Productivity of Microtunneling Projects

The need for utility service line replacement or
repairs with minimum disruption to the surface has
increased the demand for trenchless excavation
methods like microtunneling. Microtunneling is a
trenchless technique that is used in installation of
new pipelines. Microtunneling can be applied in
gravity and pressure lines, permanent ducts for
cables, and crossings under rails or roads. When
bidding a microtunneling project, the main concern
of contractors is predicting the underground
behavior of the machine. Contractors do not have
enough resources for predicting the productivity of
microtunneling machines. The book provides
contractors with models to estimate microtunneling
productivity to reduce their bidding risks and
increase profit. It uses statistical modeling
techniques. Penetration time, delay time, and
preparation time for the microtunneling process were
modeled. Penetration time was predicted for
different soil conditions using deterministic
techniques, while preparation and delay time used
probabilistic techniques.