A microtunnel boring machine (MTBM) has excavated a stormwater drainage tunnel at Dubai Airport in the United Arab Emirates.
The Herrenknecht MTBM completed three drives – 610, 765 and 825 m – at depths of 13 to 15 m to install a 2,400 mm inside diameter drainage system at the Dubai International Airport.
The new pipelines will collect and transfer rainwater during heavy storms, preventing ponding and accumulation of water on the runway surfaces, which is crucial to maintaining timely flight operations. As the airport sees nearly 90 million people arriving and departing every year, limiting interruption while still investing in the drainage infrastructure’s capacity expansion was essential.

Herrenknecht direct pipe Dubai Airport microtunnelling team

The machine was able to pipe jack under the Terminal 2 taxiways without interrupting flight operations, while also avoiding heave, settlement and impairment issues.

On the longest drive, an average of 15 m of tunnel was built per day