Est. 2005 · UK-wide trenchless installations07920 553 578·chris@swdd.co.uk
Trenchless Services
Jacked rigid pipe for big structural sewers and culverts. We can install or arrange it. For many crossings though, once we've talked the job through, clients choose directional drilling instead. Small, shallow pits instead of deep shafts and thrust blocks, and usually a lower price.
Pipe jacking hydraulically pushes a rigid pipe forward from a thrust shaft while the face is excavated ahead of it. It is the method built for the big jobs, the large-diameter and man-entry gravity sewers, culverts and structural crossings that hold a tight line and level over long, deep drives, and we can carry it out or bring in the plant for it.
Where a job genuinely needs it, jacking is the right tool and we'll say so. But it takes sizeable thrust and reception shafts. A directional bore still needs launch and reception pits, but they are usually small and shallow, with none of the deep shafts and thrust blocks jacking relies on. So many crossings specified for jacking would in fact allow a directional bore, with less disruption and usually a lower price. Once we've talked the job through, that is what most clients choose. Here is the honest comparison.
Pipe jacking at a glance
| Method | Shaft-launched, jacked rigid pipe |
|---|---|
| Typical diameter | ~900mm to man-entry |
| Pipe material | Concrete, steel or GRP |
| Best for | Large structural sewers & culverts |
| Drive length | Long, with interjack stations |
Typical figures for the method. We confirm what suits your crossing.
When each method wins
There is a cost angle for you as the client, not just for us. With a directional bore you are not paying to sink and support deep thrust and reception shafts, only the smaller, cheaper launch and reception pits, so the saving reaches your budget. We can also often design the crossing so nobody has to enter the excavations at all, which keeps it simpler and safer.
The right answer is whichever installs your pipe safely for the lowest cost and risk. Send us the drawing and levels and you'll get a straight answer, including a directional-drilling price to set against a jacked crossing.
Head to head
| Feature | Pipe jacking | Directional drilling |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | Large thrust + reception shafts, thrust blocks | Small, shallow pits, no shafts or thrust blocks |
| Bore path | Straight | Steered curve, can avoid obstacles |
| Product installed | Rigid jacking pipe (concrete/steel/GRP) | Flexible PE/steel pipe, ducts or casing |
| Typical diameter | ~900mm to man-entry (1200mm+) | Up to ~900mm |
| Typical length | Long, with interjack stations | Up to ~500m per shot |
| Best for | Large structural gravity sewers & culverts | Utilities, ducts, drainage to falls |
| Surface footprint | Big shafts, larger compound | Compact, minimal surface works |
Figures are typical ranges and depend on ground, diameter and site. We confirm them per job.
Questions answered
Pipe jacking installs a rigid pipe, such as concrete, steel, clay or GRP, by hydraulically jacking it forward from a thrust shaft as the ground is excavated at the face, often within a shield. It is used for large-diameter and man-entry gravity sewers, culverts and crossings that need a structural pipe held to a tight line and level. Long drives use intermediate jacking stations to share the load.
Pipe jacking is shaft-launched and pushes a rigid, often man-entry pipe along a straight line, which is ideal for large structural sewers and culverts. Directional drilling steers a curved path and pulls in a flexible product pipe up to around 900mm. It works from small, shallow launch and reception pits and avoids the deep thrust and reception shafts and thrust blocks that jacking needs, so it usually means less excavation, less disruption and lower cost.
Often, for diameters up to around 900mm where a flexible pipe or ducts are acceptable. A great many crossings specified for jacking can be directional drilled for less, particularly gravity drainage that can be steered to falls, and utility or duct crossings. Send us the drawing, levels and ground information and we will tell you honestly whether your crossing can be drilled, and how the cost compares.
For large-diameter or man-entry structural pipes, very tight gravity tolerance over long, deep drives, and certain ground conditions, pipe jacking remains the right tool, and we will say so. The aim is to install your pipe safely for the lowest cost and risk, not to drill everything regardless.
On crossings that suit it, yes, and often by a clear margin. Jacking needs a thrust shaft with a reaction wall and a reception shaft, both of which add excavation, support and reinstatement. Directional drilling launches from the surface, so where the diameter and product pipe allow, it usually comes in cheaper and quicker. For genuinely large structural sewers, jacking may still be the most economic answer.
Related services
Steered crossings up to 900mm from small, shallow pits, with no deep shafts.
View service →The steerable, remote-controlled cousin of pipe jacking, with an HDD cost comparison.
View service →Gravity drainage drilled to falls, often far cheaper than a jacked sewer.
View service →Send us the diameter, length, levels and ground conditions. We'll tell you honestly whether it needs jacking or can be directional drilled for less, then price it.