Plinacro Drills Tunnels Underneath River Sava

After constructing gas pipeline Pula-Karlovac in a record time, Plinacro achieved another European success.

They administered the backbone gas pipeline Lucko-Ivanja Reka, gas pipeline Zagreb east-Zagreb west, as well as the pipes for the implementation of optic cables 10 metres underneath the river Sava bed through a 1,050 metres long and 1,6 metres wide tunnel.

Conduit crossing from one side of the river to another realised under the river bed

This gas pipeline feature is that for the first time in Croatia a conduit crossing from one side of the river bank to another was realised under the river bed, with a system of microtunneling by the Germany Pfeiffer company. This is a special method of underground protective concrete conduits laying with the usage of a sophisticated, remote controlled, laser lead drilling apparatus, with which the protective concrete conduit is laid down in a system of impressing.

Entire procedure performed for the first time in Europe

This concrete tunnel was drilled in two and a half months underneath protective Sava banks and the rived bed as well as the open Strug canal of waste waters with their banks. The implementation of the gas pipeline was finalised on Wednesday. The entire procedure of such a large profile and conduit length has been performed for the first time, not only in Croatia, but in Europe. Implementation of both gas pipelined and conduits for optic cables in the underground concrete tunnel was performed by the Business association of Croatian companies, headed by the Monter – Strojarske montaze (engineering installation) company.

Plinacro respected all Croatian waters demands

Thus, with an investment somewhat larger than 28 million kuna, the final and most difficult obstacle was overcome for the successful juncture of the 75 bar gas pipeline, which has its starting point in Vodnjan near Pula and finishing point in Slavonski Brod. Namely, Plinacro, in accordance with sustainable development principles, respected all Croatian waters demands, which, among other things, requested laying down of the gas pipeline 10 metres underneath the Sava river bed, the Vjesnik daily reports.