growth of the industry over the last 20 years and the im-
provement of methods in terms of lengths of drives, size, and ability to
work in varying ground conditions has been such that pipe-jacking has
become a fully accepted tunneling method which is often the first choice
of many authorities and contractors rather than an alternative.
The reaction of some of the more traditional tunnelers to this upstart
in their midst was not always enthusiastic and may account for the com-
paratively limited amount of published technical information that can
be found on the subject.
This paper has been divided into two broad areas: (1) The develop-
ment of pipe-jacking using circular sections for drainage, service ducts,
and small pedestrian subways; and (2) developments in the installation
of large, below-ground structures using pipe-jacking methods.
CIRCULAR PIPE-JACKED SUBWAYS AND DUCTS
Basic Methods.The basic operation has been described in a number
of papers and articles and the same basic principles and methods are
used both in European and American practice. The interesting differ-
ences between the American and European practices lie within the de-
tailed equipment and the application or methods.
Shafts and Pits.A wide variety of shafts and pits are utilized, to-
gether with appropriately designed equipment, to meet the congested
conditions so frequently encountered in Europe.
Where space is available pits of between 23 ft 0 in.-29 ft 6 in. (7 m -
9 m) in length (or diameter) are used, but frequently this is not available
and pipes and equipment have been designed to work from pits as small
as 10 ft 0 in. (3 m) length. Another technique is to sink a circular shaft
10 ft 0 in.-13 ft 0 in. (3 m-4 m) in diameter and bell out a jacking cham-
ber at the invert.
Reaction Blocks.In the early days of jacking these were designed
on a rule of thumb method which led to a number of failures due to the
lack of appreciation of ground conditions.
Although a vertical back wall is the normal method used in standard
drives, a considerable number of other solutions have been developed
to meet the varying circumstances. These range from a ground slab with
reaction provided by ground anchors, or shear keys, to heavily rein-
forced cantilever piles where conditions at and above the invert level are
unsatisfactory.
Equipment.There are a number of equipment suppliers in Europe
58

J. Transp. Eng. 1983.109:57-72.

 who have designed purpose-built rigs, hydraulic jacks and pumps, and
shields and excavating equipment. However, many operators also de-
sign and develop their equipment to suit the special circumstances of
their business. This applies particularly to those contractors who helped
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO on 08/29/13. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

to develop the techniques in the 1960's.

For optimum speed of jacking it is usual to use jacks which will give
a total thrust which is in excess of the standard pipe lengths. In the
U.K., pipes are usually 8 ft 0 in. (2.4 m) long by agreement with the
British Pipe Jacking Association.
In some parts of Europe pipes up to 12 ft 0 in. (3.7 m) length are
commonly used. The jacks used in conjunction with these pipes are
usually two stage with a telescopic extension. Ram heads and feet utilize
a ball and socket joint to accommodate minor bearing displacement and
any misalinement.
For purpose-made circular or rectangular units it is usual to use
shorter throw jacks (1 ft 0 in. (30 cm)) and spacers to accommodate the
travel of the pipe through the pit. Although necessitating more opera-
tions, there are advantages in reduced dead-lengths of the cylinder, with
greater general utilization of jacks and easier replacement or repair in
case of damage.
Hydraulic equipment operates to maximum pressures in the 5,000 psi-
10,000 psi range, with individual rams usually having a maximum ca-
pacity of 100-300 ton.
Originally it was considered necessary to arrange the jacking force
symmetrically around the pipe, but experience indicated that this was
not so and it is usual to position the jacks around the lower half of the
pipe, which allows for easier mucking and working conditions and still
permits adequate control of the jacking operation. Hydraulic power
packs and control systems are purpose-built to provide capacities and
flexibility suitable for the operation.
Pipes.The range of concrete pipes used in jacked installations has
to some degree become standardized in cooperation with specifying au-
thorities, pipe manufacturers, and contractors' associations, and a range
of standard diameters from 2 ft 6 in. to 16 ft 6 in. (800 mm to 5 m) is
generally in use, although not universally available in every country.
Pipes are generally of the centrifugally spun type and comply with rel-
evant codes of practice and standards applicable to each country, with
a range of wall thickness and reinforcement appropriate to the spec-
ification.
It is interesting to note that the typical joint configuration varies con-
siderably from one country to another. In the U.K. the standard joint
is of the spigot and socket type formed within the wall thickness and
using a flexible rubber ring to act as a seal. In Germany the favored joint
is an external metal band, usually embedded into the leading edge of
the following pipe, which slides onto the installed pipe and is again
sealed with a rubber ring. The French have developed a concrete pipe
with an embedded internal steel cylinder which acts as the reinforce-
ment, and joints are made in situ by welding of sleeves and by closing
the gap left between the pipe ends with a rapid-hardening mortar.
These three main types of joint are shown in Fig. 1. In all cases it is
standard practice to use resilient packs between the concrete faces of the
59

