Assessment of Factors Affecting Productivity of Pilot Tube Micro-tunneling Operation Through Case Study

Pilot tube micro-tunneling (PTMT) has become a mainstream trenchless technique worldwide in high and mega-value projects and will continue to be, as it minimizes the dis-benefits of open-cut method involving traffic congestion, soil subsidence, relocation of existing services, noise and dust emission and safety hazards. As the number of successful projects increased, the confidence of the council, contractors, and consulting engineers also increased. However, the factors influencing the project's success are not completely clear among the industry parties. The factors were identified through literature and in-person interviews and were further assessed at the site of the Cuttack wastewater network large value project in Orissa in relation to how productivity is hampered and how it can be improved in relation to those factors through recent industry best practices. Currently, the quantitative factors are given more weight while decision-making, while this study shows that both qualitative and quantitative factors are equally crucial for productivity monitoring. Benchmarking how each factor influences the productivity at the site will always help achieve the project's success with maximum profitability.