TUNNEL JACKING

DEFINITION
• The process of pipe installation using the tunnel jacking without the need to dig a trench.
• Jacking is the pushing of pipe or tunnel casing forward through an excavated hole behind a tunnel
boring machine (TBM) or shield.
• Can be done with various technologies including mechanical, hydraulic or air jacks.
• This method is commonly used to create tunnels under existing structures, such as roads or
railways.
• Tunnels constructed by pipe jacking are normally small diameter bores with a maximum size of
around 3.2 metres (10 ft).
 CHARACTERISTICS

 Simple cyclic procedure

 Utilizes thrust from hydraulic jacks to force the

pipe forward

 Person have to enter in pipe for excavation

 Excavation can be manual or by machine

 Practically limited to diameter greater than or equal

to 1075mm.

 Pipe istalattion process occurs from entrance and

exit shaft.
APPLICATION
 Larger diameter pipe (1050mm and up)
 Lengths can range from 3 to over 200m
 Sewwers and drainage construction
 Gas and water mains
 Oil pipelines
 Industrial pipelines
 Telecommunication
 Pedestrian subways (access tunnels)
Advantages
Little to no impact on the environment
Reduced impact on pedestrians, traffic, roads Costly for small length
and noise pollution
Provides optimal strength of pipes and
installation with proven results
Small surface settlements
Cost-effective in terms of time, costs and
resources
No theoretical limit to the length of
individual pipe jacks
Disadvantages
Skilled personal is required
Dewatering of tunnel path is usually
required
Not feasible for nature of soil changes
drastically
Hardrock/bedrock or very big boulders
should not be present in the path line.
METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION

• During the execution of the process, the hydraulic jack makes use of thrust power to
move the pipe forward into the ground.
• The rams of the jacks are retracted after installation of each pipe.
• This facilitates the preparation of next pipe in a position to repeat the same procedure
• The soil is transported out of the jacket pipe as well as the driven shaft, as the excavation
proceeds.
VIDEO
 Tunnel jacking
Characteristic Simple cyclic procedure
Can be manual or by machine
Pipe installation process occurs
from entrance and exit shaft
Advantages Environment friendly
Reduced impact on pedestrians,
traffic, roads & noise pollution
Avoids the excavation of trenches
Disadvantages Skilled personal is required
Costly for small length
Tunnel Boring Machine Drilling and Blasting
(TBM)
Shaped like a tube Economical way of
excavating long tunnel
1-20 meter diameter of bore Can be applied to a wide
tunnel range hard rock condition
Can bore through anything from
hard rock to sand
Continuous (non-cyclic) & fast Digging is not possible
operations
Safer & pleasant working Speed of construction
environment
Suitable to use in heavily
urbanized areas
Expensive to construct Disturbance the surrounding
Difficult to transport machines