Tunneling And Trenchless Technology: International Technology Transfer

Tunneling and Trenchless Technology: International Technology Transfer Ray Sterling, Ph.D., P.E. Trenchless Technology Center, Louisiana Tech University

Overview of Presentation • What is the role of education and technology transfer in an industry • International technology transfer issues • International competitiveness issues • Case study of developments in the Netherlands • Summary and conclusions 2

Role of Education and Technology Transfer • Provide awareness of the technology • Improve reliability and effectiveness • Educate next generation of engineers • Transfer new developments 3

Who is Involved? • • • • • • •

Owners / Users Consultants Contractors Manufacturers Suppliers Associations Academia – Education – Research – Specialized centers 4

Transportability of Innovation – Tunneling / Underground Construction • Relatively few major companies involved in worldwide projects • Tunnel designers and construction personnel move internationally • Local engineers and construction personnel work alongside international firms

5

Triggers for Innovation

• Strong need • Financial incentive (high costs for current technique) • Strong and stable market • Suitable site and project conditions during early development

6

Triggers for Innovation

Automation - Japan

Low cost tunnels - Norway

7

Triggers for Innovation - France

U/g concepts

New ground level

Multi-use complexes

Metro innovation

8

Curved Pipe Jacking North America ? Japan

Germany 9

Underground Pedestrian Networks

Montreal

Toronto 10

Transportabilitiy of Innovation – Trenchless Technology • Small scale equipment – easy to transport • Low costs for initial demonstration projects • Know how and experience is most valuable asset transferred • Equipment and techniques are relatively easy to copy • Patent protection is very important 11

Horizontal Directional Drilling HDD Operator Training School established in Shanghai

China

12

Highway Tunnel in Shanghai

Microtunneling for 6-lane pipe roofed tunnel 13

Barriers to the Widespread and Continued Adoption of Underground Technologies • Barriers posed by design practice and specifications • Conservatism in adopting new technologies • Maintenance of know-how – Major tunnel projects are infrequent for most cities

• Separate adoption of allowable technologies in each city U.S. National Committee on Tunnelling Technology 14

International Competitiveness in the U.S. Underground Construction Industry • Separation of design and construction processes • Emphasis on design cost and fear of litigation discourages innovation • Strong reliance on low bid for initial cost versus quality and life cycle cost • Labor issues can invalidate benefits of innovations • Low incentive for consultants/contractors to innovate • Contrast with large private expenditures for R&D in other countries U.S. National Committee on Tunnelling Technology

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Opportunity from Aggressive R&D

Fourth Generation R&D William L. Miller and Langdon Morris John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1999

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Acceleration of Learning Cycles

Fourth Generation R&D William L. Miller and Langdon Morris John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1999

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Relations Between Education, Research and Practice in U.S. • Few large Ph.D. employing firms in civil engineering sector • Market very cost competitive • Several areas of excellence in U.S. – Geomechanical computer simulation – Hard rock TBMs – Horizontal directional drilling 18

Utility Location • Single multi-sensor system for all utilities • Does not require prior knowledge of approximate location or access to utility • Can operate in urban conditions • Covers necessary range of depths and utility diameters • Has acceptable cost

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See Ahead Technology

Tumay, LSU

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Sensor and Data Technologies antenna

power convert

signal modulator

transducer

2 mm

select switch

Wireless Sensor Chip (concept)

• Low-cost • Miniature and embeddable • No power supply required

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Alternative Means of Encouraging Innovation

• Greater use of performance specifications • More design / construction contracts • Incremental changes in technology lower risk • Encouragement of innovation by large and repeat clients (e.g. the government)

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Economic Incentive for Technology Development • Market for underground construction will continue to grow • Bored tunnels will increase market share • Buried utilities will increase as a proportion of total utilities • Trenchless technologies will increase market share within buried utility work 23

Pace of Development Affected by:

• Public pressure to use underground and trenchless techniques • Costs relative to alternate methods • Confidence of public works engineers and utility managers in the techniques

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Examples of Technology Boosts

• TARP Sewer Interceptor Project in Chicago spurred hard rock TBM development • Congested city conditions, need for sewers and difficult geological conditions in Japan spurred microtunneling developments

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Underground Construction Innovation in Japan

• Adoption of innovation from abroad • Strong markets • High levels of research funding • Geological conditions • Labor availability • Distribution of R&D 26

Fitting Underground Construction Into University Curricula • University student preparation • Reduction in credit hours for B.S. degree • Expectations for new technical skills and knowledge • Specialization versus breadth 27

