Bullflex Tunnel Support Packer

Bullflex
Textile Shutters, Seals, Construction Elements
Gebhardt & Koenig Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH
Bullflex-O-Ring-Seal
O-Ring-Seals for the Launch and

Reception of TBMs
seals against liquids (10 bar pressure
and more) and compressed air
equalises eccentricities and
unevenness of the annulus
designed and manufactured specially
for every application
Anti-Floating-Device - the ideal Addition

to O-Ring-Sealsg at Relining-Works
Bullflex-Support Systems
For Support of Vault Cellars

fast
high statically load-carrying capacity due to optional
reinforcement
For Support in Day-Drifts and Galleries
space saving
compatible to any rock condition
For Reinforcement of Steel Support in Mining
immediate bearing support
high setting force
Bullflex-Pillars
Immediate bearing Support Element for Mining

active setting load
high load capacity
specially designed for every application
pillar diameter from 280 mm to 1600 mm
Shrink-Free Underpinning and Temporary
Support for the Civil Engineering Industry
controlled residual load
immediate load transfer
application even in narrow spaces
fast, safe and clean
Bullflex-Special Products
Under Water Application

fast
without any problems
praiseworthy
without loss of grout
e.g. for
levelling and positioning of Caissonelements
casing of damaged marine piles
packers
Bullflex
Bullflex is Product and System
Textile shutter made of fabric with high tensile strength, ideal dewatering for an
optimum water-cement ratio of the grout, flat- or round woven, manufactured to
all required dimensions. We stock for quick response bigger amounts of round
woven Bullflex-Hoses in the diameters 230, 320, 400, 500, 630 und 800 mm.
Even for special dimensions we try to deliver in the shortest possible time.
Please, ask for an specified offer.
System for support, sealing, replacement and filling of cavities in tunnelling,
mining and the civil engineering even under water.
We plan and calculate for you; we deliver products and complete systemsolutions up to turn-key works to your request.
Only Bullflex is Bullflex.
Gebhardt & Koenig Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

Department Geotextiles
Karlstrasse 37 - 39, D-45661 Recklinghausen
Telephone: **49 (0)2361 304-313 or -314
Telefax: **49 (0)2361 304-312
E-mail: info@bullflex.de
www.bullflex.de
How to find us:
Bullflex-Products
Originals made by
Gebhardt & Koenig

Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH
Bullflex-Reinforcement-Hoses
Bullflex-Pillars
Bullflex O-Ring-Seals
Special Applications
Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH
Bullflex-Reinforcing-Hoses
The proven Reinforcement System
for Mining and Tunnelling
immediate stress transfer
defined grout consumption
compatible to various
steel arch profiles

Principle of the Support-Activation by
Rock/Ground
lagging mat
pressed to the
rock
steel arch
Stresses induced into the Rock by the pressurized

Filling of the Bullflex-Hoses
close and frictional

bond
between support,
Bullflex-Hose and rock

Bullflex-Reinforcement Hoses in Mining
Road-heading with yielding steel support at the colliery "Lohberg"
in Neukirchen-Vluyn,Germany.
Gallery with rigid steel-arches and Bullflex-hoses at the colliery "Taiheiyo" in Kushiro, Japan.

Installation-Guide
1. How the Bullflex -Reinforcement-Hoses are delivered
The Bullflex -Reinforcement-Hoses are manufactured to customer requirements.

Depending on the length of the hoses one or more Bullflex-Non-Return-Filling-Valves
with an inner diameter of 50 mm or 32 mm are positioned as required. For easier installation the hoses are coiled oppositional from both ends.
The engineers of Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH are at hand to
plan and calculate the hoses lengths and diameters to the requirements of our customers.
2. Grout-Mix for the Bullflex -Reinforcement-Hoses

The Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH recommends a powdery
mixture containing approximately 35 % cement and 65 % filler, e.g. fly-ash. If such a
mixture is not available other grouts with a maximum grain size of 3 mm may be
used. If the grain size is bigger, please, inform us so that we can alter the valves.
Mixtures made of cement and sand or flotation debris should contain at least 40 %
cement for a better pumping performance. with every grout mixture a pumping trial
should be carried out before the application starts.
Usually the above grout mixtures reach a resistance against crushing of 25 to 35
N/mm which is sufficient for most applications.
Please, be sure to wear the protective clothing and to follow the safety instructions
for working with cement, grout or concrete.
3. Types of Pumps
For the filling of the Bullflex -Reinforcement-Hoses most grout pumps can be used.
The ideal pump type is a screw pump with a capacity of 2,0 to 4,0 m per hour. If a
piston pump with a capacity of more than 4,0 m/h is used the pump should be driven
at the end of the filling procedure as slow as possible to avoid damage to the hose
due to the last piston stroke.
We are at hand for questions concerning the use of the pumps our customers intend
to use.
4. Installation of the Bullflex -Reinforcement-Hoses

The oppositional coiled hose is laid on top of the steel arch. The valves point in the

direction of the gallerys entrance (see Picture 1).
Picture 1
Then the hose is rolled down to both sides (Picture 2).
Picture 2
Depending on the profile of the steel arches the Bullflex -Reinforcement-Hoses are
fixed on the arch by soft steel wires and/or clamps. For a channel section profile such
as the TH-profile the wires will be bound loose around the hose and the arch at approximately 1.0 m centres. These wires prevent the hose rolling off during filling. For
a GT-profile or similar reusable clamps should be used in addition to the wires (Picture 3).
Picture 3: Filling nozzle connected to the valve
After the Bullflex -Reinforcement-Hoses has been fixed onto the arch the filling nozzle is inserted into the filling valve and fixed by a clamp (Picture 3). If more than one
valve is built in to hose the filling starts at the valve which is the easiest to be
reached. When the filling pressure is approximately 4 bar or the steel arch starts to
move the filling hose should be connected to the valve at the opposite end. Normally
the hose can be filled through one valve. The additional valves are for safety to be
sure that the hose can be filled completely even if the hose is pinched by stone fall
or other reasons.
During the filling the hose should be observed because it might slide or roll from the
arch. If this happens the filling must be stopped instantly and the hose must be put
back into position.
While filling the wires are removed one by one as soon as they cause a constriction
in the expansion of the hose.
The Bullflex -Reinforcement-Hoses are filled to a pressure of approximately 4 bar.

