Design and Installation of Continuous Filament Wound GRP Jacking Pipes for the Amaroo Main Sewer Project

Abstract

The use of trenchless applications continues to increase with a range of technologies available for the installation of new or refurbished pipelines. At the larger end of the diameter scale pipe jacking can be used for the installation of pipelines as an alternative to trenching. A number of materials are available for use in jacking applications including traditional rigid pipes, such as clay and concrete, as well as glass reinforced polyester (GRP) pipes. Continuous filament wound (CFW) GRP pipes provide a number of benefits over the heavier rigid alternatives. ISO 25780 is the international standard for glass reinforced thermosetting plastic pipes intended to be installed using jacking techniques. The standard addresses the requirements for the manufacture of GRP jacking pipes as well as a methodology for calculating the allowable jacking loads for a pipe. CFW GRP jacking pipe was used for the Amaroo Main Sewer Project, the largest GRP jacking pipe project to date in Australasia including the longest single drive. The evaluation process for this project included verification of material properties and large scale prototype testing to validate the design. This paper will review the performance of the GRP jacking as compared to the theoretical performance including verification testing of the pipes.

Techniques