Breakfast Creek Trunk Sewer

Supplying High-Performance Pipe for a Record-Breaking Drive

Empire supplied 1,005 metres of CP&P DN1800 Reinforced Concrete Jacking Pipe (RCP) with 2.5mm HDPE liner and seven interjack sets. Brisbane Tuff bedrock, reaching compressive strengths of 150MPa, required a pipe with exceptional dimensional consistency and compressive performance to sustain jacking forces across a single curved drive exceeding one kilometre. Empire also supplied the Smoothbore Shaft Lining Segments used for the 9-metre diameter launch shaft.

"We love a challenge and this project certainly provided that. With a 1km-plus curved drive beneath critical infrastructure, we knew the pipe had to be of very high quality. The CP&P jacking pipe was up to the task, setting tunnelling records along the way."

Navigating Rock, Rail and Freeways

The drive launched from a 9-metre diameter shaft at 8 metres depth. The alignment crossed beneath multiple rail lines and two major freeways, with no margin for surface disruption. Seven interjack sets distributed thrust load across the full drive length, maintaining pipe integrity throughout. The Bowen Hills corridor is expected to grow by nearly 40,000 people over coming decades, making this trunk sewer upgrade a critical piece of long-term infrastructure.

Pipe and Shaft System from One Supplier

Empire supplied both the jacking pipe and the shaft lining system, working closely with Rob Carr to align specifications with the tunnelling methodology and construction schedule. The project sets a record for a curved drive of this diameter in southeast Queensland, and stands as one of the most technically demanding microtunnelling projects Empire has supported.