Then the filling nozzle can be removed from the valve and connected to the next
hose. This can be done immediately after the end of the filling because the nonreturn function of the filling valve avoids the outflow of grout (Picture 4).
Picture 4: Filled Bullflex -Reinforcement-Hoses with reusable clamps

Bullflex-Products for Tunnelling and Road-Heading
Cut Arch A
Cut Arch B
Legend
Arch B
1- Bullflex-Reinforcement-Hose
2- Bullflex-Grout-Container for Cavitity-Filling
Arch A
3- Bullflex-Rock-Bolt-Basement for Enlarging

the Pressure Area on weak or loose Rock

Bullflex-Reinforcement-Hoses for the Activation of rigid
Steel Arch Support in Tunnelling with the Pipe-Screen-Method
The Pipe-Screen-Method is used more and more in tunnelling in soft ground. The pipescreen is built by pipes which are drilled into the ground by a special drilling rig in flat angles
along the cut-out line approximately 12 m in front of the road-head. The pipes have got a diameter of 50 mm and are equipped with a sacrificial drill bit. Normally a cement suspension
is injected through holes in the pipes and a cement-screen is built between the neighbouring
pipes around the tunnel axis. The pipes have got an overlap to the next round of approximately a quarter of the length (see Picture 1). When the space for 2 supports beneath the
screen has been cut out the rigid steel arches are built in. The steel arches have increasing
dimensions according to the angle
of the pipes. Usually the steel
arches are jet-grouted and build the
outer shale of the tunnel.
If no continuous umbrella of
injected cement can be built up at
tunnel projects due to cohesive
ground and in case of the danger
of damages on the surface by the
delayed activation of the arch
support
Bullflex-ReinforcementHoses come to use for prestressing the support arches. Some
examples are the tunnels Morgex in
Picture 1: Model of the Pipe-Screen-Method
the Aosta valley (Picture 2), the
tunnel Itinera between Turin and Bordighera (Picture 3), both in Italy and the Maiko tunnel in
Kobe, Japan.
Picture 2: Tunnel Morgex,

Aosta, Italy
Picture 3: Showing the pipe screen and the filled

Bullflex-Reinforcement-Hose on the 2nd arch at
theTunnel Itinera, Italy.
The pictures 2 and 3 show the Italian variant of the arch support, made of 2 light-weight IPBprofiles with joints from the same profile. This support has got the advantage of a greater
stiffness against torsion opposite to an arch made of one IPB profile with a same total weight.

The sketch below shows the prolongation of the arches by strait beams down to the tunnel
floor after the cut-out of the underhand stope.
Picture 4: Look in a tunnel heading with double arches and BullflexReinforcement-Hoses for pre-stressing of the support .
At use of this pipe screen method in the Maiko tunnel in Kobe, Japan, support arches were
used from an IPB 240 profile. The Bullflex Reinforcement-Hoses were there used since the
share of cohesive materials was so high in the sandy sediment that no continuous cement
screen could be built at an injection pressure of 60 bar. Clear subsidences which assumed
dubious extents moreover were already measured over the tunnel in the area built on. Measurings in front of and during the use of the Bullflex Reinforcement-Hoses showed that both
the lowering of the roof ridges at the road-head and the subsidences went back very fast after the first application to a permissible measure at the surface. In addition to these measurings voltage measurements were to the support arches during and after the filling of the
Bullflex Reinforcement-Hoses carried out. These measurings are documented on the following sides
Picture 5: View into the Maiko-Tunnel during the heading

Principle of a Tunnel Heading with Pipe Screen and Arch
Support activated by Bullflex-Hoses
Longitudinal
Cut
Lngsschnitt
Pipe Screen
Rohrschirm
Bullflex-Hose
Bullflex-Schlauch
BullflexBullflex-StopeFukissen
Cushion
Querschnitte
Cross Cuts
A -A
B-B
smallest Support
Arch
kleinster
Ausbauquerschnitt
grter
Ausbaubiggest Support
Arch
querschnitt
Pipe Screen
Rohrschirm
Bullflex-Hose
Bullflex-Schlauch
Bullflex-StopeBullflexCushion
Fukissen

Tension Development at the Support by the Filling of
Bullflex Reinforcement-Hoseses in the Maiko tunnel in
Kobe, Japan
Position
of the
Measurement Levels
the BullflexBullflex-Hoses on
Lage
der
Meebenen
undandder
the Steel Support
Schlauchsegmente
auf dem Stahlausbau
2
3
1
1
2
Pipe Screen
Rohrschirm
Measurement
Levels
the Steel Profile
Meebenen
amonStahlprofil
Bullflex-Hoses
Bullflex-Schlauchsegmente
Results of theder
Measurement
Level 22
Ergebnis
Meebene
[kN/cm]
Stress
Pressure
-k
cu
rD g
n
u
n
n
a
p
-g s
u
Z
-5
A
-1
0
1
Time
Zeit[h][h]
1,0
2,0
3,0
2
3
1
Start
the fillingder
of the
StartofFllung
Bullflex-hoses
with grout
Schlauchsegmente
mit Mrtel
Positionof der
Position
the
Meelemente
measure
elements
inthe
dermeasureMein
ment
level
ebene

Deformation Measurings in the Maiko Tunnel in Kobe,
Japan
Tunnel Heading [m]
0
18
27
36
45
54
63
72
81
90
Auffahrung [m]
108 117 126 135
99
0
1
5
10
13
20
12
10
Start of Bullflex-Application
Bullflex-Einsatz
18
27
30
12 12
Setzungen an
Subsidences
der
Oberflcheon the
[mm]
Surface [mm]
Verfestigung
der Ortsbrust into the Tunnel Head
Poly-Urethane-Injections
mit Polyurthaninjektionen
berdeckung
Overburden [m]
[m]
40
30
20
10
0
9m
Pipe
Screen
Rohrschirm
0
18
27
36
45
54
63
72
81
90
99
18
27
36
45
54
63
72
81
90
99
108 117 126 135

Auffahrung
[m]
Tunnel heading
[m]
Tunnel heading
Auffahrung
[m] [m]
108 117 126 135
0
5
10
15
20
28
30
27
34
34
35
40
43
50
Konvergenz der
Convergence
Tunnelfirste of
the
Roof [mm]
[mm]
32
Start of Bullflex-Application
Bullflex-Einsatz
Verfestigung
der Ortsbrust into the Tunnel Head
Poly-Urethane-Injections
mit Polyurthaninjektionen

Bullflex-Support for Galleries and Vault Cellars
For the sanitation of galleries and vaults mostly steel arches which are wedged to the existing rock or vault are used. At this application a full face contact between the support and the
rock/vault is difficult to establish. Due to the punctiform contact loosening of the rock layers
respective damages of the vault occurs which leads to additional stresses.
An alternative to this method of support is given by the Bullflex-Support. This support system
has been used successfully in old Galleries, in deep level historical vault cellars and strong
rooms.
The system consists
of a shutter made of
e.g. U- or TH-profiles
and
BullflexReinforcing-Hoses.
The shutter is placed
in a distance of approximately 0.3 m (or
less if required) from
the existing wall. Then
a Bullflex-hose is fixed
to the shutter. A layer
of mesh wire or similar
is positioned between
rock/vault and the
hoses (see picture 1).
After the preliminary
works for usually three
shutters are done the hoses are inflated with grout. Due to the filling of up to 4 bar the surplus
water
is
pressed out of the
grout through the
special fabric of the
hoses and an optimum water/cement
ratio
inside
the
hoses enables a
very fast curing of
the grout. The flexible textile hoseshutter is pressed
on full length to the
rock/vault and the
tight contact avoids
damages to the
gallery or cellar for
the
future(Picture
2).
Picture 2
The length of the
hoses are calculated for each application so that they are pressed firmly to the ground on
Picture 1

both ends (Picture 3). Because of the great pressure area of the hoses on the ground
and the flexibility of the fabric no cleaning of the ground
and no reinforcing layer of concrete is needed.
After 24 hours the grout has cured to an extend that

the shutter can be removed and used for the next
Bullflex-arch.
By the use of the Bullflex-Support a rib-type support
can be built without a great effort of machinery and
manpower. A single Bullflex-Arch of 320 mm diameter
is capable to bear a load of up to 112 kN/m. If the
support is additionally rock bolted the maximum load
capacity is enlarged to 300 kN/m.
Picture 3
Picture 4: A Bullflex-Support in a vault cellar under a castle near Budapest, Hungary