J. Transp. Eng. 1983.109:57-72.

 concrete pipes to bss.556

pipe A pipe B
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO on 08/29/13. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

rubber sealing ring

U K JOINT

jute canvas

J^ pipe A

mortar joriting > iwelded joint

Hrteel cylinder FRENCH JOINT

Steel sleeve anchored to pipe rubber sealing ring

packing-

GERMAN JOINT

FIG. 1.Typical Types of Pipe Joint Used in the United Kingdom, France and
Germany

pipes to eliminate point and bursting loads on the joint during jacking.
In addition, a wide range of special pipes have been jacked to meet spe-
cial purposes such as steel with protective coating, fiber glass, and pre-
stressed concrete pressure pipes, which incorporated the use of spe-
cialized linings such as PVC to counteract aggressive trade effluents.
The writers experience has been that joints are the weakest part of the
system, particularly from a sealing aspect, and the use of the longest
practical pipes. Thus, a minimum number of joints is advantageous.
Intermediate Jacking Stations (IJS).The use of ITS is described in
detail in Mr. Drennon's paper. They are considered to be an essential
part of the system and are installed as a matter of course in European
practice, even when site circumstances have indicated that they are only
marginally required. By the very nature of the technique and the rapid
change of ground conditions that can occur along a drive, it is prudent
to have the facility to incorporate extra jacking force into the system
should it prove beneficial. On long drives where the sequential opera-
tion of IJS would be a limiting factor on the jacking cycle, the hydraulic
arrangement is such as to enable two or more stations to be operated
at the same time in the line. Up to 15 IJS have been installed in a single
line of drive. Normally, at the end of the drive, IJS are closed up and
sealed when the jacking equipment has been removed.
Shields.The range of shields used in jacking parallels the diversity
of shields used in traditional tunneling. Depending on size, ground con-
ditions, and nature of drive, they vary from a simple steel cutting ring,
mounted on the leading pipe, to a sophisticated bentonite or air lock
shield. On all but the shorter, simplest drives, the shield is equipped
with rams for independent operation to enable line and level adjustment
60

J. Transp. Eng. 1983.109:57-72.

 to be made, and permits variations in face penetration.
One point of difference between Europe and the U.S. practices is that
the shield in Europe is fitted onto a recess on the lead pipe so that the
cutting and external pipe diameters are the same. This may lead to a
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO on 08/29/13. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

