See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.
net/publication/367310324
Trenchless Technology Applications In Big Cities
Conference Paper · February 2021
CITATIONS READS
0 266
2 authors, including:
Haşim Çayir
Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif Üniversitesi
4 PUBLICATIONS 0 CITATIONS
SEE PROFILE
All content following this page was uploaded by Haşim Çayir on 21 January 2023.
The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.
1. RUMELİ SÜRDÜRÜLEBİLİR ÇEVRE İÇİN ENERJİ VE TASARIM SEMPOZYUMU SİLİVRİ - İSTANBUL
BÜYÜK ŞEHİRLERDE KAZISIZ TEKNOLOJİ
UYGULAMALARI
TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS IN BIG
CITIES
Fevzi YILMAZ
Haşim ÇAYIR
ABSTRACT
Underground building industry has social, economical and environmental costs. Old type installation,
renewing and rehabilitation of underground networks have major impact to city life. New type
Trenchless Technologies or no-dig techniques in construction industry are environment friendly and
have minimal impact to the ground. Trenchless Technologies have a number of sustainability benefits
and care natural balance. This paper provides general forecast of the physical infrastructure and
governance of the structures with design, operate and sustain quality urban environments. Other aim
is to give benefits of trenchless technology in big cities and to show positive effect of it to city life.
Key Words: Infrastructure, renewing, rehabilitation, trenchless technology, pipeline
ÖZET
Yeraltı yapı endüstrisi sosyal, ekonomik ve çevresel etkiye sahiptir. Yeraltı yapı ağlarının eski tarzla
inşaatı, yenilenmesi ve rehabilitasyonu şehir hayatını çok olumsuz şekilde etkilemektedir. Yeni tarz
Kazısız Teknolojiler veya Kazı-Hayır Teknikler çevre dostu olup toprakta çok az hasar oluştururlar.
Kazısız Teknolojiler sürdürülebilirlik boyutlu birçok yarara sahiptir ve doğal dengeyi korur. Bu çalışma
fiziksel altyapıların değerlendirilmesi ve onların tasarım, işletim ve kaliteli şehir yaşamı ekseninde
yönetimini vermektedir. Diğer amaç, kazısız teknolojinin büyük şehirlerdeki faydalarını vermek ve şehir
yaşamına olan pozitif etkilerini göstermektir.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Altyapı, yenileme, rehabilite etme, kazısız teknoloji, boru hattı
1. Introduction
Trenchless technology also known as NO-DIG is techniques for underground pipeline and utility
construction and replacement, rehabilitation, renovation (collectively called renewal), repair,
inspection, and leak detection, etc., with minimum or no excavation from the ground surface.
Differences between open-cut excavation (trenching) and no-dig (trenchless) approaches can clearly
visualized in following figure (Figure 1). First graph shows trenching/digging to have pipeline. Second
graph shows forming of pipe without digging (trenching). As it is clear, no damage on ground, no harm
to trees, no disturbance to vicinity of location in trenchless technology. Sustainability viewpoint and
environmental aspects have major priorities in trenchless technology.
82
1. RUMELİ SÜRDÜRÜLEBİLİR ÇEVRE İÇİN ENERJİ VE TASARIM SEMPOZYUMU SİLİVRİ - İSTANBUL
Figure 1. Comparison of traditional repair and trenchless repair method [1].
In regard to infrastructure projects, construction or rehabilitation of pipelines can create significant
damages to the ecosystems through excavation as well as generate traffic disruptions which result in
increasing carbon emissions, economic losses and discomfort for the inhabitants. Traditional open cut
methods are usually obtrusive to the environment (i.e. digging out and transporting large amounts of
soil), require increased consumption of resources both directly (i.e. fuel, electricity) and indirectly (for
instance, thorough traffic delays). Thus, such methods are rather highly polluting and also tend to take
longer amounts of time until completion, as compared with no-dig methods. Trenchless technology
provides a sustainable alternative more than often. Using trenchless as an environmentally conscious
choice ensures less air pollution (less CO 2 emissions, less dust, less noise), reduce traffic disruptions
and protect the natural habitat (i.e. preserving the trees that would otherwise be torn down for open-
cut) [2-7].
