US 7,731,453 B2Granted

Method and device for trenchless laying of pipelines

AssigneeStein & Partner GmbH

InventorDietrich Stein

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Abstract

Described is a method for the trenchless underground laying of pipes. According to said method, a shield tunnel boring machine and then subsequently pipes are driven through the ground starting from a starting shaft. The shield tunnel boring machine produces a borehole whose diameter is slightly greater than the outer diameter of the pipes. The annular space between the borehole wall and the pipes thereby obtained is filled with a supporting and lubricating agent. During advance, a continuous and periodical examination of the composition of the ground is carried out in the area of the shield tunnel boring machine or the first pipe following the shield tunnel boring machine or the first lubricating point. Depending on the result of the examination, the ground in the examined area is sealed off and/or solidified by a sealing and/or solidifying agent and/or the composition of the supporting and lubricating agent is adjusted.

A method, implemented by a device, for a trenchless underground laying of pipelines, comprising:

from a starting shaft, driving through a ground a shield tunnel boring machine and pipes following the machine;
producing a borehole using the machine, a diameter of the borehole being slightly larger than an outer diameter of the pipes;
filling an annular space existing between the borehole wall and the pipes with a supporting and lubricating agent;
during an advance of the pipes, at least in a region of one of (i) the machine, (ii) a first pipe of the pipes following the machine and (iii) a first lubricating station, examining a condition of the ground, the examining step being performed in one of (i) a continuous manner and (ii) a periodic manner;
performing at least one of the following step based on a result of the examining step:
(i) at least one (a) sealing and (b) solidifying the ground in the examined region using at least one of a sealing medium and a solidifying medium;
and
(ii) adjusting a composition of the supporting and lubricating agent;
wherein the device includes:
(a) a first test and injection device having a supporting and lubricating agent and at least one of a sealing medium and a solidifying medium, the first test and injection device being situated in one of (i) a region of a shield tunnel boring machine and (ii) a region of one of front pipes;
and
(b) supply lines supplying to the first test and injection device at least one of (i) the supporting and lubricating agent and (ii) at least one of the sealing medium and the solidifying medium,
wherein the test and injection device has openings which discharge into an annular space, the test and injection device being connected to at least one of the supply lines,
wherein the openings are disposed distributed uniformly in a circumferential direction, and
wherein, in order to achieve uniform pressure conditions in the annular space, the openings are individually controlled and activated.

12 more elements

Abstract

Claims16