higher level of friction between pipe and ground, but it also reduces the
risk of settlement. Furthermore, many experienced practitioners feel that
in many types of ground it is of the greatest benefit to maintain the
surrounding earth structure in an undisturbed condition by not
overcutting.
Lubrication.The use of bentonite for lubrication to reduce friction
and to fill voids is standard practice in Europe, and rule of thumb meth-
ods are being displaced by a more often considered evaluation for design
of mixes and injection systems.
A problem which can occur in circular sections, but is more particular
to large rectangular sections, is where the pipe/earth friction becomes
greater than the internal friction of the soil, thus causing lateral dis-
placement of the soil above the pipeline, which in turn leads to settle-
ment at the surface. This problem has been overcome by the writer's
company by the development of the "Cementation Drag-Sheet," which
is described in more detail within the section on rectangular jacking.
Face Cutting and Soil Removal.Although in numerical terms the
majority of jobs still utilize hand cutting because of the economies on
short drivages and variable ground conditions, every effort is made to
increase efficiency by the use of mechanical systems for loading and
disposing of spoil.
In recent years a wide range of mechanical face cutters of various
types have been developed. Almost without exception, however, these
have not followed the American pattern of being full-face machines but
have been of the boom cutter loader or hydraulic excavator arm type.
Essentially, the difference between U.S. and European practices is that
it is unusual to find sufficiently consistent ground conditions to justify
the use of a full-face cutter, either economically or continually. Under
the circumstances it is not surprising the reported record progress rates
in Europe fall well short of American achievements.
Guidance Systems.Although the laser has been widely accepted as
a useful tool for controlling line and level, it is supplemented by checks
with surveying instruments where tight specifications of line and level
are called for. Tolerances of 1-1/4 in. (30 mm) on line and level are
frequently specified in European practice.
Television monitoring equipment, with screens in the site office, are
sometimes used on larger jobs to enable the site management to monitor
both the pit operation and the face without the time-consuming oper-
ation involved in visiting the face several times a day.
Jacking Practice.In Western Europe there are over 100 firms who
specialize in pipe-jacking, and the volume and type of work undertaken
is equally large and far ranging. It is interesting to note that despite
starting about the same time and with the same concept, there have
been wide variations from one country to another in the type of work
where pipe-jacking has proved to be most effective.
In Germany the progress made in the use of circular pipe drives, in
terms of length and ground conditions tackled, is well in advance of
61

J. Transp. Eng. 1983.109:57-72.

 UK. In Britain alone the most spectacular developments have been in
the adaptation of jacking techniques to the installation of large structures
underground, which are reviewed in a later section.
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO on 08/29/13. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

Ground Conditions.In Europe, jacking techniques have been de-

veloped to deal with most types of ground that may be encountered.
It is not uncommon to find, therefore, a number of stabilization tech-
niques being used to overcome any particular problem. The need for a
comprehensive and well executed ground survey cannot be overem-
phasized, and it is important that the jacking contractor, if necessary in
association with soils specialists, thoroughly evaluate the conditions.
The inherent nature of pipe-jacking is such that there is no second
chance except perhaps at considerable cost and risk. Clients are well
advised, particularly with more difficult work, to restrict their bidding
lists to those contractors who have both the technical ability and the
practical experience.
The use of preliminary stabilization in sands and gravels is wide-
spread, through the use of cementitious and chemical grouts, and can
also be supplemented by the use of localized injection from the mining
face; also, in appropriate circumstances, ground water lowering either
by deep wells or dewatering is used.
In very difficult ground conditions compressed air working is used,
either by locking the face or by locking the whole works, including the
drive shaft. In the former case this is the most attractive because the air
lock is set in the line at a predetermined distance from the face and
moved forward with the progress of the work. If spoil can be removed
by the slurry-pump method in compressed air work this can greatly fa-
cilitate progress.
The most interesting recent developments have been in the use of
bentonite slurry shields in conjunction with pipe-jacking. Much of the
development and experience originates from Japan but work has been
undertaken in France and Germany. The original slurry shield concep-
tion was based on a pressurized viscous liquid such as bentonite slurry
contained within a chamber at the front of the shield to maintain face
stabilization. Problems have been encountered with the difficulties of
balancing the rate of excavation with the speed of advance.
Other problems that have arisen have been due to the rapidly chang-
ing ground conditions which give rise to variable earth pressures and
destabilization of the face by the rotary action of the cutter arms. The
result has been for subsidence or heave to have occurred on some
works.
The "second generation" equipment has been designed to overcome
these problems by combining a number of features. First, the slurry
chamber behind the virtually closed face is pressurized to counteract the
ground-water pressure. In addition, as in all such systems, the slurry
discharge line carries the spoil in suspension to the surface where it is
removed, after which the clean slurry is recirculated. Second, the cutter
head is mounted in such a manner that a positive thrust can be applied
to the head to counteract the earth pressure and can be constantly mon-
itored and, if necessary, adjusted. Third, the cutter head advances in-
dependently of the shield advance. The inlet slits which determine the
rate of intake of spoil are automatically varied so that if the shield ad-
62

