Crossing the Maas DIRECT PIPE
Laying a 48" gas pipeline between Odiliapeel and Melick entailed a unique challenge: crossing the River Maas (Meuse). The client, NV Nederlandse Gasunie, decided upon a method recommended by A.Hak Drillcon: the Direct Pipe technique. This drilling technique is eminently suitable for riverbed layers that are unstable and difficult to drill, such as the gravelly soil of the Maas. In addition to the river, this 1,026 metre-long drilling will also cross a railway line and a B-road.
The most suitable technique
THE PIPELINE ROUTE
In recent years, Gasunie has been investing in a major expansion of the gas transport network in the Netherlands. The ambition is to make the Netherlands the gas hub of Europe. An essential part of this endeavour is laying the North-South Route. The Odiliapeel-Melick pipeline section is part of this route. A.Hak Leidingbouw, a sister company of A.Hak Drillcon, contributes considerably to laying the North-South Route, including the southern section of the Odiliapeel-Melick route. A.Hak Drillcon has carried out the drilling under the Maas in close collaboration with A.Hak Leidingbouw. THE DRILLING TECHNIQUE
The Direct Pipe technique is a relatively new drilling technique: the pipe is directly inserted into the soil below the river. The tunnel is made by a tunnel boring machine (TBM), which is welded in front of the pipe. A Pipe Thruster, which is clamped around the pipe, propels the pipe forward. Direct Pipe drilling is more sustainable because it requires a large working area only at the point of entry. MAAS CROSSING
The total length of the Maas crossing is 1,026 meters. It not only crosses the river, but also a railway and a B-road. The steel pipe with a diameter of 48� is laid out in advance in two sections in order to decrease the required working area. This is one of the major advantages of this boring method. In riverbeds consisting of gravel and boulders, such as the riverbed under the Maas, the Direct Pipe technique offers additional advantages: A boulder that obstructs the boring of the tunnel does not have to be pulled through the tunnel with a reamer. The boring head of the TBM breaks it up and then it can be removed. Because the pipe is directly inserted in the bored tunnel, there is practically no risk of deformation or collapse of the tunnel. The drilling was carried out between September and November 2012. More information: +31 (0)492 345 600 drillcon@a-hak.nl
A.Hak Drillcon B.V. Postbus 715 5700 AS Helmond The Netherlands + 31 (0)492 345 600 F +31 (0)492 345 601 @ drillcon@a-hak.nl
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