Renovation of the Water-Collection-Gallery
of the Winterhuser Well near Wrzburg, Germany
Decreasing tax income forces the communities to think about new and cheap methods to renovate worn out or defect infrastructural construction instead of building expensive new ones.
The new Bullflex-Support-System
with inner reinforcement is useful
fast and praiseworthy alternative
for a new construction of water
ducts an small tunnels. This system
has been applicated or the first
time at the renovation of the watercollecting-gallery of the Winterhuser Well near Wrzburg,
Germany (The Bullflex-SupportSystem without inner reinforcement
is in use in Hungary already. See
above pages). The decision to use
the Bullflex-Support-System was
not only based on the remarkable
save of costs and the high quality
but also on the space saving installation of the system. The Customer the Wrzburger Versorgungs- und Verkehrs GmbH favoured the system against an expensive stainless steel arch support. Additionally the BullflexSupport-System introduced only
material allowed to get in contact
with drinking water.
The Winterhuser Well situated in
the South of Wrzburg between the
villages Heidingsfeld and WinterBullflex-System-Support with monorail for the
hausen and is used as drinking
crane
water well for the town Wrzburg. The output is average 160 litre per second.
In the 1890th several well have been concentrated to the Winterhuser Well by a
140 m long water-collection gallery. This gallery has been built partly open cast and
by mining. The support was made of nature stone walls with a masonry vault. The
average height of the gallery is 1,680 mm and the average width is 930 mm. The
overburden is approximately 3.0 m at the entrance shaft and increases to approximately 40 m at the far end of the gallery. Usually the gallery is filled with water up to
the top. The surplus water is led into the river Main by a direct spillway.

Cut
B B
B- B
Schnitt
Cross
Cut through
a Bullflex-Support
Querschnitt
durch einen
Bullflex-Ausbau
Monorail
Kranbahn
Diameter
of Bullflex-Hose: 230
Schlauchdurchmesser
230 mm
Reinforcement
Schalung by
aus Twinn
U 280-Profil
32 mm Profile
Shutter made of U 280-Profile
Stainless Steel Pipe DN 400

Rohrleitung DN 400
Road
Stollenhhe:
ca. 1.680
max. Height
of gallery:
1,680mm
mm
Sohlenbreite:
ca. 930
max. Width
of Gallery:
930 mm
mm
Fahrweg
ICE-Train-Rails
ICE-Bahn-Linie
Entrance
Shaft
Road
2418
Einstiegsschacht
Staatsstrae
B
approx.
20 m to
zumMainca.2
0m
the Main
Bereich
Bullflex-Ausbau
33,0mm
area
of mit
Bullflex-Support
33.0
Water Retaining
Stauerwand
Wall
Absetzbecken
Settling
Basin
Longitudinal cut through the gallery and details
Today a lively primary road, a ICE-Rail-Track and a small road are crossing the gallery rectangular. This causes the risk of intoxication of the well water. A renovation of
the front part of the gallery was necessary to protect the water against intoxication.
The renovation contained a closure of the back part of the gallery by a dam and a
stainless steel pipe led through the dam to the pump station nearby. Because no
water should be inside the front part of the gallery after the renovation the static balance was lost. A failure of the existing support has been calculated. The BullflexSupport-System was chosen to support the gallery. The system consists of the well
known Bullflex-Hoses which contain at this application an inner reinforcement. The
hoses are fixed in position inside of a shutter and then filled under pressure with
grout. The whole support reduces the clear space inside the gallery only by 0.1 m on
both side and at the top. This was very important because a stainless steel pipe of
400 mm diameter had to be installed in the gallery later.
The complete order contained the following work:
1.
the demolition and new construction of the entrance shaft
2.
the support of the gallery by the Bullflex-Support-System
3.
the installation of the monorail for the crane
4.
the erection of the water retaining wall including the inspection door and the
pipe penetrations
5.
the casting of the foundation for the sliding valve in the settling basin and
6.
the installation of the steel pipe in the gallery and in the shaft.
The work started on the 26th of January 1998.

The Prosecution of the Work-Plan
For the lowering of the water level in the gallery divers installed 4 pumps in the settling basin 34 m from the entrance shaft and additional 4 pumps behind a 1.0 m high
wall in a position approximately 1.0 m behind the future water retaining wall. The
water was pumped by 8 hoses of 100 mm diameter directly into the river Main.
Before the water level was lowered divers installed a temporary support in the area
beneath the main street and a Berlin method wall was built around the entrance
shaft. The demolition of the shaft started during the lowering of the water level.
When the water level was down to
approximately 150 mm above the floor of the
gallery the installation of the Bullflex-Support
started. On both side back props were built in
which were connected by ground-beams at
0.5 m centres. The Bullflex-Hoses with inner
reinforcement were positioned in a distance
of 1.0 m. At the crest a Bullflex-Hose was
installed to secure the distance. The
installation of the reusable shutters beneath
the Bullflex-Hoses was very difficult because
of the confined space. When 3 shutters have
been built in the Bullflex-Hoses with inner
reinforcement were filled with grout up to a
pressure of approximately 4 bar. Then the
crest hose between the last filled supports
was inflated. After 12 hours the grout was
cured and the shutters were removed from
the supports and prepared for the next run.
By this work cycle 3 support elements were
completed each day. The Bullflex-Support
from the shaft to the settling basin was
completed within 2 weeks and the crane crab
rail could be installed.
Reusable shutters inside the gallery
Because it was impossible to fix the monorail for the crane at the existing roof screws
were connected to the inner reinforcement of every second Bullflex-Support. These
screws were led through the Bullflex-Fabric and protruded 50 mm out of the filled
support element. The monorail was then attached to the screws by a special hanger
system.
During the preliminary work for the construction of the water retaining wall a high
amount of water flushed in through the joints of the brickwork walls in the settling
basin. The inrush was stopped by the installation of one Bullflex-O-Ring-Seal and two
cubic Bullflex-Packers. A built-in drainage led the water coming from the roof to the
pumps behind the wall.

