These technologies enable accurate sewer installation in diameters as small as 150mm using remote control techniques and as large as 3.5 meters or more using man-entry methods. They are specialized techniques that, despite their increasingly wide use, require specific engineering capabilities and experience to ensure safe and effective construction to meet clients’ needs.

Jason Consultants has recognized world leading expertise in the engineering of microtunneling and pipe jacking projects worldwide to deliver high quality sewer, utility, crossing and outfall installation in challenging conditions meeting time and budget constraints as well as clients’ operational requirements. Across the full range of diameters and techniques we provide clients with feasibility studies and advice including site investigation protocols, route planning, pipe design, method and tunneling equipment decisions, shaft and temporary works design, specifications and contract documents, bid evaluation, works supervision, Quality Assurance audit, tunnel monitoring protocols and tunnel construction data evaluation.

Our clients, whether owners, their engineers, or contractors, can benefit from this expertise for the installation of gravity sewers, pressure pipes and utility tunnels across the full range of microtunneling and pipe jacking technologies. This encompasses:

• Pilot pipe techniques
• All forms of microtunnelling including:
  • Auger
  • Slurry
  • EPB
• Pipe jacking including hand and mechanical excavation

Pipe materials installed, and which we have experience in designing for jacked applications, include concrete, clay, GRP and steel. We have designed successful installations in soils ranging from very soft clays (N = 1) to hard rock and under high groundwater heads.

Two critical design elements are the pipe joints and the jacking and reception shafts. Pipe joints need to convey jacking forces efficiently, to be watertight, and to allow some joint movement during installation. Jacking shafts need to provide reaction for the jacking equipment and to allow exit of the TBM and pipeline below groundwater level in many cases. We have significant experience of designing these elements to enable safe and efficient implementation of the microtunneling and pipe jacking techniques to solve complex installation challenges.

Microtunneling and pipe jacking are also increasingly used in sea outfalls. This is a further area in which we have many years’ experience upon which clients can draw.