What Is Pipe Jacking?

Exploring the Underground Crossing Technology of Trenchless Construction

In today’s rapidly developing cities, underground pipeline infrastructure faces increasingly higher requirements. It is necessary to ensure the improvement of urban facilities while minimizing impacts on roads, traffic, and residents’ daily lives. Compared with traditional excavation methods, pipe jacking technology has become an important solution for underground construction due to its advantages of minimal surface disruption, low environmental impact, and high construction efficiency.

What Is Pipe Jacking?

Pipe jacking is a typical trenchless construction technology that uses a pipe jacking machine to excavate underground while hydraulic jacking systems push prefabricated pipe sections forward one by one, forming underground pipelines or passages.

Unlike Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD), whose core action is “pulling”, pipe jacking focuses on “pushing”. The cutter head at the front of the machine excavates the soil, while the rear hydraulic system provides continuous thrust to advance the pipeline accurately along the designed alignment.

Pipe jacking machines are mainly used for medium-to-short-distance underground pipeline installation and medium-to-large diameter projects, featuring excellent settlement control and minimal disturbance to surface environments.

Today, pipe jacking technology is widely applied in municipal drainage pipelines, power and communication ducts, gas and heating pipelines, and underground utility tunnels.

How Does Pipe Jacking Work?

A complete pipe jacking project generally includes four key stages:

01 Site Preparation

Before construction begins, geological investigations are carried out to understand underground soil conditions and groundwater characteristics. Based on project requirements, the locations of the launching shaft and receiving shaft are planned, followed by site preparation and foundation works.

02 Equipment Installation & Commissioning

The main machine, cutter head, hydraulic system, and other components are lifted into the working shaft for assembly and commissioning. Before operation, the propulsion system, cutting system, and guidance system are tested to ensure stable and reliable performance.

03 Jacking & Excavation

During operation, the cutter head rotates to excavate the soil ahead, while hydraulic cylinders continuously push the pipe sections forward. The laser guidance system monitors the machine position in real time and performs automatic correction to ensure precise alignment throughout the jacking process.

04 Reception & Completion

After the pipe jacking machine reaches the receiving shaft, the equipment is removed, and final works including pipeline cleaning, shaft sealing, manhole construction, and surface restoration are completed before project acceptance.

Main Types of Pipe Jacking Machines

According to different geological conditions and construction requirements, pipe jacking machines can be divided into several types. The two most widely used types are:

Slurry Balance Pipe Jacking Machine

A slurry balance pipe jacking machine uses pressurized slurry to maintain face stability and balance underground water and soil pressure. It is suitable for sandy soil, soft soil, and complex groundwater conditions.

Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) Pipe Jacking Machine

An EPB pipe jacking machine uses excavated soil to form a pressure-balanced chamber. By controlling the discharge rate, the machine maintains stable pressure inside the chamber. It features a simpler structure and better economic efficiency.

Why Is Pipe Jacking Becoming More Popular?

With the continuous development of urban underground spaces, trenchless technology has become a key direction for modern infrastructure construction.

Compared with traditional open-cut methods, pipe jacking significantly reduces road occupation, minimizes disruption to urban transportation and surrounding environments, and improves construction efficiency.

With the continuous growth of urban renewal projects, underground pipeline upgrades, and utility tunnel development, pipe jacking technology will play an increasingly important role in global infrastructure construction.

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Bruce

Tel/Whatsapp: +86 18352028068

Email: haojiahao@goodeng.com.cn