First International Pipe Jacking Symposium

Pipe jacking is a hotly discussed topic not only in Germany. This was made clear not least of all by the first international symposium held at the IKT on February 14, 2007. Guests from Europe and India had the opportunity of admiring the IKT Pipe Jacking Simulator and of reporting on their own programs and projects.

Diverse Approaches Parallel Results

Dr.-Ing. Bert Bosseler, Scientific Director of the IKT

Dr. Bosseler, Scientific Director of the IKT, presented the IKT Pipe Jacking Simulator, which is unique in the world, to the international participants. This test facility, developed and constructed by the IKT in the context of an ongoing research project, permits 1:1 scale simulation of pipe jacking operations.

Nico Verburg, of the Technical University (TU) of Delft (Netherlands), reported on a project for computation of the frictional forces that occur during pipe jacking. He illustrated in his address the interactions which exist between the work of his university and the IKT: Differing approaches leading to parallel conclusions. The researchers in Delft calculate jacking operations and observe real projects in situ - unlike the IKT, where the simulator supplies the results. The frictional forces occurring generate reactions in the pipe bed and thus have an influence on the necessary jacking forces.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bernd Falter, University of Applied Sciences Münster

Prof. Dr. Ing. Bernd Falter, of the University of Münster, has verified the results obtained on the IKT Pipe Jacking Simulator by means of FEM simulation. Prof. Falter developed, on the basis of FEM simulation, a rod model, which can be used to compute any pipe jacking operation.
Andreas Redmann of the IKT presented the first results obtained from the IKT simulator: Contrary to the general assumption that, in an ideal case, uniformly distributed deflections occur between the pipes, an effect of joints expanding to differing extents actually takes place in practice. Measured and calculated bed reactions indicate that, when negotiating curves, the individual pipes group together to form "straights" (the "rod" or "straightening" effect). The irregular distribution of bed forces results in edge pressures and transverse forces.

International Platform

Niranjan Swarup, Director of IndSTT

The paper presented by Niranjan Swarup, Director of the Indian Society for Trenchless Technology (IndSTT) demonstrated that pipe jacking is a subject of global significance. In India`s densely populated conurbations, open trench pipe installation is a virtual logistical impossibility, which is why Indian system operators use pipe jacking in many cases for installation of new conduits.

The special circumstances of installing drains and sewers of the dimensions necessary for waste water management in New Delhi and the surrounding region (with a total of some 18.1 million inhabitants) will be examined by the "No Dig India" conference to be held in the city on March 28 and 29. Around sixty Indian system operators will be discussing with the responsible ministry the potentials for the use of trenchless methods. Niranjan Swarup kindly extended to IKT an invitation to attend this event, which the institute has been pleased to accept.

For more information on the IKT pipe jacking simulator, contact:

Dipl.-Ing. Martin Liebscher
Dipl.-Ing. Andreas Redmann
IKT – Institut für Unterirdische Infrastruktur gGmbH
Exterbruch 1
45886 Gelsenkirchen
Tel.: 0209 17806-0
Fax: 0209 17806-88
E-Mail: info@ikt.de
Internet: www.ikt.de