It is the fact that innovative methods are becoming main route in underground piping constructions,
renewations and rehabilitations. Awareness and importance of trenchless technology is increasing day
by day in engineering and environmental fields.
Underground construction specifically are risky operations, therefore, for a safe and successful
project, cooperation of all parties in the construction process (owner, engineer, contractor,
subcontractor, regulatory agency, and so on) is required with a well-defined plan (and organization) to
complete the work. Trenchless Technology methods reduce the negative impacts of open-cut
trenching. A safe and productive trenchless technology projects starts with a good plan and follows
with implementing that plan („„plan the work work the plan‟‟). There are also methods that can replace
and enlarge existing pipelines in situ. These methods are collectively called in-line replacement
methods. The term “renewal” is used when lining methods are applied to extend the design life of
pipelines. When trenchless methods are used to repair pipelines without extending their design life,
the term “repair” is used. Besides those given advantages many of the trenchless methods may have
several potential risks:
• Potential risks should be considered in the planning, design, and preconstruction phase of the
project.
• Some risk can be reduced by selection of experienced contractors and trained/certified machine
operators.
• While generally jobsite safety is the responsibility of the contractors, project owners and
consulting/design engineers also have a responsibility for ensuring proper method selection.
This paper begins with an overview of underground construction and gives comparison of open-cut
and trenchless (No-Dig) method of pipe installation. After detailing trenchless technologies,
developments and some trenchless applications in İstanbul were also given.
2. Trenchless Technology Methods
Many trenchless installation, renewal and rehabilitation methods are available or currently under
development. Some of these methods given below can be used to replace, rehabilitate, upgrade,
repair or renovate existing pipelines. They also can be used to enlarge existing pipes.
83
1. RUMELİ SÜRDÜRÜLEBİLİR ÇEVRE İÇİN ENERJİ VE TASARIM SEMPOZYUMU SİLİVRİ - İSTANBUL
The basic trenchless installation methods can be categorized into the following types:
• Conventional Pipe Jacking (CPJ): Jacking pipe sections simultaneously as tunnel excavation
proceeds using various forms of TBMs or hand mining (not microtunneling or pilot tube
microtunneling) (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Pipe jacking operation system [3].
• Utility tunneling (UT): It is general approach of constructing underground utility line by removing the
excavated soil from the front of cutting face and installing liner segments to form continuous ground
support structures. The product pipe is then transported and installed inside the tunnel. The annular
space between the liner and the pipe is usually filled with grout.
• Microtunneling (MT): A trenchless construction method for installing pipelines. Microtunneling uses
all of the following features during construction: (1) Remote controlled-The microtunneling-boring
machine (MTBM) is operated from a control panel, normally located on the surface. The system
simultaneously installs pipe as spoil is excavated and removed. Personnel entry is not required for
routine operation. (2) Guided-The guidance system usually references a laser beam projected onto a
target in the MTBM, capable of installing gravity sewers or other types of pipelines to the required
tolerance, for line and grade. (3) Pipe jacked-The process of constructing a pipeline by consecutively
pushing pipes and MTBM through the ground using a jacking system for thrust. (4) Continuously
supported-Continuous pressure is provided to the face of the excavation to balance groundwater and
earth pressures.
• Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD): A steerable system for the installation of pipes, conduits, and
cables in a shallow arc using a surface launched drilling rig. Traditionally the term applies to large-
scale crossings in which a fluid-filled pilot bore is drilled using a fluid-driven motor at the end of a
bend-sub, and is then enlarged by a wash over pipe and back reamer to the size required for the
product pipe. The positioning of a bent sub provides the required deviation during pilot boring.
Tracking of the drill string is achieved by the use of a downhole survey tool (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Directional drilling operations [4].
• Horizontal auger boring (HAB): The use of auger boring machines to prepare holes by the installation
of a casing whereby the spoil is removed by the use of augers.