J. Transp. Eng. 1983.109:57-72.

 vance is faster than the cutter head the slits open up to increase the
spoil intake and the head relative to the shield advances at a faster rate.
However, if the cutter head advances faster than the shield, the slits are
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO on 08/29/13. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

automatically closed down and the rate of advance of the head slows
down in relation to the advance of the shield.
This combination of systems enables work to be undertaken safely and
quickly in difficult ground conditions which until now would have re-
quired compressed air, freezing, chemical injection, or other expensive
measures.
Various types of machines have been developed which range in size
from the largest of over 4 m diameter to the miniaturized versions which
will drive accurately concrete pipes as small as 350 mm diameter.
The combination of the remote controlled counterbalanced slurry
shield with pipe-jacking could have a revolutionary effect in the field of
laying underground services in difficult ground conditions.
Lengths.Theoretically, the length that can be undertaken by pipe-
jacking using intermediate jacking stations is unlimited, although there
are, of course, practical and economic factors which determine limits.
A few years ago in the UK a 328 ft (100 m) drive was thought to be quite
long. Today, lengths of over 3,280 ft (1,000 m) are being successfully
driven in Europe from one shaft. This provides a measure of the prog-
ress which has taken place in less than 20 yr.
For some time it was considered that the nature of jacking required
drives to be in a straight line. But a number of jobs have been under-
taken with either a vertical or horizontal curve. This curve is limited by
the angle of deflection that the individual pipe joints will accept and,
in addition, it is necessary to design IJS which will accommodate angular
change.
These techniques have been used in Vienna and for a major crossing
under the Rhine River in Germany. An outstanding example of Euro-
pean pipe-jacking work which combined many sophisticated techniques
on one job was the work done recently at Harburg, Germany, a suburb
of Hamburg.
The contractor was a joint venture consortium comprising: Heilmann
and Littmann Bau, F & N Kronibus, and Leonard Moll. They success-
fully jacked 4,790 ft of 8 ft 6 in. (1,460 m of 2.6 m) diameter concrete
pipe from one shaft, the work involving an initial straight section, a cen-
tral section of 1,312 ft (400 m) with a curve of about 4,265 ft (1,300 m)
radius, and a final straight section.
Ground conditions included water bearing sand with clay silt and peb-
bles, and the water table was virtually at the ground level. Advance
ground treatment was undertaken from ground level by the injection of
silicate of soda solution to produce a cohesive but not too firm ground
mass and to displace water.
Initially the scheme was designed to drive under compressed air using
a lock on top of the shaft, but this was subsequently modified using a
lock near the drive face and with a secondary lock in the line some dis-
tance back from the shield as an additional safety measure and only to
be used in emergency. Excavation was mainly by hand onto a conveyor
where spoil was taken to a mixing tank for slurrying and pumping to
the disposal pond at ground level. Stones over 2 in. (50 mm) were sep-
63

J. Transp. Eng. 1983.109:57-72.

 arated before slurrying for separate disposal by skip. The main jacking
equipment in the shaft consisted of six No. 300 ton jacks, and 15 No.
ITS were installed, each having 24 No. 70 ton jacks, although in practice
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO on 08/29/13. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

it was found that it was not necessary to operate all these IJS units. An
average production of over 66 ft (20 m) per day was achieved, working
two 10-hour shifts.
Another spectacular job was carried out in Switzerland to form a ser-
vices tunnel beneath the Rhine at Basle, where a circular tunnel, 11 ft
4 in. (3.5 m) internal diameter, was installed by pipe-jacking from a shaft
100 ft (31 m) deep beneath the river. A distance of 778 ft (240 m) with
an estimated cover of only 18 ft (5 m) beneath water bearing gravels,
were some of the problems engineers faced.
Excavation, therefore, was carried out using a rotating cutter boom
type machine mounted on skids. Provision was made to seal off the
shield in the event of an inrush of material at the face, and a further
steel bulkhead was provided farther back in the tunnel so that com-
pressed air working could have been introduced if needed, although it
was not. Tunnel driving was completed in about 100 working days, or
an average progress of about 8 ft (2.5 m) per shift using precast tunnel
rings of length 6 ft 6 in. (2 m), and with a wall thickess of 12 in. (30
cm).