Mechanisms Mechanisms

Target Target Groups Groups

Outcomes Outcomes

Formal & Informal

Workshops

K-12 Students

K-12 Teachers

Workshops

Research

Undergrads

StudentStudent Pipeline Pipeline

Awareness

Research

Distance Learning

Distance Learning

Grad Undergrads Grad Students

Students

Educate Educate “New” “New” Engineers Engineers

Technology Technology TransferTransfer

Short Courses

Modules

Modules

Faculty

Faculty

Industry

Knowledge Practical Transfer Skills

Knowledge Transfer

Research

Research Training Training

Design Skills

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Trenchless Technology Center • A university-industry-government partnership to pool resources – make the best use of limited funds – target research on major and urgent problems – create effective technology transfer

• Based at Louisiana Tech University • Initiated in 1989 and formalized in 1992 29

Technology Transfer

NW Forum

Tunnel Technology Masters Program Politecnico di Torino Denver Forum

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Trenchless Technology Municipal Users’ Forum • Established to provide a vehicle for cities to interact directly to share information on trenchless technologies and their application • Facilitates cooperation on problems of mutual interest • Approximately 150 municipalities participating in 8 forums at present 31

Regional Municipal Forums

32

Accelerated Testing of Pipe Liners

Elevated Temperature Long-Term Material Characterization

Elevated Temperature Long-Term Liner Testing 33

Technology Transfer: Sewer and Water System Rehabilitation 1.600 SIMILAR STORMS IN DIFFERENT PHASES

1.400 PHASE 1: STORM - Mar 20, 1989

FLOW (mgd)

1.200

1.000

Phase 1 - Total flow Phase 1 - I/I Phase 2 - Total flow Phase 2 - I/I Phase 3 - Total flow Phase 3 - I/I

Total rainfall:

0.63 inch

Peak hour rainfall: 0.22 inch

0.800

0.600

0.400

0.200

HOUR

Reconnections for water rehabilitation

Flow impact of lining defects

Effectiveness of sewer lateral rehab

Testing new products

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Technology Transfer: HDD Research

6000

LOAD (lbf)

5000 4000 y = 2.73x + 1118 R2 = 0.50, σx = 283

3000 +σx boundary

2000 1000

-σx boundary

0 0

50

100

150

REGRESSION TRENDLINE

200

250

300

350

400

LENGTH OF PIPE IN BORE (ft)

TOTAL LOAD

IN-BORE RESISTANCE

HDD Load Cell for Pipe Pullback

HDD Borehole Stability 35

Technology Transfer: HDD Drill Steel Fatigue Studies 6 .10

4

5.38 .10

4

4.75 .10

4

4.13 .10

4

3.5 .10

4

2.88 .10

4

2.25 .10

4

1.63 .10

4

1 .10

4

60000

x stress

10000

0 0

Drill Steel Test Rig

3.75 .10

5

7.5 .10

5

1.13 .10

6

1.5 .10 1.88 .10 y ( x) , life 6

6

2.25 .10

6

2.63 .10

6

3 .10 3000000 6

Fatigue curve generated

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Technology Transfer: Method Selection

37

Technology Push vs Pull • So far, mostly a “push” from the technology developers • Owners can help “pull” the technology to meet their needs and to encourage further R&D • Strong and stable markets plus high standards for quality encourage technology development 38

Netherland’s Program Results • No bored tunnels in 1990 to tunnels of world record size and complexity • Research program stretching from architectural design issues to theoretical and experimental tunnel mechanics • Major state-of-the-art research facilities and high quality field monitoring programs • Issues of need for underground space firmly on the public agenda 39

Realizing the Benefits of Innovation

• Adoption of some improved technologies will occur over time without special efforts • How quickly a country will take advantage of the improvements is usually the key issue • Quick adoption and further improvement of techniques can change a technology importer into a technology exporter 40

Role of International Societies • Provide international leadership and consistency • Exchange information and advance the stateof-the-art • Provide education and informational materials • Encourage and support education and training programs • Provide a quality control input to education and certification initiatives 41

International Tunnelling Association: Symposia and Working Groups

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International Trenchless Technology Research Colloquium

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Summary

• Technology transfer problems due to communications, trade barriers and work force mobility are reducing • However, many barriers to long-term adoption and effective use remain • A deliberate and consensus action to improve technology in a certain sector can have rapid and dramatic results 44

Concluding Remarks • We have a new tool kit for working with underground facilities – allowing us to do things that simply were not possible before. • Improvements in capability, reliability and cost effectiveness will occur. • Cities and utility system owners can help greatly in speeding the development and adoption of the technologies. • Effective education, training and technology transfer are critical.

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Questions and Discussion • • • •

For further information ISTT www.istt.com ITA www.ita-aites.org TTC www.ttc.latech.edu

Radical improvements in underground infrastructure technology are both possible and critical to the future livability and economic vitality of our cities and nation. 46