84
1. RUMELİ SÜRDÜRÜLEBİLİR ÇEVRE İÇİN ENERJİ VE TASARIM SEMPOZYUMU SİLİVRİ - İSTANBUL
• Pipe ramming (PR): A nonsteerable system of forming a bore by driving an open-ended steel casing
using a percussive hammer from a drive pit. The soil may be removed from the casing by augering,
jetting, or compressed air.
• Mini Horizontal Directional Drilling (Mini-HDD): Small diameter horizontal directional drilling. In
Europe it is called guided boring.
The basic trenchless renewal methods can be categorized into the following types:
• Cured-In-Place Pipe (CIPP): A lining system in which a thin flexible tube of polymer or glass fiber
fabric is impregnated with thermoset resin and expanded by means of fluid pressure into position on
the inner wall of a defective pipeline before curing the resin to harden the material. The uncured
material may be installed by winch or inverted by water or air pressure, with or without the aid of a
turning belt.
•Fold and form lining (FF): Method of pipeline renewal in which a liner is folded to reduce its size
before insertion and reversion to its original shape by the application of pressure, or heat, or both.
• Sliplining (SL): (1) General term used to describe methods of lining with continuous pipes and lining
with discrete pipes. (2) Insertion of a new pipe by pulling or pushing it into the existing pipe and
grouting the annular space. The pipe used may be continuous or a string of discrete pipes. The latter
is also referred to as segmental sliplining.
• Modified Sliplining (MS): A range of techniques in which the liner is reduced in cross-sectional
diameter before insertion into the carrier pipe. It is subsequently restored close to its original diameter,
generally forming a close fit with the original pipe. There are different methods of cross-sectional area
reduction.
• Close-fit Pipe (CFP): Description of a lining system in which the new pipe makes close contact with
the existing defective pipe at normal or minimum diameter. An annulus may occur in sections where
the diameter of the defective pipe is in excess of this.
• Shotcrete and Gunite (S&G): Reinforced sprayed cement mortars.
• In-Line Replacement (ILR): Methods that can replace and enlarge existing pipelines in situ.
• Point Source Repair (PSR): Repair work on an existing pipe, to an extent less than the run between
two access points or manholes.
The basic trenchless rehabilitations/replacement methods can be categorized into the following types:
• Pipe bursting (PB): A pipe replacement method for breaking the existing pipe by brittle fracture, using
force from within, applied mechanically, the remains being forced into the surrounding ground. At the
same time a new pipe, of the same or larger diameter, is drawn in behind the bursting tool. The pipe-
bursting device may be based on an impact moling tool to exert diverted forward thrust to the radial
bursting effect required, or by a hydraulic device inserted into the pipe and expanded to exert direct
radial force or a static hammer. For new pipe, generally a HDPE pipe is used, but currently PVC,
ductile iron, clay and GRP is also used. Also known as pipe cracking and pipe splitting.
• Pipe Reaming (PRM): A variation of directional boring, pipe reaming can be used to replace existing
clay, asbestos cement, non-reinforced concrete and PVC pipe. A reamer is pulled through the existing
pipe, which cuts the pipe into small pieces. The pipe pieces are flushed out the borehole with the
drilling fluid [5].
It is important in the planning process for the project owner to clearly identify, define and communicate
the project priorities to all those working on the project. Figure 4 gives the complications of
underground network of infrastructure.
85
1. RUMELİ SÜRDÜRÜLEBİLİR ÇEVRE İÇİN ENERJİ VE TASARIM SEMPOZYUMU SİLİVRİ - İSTANBUL
Figure 4. Underground pipe networks [6].
Trenchless renewal methods are in use in big cities with increasing rate. The choice of trenchless
pipeline renewal methods depends on the physical conditions of the existing pipeline system, such as
pipeline length, shape of cross section (circular, arch or shores shoe, rectangular, etc.), type of pipe
material, size, type and number of manholes and access points, service connections; and the nature
of the problem or problems involved. The problems with existing pipe may include structural or non-
structural issues, infiltration or inflow, exfiltration or outflow, pipe breakage, corrosion, missing sections
and voids, joint settlement, joint or pipe misalignment, capacity problems, etc [7].