As soon as the water retaining wall including the
inspection door and the pipe penetrations for the
main tube and the level-monitors was completed
the pumps behind the wall were removed and the
inspection door was closed. When all tubes in the
settling basin were closed by sliding valves the
water level behind the water retaining wall increased instantly.
The pumps were used to keep the water level
around the entrance shaft down while the rest of
the demolition and the new construction were
carried out. The gallery got a new 100 mm thick
concrete floor as foundation for the DN 400
stainless steel pipe. The installation of the pipe and
the disinfection were performed by a subcontractor.
Only by the application of the space-saving
Bullflex-Support-System into confined space of the
Water retaining wall with
water-collection-gallery a sufficient height was left
inspection door
between the pipe and the monorail for the crane for
the possible exchange of parts of the pipe without dismantling the pipe completely.
The work was completed on the 27th of July 1998.
The gallery after completion of the work

Temporary Support of a Bridge by Bullflex-Hoses
Due to the age the structure of the Auchlee Bridge on the C39B Redbog-Woodside Road in
the region of Grampian Scotland has been weakened and had to be renovated. The bridge is
a protected building and the nature-stone facade should be saved. It was planned to
strengthen the bridge by a new construction from inside. Picture 1 shows the bridge at the
start of the works.
Picture1
For the temporary support of the bridge during the work a weight-carrying construction of Igirders with Bullflex-hoses was chosen. On both sides of the bridge one girder was fixed on
temporary abutments on the river banks. Rectangular to the streets axis 7 girders were fixed
on top of these. Welded in 100 mm centres to both sides of this 7 girders were strips of iron
which should protect the Bullflex-hoses against rolling off during the filling. The Bullflex-hoses
had the same length as the width of the bridge (Picture 2).
Picture 2

The next step was to lift and fix the girders into position by threaded rods attached to upper
girders and to connect them to the abutment beams by a steel and wood construction (Pictures 3 and 4).
Picture 3
Picture 4

After fixing the girders the Bullflex-hoses were filled with grout under pressure (Picture 5). To maintain the pressure inside the hoses check-valves with 50 mm diameter
were built in. During the filling the pressure had to be monitored to avoid a lifting of
the bridge.
Picture 5
Picture 6 shows the temporary support before the lifting and fixing construction for
the girders had been dismantled.
Picture 6

The pictures 7 and 8 show the inflated Bullflex-hoses on top of the girderconstruction.
Picture 7
Picture 8
After the dismantling of the threaded rods and the upper girders the whole load of the bridge
was led into the temporary abutments by the Bullflex-hoses and the girder-construction. Because all elements of the support were then beneath the bridge the whole surface was free
for the renovation works.

The temporary support was dismantled when the renovation was finished.
The work was executed in 1995. The picture 9 is a reduced copy of the Grampian Regional
Council, Department of Roads to Tunnelling Accessories Ltd. the distributor for Bullflexproducts in UK.
Picture 9
Bullflex-Pillars
a Support Element for Mining
for Underpinning and Support
of Buildings
fast
safe
shrinkfree

Pillarheight-Loadability-Diagram for Bullflex-Pillars
The diagram below shows the maximum load of Bullflex-Pillars with the different available
diameters in dependence to the pillar-height.
The maximum load of a Bullflex-pillar is calculated by the use of the following formula:
max .load
d 2 1
0,533 0.52 R 1000
4
140
Fmax.load = maximum load in kN

d
= diameter of the pillar in m
h
= height of the pillar in m
h
0, 25 d
= slenderness ratio of the pillar with =
= resistance against crushing of the grout in N/mm ( R = 0,7 DN , as in DIN 1045 )
(*)
Uneven loads which can occur due to the erection of the pillar are considered in the formula.
The formula has been developed from the results of a series of load-tests done at the state's
institute MPA in Dortmund. She is valid for pillars without outside armouring. If an outside
armouring ( e.g. a steel-web ) is used the maximum load can be increased by up to 100 %.
max. load [kN]
Pillarheight-Loadability-Diagram for a grout with 30 N/m m resistance

against crushing (**)
12000
10000
pillardiameter 0,28 m
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
1
1,5
2,5
3,5
4,5
5,5
6,5
pillarheight [m]
(*)
The slenderness ratio may be limited by some circumstances. In DIN 1045 for
example is limited to 40 because of the maximum load-eccentricity
(**)
e.g. the German products HT33 of the Anneliese Zementwerke AG, DM1 of the
quick-mix Gruppe GmbH & Co. KG or SD1 of the Sakret Produktionsgesellschaft
Mnsterland or equal grouts.

Comparison of the Development of the Resistance against Crushing of a
Grout in a Roadside Pack made of Bullflex-Pillars and in a usual Roadside Pack
Resistance against Crushing [N/MM]

45
Curing development
of the grout MS-CS
core drills taken from a
BULLFLEX-Pillar Pack
40
35
usual pack
30
25
20
15
10
0
1MIN
15MIN
1H
3H 5H
12H 1D 2D 3D 7D
Curing Time
immediate bearing
late bearing
early bearing
Filler
DMT - BETONPRFSTELLE W+E

AZ: II B6-460-430
MINISTERIUMS FR BAUEN
UND W OHNEN DES LANDES
NORDRHEIN-WESTFALEN
DES
From: Dipl.-Ing. Heinrich Schultheis, Verbesserung und Systematisierung Der

Streb/Streckenbergangstechnik, Glckauf 135 (1999) Nr. 5, S. 233 ff
28D

Bullflex-Pillars
Comparison of the Load-/Deformation-Curves
of Pillars with and without Outside Reinforcement
Data taken from measurements at the Materialprfungsamt NRW (MPA) in Dortmund
Diameter of the pillar:
380 mm
Height of the pillar:
1250 mm
Load [kN]
Load-Deformation-Diagram
1500
1000
reinforced
not reinforced
500
0
0
30
60
90
120
150
180
Deformation [mm]

Bullflex-Pillars
Comparison of the Load-Deformation-Curves
of Pillars with different Times of Curing (not reinforced)
Diameter of the Pillar:
380 mm
Height of the Pillar:
1250 mm
Load [kN]
1200
1000
800
1 day curing time
600
7 days curing time

28 days curing time
400
200
0
0
30
60
90
120
150
180
Deformation [mm]

Bullflex-Pillars
Comparison of the Load-Deformation-Curves
of Pillars inflated with different Grout Mixtures (not reinforced)
Mixtures made of Flyash and Cement
Diameter of the Pillar:
380 mm
Height of the Pillar:
1250 mm
Load [kN]
3000
2500
2000
10 % cement
1500
30 % cement
60 % cement
1000
500
0
0
30
60
90
120
150
Deformation [mm]
Bullflex-Pillars
Comparison of the Development of the Loadability of Roadside Packs
made of Bullflex-Pillars and usual roadside packs
with early bearing grout respective late bearing grout
Diameter of the Pillars:
Height of the Pillars:
Width of Roadside Pack:
Height of Roadside Pack:
680 mm
1800 mm
1000 mm
1800 mm
3000
2500
2000
Bullflex-Pillars
late bearing grout
1500
early bearing grout

1000
500
24
21
22
,5
19
,5
18
15
16
,5
13
,5
12
9
10
,5
7,5
4,5
0
1,5
Loadability [kN/m]
Comparison of the development of the Loadability of Roadside

Packs made of Bullflex-Pillars and by usual methods
Time after Installation [h]

