Advancement of pipe elements in the ground

A method for producing a pipeline comprised of a plurality of pipe elements including a first and a second pipe element in ground, comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a pressing device resting on an abutment and pushing the entire pipeline in an advance direction to advance the entire pipeline by a length of one pipe element by exerting a pressing force on the most rearward pipe element to thereby advance the entire pipeline,
• b) providing an expansion element in the form of a hollow profile in a joint between said first and a said second pipe element of the pipeline, said hollow profile being filled with a pressure-resistant fluid,
• c) measuring a fluid pressure in said hollow profile,
• d) measuring a deformation of said joint by at least three local expansion measurements,
• e) calculating geometric data of an expansion plane of said joint from said at least three local measurements,
• f) determining size and eccentricity of a propulsion force that is effective in said pipe element during advancing said entire pipeline comprised of said plurality of pipe elements, said size and eccentricity being determined in relation to a neutral axis or to an advance direction from said measuring of the fluid pressure and from the geometric data of the expansion plane.

A method for determining propulsion force that is effective in a predetermined pipe element of a system for laying a pipeline into the ground by laying successive pipe elements including a most rearward pipe element at one end and a controllable header piece at the other end and advancing the pipe elements in a predetermined direction by means of a pressing device resting on an abutment, wherein the most rearward pipe element is pressed by the pressing device to advance it and the entire pipeline stepwise, pressing the most rearward element in the predetermined direction until a next pipe element can be inserted, then retracting the pressing device and inserting a new pipe element as the most rearward pipe element and driving it in the predetermined direction with said pressing device, repeating the above sequence until a last pipe element is advanced, the system comprising:

• a) a pressing device resting in a pressing bay on an abutment;
• b) several pipe elements in front of the pressing device with respect to a direction of pipe element advancement, namely the rear-most pipe element in front of said pressing device and further pipe elements in front of said rear pipe element,
• c) a hollow, hose pressure transmitting element in a joint between two pipe elements of said several pipe elements, said hollow pressure transmitting element being filed with a pressure-resistant fluid,
• d) a filling valve connected to the pressure transmitting element, the filling valve being closed during advancement of the entire pipeline of several pipe elements by said pressing device,
• e) a pressure measurement device for measuring fluid pressure in said pressure transmitting element during propulsion,
• f) a deformation measurement device for measuring at least three local expansions of said joint during propulsion,
• wherein the method comprises the following steps:
• g) providing control commands to the pressing device, wherein said control commands define an actual propulsion force that is sufficient to advance all of the several pipe elements at once,
• h) applying said actual propulsion force by the pressing device to said rear-most pipe element wherein the propulsion force is transmitted at once along the several pipe elements from pipe element to pipe element and is resulting in an exerted force at said joint,
• i) measuring the fluid pressure in said hollow hose pressure transmitting element of said joint during advancement of the several pipe elements by the pressing device,
• j) measuring the deformation of said joint during advancement of the several pipe elements,
• k) calculating geometric data of a pressure transmitting plane of said joint from said at least three local expansion measurements,
• l) determining size and eccentricity of the exerted propulsion force that is effective in said joint during advancement of said entire pipeline, said size and eccentricity being determined—in relation to a neutral axis (N) or to an advance direction—from said measuring of the fluid pressure and from said geometric data of the pressure transmitting plane.

A method for producing a pipeline of pipe elements in ground by laying successive pipe elements including a most rearward pipe element at one end and a controllable header piece at the other end and advancing the pipe elements in a predetermined direction by means of a pressing device resting on an abutment, wherein the most rearward pipe element is pressed by the pressing device to advance it and the entire pipeline stepwise, pressing the most rearward element in the predetermined direction until a next pipe element can be inserted, then retracting the pressing device and inserting a new pipe element as the most rearward pipe element and driving it in the predetermined direction with said pressing device, repeating the above sequence until a last pipe element is advanced, comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a pressing device resting on an abutment in a pressing bay,
• b) providing several pipe elements arranged in front of the pressing device and between the pressing device and a header piece of the pipeline, namely the rear-most pipe element in front of said pressing device and further pipe elements in front of said rear pipe element,
• c) providing a hollow, hose pressure transmitting element in a joint between two pipe elements of said several pipe elements, said hollow pressure transmitting element being filed with a pressure-resistant fluid,
• d) providing a filling valve connected to the pressure transmitting element,
• e) the filling valve being closed during advancement of the entire pipeline of several pipe elements by said pressing device,
• f) providing control commands to the pressing device, wherein said control commands define an actual propulsion force that is sufficient to advance all of the several pipe elements at once,
• g) applying said actual propulsion force by the pressing device to said rear-most pipe element generating simultaneous advancement of the several pipe elements in the advance direction by transmission of the propulsion force from pipe element to pipe element and resulting in an exerted propulsion force at said joint,
• h) measuring a fluid pressure in said hollow hose pressure transmitting element of said joint during simultaneous advancement of the several pipe elements by the pressing device,
• i) measuring a deformation of said joint by at least three local expansion measurements,
• j) calculating geometric data of a pressure transmitting plane of said joint from said at least three local expansion measurements,
• k) determining size and eccentricity of the exerted propulsion force that is effective in said joint during advancement of said entire pipeline, said size and eccentricity being determined—in relation to a neutral axis (N) or to an advance direction—from said measuring of the fluid pressure and from said geometric data of the pressure transmitting plane,
• l) controlling said propulsion force of the pressing device depending on said determined size and eccentricity of the propulsion force and triggering an alarm if the exerted propulsion force that is effective in said joint exceeds the permitted propulsion force for the determined size and eccentricity of the propulsion force.