Despite superstition, Friday, October 13 turned out to be a lucky day indeed for Midwest microtunneling contractor Super Excavators, Inc. and Superior Stones Canal CSO Improvement Project owner, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD). The date marked the successful completion of Super Excavators, Inc. (SEI)/CRS Tunneling, Inc.’s (CRS) third curved microtunnel, the second that they’ve completed in Cleveland, OH on the Project Clean Lake initiative.

Contractor pilot tube ingenuity has been consistent since we first introduced our guided boring systems in 2001. Occasionally an innovative pilot tube approach creates demand for a specialized service all its own. Such is the case with the guided pipe ramming method for The Tunneling Company (TTC), formerly Kamloops Augering & Boring, Ltd., who first incorporated this method into their standard service portfolio eight years ago.

Belvedere subcontracted TTC to install a 2440mm (96-in.), 45m (147-ft.) main culvert and 1200mm (48-in.), 43m (141-ft.) overflow culvert for McDowell Creek flow under Highway 16. The two new culverts are approximately 2.4m (8-ft.) apart at a 4.5% grade. The overflow culvert was positioned slightly higher at 0.5m (1.6-ft.) at the invert.

Harry Dickinson, project coordinator and estimator at TTC described, “We originally planned on just open-ended pipe ramming but due to the culverts’ grade tolerances we could not risk any deviation so opted to guide the pipe string with pilot tubes.”

Tunnelling Solutions (TS) of Melbourne is known throughout Australia as a full-service, specialized tunneling contractor with a team representing decades of technical tunneling experience.

One of TS’s ambitions of late was to expand their range of services to take on piped canopy projects. By combining guided boring pilot tube technology with an adjustable support and tension frame, they’ve developed an approach for consistent and repetitive success. In the past six months, they’ve packaged this service offering for use on three projects.

Guided Piped Canopy Method

The method of guided piped canopy installations, also called guided pipe roofing, is used for short tunnels, culverts or crossings for extra reinforcement in heavily traversed regions for stress distribution and to mitigate ground settlement. Connected lengths of steel casing, called canopy tubes, are installed to provide an arch or crown above a support structure, culvert or tunnel.

Earlier this year, we welcomed Weston Alberts to our engineering team as Senior Project Engineer. Alberts’ primary focus is electrical design and control systems for all Akkerman equipment.

Our newest lubrication solution for pipe jacking and microtunneling operations, the Akkerman Bentonite Injection System (ABIS) delivers automated bentonite injection at optimal tunnel intervals to reduce jacking forces and facilitate efficient and extended length pipe jacking. The ABIS package delivers totalized flow control at each valve location using touch screen functionality from the main system monitor.

The Underground Construction Technology (UCT) show kicks off the 2018 tradeshow schedule on January 30 through February 1 in New Orleans. We’ll provide attendees with information on guided boring applications and be available in Booth #708 for discussion.

As a premier pilot tube guided boring and microtunneling equipment supplier, we’re proud to once again take part in the 25th Annual Pilot Tube Microtunneling/Microtunneling Short Course and support it as the main event sponsor. The short course takes place at University of Colorado at Boulder February 5-8. 2018. Be sure to take advantage of our open invitation to attend our evening reception on Wednesday, February 7.