Bullflex-Pillars an immediate bearing Support Element
By the filling of the Bullflex-Pillar with a pressure of more than 2 bar an active prestress
is built up and a defined setting load is induced into the rock by the Bullflex-Pillars. At a
filling pressure of 2.5 bar and a diameter of the pillar of 0.95 m this setting load is
theoretical 177 kN. Due to the draining of surplus water through the fabric even when the
filling procedure has been finished and due to shrinking of the cement during the hydratation
the setting load decreases by approximately 50% within the first two hours and stays stable
after this time. The elasticity of the fabric works as energy storage.
The Prestress diagram below illustrates this effect. The diagram contains data taken by
pressure gauges during an application of Bullflex-Pillars as road side pack at the seam No.
471 on the colliery "Niederberg" of the Deutsche Steinkohle AG, Kamp-Lintfort,Germany.
The initial setting load at the end of the filling was 160 kN in average decreased to 75 kN
within 60 minutes and stayed then nearly constant. The increase of load after 100 minutes and
160 minutes shows the reaction to the settling of the roof whenever the face was moved forward.
Prestress/Load [kN]
Prestress(Load)/Time-Diagram for a Bullflex-Pillar

180
160
140
120
Prestress
100
Load
80
Face moved forward
60
40
20
0
0
60
120
180
240
300
360
Time after the End of the Filling [min]
The measurements were taken daily within 6 weeks after filling at three different BullflexPillars of the road side pack. The distance between these pillars was 5 m. The average of every
daily measurement was computed and are shown in the diagram on the next page.

The scale on the X-axis is here in m and shows the distance between the second monitored
pillar to the coal face. The average cutting speed during the measurement campaign was 5 m per
working day.
Load [kN/m]
Development of the Load on a Bullflex-Pfeiler

in a road side pack in relation to the distance to the coal face
1600
1400
1200
1000
Load
800
600
400
200
0
0
60
120
180
Distance to the coal face [m]
No visible deformation was monitored at the Bullflex-Pillars during the measurement campaign.
When the site has been visited 4 weeks after the measurement the scale of the pressure gauges
were removed. The Bullflex-Pillars had been rammed into the floor by approximately 0.3 m without
any visible deformation (see picture on the next page).

Bullflex-Pillars as Roadside Pack
Colliery Niederberg, Face No. 471, Seam Geitling 1.
Bullflex-Pillars made of roundwoven textile hose with 0.80 m diameter and a height
of 1.0m to 1.4 m with outside reinforcement (diameter of the inflated Bullflex-Pillars:
0.95 m).

Colliery Niederberg, Face No. 273, Seam Finefrau
with a maximum incline of 38 gon.
Bullflex-Pillars made of roundwoven textile hose with 0.80 m diameter and a height
of 1.2 to 1.6 m with outside reinforcement (dimensions of the inflated Bullflex-Pillars:
0.95 m width and 0.80 m length in direction of cutting).

Colliery Heinrich Robert, Face No. 77-20, Seam Dickebank.
Picture 1: Connection of the filling hose to a Bullflex-Pillar and preparation
of the next pillar.
Picture 2: Filling of a Bullflex-Pillar.

Bullflex-Pillars as Gate-Way-Support in an Italian Colliery
The Pictures below show the installation of Bullflex-Pillars in a gateway of the colliery Nuraxi
Figus on the Isle Sardinia. The diameter of the pillar are 580 mm the height ranges from 1.6
m to 2.1 m.

Bullflex-Pillars as Gate-Way-Support in a North American Colliery
Colliery Arch of Centucky No. 37, Centucky, U.S.A.
Picture 1: Removing the reusable shutters made of steel barrels.
Picture 2: Two rows of Bullflex-Pillars with beams to support the roof in between.

Bullflex-Pillars
Locking of the Gypsum Mine Doehlau of the Heidelberger Zement AG
Installation of the Conclusion Dam for the Main Gallery
Fig. 1: Filling a Bullflex-Pillar between 2 already manufactured pillars. Filling the

pillars takes place without waiting periods, since the pillars are strutted by filling with pressure of up to 4 bar and are able to take up load immediately in
vertical and horizontal direction.
Fig. 2: The finished dam 4 hours after beginning of the work. The dam is completely
tight and also stable against mechanical loads.

Bullflex-Pillars more than 6.0 m High
In the south-east of the German mountain region called "Harz" lies the little town Niedersachsenwerfen. Neighboured to this town is the Kohnstein-mountain.
During WW II in this mountain the V1- and V2-weapons
were produced in several big excavations of up to 8.0 m
height, 12.0 m width and more than 100 m length.
In 1946 the Red Army destroyed the mayor part of this
underground factory and the entrance galleries by
blasting. After the reunion of Germany the government
decided that the not destroyed remains should be recovered and used as a memorial for the prisoners who died
there during the war.
A new entrance gallery was driven and two working
chambers were secured. The old entrance gallery was
broken down just behind the second chamber and had to
be supported.
Several possible support systems such as precast columns, brickwork and steel support were considered. As
the safest and cheapest method the instalment of 4
Bullflex-pillars of 6.0 to 6.5 m height and 950 mm diameter was chosen. The pillars were set up on a reinforced concrete foundation of 1.5 to 2.0 m height and 1.5
m width .
Picture 1
For the erection of the pillars reusable shutters

were used which were reinforced for safety reasons with 50 mm diameter steel pipes because of
the great height (Picture 1). In the right front of this
picture the preparation for the next pillar can be
seen: the prefabricated Bullflex-fabric is already
fixed to a rock-bolt in the roof which secures the
pillar against sliding due to horizontal forces. The
next steps was to position the shutter around the
fabric, fix the fabric inside the shutter and then fill
the pillar with grout.
For the filling a grout with 1.5 to 2.0 % swelling facility was used. Due to the swell of the grout and
the filling with 2.5 bar pressure it was possible to
guarantee a shrink-free underpinning with a
prestress of approximately 180 kN. After the curing
of the grout each pillar gained a loadability of approximately 3,500 kN.
Picture 3

The pillars were filled through 3 check valves at heights of 1.5, 3.5 and 5.5 m (Picture 2). The
valves were changed when the filling level was 1.0 m above the lower valve.
The shutter was removed 4 hours after the filling was completed and then used for the next
pillar. Even with the use of a small mixer/pumping unit which was able to mix and pump approximately 3.0 m per hour the whole work including preparation- and dismantling times was
done in two days.
Calculated on the real costs the instalment of the Bullflex-pillars was 40 % cheaper than the
second cheapest method.
Picture 3: The complete row of 4 Bullflex-Pillars

