A Proven Solution with a New Twist - Technology Developments Help Segmented Pipe Gain Ground in Trenchless Construction

摘要

Much engineering effort is often devoted to selecting an optimum pipe material based on traditional factorsrn(corrosion control, flow performance, etc.), but in congested areas, a critical and often overlooked consideration isrnthe need to maintain a small Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) jobsite footprint, for cost, traffic control, andrnsafety reasons. While segmented pipe solutions have been available for many years to address this need, they werernoften limited in usefulness by the extra time that may be required to connect 20’ lengths with separate couplings, asrnwell as the higher pull-in loads that couplings may create. Utilizing a Lake County, Illinois water-main replacementrnproject as a case study, this paper will discuss the engineering development, qualification, and successful use of arncompletely non-metallic restrained-joint (RJ) PVC pipe system with integral bell (IB) joints, for ease of assemblyrnand reduction of pull-in loads, in an area where it was not feasible to use fused pipe. The paper will also describernhow pull-in loads were accurately determined by the use of a specialized force-measuring device during directionalrndrilling operations.