There are serious issues associated with the ability to detect and accurately locate buried utility asset
as well as control and monitor the TT infrastructures. Many below ground and surface-based survey
techniques are available. Main examples are ground penetration radars (GPR), close circuit television
(CCTV), intelligent TV camera systems, pressure tests, smoke tests, fiber optic gyroscopes, georadar
utility search and mapping, and void inspection devices.
Figure 5 shows closed-circuit television inspection (CCTV). As a definition closed-circuit television
inspection is a method using a closed-circuit television camera system with appropriate transport and
lighting mechanisms to view the interior surface of sewer pipes and structures.
Figure 5. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) inspection [7].
3. Developments
Many developments in trenchless equipments and methods have been experienced since 1990,
when, by the establishment of the North American Society for Trenchless Technology (NASTT). More
powerful HDD equipment, “hybrid” technology, more capable PB and PR are a few of them.
Recent development of tunnelling machine has a lot of amazing facts and in this section, details are
given below: Autonomous robotic boring machines are under discussion in industrial circle. Proposed
machines can detect and avoid obstacles such as pipes, cables, the foundations of buildings and even
86
1. RUMELİ SÜRDÜRÜLEBİLİR ÇEVRE İÇİN ENERJİ VE TASARIM SEMPOZYUMU SİLİVRİ - İSTANBUL
buried boulders. At the front, a cutting wheel with a diameter a little larger than that of the final tunnel
(to allow for the thickness of the lining) is pushed forward by pistons and chews away at soil and rock
as it travels. The spoil from this excavation is then taken to the surface by conveyor belts. Once
enough material has been cleared, the borer is stopped, and the newly exposed section is lined with
precast concrete sections.
Other development is to make boring machines more powerful, so that they can cut through material
faster. It also wants to automate things, to reduce labour costs, and to line the tunnel as the machines
progress, instead of stopping excavation when linings are added. One idea is to compact the spoil into
bricks and use those as lining material.
Boring is being designed specifically for small-diameter tasks, such as digging conduits for cables and
pipes. However, a two-lane road tunnel needs to be about 8.5 meters wide. Speeds of around two
meters an hour are expected (currently average daily advance rate is 8-10 m/day for TBM and 1-2 for
open trenching). It should be possible to increase both speed and scale. TBM face will combine a
conventional rotary cutting head with an ultrasonic drill, which will pulverize rock with high-frequency
sound waves. As with existing machines, the spoil will then be sent to the surface. Unlike existing
machines, however, mole will move forward not as a rigid unit, but like a worm. The rear section will
clamp itself to the wall of the newly cut tunnel and push the front section forward. The forward section
will then clamp itself and pull up the rear. As it advances, a 3D printer will line the tunnel behind it.
One idea is to print the wall with plastic, so that the result resembles a conventional pipe. TBM will
navigate using various sensors including, crucially, ground-penetrating radar. This will enable it to
operate autonomously and detect potential obstacles before it reaches them, so that it can steer
around them. The great benefit of it is being able to excavate tunnels below busy cities without closing
roads to dig trenches-thus avoiding making the traffic jams. Whether the tunnels are straight or loopy,
though, the future of tunnelling will be anything but boring. Many of the proposed developments given
above are being tested in boring companies.
Famous entrepreneur Elon Musk‟s (USA) Boring Company is one of them. Main objective is to dig
tunnels faster and more cheaply than is possible at the moment. Mr Musk is surely right about one
thing-that tunnelling, which is currently slow and expensive, is a technology incentive for innovation
[8].
