Utilities

Underground utilities encompass a system of pipes, cables, and additional infrastructure positioned below the earth’s surface delivering vital amenities to the community. These amenities encompass electricity, natural gas, water, sewage, telecommunications, and various other services.

Trenchless Tunnelling and No-Dig Technology

Particularly important to the utilities industry, trenchless tunnelling involves digging an underground passage without disrupting the surface above. This approach minimises disruption to the surface environment, reduces the impact on existing structures and utilities, and often leads to faster and more cost-effective project completion.

The most commonly used techniques include:

Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD): is a construction technique whereby a tunnel is drilled under a waterway or other designated area, and a pipeline or other utility is pulled through the drilled underground tunnel.
Micro tunnelling: is a trenchless method of sewer construction. It is effective in soft, unstable, and wet soils and can crush large boulders. The tunnelling process is remotely controlled and can be used to install larger diameter pipes and longer pipe runs than the Jack and Bore method.
Direct Pipe: This method combines the advantages of micro tunnelling and HDD technology. In one step only, a prefabricated pipeline can be installed and the required borehole excavated at the same time. This allows speedy and highly economic installation of pipelines with lengths of more than 1,500 meters.
Pipe Ramming: is a trenchless method of pipeline installation that drives a casing or pipe through the ground using a percussive hammer. The hammer is attached to an open-ended casing, using an adapter and the percussive action of the hammer drives the casing into the ground. Trenchless rehabilitation of pipes which are cost effective, quick, reliable, and long lasting.

Our Trenchless team has a proven record in providing engineering services to major infrastructure projects for both the public and private sectors. We are driven by a single desire to reduce the design and construction cost of projects, while maintaining world class best practice and design standards for project owners.

Our expertise has been employed in delivering infrastructure assets for the water, sewerage, petroleum, gas and electricity industries.

Our expertise in Utilities

Brisbane River Crossing

GCCC Long Term Recycled Water Release Project

QUU – HDD, Pipejacking & Geological Specification

Our Signature Projects

markets

Tunnels and Underground Structures
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UNDERGROUND ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE

“By combining our strengths, SYSTRA in design and Bamser in delivery, our current and future clients gain a broader service offering across more of the project lifecycle, from the advisors that they know and trust.”
Ben Crosby, Director, Bamser

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Our Approach

A reputation forged through successful long-standing relationships with key clients, SYSTRA’s experienced team is committed to providing innovative, safe, and cost-effective solutions to complex underground and utility engineering challenges.

We provide our clients extensive experience in small diameter tunnelling and trenchless technology and have a proven record assisting project teams in the concept, design, procurement, and delivery phases of underground infrastructure projects.

SYSTRA have been involved in a number of Australian ‘firsts’ in the delivery of service infrastructure projects using the following construction methods:

Microtunnelling/pipejacking
Underboring/augerboring
Horizontal directional drilling
Open trenching
TBM tunnelling
Road header tunnelling
Drill and blast
Slip lining
Shafts and pits
Temporary works design
Pipe rehabilitation

Our Expertise

Our expertise in new infrastructure concept design, procurement, and delivery is based on real experience in the following areas:

Early project procurement and design management.
Options assessment and feasibility studies to develop a robust concept design and preferred alignment.
Project management of specialist sub-consultants and teams for Front End Engineering Design (FEED) work.
Recommending minimum geotechnical site investigation programs and interpreting results.
Technical/independent peer reviews.
Optimum methodology development including selection/specification of tunnelling/open trenching equipment.
Procurement of specialist equipment, contracts, and contractors.
Construction programming, cost planning, and detailed cost estimation.
Contractual claim work, independent expert work, and expert witness work.
Preparation of tender documents, project specifications, and concept designs.
Providing contract/client manager, engineers, and representatives.