Support of an Extraction Chamber in the Marble Mine Hermsdorf by
Bullflex-Pillars
In the beginning of October 1998 the Gebhardt & Koenig Gesteins- und Tiefbau
GmbH the order to support an abandoned extraction chamber in the marble mine
Hermsdorf of the GEOMIN Erzgebirgische Kalkwerke GmbH.
The marble mine Hermsdorf is situated approximately 40 km south of Dresden, Germany. A high grade marble-chalk used e.g. as clear white filler for structural plaster is
won there by the room a pillar method.
The area which had to be supported in the
extraction chamber was approximately 10.0 m x
10.0 m and was up to 14.0 m high. The mineral
deposit has got an incline of approximately 30
from North to South. The marble chalk had been
cut in this area until the late 60s. Due to
weakening the pillar in these years the pillar No.
69 who was supporting the chamber at the north
showed bed separation started to crack. The
break of the pillar would have been the start of a
domino-reaction on the neighbouring pillars and
so the chamber had to be supported as soon as
possible.
Picture 1
As emergency reaction against the

bed separation waste rock has
been carried into the chamber by
loaders up to a height of 7.0 m. A
further fill would have taken too
much time and a faster support for
the roof was urgently looked for.
Because of their fast installation
Bullflex- Pillars where chosen. The
application of 4 Bullflex-Pillars
which were founded on strip
foundations to avoid punctual loads
on the waste fill was planned. Due
to the load of the overburden and
heights of 6.0 to 7.3 m the
diameter of the Bullflex-Pillars was
calculated to be 1,600 mm.
The works had to be started within
shortest possible time after the first
conference which took place on the
Picture 2

4th of October 1998. Parallel to the
manufacturing of the Bullflex-material two
sets of reusable shutters of 6.5 m height were
made while the two foundations in the measures of 2.0 m width, 10.0 m length and 0.5 m
height were built inside the chamber at the
marble mine Hermsdorf.
On the 19th of October 1998 the erection of
the first Bullflex-Pillar in the north-east of the
chamber started. The shutter was built by the
help of a moveable lift platform. Then the
Bullflex-Fabric was fixed inside the shutter
(Picture 1: Reusable shutter with BullflexFabric fixed inside). The pillar was filled on
the next day up to a height of 4.0 m by
means of stability. On the 21st of October
1998 the rest of 2.5 m were filled and the
pillars was pre-stressed by a filling pressure
of 4.0 bar (Picture 2: The first pillar at the end
of filling). Then the shutter and the fabric for
Picture 3
the second pillar - to be filled on the next day
- in the south-east of the chamber were prepared.
The reusable shutter was removed from the pillar every 12 hours after the end of the
filling and then prepared for the next pillar. In the morning of the 28th of October 1998
the shutter was removed from the last pillar an the working site was cleaned
up(Picture 3: View from north-west into the chamber.- Picture 4: View from southeast).
Picture 4

Stabilising of Underground Cavities caused by the Basalt Mining
under the City Mendig by Bullflex-Pillars
Documentation in Pictures
Execution of the work from November 1999 until March 2001

Area below the bus terminal opposite the Vulkanmuseum
Picture 1: The overloaded basalt pillar in the middle of

2 Bullflex-Pillars

Area below the bus terminal opposite the Vulkanmuseum
Picture 2: The pillars from Fig. 1 from another perspective

Loadability of the pillars:
Pillar 1 (left):
Height = 3.7 m, Diameter = 960 mm, loadability approx. 8.800 kN
Pillar 2 (right): Height = 5.2 m, Diameter = 960 mm, loadability approx. 6.400 kN
Picture 3: Pillar 2 after removal of the shutter

Area under the planned parking lot on the area Michels
Picture 4: Bullflex-Pillar with 5,8 m height and a diameter of 1600 mm in the middle
of 2 overloaded basalt pillars. Span of the supported area: approx.. 10 m. Loadability
of the pillar approx. 21,300 kN.

Picture 5: Bullflex-Pillar with 5,8 m height and 960 mm in diameter as support besides a column made of mill stones. Loadability of the pillar approx. 5,250 kN

Pictures 6a and 6b: Bullflex-Pillars with 2,8 m height and a diameter of 960 mm for
the support of a destroyed shaft safety pillar.
Loadability of the pillar approx. 9,850 kN

Area under the Museumslay
Picture 7: Dismantling of the shutter from the Bullflex-Pillar with 6,0 m height and
960 mm diameter. Loadability of the column approx. 4,800 kN
Picture 8: The overloaded basalt pillar beside the above Bullflex-Pillar. The cracks
resulted from the overloading are to be seen clear.

Supporting of 2 Chambers within the area 6 m beneath the sidewalk of the
Brauerstrasse in front of the company Peters
Western chamber
Picture 9: Support of the rear chamber discharge by lost props
Picture 10: Bullflex-Packer for blocking the discharge
Picture 11: Chamber block by Bullflex-Cushions

Supporting of 2 Chambers within the area 6 m beneath the sidewalk of the

Brauerstrasse in front of the company Peters
Eastern chamber (broken after the filling of the western chamber with grout)
Picture 12: Supporting of the entrance by 2 Bullflex-Pillars with 380 mm in diameter

and 2.0 m height and sealing of the northern part of the break cone against the
neighbouring chamber by Bullflex-Cushions with 6 m length and 630 mm in diameter. Loadability of the pillars approx. 1,200 kN each
Picture 13: The entrance of the chamber after installation of the filling pipes and
sealing of the dry stone wall.
The chambers were filled after the sealing by a lightweight grout up to the top.

Reprint of a Page from the Homepage of the Geological National Office Rheinland-Pfalz
(http://www.gla rlp.de/mendig.htrnl)
Survey and Sanitation of Underground Cavities in Mendig

In the course of the basalt production from the Middle Ages to the middle of the 20th Century
underground mine cavities have been cut out within the range of the city Mendig close of the
Laacher Lake in about 25 m depth beneath the today's surface.
Caused by the manmade cavities and open pit mining of pumice redistributions of stress and
strong damage to the supporting pillars and the cavity roofs occur in the basalt vaults which
led to single subsidence.
Location of the surveyed area (red circle)

A larger damage event was the subsidence on the 2nd of March1988, by which the grandstand range of the sports field of Niedermendig was affected. Thereupon the Geological National Office Rheinland-Pfalz was assigned by the convention community administration
Mendig to undertake the investigation and mapping of the existing cavity ranges along the
Brauerstrae and L 113 as well as the rock-mechanical and engineer-geological evaluation
of the cavity roofs and the basalt pillars regarding stability.
Subsidence at the sports field on the 2nd of March1988

Sections with a length of 750 m under the Brauerstrae and of 1300 m under the highway
L113 were surveyed. Since the effects of a cavity break-down are reaching - according to
experience up to 50 m on both sides of the road a strip of approximately 100 m width was
examined. At first all cavities were geodetically measured and mapped along the two road
sections which had to be examined. The condition of the supporting pillars, the cavity roofs

and cavity soles as well as the existing interfaces were examined, judged concerning the
stability and recorded in a form.
The evaluation scale of the 5 endangerment degrees reached from "no endangerment" to
"very high endangerment". The evaluations of the pillars, the distances between the pillars
and cross sections of the supporting framework, the cavity heights, the distribution of the
shafts and the condition of the shaft pouring cones were the basis for the total evaluation of
the individual cavities.
Excerpt from the engineer-geological map "Brauerstrae Mendig"