LARGE PIPE-JACKED BOXES FOR USE AS CULVERTS, TUNNELS,

AND BRIDGE ABUTMENTS

The writers have been directly involved for over 15 years in devel-
oping and extending small diameter pipe-jacking technology to permit
the construction of large subterranean structures through the use of sim-
ilar techniques. As with circular pipe-jacking, the main impetus to de-
velopment has come from the need to construct new works beneath
existing railways, truck roads, and other key services with only a min-
imum of disruption to these services.
As the UK motorway network was being constructed during the late
1960's and through the 1970's there was a need to construct roads under
rail bridges in many locations, and to meet both physical and environ-
mental requirements. During this same period the British Rail were in-
vesting heavily in providing a service of high-speed trains running on
tight schedules with speeds in excess of 100 mph (160 kph) for passenger
services, with goods and container trains running scheduled services at
over 70 mph (112 kph).
Similar developments in both road and rail networks were being car-
ried out in many other Western European countries with the same con-
flict of interests. Railway engineers were, therefore interested in ideas
which offered an alternative to sheet piling through the tracks and pro-
viding temporary support on way-beams, which had been the tradi-
tional solution for constructing underbridges. Construction often caused
considerable interference to railway services with long periods of re-
stricted speed running.
An alternative pioneered by the writers was to form rectangular box
structures by pipe-jacking units through the tracks and then using these
in various configurations as basic bridge abutment structures.
64

J. Transp. Eng. 1983.109:57-72.

 DEVELOPMENT IN UK AMD TYPICAL LAYOUTS

The initial abutment units were formed from simple rectangular pre-
cast concrete units, lowered into a jacked pit and pipe-jacked into po-
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO on 08/29/13. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

sition, to carry a simple support bridge deck which was installed sub-
sequently during short weekend track closures.
In order to accommodate varied ground conditions, increased head-
room, and bigger spans, a number of more complex configurations have
been developed since that early concept. To provide road headroom up
to the UK a standard 15 ft 9 in. (4.8 m) multi-tier abutment units have
evolved. A base drive is first installed and then further second tier and,
in some cases, third tier units are driven one above the other. Upon
completion of the pipe-jacking phase, the composite abutment units are
cleaned out, concreted, and stressed together to form homogeneous
abutments.
In order to deal with poor ground bearing conditions, bored concrete
or jacked-in steel bearing piles have been constructed from within the
abutment units where required (Fig. 2) and, similarly, either cross-struts
have been jacked between abutments or ground anchors have been
formed. This accommodates the severe overturning and braking forces
which have to be allowed for with high-speed rail traffic.
In each of these solutions, once an abutment structure is completed,

FIG. 2.Bored Piling from within Abutment Box (Wigan, United Kingdom)
65

J. Transp. Eng. 1983.109:57-72.

 a bridge deck of either steel or concrete, which is pre-constructed on
trestles alongside the track, is slid into position during a short track
occupation.
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO on 08/29/13. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

As the need to increase the cross section of the box units grew along
with the weight, the economic limit for using segmental units precast
off site was soon reached. At the same time there was also pressure by
the railway operators to reduce the installation time during the time
train speed restrictions were in operation. As a result, there was a move
towards casting the abutment boxes on site in lengths of up to 40 ft (12
m) or more. The jacking system was then modified to permit the relo-
cating of the jacks along the jacking base slab rather than using spacers
as the units moved forward.
This form of construction not only permits the use of boxes of a larger
cross section, but also permits shorter jacking time because the operation
becomes continuous rather than the cyclical nature of the normal pipe-
jacking operation; i.e., lower pipe, jack forward, retract jacks, lower next
pipe and jack, with disruption of the mining operation as units are low-
ered and spacers adjusted.
Combined with this development, a removable section of the abut-
ment box roof was incorporated, and the bridge deck became a shallow
portal structure with the downstand leg, sliding-in on a carefully pre-
pared slide path and foundation, further reducing the time needed for
slide-in and eliminating many of the unforseen snags which can occur
in this type of possession work.
A typical example of a multi-tier abutment type of construction as
developed in the UK is:
Old Ford Bridge, London.Rectangular reinforced concrete units
(Fig. 3) were precast off site and installed by pipe-jacking from jacking
pits, using 3 ft 0 in. (1 m) diameter bored piles as the thrust wall.
Formed were three tier structures for abutments and center pier for a
double span railway bridge where a new double carriageway road
passed beneath a busy eight track railway. (Base units were 7 ft 8 in.
(2.4 m) x 18 ft 0 in. (5.6 m) X 4 ft 8 in. (1.5 m) length.) The overall
length of drive was 130 ft (40.0 m).