Figure 6 shows the tunnel boring machine used in The Eurasia Tunnel Project. The tunnel boring
machine (TBM) called "Yıldırım Bayezid" that carries out the tunnel excavation in the Eurasia Tunnel;
It ranks 1st in the world with 33.3 kW/m2 cutter head power, 2nd place with 12 bar design pressure and
6th with a cutter head area of 147.3 m2. The Eurasia Tunnel Project (Istanbul Strait Road Tube
Crossing Project) connects the Asian and European sides of Istanbul/Turkey via a highway tunnel
crossing underneath the seafloor. The Eurasia Tunnel, between traffic-dense Kazlıçeşme and
Göztepe, covers a route of 14.6 kilometers.
Figure 6. Yıldırım Bayezid [9].
87
1. RUMELİ SÜRDÜRÜLEBİLİR ÇEVRE İÇİN ENERJİ VE TASARIM SEMPOZYUMU SİLİVRİ - İSTANBUL
4. Trenchless Technologies in Istanbul
Istanbul has become a center of attraction for three civilizations for almost 8000 years. It houses
around 20 % of the population in Turkey corresponding to more than 16 million people, and around 40
% of the industrial activity of country takes place within this metropolitan city. Istanbul is located along
the shores of the Marmara Sea and the Bosporus Strait.
As Istanbul is famous ancient city of the world and it has growing population, the importance of
Trenchless Methods is obvious. Currently, renewal and rehabilitation are in application in underground
infrastructure such as water systems, gas pipeline and sewer systems. Especially, Cured-in-Place
Pipe (CIPP), Fold & Form (F&F), Pipe Bursting (PB) and Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) methods
are widely used for rehabilitation, renewal and new installation of pipelines in Istanbul. On the other
hand, open cut rehabilitation or renewal applications are generally difficult, or impossible, owing to the
dense urbanization, increasing population and the existing historical sites [10].
The service life of wastewater pipelines has been extended by rehabilitation of damages in urbanized
areas at which traffic density and narrow roads are available CIPP rehabilitation methods are advised
in these regions. Figure 7 shows an example of wastewater lines which had CIPP application.
Figure 7. CIPP application with UV (Ultraviolet) in sewer.
Another trenchless method used in Istanbul is Fold & Form (F&F). This is method of pipeline renewal
in which a liner is folded to reduce its size before insertion and reversion to its original shape by the
application of pressure, or heat, or both. The biggest advantage of the Fold & Form method is the
ability of fast installation for rehabilitation. Therefore, this method has widely been applied around
central areas of Istanbul and the wastewater rehabilitation of particularly historical sites has been
realized with this method. Figure 8 shows the application of F&F.
Figure 8. Fold & Form application.
Horizontal directional drilling has become the preferred method of installation for municipalities when
crossing roads, nature preserves and parks, rivers, or locations of high utility congestion due to the
design flexibility and minimal surface disruption. The environmentally friendly character of horizontal
88
1. RUMELİ SÜRDÜRÜLEBİLİR ÇEVRE İÇİN ENERJİ VE TASARIM SEMPOZYUMU SİLİVRİ - İSTANBUL
directional drilling (HDD) has made it a widely used method for the installation of subsurface pipes
during the last twenty years [11]. Figure 9 shows an application examples of this method.
Figure 9. HDD application on Barbaros Street-Beşiktaş.
Pipe bursting application was carried out generally at cast iron water pipelines in Istanbul. Figure 10
shows one of the examples.
Figure 10. Pipe bursting application site in Beşiktaş.
5. Conclusions
In the urbanized parts of the world, sub-surface installation and renewal work can disrupt roads, industry
and commerce and may be a major source of frustration for local residents, business and public. This has
previously resulted in growing opposition to construction work, concern about damage to natural
environment, and an increase in claims for compensation from general public and hence, calls for less
social disruption. Trenchless projects are less hazardous and are generally viewed as being more
environmentally sound and it‟s no surprise that United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has
declared trenchless methods as Environmentally Sustainable Technologies (ESTs).