193 cavities were surveyed and 37of them were classified into high endangerment and 9
into very high endangerment. In order to be able to seize the possibly continuing deformations of the distorted remainder pillars, more than 80 so called "rock spies were installed at
the cracks and pillars and were monitored regularly for several years. This methodology
makes very precise measurements possible, so that movements can be already registered
by some thousandths millimetres. Thereby a very exact picture over the rock tensions and
movement activities within the individual cavity ranges could be won.
Due to the survey results the Geological National Office recommended the sanitation of
some cavities lying beneath the Brauerstrae.
The measurements had shown obvious, continuous movements at the rock spies. As technical and economically most favourable solution the backfilling of the most strongly affected
cavities with a grout called Blitzdmmer as well as a supporting of weakened remainder
pillars by fabric reinforced pillars was selected.
The work, which could successfully be finished meanwhile, was technically attended by the
Geological National Office Rheinland-Pfalz.
Altogether three cavity ranges over two diagonal bores were filled. The starting points of the
drillings were specified by the Geological National Office and were positioned on respective

Remainder pillar (supporting pillar) with high load characteristics

(buckling break, flaking; yardstick 1 m)
besides the Brauerstrae above stable pillar ranges. Additional destabilised cavity ranges
and supporting pillars were supported by altogether five fabric reinforced pillars. These
"Bullflex-Pillars" have a diameter of 960 mm respective. 1500 mm and a height of up to 6 m.
This relatively new method was employed at Niedermendig because of its clear constructional, geotechnical and financial advantages to the originally planned concrete pillars.
Partial filled cavity

The repair works ran without problems and the won experiences can be used at future security work. The actual costs were clearly below estimated cost frame owing to the low-priced
new fabric reinforced pillars. Larger movements at the support units are not to be expected in

these ranges in the future. However the monitoring of the rock spies within the range of the
Brauerstrae and L 113 will be done by the Geological National Office further on.
Inflated fabric reinforced pillar (Bullflex-Pillar) with temporary shutter

Stabilisation of a Cavity caused by the Basalt Mining
6 m beneath the Building Site of a new House
in Mendig, Germany
22.08.2001 04.09.2001

in Mendig, Germany
22.08.2001 04.09.2001
Plan of the underground cavities with the position of the house,
the Bullflex-Pillars and the solidified shaft cone
510
505
The plan standing above corresponds to the plan from the stability evaluation of the geological national office Rheinland-Pfalz dated 21.05.2001.
In this survey it was recommended to secure the cavity 505 with a pillar of 1,500 mm diameter and the cavity 510 with a column with 960 mm in diameter. Additionally the shaft cones
within the property range should become secured against sliding by shotcreting.
The position of the Bullflex-Pillars were chosen according to the survey. One shaft cone has
been secured by shotcreting.

in Mendig, Germany
22.08.2001 04.09.2001
Execution of the Work
1.
Preparation of the Site

The part of the site on the surface consisted of a generator, a pump/mixer unit Type
S82 EMV, a 30 t-grout-container two 1000 l-water tanks and small tools. This part of
the site was situated on the yard of the company Stein above the entrance to the
underground cavities.
Picture 1: View of the entrance (height 6.0 7.0 m) to the cavities in the quarry of the company Stein with grout container
The preparation of the underground part of the site was made by the left of entrance
which can be seen in the photo above.
As grout for filling the Bullflex-Pillars and for the stabilisation of the shaft cone a cement/fly ash mixture with the trademark HT 33 of the ANNELIESE Baustoffe fr Umwelt und Tiefbau GmbH & Co. KG was used. The resistance against crushing of this
grout is 30 kN/mm in minimum.
The processing of the grout took place by means of a continuous mixer flanged to the
discharge of the grout container. The mixer discharged the grout directly into the
mortar pump.

in Mendig, Germany
22.08.2001 04.09.2001
Execution of the Work
2.
Installation of the Bullflex-Pillars

Bullflex-Pillar No. 1 with a diameter of 1,600 mm and a height of 8.1 m,
Loadability after 7 days approx. 11,700 kN
Picture 2: The Bullflex-Pillar No. 1 during filling, seen from the eastern entrance to the
chamber

in Mendig, Germany
22.08.2001 04.09.2001
Picture 3: The Bullflex-Pillar No. 1 during filling. Filling level approx. 7.8 m

in Mendig, Germany
22.08.2001 04.09.2001
Picture 4: The finished Bullflex-Pillar No. 1 with view of the eastern entrance to the chamber

in Mendig, Germany
22.08.2001 04.09.2001
Picture 5: The finished Bullflex-Pillar No. 1 in more northerly view

in Mendig, Germany
22.08.2001 04.09.2001
Picture 6: This illustration shows the tight contact of the Bullflex-Pillar to the roof

in Mendig, Germany
22.08.2001 04.09.2001
Bullflex-Pillar No. 2 with a diameter of 960 mm and a height of 5.0 m,
Picture 7: Erection of the shutter for the Bullflex-Pillar No. 2. The Bullflex-fabric is already
positioned inside the shutter.

in Mendig, Germany
22.08.2001 04.09.2001
Picture 8: The completely inflated Bullflex-Pillar No. 2

in Mendig, Germany
22.08.2001 04.09.2001
Picture 9: Dismantling of the shutter of the Bullflex-Pillar No. 2

in Mendig, Germany
22.08.2001 04.09.2001
Picture 10: The shutter has been taken off the Bullflex-Pillar No. 2. In the foreground some
elements of the reusable shutter.

in Mendig, Germany
22.08.2001 04.09.2001
Picture 11: The Bullflex-Pillar No. 2 after completion of the work

Bullflex-Pillar of 950 mm Diameter and 4.0 m Height
in a light-weight reusable Shutter
The two pictures below show the completed Bullflex-pillar at our testing site before and during the removal of the shutter.

Application of Bullflex-Products in the Nuclear Waste Deposit Morsleben,
Germany
Within the scope of the work for the shutdown of the Nuclear Waste Deposit (ERA)
Morsleben some of the extraction chambers on the 3a-level in the central area of the
minefield Bartensleben have to be backfilled for the stabilization of the geological
structure of the salt dome.
Chambers
in the central area which
have to be backfilled
Minefield ERA Morsleben
Shaft Marie
Field Marie
Northern Field
Central Area
Eastern Field
Shaft Bartensleben
Western Field
Southern Field
South-East Field
Picture 1: Illustration of the Minefield of the shaft plants Bartensleben und Marie
Preliminary to the backfilling connections between the extraction chambers on the

same level and to transport raises leading to the deeper levels have to be closed.
The department Geotextiles and Mining Technique of the company Gebhardt &
Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH were ordered to install the closures
The option install with Bullflex-Pillar-Walls, Bullflex-Cover-Slabs and
Bullflex-Packers was one important reason to give the order to Gebhardt & Koenig Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH. This was because of the very confined space for

