Challenges of constructing a twin 5.2 km long undersea fuel pipelines by HDD method

ABSTRACT

Due to the expansion of the existing Hong Kong International Airport, known as the Three Runway System, two new 500 mm diameter, 5.2 km long aviation fuel pipelines were proposed to be built through bedrock undersea to replace the two-existing submarine aviation fuel pipelines running between the Western Quay of the Airport and the offshore Aviation Fuel Receiving Facility (AFRF) at Sha Chau. Having considered the site constraints with the expansion works for the new airport island, and minimising the disturbance of marine environments and ecology, a trenchless method using horizontal direction drilling (HDD) technique that is a cost-effective and environmental-friendly solution was adopted to complete these two aviation fuel pipelines' installation. Numerous challenges were encountered for constructing this 5.2 km long subsea pipeline using HDD method that is the longest record in the world at the time. Although the mission of the project seemed impossible, the challenge still can be defeated by incorporating technology, advanced equipment, knowledge and good practice of project planning.

KEYWORDS:

• Pipelines
• marine
• Aviation
• trenchless

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

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Keith W. K. Kong

Keith W. K. Kong received his BEng in Mining Engineering (major in Underground Mining) from Imperial College, London and MSc in Civil & Structural Engineering from The University of Hong Kong. He is a Fellow of Engineers Australia, The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) & The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Minings (IOM3) of UK and an UK Registered Ground Engineering Adviser. Keith is presently the Geotechnical Principal of Coffey Services Australia Pty Ltd. He has 27 years of diverse international experience predominantly in design, construction, site supervision and project management of various major civil, highways, mining, oil & gas, slopes, railways, water supplies and underground space projects in Australia, Dubai, Hong Kong, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa and Mainland China; in particular of his involvement in the design/construction of 44 tunnels and underground space projects with total length of more than 260 km and total excavated volume of more than 13 Mm³. Keith has authored more than eleven technical papers in journals and conference proceedings and actively conducts technical seminars for local professional institutions to share his experience. He was a committee member of the Working Group on Cavern and Tunnel Engineering, HKIE Geotechnical Division between Aug 2016 and Apr 2019.