The challenges of climate change require renewed efforts on behalf of municipalities worldwide to provide
public services, to meet development needs and to ensure environmental protection. Based on the
calculations and analysis it was concluded that the use of trenchless technology represented a better
environmental choice in regard to climate change as compared with the open-cut scenario. The German
Society of Trenchless Technology (GSTT) head Professor J. Hoelterhoff [12] performed the critical
review for validating the results. Research covers Berlin‟s (3,4 million population) 26 years Trenchless
Technology (TT) experience. More than 780 km of collective and house service connection sewer
pipes were constructed by using TT (mainly microtunelling) in between 1980 and 2006. Approximate
saving of construction costs was totaling of 67 million Euro. This money was used for other waterwork
activities. Negative impacts avoided by TT included:
• 2,4 million cubic meter soil excavation,
89
1. RUMELİ SÜRDÜRÜLEBİLİR ÇEVRE İÇİN ENERJİ VE TASARIM SEMPOZYUMU SİLİVRİ - İSTANBUL
• Digging up and restoring 1,3 million square meter of road surface,
• Transporting 198.000 truckloads of soil through the city,
• Extracting 212 million cubic meter of ground water (equal to Berlin‟s yearly water supply),
• 3 times more carbon dioxide emissions of the construction equipment used in the open construction
method,
• Damage of trees.
In addition to above given advantages, trenchless technology leads low resource consumption (i.e.
fuel, electricity) and high comfort (for instance, less traffic delays, less dust, less noise). Short time
spend until completion, as compared with trenching methods are other benefit. Trenchless technology
provides a sustainable alternative more than often. The great benefit of it is being able to excavate
tunnels below busy cities without closing roads thus avoiding making the traffic jams. Protection of
natural habitat (i.e. preserving the trees that would otherwise be torn down for open-cut) is another
advantage of trenchless technology.
Trenchless technology is a crucial alternative for the construction, renewal and rehabilitation of
pipelines. Prevention of negative impacts of open cut is the biggest advantage of trenchless
technology. This also enables minimized social costs in central capital cities.
Acknowledgment
The authors of this paper would like to extend their sincere thanks to İSKİ, Eurasia Tunnel Operation
Construction and Investment Co. (ATAŞ), Kanaltek Ltd. Şti., Hasan Vardar İnşaat A.Ş., AOL İstanbul
Ltd. Şti. and Bakır İnşaat Ltd. Şti. for providing data and documents.
REFERENCES
[1] https://phoenixtrenchless.com/ (October 2020)
[2] VLADIMIROV Victor, “Comparison of CO2 Emissions from Trenchless and Open-Cut Methods:
Installation of a OD 3000mm Diameter Pipe for Project”, International No-Dig 2015 Istanbul
Conference and Exhibition, Istanbul, Turkey, September 2015
[3]http://www.victoriatrenchlesssolutions.com.au/pipe-jacking-melbourne-trenchless-technology/
(October 2020)
[4] SISTERMANS Raphael, “Methods of Construction of Tunnelled Outfalls, Advantages and
Application of Different Tunnel Techniques” Mediterranean NO-DIG 2007-XXVth International
Conference and Exhibition, Roma, Italia, September 2007
[5] NAJAFI Mohammad, "Trenchless Technology Piping", WEF Press, Alexandria, Virginia, USA, 2010
[6] https://www.plowmancraven.co.uk/services/gyroscopic-mapping-services/ (October 2020)
[7] YILMAZ Fevzi, “An Introduction to Trenchless Technology Piping”, to be published book
[8] “Boring technology: Underground adventures”, Science & Technology, The Economist, pp. 62, July
2017
[9] https://www.avrasyatuneli.com/kurumsal/galeri/fotograf/tbm-tunel-acma-makinesi-teslim-alma-toreni
(October 2020)
[10] YILMAZ Fevzi, “Trenchless Technology (TT) In Smart Cities”, 3rd International Istanbul Smart Grid
Congress and Fair, April 2015
[11] LUEKE Jason S., ARIARATNAM Samuel T., “Numerical characterization of surface heave
associated with horizontal directional drilling”, Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology 21, pp.
106–117, 2006
[12] https://en.gstt.de/ (October 2020)
90
View publication stats