FIG. 3.Typical Multi-Tier Jacked Abutment at Old Ford (London, England)

66

J. Transp. Eng. 1983.109:57-72.

 lacking was carried out concurrently on all three drives to minimize
the duration of train speed restrictions, and average rates of progress
for hand mining exceeded 6 ft 6 in. (2 m) per shift, with work carried
out on a double shift basis. When the jacking was completed, the units
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO on 08/29/13. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

were cleaned. Integral abutments were formed next by filling with rein-
forced concrete and vertically prestressing. Some of the box units were
left open to act as service ducts.
Good tolerances for line and level were achieved which facilitated the
positioning of the cill beams carrying the composite steel/concrete deck
units which were slid into position, during two short weekend posses-
sions, each carrying half the tracks.
Luton Inner Ring Road.As part of an inner ring road scheme, a rail
crossing of the main Bedford-London commuter line was required at
Luton. The chosen solution for abutment installation was a single-tier
fabricated in situ system. Two large rectangular reinforced concrete units,
20 ft 0 in. (6 m) wide and 16 ft 0 in. (5 m) high, were constructed on
site on a prepared jacking base and jacked into position within the rail-
way embankment. Jacking of the two drives was carried out on a double
shift continuous basis over 20 consecutive days; total length of drivage
was 138 ft (42 m).
In view of the high water table and poor ground conditions at the
invert of the abutment units, the design was developed to link two units
together at an IJS. This ensured that more than half the length of drive
was into the embankment prior to bringing the IJS into use to relieve
the load on the jacking base.
On completion of jacking works, infill concrete was placed within the
boxes to form the combined abutment and slide paths for the pre-
stressed concrete portal bridge. The deck was constructed in two halves
on each side of the railway embankment and was slid into position on
the previously prepared abutments during weekend possession of the
railway tracks. A logical progression from large boxes to serve as bridge
abutment units was to make the box unit large enough to serve as a
road tunnel.
Brent Cross Tunnels.To date, the largest structure of this type, con-
structed at Brent Cross in North London, by pipe-jacking methods was
done by forming tunnels approximately 34 ft 0 in. (10.4 m) wide by 22
ft 0 in. (6.70 m) high, and up to 151 ft 0 in. (46 m) in length, beneath
a major trunk road (Figs. 4 and 5).
Reinforced concrete tunnel units 32 ft 0 in. (9.7 m) long and 22 ft 0
in. (6.7 m) high were constructed on site on a prepared concrete jacking
base. The tunnel was cast in three lengths. The leading unit had a pur-
pose-built tunneling shield cast in, and a IJS steel sleeves between the
second and third units (total length 151 ft 0 in. (46 m)). Jacking capacities
of 3,600 ton were provided at the rear, and a further 1,200 ton was pro-
vided at each IJS.
The requirement was to install the tunnel beneath eight lanes of major
highway without disturbance, with barely 4 ft 0 in. (1.2 m) of cover at
the lowest road level. It was necessary to underpin the footings to the
retaining walls on either side of the high level road using low strength
concrete so they could be cut away by the tunnel shield as jacking pro-
gressed (Fig. 6).
67

J. Transp. Eng. 1983.109:57-72.

Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO on 08/29/13. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

FIG. 4.Details of Jacked-ln Road Tunnels, Brent Cross (London, England)

cross-section

FIG. 5.Typical Cross Section of a Large Jacked Tunnel (Zurich, Switzerland)

