Micro-pipe jacking technology breaks through the bottleneck of urban renewal

Micro-pipe jacking technology breaks through the bottleneck of urban renewal

A revolutionary breakthrough has been achieved in China's infrastructure sector. Zhongsui Intelligent Equipment Group today officially launched a 0.6-meter diameter micro-pipe jacking machine. This machine successfully completed a 143-meter curved jacking operation in Wuhan's Optics Valley underground pipeline renovation project, setting a world record for the smallest pipe diameter trenchless construction. This technological breakthrough provides my country with a key construction tool for urban renewal and historical district preservation.

Millimeter-level precision solves the challenges of urban renewal.

Equipped with Beidou differential positioning and a hydraulic servo control system, the new machine successfully laid a gas pipeline just 0.8 meters from the foundation of a century-old building in Wuhan's Old Concession area, keeping ground subsidence to within 0.3 mm. Compared to traditional open-cut methods, construction efficiency is increased fivefold, and traffic impact is reduced by 90%. Its modular cutterhead design allows for quick replacement of cutting heads, adapting to up to seven different geological conditions, including clay, sand, and weathered rock, with a maximum advance speed of 12 meters per hour.

Smart pipe network construction is creating a multi-billion dollar market.

This technology has been implemented in 12 cities, including Shanghai and Chengdu, and is not only used for conventional power and telecommunications pipeline laying, but has also proven its effectiveness in deep drainage system construction. The Hangzhou Asian Games Village underground pipeline corridor project employed micro-pipe jacking technology to construct 3.2 kilometers of rainwater and sewage diversion pipelines at a depth of 6 meters, shortening the construction period by 40% and reducing excavation by 58.000 cubic meters. Data from the China Municipal Engineering Association indicates that the market size of micro-pipe jacking equipment is expected to reach 4.7 billion yuan in 2024. with a compound growth rate exceeding 25% for three consecutive years.

Construction in ecologically sensitive areas ushers in a new era.

In the Erhai Lake ecological restoration project in Yunnan, micro-pipe jacking units successfully achieved "leakless" construction of the underground sewage interception network along the lakeshore, minimizing damage to wetland vegetation. The micro-pipe jacking unit's slurry separation system dehydrates and solidifies construction waste slurry, achieving a resource utilization rate of 95%. The National Development and Reform Commission's latest "Guidelines for Urban Underground Pipeline Construction" explicitly mandates that new pipelines in historical and cultural districts and nature reserves must prioritize the use of micro-pipe jacking technology.

The director of the China Tunnel Intelligent Equipment Research Institute revealed that they are developing an intelligent pipe jacking system based on digital twins, using 5G transmission to simulate geological changes in real time. The system's diameter is expected to be reduced to 0.4 meters by 2025. With the advancement of new urbanization, this "minimally invasive" underground engineering technology is redefining the development model of modern urban underground space.