Product Innovation

The winner of the award for product innovation was Herrenknecht for the development of the DIRECT PIPE method, which is a combination of microtunnelling and HDD techniques. The innovation is based on the creation of a one-step pipe laying method that provides an effective alternative to existing techniques and can minimise geological risks.

The DIRECT PIPE method made its debut in September 2007 on a project designed to install a new pipeline beneath the Rhine River near Worms, Germany. Herrenknecht installed a pipeline with a total length of 464 metres, which was designed as a steel casing with an outer diameter of 1,220 mm. For a comprehensive report on the DIRECT PIPE method don’t miss the January edition of Trenchless International.

Academic

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The winning entry for the 2008 ISTT No-Dig Award in the category of Academic Research or Training Aid came from Professor Zbigniew Rusin – the Dean of Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty, University of Technology in Kielce, Professor Andrzej Kuliczkowski – Chairman of the Polish Foundation for Trenchless Technology and a board of tutors for organising and running a Postgraduate study on Trenchless Technology in Environmental Engineering. The 28 postgraduate students participated in 215 hours of lectures, laboratory work and tutorials.

Project of the Year

LongboreTT Limited, an HDD contractor based in Livingston Scotland, was recognised in the project category for the successful installation of the Marine Current Turbine Cable: the first tidal power water turbine in the United Kingdom. Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland is an internationally recognised wetland and intertidal environment that requires sensitive construction practices.

The company used HDD to drill a bore 15 metres below the seabed within solid bedrock, and then used LongboreTT’s patented Pipe Pushing Technology to install the cable duct for the 450 metre cable. This technology could install the duct without any marine support or divers, minimising safety risks and reducing potential cost and program overruns.