Microtunneling

Directions & Growth

Our corporate group was set up in 1933 as a construction company. We started off by specialising in building pipelines and sewers, but in the ensuing years we gathered experience and grew with the challenges we were presented. Soon our pipeline and sewer products ranged from house service connection to the complete unit covering all rated sizes, pressure stages and materials. Finally, we added microtunnelling and pipeline and sewer refurbishing. 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

Microtunneling: High Performance and Effective

Microtunnels for: wastewater pipes pressure pipes for: water gas wastewater conduits

Global Engineering Excellence

We have operations and subsidiaries in many countries to offer you a well-oiled international nexus of superior services. These nodes are scattered all over Europe to lay the foundation for formidable connections. Wherever you are and wherever you see our logo, you can rest assured that it stands for expertise and reliability.

Our services: You too can reap the rewards of our full services in the field of microtunneling. We offer you: structural analysis for pipes and shafts civil engineering for launch and reception shafts microtunnels pipe supply building the concrete structures and the shafts surface reconstruction surveying quality control

Your advantages: Minimum civil engineering and surface work Reduction of the earth movement to a minimum Minimum obstruction of traffic Minimum annoyance for residents Conservation of the environment Work in ground water No lowering of the ground water level Short construction times

The Method
Microtunneling is a high-performance and environmentally friendly alternative to pipeline construction with trenches; it can also be used in the most demanding of circumstances: ground water and difficult geologies are no problem for microtunneling, and it has proven to be a very good method of avoiding obstructions in city centres.
Separation system Control container

Diameters from 200 to 3,200 mm

Rated widths & lengths Depending on the diameter and the geology, tunnels of up to the following lengths can be advanced: DN Metres up to up to up to up to up to up to 80 100 150 250 500 1,200

200 - 300 400 - 500 600 - 700 800 - 1,000

Settlement tank

Feed pump Launch shaft Slurry Discharge line Feed line Launch seal

Jacking pipes Ground water level Reception shaft Reception seal Laser beam Jacking pipes

1,200 - 1,400 1,600

sandy and cohesive soils.

View of the launch shaft

Slurry Discharge line

Daily progress of up to 40 m can be achieved in

Laser Jacking frame Cutting head

Highest precision The surveying-technology and the control of the AVN make an accurate drilling possible. DN 600 600 to 1,000 1,000 to 1,400 1,400 vertical 20 25 30 50 horizontal 25 40 100 200 Possible materials for the jacking pipes Reinforced concrete Reinforced concrete compound pipes with PE sheathing PVC sheathing Ceramic sheathing

The cutter head (1) removes with its tools cutters, knives, chisels or discs the surrounding soil. This is taken to the crusher chamber (2). This is where any stones are crushed (3). The drilling-suspension is initially pumped in a closed circuit into the crushing chamber, is accumulated with the soil there and then pumped back to the seperation plant. The separating system then separates the drillingsuspension from the soil. The soil is disposed and the drilling-suspension is pumped back into the crushing chamber. Using the hydraulic cylinders in the jacking frame the pipe can be further pushed forward. A laser beam controls the location of the machine. The target board (4) reports the position of the laser point to the machine operator in the control container. Hydraulic cylinders (12) make possible steering the cutterhead and to correct the position.
1 Cutter head 2 Crusher chamber 3 Crusher 4 Target board 5 Main bearings 6 Switch cabinet 7 Drive motors 8 Distribution of the annular space nozzles 9 Distribution of the cutter head nozzles 10 Manhole 11 Suction piece 12 Control cylinder

Max. deviation in mm from the target position for wastewater canals and pipes.

Ceramics (vitrified clay) Polymer concrete GFRP (Glass fiber reinforced pipes) Steel

Maximum work safety In view of the fact that the microtunnel systems are operated from the control container, it is not necessary to have any workers in the pipeline. This also means it is not necessary to ventilate the pipeline or to adhere to the statutory, required minimum diameters for emergency exits.

Use of the Method in Order to Construct ...

Wastewater pipes All diameters and materials can be advanced without difficulty using microtunnel technology. Conduits All materials can be used as conduits for cables or other purposes.

Pressure pipes In view of the fact that we draw on cutter heads that match the steel pipe dimensions in terms of the exterior diameter, it is also possible to lay pressure pipes for water and gas. The advance of the cutter head takes place with the steel pipes. Your advantages: The pipe canal cannot collapse. The bentonite lubrication means that damage to the pipe surface can be excluded. Wherever horizontal directed drilling technology (HDD) cannot be used: for difficult and rough gravel soils, soils with erratic blocks, in city centres, where there is no space to extend and retract, microtunneling methods are a true alternative.

Use in Difficult Geologies

In normal cases, ground water, stony sub-soils and rock soils are seen as obstructions to construction projects. In almost all circumstances, microtunneling is now a reliable method and an effective alternative to costly detonations or mortise work. Rocks The modern technology offers new, uncomplicated options even when drilling through rocks with high degrees of hardness. In places that previously 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 adjusted to suit the mass required by the pipe displacement.

Greater security in the ground water Using passage seals it is possible to extend and retract the starting- and receiving pits without water penetrating the shafts. This means that many risks that are most commonly prevalent in this kind of construction project e.g. structural subsidence can be excluded. The launch and reception shafts are worked in the ground water. This takes place by lowering 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.

and in contaminated soils In view of the fact that the interior of the pipes and the soil are hermetically separated from each other in the cutter head, hazardous liquids or gases cannot penetrate the pipeline. The contaminated soil is taken away in the separation system. The rinsing water can be treated using a filter.

Special Areas of Use

You can reap the rewards of microtunneling, especially in demanding areas: no river is too broad, no water too deep.

The Trend

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.

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 Lilienthalstrae 33 34123 Kassel Germany Phone: +49 / 561 / 9 53 47 -0 Fax: +49 / 561 / 9 53 47 -50 e-mail: [email protected] PFEIFFER ITALIA Via L. Valla 16 20141 Milano Italy Phone: +39 / 02 / 847 423 07 Fax: +39 / 02 / 847 423 08 e-mail: [email protected] ZEPRIS Prag Mezi Vodami 639/27 14320 Praha 4 Czech Republic Phone: +420 / 2 / 417 728 36 Fax: +420 / 2 / 417 734 73 e-mail: [email protected]

Ludwig Pfeiffer Berlin Gro-Berliner-Damm 73 D 12487 Berlin Germany Phone: +49 / 30 / 63 99 99 70 Fax: +49 / 30 / 63 99 99 74 e-mail: [email protected] Pfeiffer France 1, Rue de la Terre de Feu 91940 Les Ulis (Paris) France Phone: +33 / 1 69 28 37 19 Fax: +33 / 1 69 28 92 79 e-mail: [email protected] PFEIFFER Bucuresti Sos. Bucuresti-Ploiesti nr. 73-81 Victoria Business Park corp 3, et. 3, birou 442 Bucuresti 013685, sector 1 Romania Phone: +40 / 21 / 455 43 10 Fax: +40 / 21 / 455 43 11 e-mail: [email protected]

www.ludwigpfeiffer.com