Expertise: MTBM (Microtunnel Boring Machine), Annular Pressure Grouting, Products Pipe Pressure Testing, Shaft Construction
Crane lifting a large concrete pipe over a trench at a construction site.

Oltorf Street Reclaimed Water

Client: City of Austin / Cash Construction
Location: Austin, TX
Status: Completed 2026
Contract Value: $3.2 Million
Trenchless Method: Microtunneling (MTBM)
Pipe Diameter: 60" Steel Casing | 36" Carrier Pipe
Length Installed: 478 LF

Summary

• Excavate and install Liner Plate Shafts (Launch – 30’ Diameter, Reception – 22’ Diameter)
• Install 60” Tri-loc Casing using Micro Tunneling methodology (478 LF)
• Contact Grout annulus of 60” Tri-loc casing
• Install 36” Water Line through 60” casing
• Cellular Grout the annular space between product pipe and casing
• Install vertical stand pipe of 36” water line – including installation of 36” welded Tee
• Flowable backfill in shafts up to installed

Gallery

  • Circular excavation shaft under construction with concentric steel rings and scaffolding, chained hoist above, and cluttered work floor with hoses and tools.
  • Top-down view of workers in a deep circular shaft, surrounded by steel rings and scaffolding, with concrete segments and water at the bottom.
  • Industrial yard with large concrete pipes on wooden supports under a gray canopy, blue sky above.
  • Deep circular underground shaft under construction with metal rings, scaffolding, and scattered tools/hoses.
  • Worker in protective suit and helmet welding inside a circular concrete tunnel.
  • Construction worker in a high-visibility vest and helmet grinding metal, sparks flying, at a fenced-out site with large concrete pipe pieces nearby.
  • Worker in a yellow suspended platform inside a circular steel-sheeted trench, lowering a heavy bucket into muddy water.
  • View down into a rusted circular excavation shaft with stacked steel formwork rings; workers in high-visibility clothing at the bottom near muddy water.
  • A deep circular excavation shaft with stacked metal rings, yellow hoses, and workers in high-visibility gear at the bottom over a muddy, water-filled base.
  • Crane lifting a large concrete pipe over a trench at a construction site.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Big River Trenchless served as a major subcontractor on the Oltorf Street Reclaimed Water project, supporting the expansion of Austin’s reclaimed water distribution system. The project included installation of a large-diameter utility crossing beneath one of the city’s busiest corridors using advanced microtunneling technology while minimizing impacts to traffic and surrounding infrastructure.

Key Highlights

  • 478 LF of 60-inch steel casing installed
  • 36-inch carrier pipe installation
  • 30-foot launch shaft and 22-foot reception shaft
  • Contact grouting and annular fill operations
  • Herrenknecht AVN1200 MTBM equipment utilized