68

J. Transp. Eng. 1983.109:57-72.

Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO on 08/29/13. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

FIG. 6.Details of Jacking Equipment at Brent Cross (London, England)

Patented drag sheet techniques were used in the scheme to overcome

problems of disturbing services and to transport overlying materials on
the tunnel roof. The job was completed without any disturbance.
Other tunnels and culverts of similar cross section have been carried
out using similar techniques, and, in particular, a major surface water
relief culvert was designed and supervised by the writers in conjunction
with an associated company in Durban, South Africa, and is included
here as the work was based on UK techniques and design.
Durban Culvert.The scheme entailed nine boxes of approximately
26 ft 0 in. (7.9 m) X 14 ft 7 in. (4.4 m) cross section which, when jacked
beneath railway tracks and elevated Urban Freeway, formed a relief cul-
vert of overall length of 520 ft (158.5 m), constructed in three distinct
jacking stages (Fig. 7).
Stage I was beneath 10 main rail tracks with overhead electrification,
the tunnel roof just beneath the rail ballast, and the level being deter-
mined by hydraulic considerations. The culvert continued beyond a high
retaining wall and beneath an elevated section of motorway. This was
constructed by back jacking to meet the railway section beneath the re-
taining wall footings. Ground conditions were sandy silt with a high
water table, and extensive ground treatment and dewatering were re-
quired. Using the same pit, a further length was then driven in the op-
posite direction. Each drive length was split into three units with IJS.
In order to support the rail tracks with no cohesive material above the
tunnel roof, a system was developed whereby the ends of the sleepers
were supported on light steel beams. These in turn were picked up on
steel beams cantilevering ahead of the shield, to provide additional se-
curity in case of a slip at the face. As jacking progressed each track in
69

J. Transp. Eng. 1983.109:57-72.

Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO on 08/29/13. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

"***,,
''^ir.'B,';!^,.,)
^ ^ ,

' ^ ; ( , :

FIG. 7.Layout of River Diversion Tunnel (Durban, South Africa)

turn was supported on mini-rollers running on the culvert roof, with

adjustable packings to maintain the level of the tracks, while the con-
crete unit was jacked through beneath.
The other lengths of culvert with 15 ft 0 in. (5 m) of cover beneath the
roads and motorway were mined into position using cementation drag
sheets, as with the Brent Cross tunnels.

SURVEY OF DEVELOPMENTS IN TYPICAL SCHEMES IN EUROPE

In a number of European countries, large structures have been con-

structed to one side of their final position and then installed by jacking
techniques. Some of them are truly pipe-jacking operations, while others
are more akin to bridge sliding techniques. No attempt is made to mine
the units into position without disturbance, or to support the overlying
structure directly on the jacked-in box. Generally, it was found that
where large cast-on-site units have been used, these have been jacked
off a thrust wall structure using massive spacer units and long stroke
jacks of up to 250 ton capacity.
A major pipe-jacked structure to form an underground chamber for
use as an electricity substation was constructed in the center of Zurich
by using massive precast units, jacked from a pit using conventional
pipe-jacking techniques (Fig. 5). The completed gallery was 36 ft (11 m)
X 35 ft (10.8 m) with a total length of 286 ft (88 m). The requirement
was for two tunnels driven in a ' V on plan from the same pit. Ground
conditions were made of glacial materials with overlying clay fill material.
It is interesting to note that although the specifications for this work
envisaged segmental tunnel linings, the successful contractor submitted
70

J. Transp. Eng. 1983.109:57-72.

 a pipe-jacked scheme as an alternative, citing the following particular
advantages of this method:

1. Safe and economical working conditions.

Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO on 08/29/13. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

2. Avoidance of the need for any temporary structural support to the

ground through the use of full strength permanent tunnel units as the
lining in each construction phase.
3. Manufacture of precast concrete tunnel sections under favorable
conditions on site, rather than forming a permanent lining within the
confined conditions within the tunnel.
4. The ability to choose a cross section ideally suited to the ultimate
use, with smaller overall dimensions for a given usable space than a
circular tunnel.

Tunnel units were cast on an adjacent site.

Jacking force was provided by two banks of six jacks giving a total
thrust of 3,200 ton against the thrust wall, and IJS were also provided
giving additional jacking and steering capacity. Bentonite lubrication
was applied to walls and tunnel roof to reduce friction. Excavation at
the face was by hand-held pneumatic tools with mechanical loading of
spoil into skips for disposal.
Another European pipe-jacking technique for construction of a large
underground structure is described in detail in a November, 1979, Civil
Engineering (ASCE) article. This project was part of the metro system
in Antwerp, Belgium, using pipe-jacking methods. Horizontal tubes (1.2
m internal diameter) were installed adjacent to one another to form a
"horizontal cofferdam." These were then filled with concrete to form an
umbrella roof, and the area beneath was excavated by normal under-
pinning methods.
Other major works of this type, carried out in Germany and several
other countries, have been those where a tunnel box structure has been
preformed on one side of a railway embankment and jacked into posi-
tion in a short period of time by open cut digging. Boxes of very large
span have been installedup to 118 ft (36 m) in the case of a structure
near Cologne, Germany.
However, the writers do not accept these schemes as pipe-jacking as
the system relies on supporting the railway on a grid of steelwork while
excavation is carried out on an open cut basis by bulk excavation equip-
ment without requiring the maintaining of a stable face. The reference
is included, however, in order to try and give a comprehensive survey
of the European state-of-the-art.

CONCLUSION

In addition to utilizing pipe-jacking as an alternative system of soft

ground tunneling for drainage and services work, it appears that engi-
neers in Europe have adapted general pipe-jacking techniques to meet
the demands set by their clients, allowing constructing work to be car-
ried out beneath roads and railways with shallow cover and with only
minimal disruption to the service above. -
The degree of interference acceptable in different countries or even in
71

J. Transp. Eng. 1983.109:57-72.

 different locations varies a n d this has influenced the techniques u s e d .
It is interesting to see h o w crossing u n d e r railways has provided more
of a challenge than road crossings. Partly, this is because it is easier to
partially close roads or make diversions which permit normal o p e n cut
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO on 08/29/13. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

construction for the understructure, b u t also because the railway com-

pany owns both the track a n d r u n s the service. Therefore, it looks at
the overall economics of b o t h construction a n d interference costs. M a n y
highway authorities, t h o u g h , look only at construction costs a n d are not
so directly involved with the cost of disruption to the road user.
The techniques developed in the UK b y the writers for large boxes
appear to be more sophisticated t h a n u s e d elsewhere; this is primarily
a result of the rigid requirements of the British Rail which is working
under their densely trafficked main lines.

APPENDIX.BIBLIOGRAPHY

Clarkson, T. E., and Ropkins, J. W. T., "Pipe Jacking Applied to Large Struc-
tures," Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, London, England, Nov.,
1977.

Dip-Ing H., and Kronibus, N., "Vorpressen Grosser Stollen aus Stahlbetonfer-
tigteilen fur eine Unterirdische Trafostation in Zurich."

Drennon, C. B., "Pipe Jacking: State of the Art," Journal of the Construction Di-
vision, ASCE, Vol. 105, No. C03, Sept., 1979, pp. 217-223.

Jenkins, A. H., and Holloway, B. G. R., "New Railway Bridges over London's
East Cross Route," Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Part 1, No. 56,
1974, pp. 537-557.

Lanz, B., "Pipe Jacking," Tnls Trilling, Vol. 5, Mar., 1973, pp. 165-166.

Lanz, B., discussion, "Tnis Tnlling," Vol. 5, Mar., 1973, pp. 166-174.

Musso, G., "Jacked Pipe Provides Roof for Underground Construction in Busy
Urban Area," Civil Engineering, ASCE, Nov., 1979.
Sulinski, S. J., "The Jacking Method in Tunnel Construction," Proceedings of the
Rapid Excavation and Tunnelling Conference, American Institute of Mining, Metal-
lurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, Chicago, 111., 1972, pp. 983-995.

Thomson, J. C , "Horizontal Earth Boring," Proceedings of the Institution of Civil

Engineers, Apr., 1967, pp. 819-835.

72

J. Transp. Eng. 1983.109:57-72.