transportation from the 2nd level to the level 3a. All material had to be carried down
by a narrow wooden stairway with 4 sublevels and only the material required for the
Bullflex-Products could transported without bigger effort.
Today all in all 14 closures are ordered. They will be built-in in 2 phases.
The measure started in September 2003 and will last including a planned interruption until July 2004.
The Bullflex-Pillar-Walls are consisting of Bullflex-Pillar with 960 mm diameter and
intermediate Bullflex-Sealing-Bags. The pillars are erected in a reusable shutter.
Due to the inflation of the pillars and the bags with a pressure of up to 4 bar the wall
is pre-stressed in vertical and horizontal direction. The picture 2 shows one of the
Bullflex-Pillar-Walls immediately after the inflation of the last sealing-bag
Picture 2: Bullflex-Pillar-Wall
For the sealing of the transport raises Bullflex-Cover-Slabs or Bullflex-Packer - depending on the circumstances will be installed. If it is not possible to do preliminary
work inside the raise a Bullflex-Cover-Slab with steel reinforcement will be positioned on top of the upper mound and then inflated. For additional sealing the contact
area between the cover and the floor will be grouted.
Picture 3: Bullflex-Cover-Slab in an extraction chamber on the 3a level
If it is possible to work in the raise a Bullflex-Packer will be positioned inside and

inflated up to 4 bar.
All Bullflex-Material is manufactured on demand.
The picture 4 shows the sealing of the chute-system Abbau 1a. Here a chute
mound in the floor, a mound at the lower wall and a connection to the neighbouring
chamber have been sealed. The Bullflex-Cover is the foundation for the BullflexPillar-Wall.
Bullflex-Pillar-Wall
Bullflex-Packer
Bullflex-Cover-Slab
Picture 4: Bullflex-Closures at the chute-system Abbau 1a

Active Underpinning of Buildings with Bullflex-Pillars
Northern front wall of a 4 floor building in Wuppertal, Germany.
For the erection of a student's hostel the foundation of the northern front side of the neighbouring building had to be supported. The support was achieved by 19 Bullflex-Pillars (580
mm diameter, 2,0 m height, with sacrificial outside formwork made of steel-mesh) built in
beneath the foundation for the full length of 12.0 m. As filling material a grout-mixture of 33 %
cement and 67 % flyash was used. The resistance against crushing of the grout was approximately 5 N/mm after 5 hours and 30 N/mm after 7 days.
An active prestress was built up by the filling of the pillars with a pressure of 2.5 bar to ensure a shrink free load transfer. The development of the prestress was monitored by pressure gauges situated between the top of the pillar and the lower edge of the foundation. The
diagram shows the development of the active prestress of one pillar during the first 65 hours
after the filling.
Prestress-Time-Diagram
Prestress [kN]
70
60
50
40
Prestress
30
20
10
0
0
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
Time after completion of the filling [hr]
Because of the filling pressure limit of 2.5 bar the active prestress was approximately 65 kN
directly after the filling was finished. The prestress was reduced due to the denaturing and
the shrinking of the grout during the hydratation phase to approximately 24 kN after 24 hours
and stayed constant during the whole time of measurement (4 days).
The loss of volume caused by the dewatering and the shrinking was compensated by the
radial contraction of the highly prestressed Bullflex-fabric. This also maintained the constant
prestress of 24 kN and guaranteed a proper underpinning without any loss of height.
Following 2 pages with pictures.

The underpinning was achieved by 19 Bullflex-pillars of 580 mm diameter and 2.0 m height.

The underpinning was achieved by 19 Bullflex-pillars of 580 mm diameter and 2.0 m height.

Western front wall of the historical city-hall of Hattingen, Germany (built in 1576).
For underpinning, 4 Bullflex-pillars of 380 mm diameter and 1.8 m height were used.
The picture was taken just after the third pillar had been filled. Approximately 30 minutes later the fourth pillar was erected and the underpinning was completed.
Underpinning of the Head Office of the

Rotkppchen Champagne-Dresser at Freyburg,
Germany by Bullflex-Pillars
(Photo-Mounting)
Underpinning of the Head Office of the

Rotkppchen Champagne-Dresser at Freyburg,
Germany by Bullflex-Pillars
(Photo-Mounting)
1. Cutting the slit

under the foundation
2. Positioning of the shutter and

the Bullflex-Fabric
3. Filling of the Bullflex-Pillar parallel to the refill

and compaction of the extracted ground
Photos taken during the Underpinning of the Head
Office of the Rotkppchen Champagne-Dresser
at Freyburg, Germany by Bullflex-Pillars (3.0 m
height, 680 mm and 960 mm diameter)

Shrink free Underpinning with Bullflex-Pillars
The existing building "Frennetstrae 49" in Aachen-Schmithof, Germany, was extended by 3.0 m to one side. The foundation of the southern front (which had been
built stepped) had to be underpinned. Due to the confined space and the strict
schedule (only 1.0 m width of excavation was allowed to cut free under the foundation and the underpinning had to be able to bear the load after 24 hours) 6 Bullflexpillars of 380 mm diameter and 1.8 and 2.2 m height were used for the underpinning.
The work was finished in May 1994.

Temporary Underpinning inside of Buildings with Bullflex-Pillars
In November 1995 an explosion caused severe
damage in the ground floor of the 22 story
building named "Universum-Center" in Ulm,
Germany.
Six load bearing columns of 3.65 m height and
800 mm diameter were damaged and had to be
repaired. During the repair works the load of
approximately 3,000 kN on each column had to
be transferred to a temporary underpinning. 6
Bullflex-pillars of 3.65 m height and 950 mm diameter were chosen for this application because
they were the only possible underpinning
method which could be installed within one
week. The Bullflex-pillars were erected 500 mm
away from the damaged columns in reusable
shutters. Two pillars were completed in one
shift. After all the pillars
had been built the columns were stripped to the
undamaged core and then repaired (Picture 2).
The "Universum-Center"
Picture 2
For transference of the load into the foundation 3 Bullflex-pillars of 2.5 m height and
950 mm diameter had to be erected in the parking deck in the 1st basement sub-

level. In the 2nd basement where the central heating, maintenance workshop -and a
bowling-center - were situated one pillar of 3.65 m height and 950 mm diameter, one
of 2.8 m height and 950 mm diameter and one of 2.8 m height and 680 mm diameter
(designed for a calculated load of approximately 600 kN) had to be installed.
The 680 mm diameter pillar had to built between two bowling lanes. The gap between the lanes was only 720 mm (Picture 3).
Picture 3
Only 24 hours after the filling of the pillar the bowling lanes were in use again.
After the repair of the columns on the ground floor was finished the Bullflex-pillars
were removed. The last one was broken down in July 1996.
Bullflex-O-Ring-Seals
a Seal for Shaft-sinking,
Tunnelling and Pipe-Relining
safe and simple in handling
versatile in application
compatible to existing systems

Bullflex as a Construction Element for the Sealing
of multi-shale Support Systems
Modern liner-ring-support, particularly from reinforced concrete are used predominantly as waterproof support for circular underground constructions as Sub-WayTunnels, large waste water collecting ducts and access shafts for such buildings.
This liner-ring-support is frequently installed in sections and backfilled with bedding
grouts. The special quality of the Bullflex-Hoses to adapt to irregular surfaces in ideal
way and their easy handability make them to a matter of interest for the sealing of the
front annulus of the sections. For this application the round woven Bullflex-Hoses are
manufactured to an O-Ring and are inserted into the annulus between the liner segment rings and the outer shale or ground. They are filled by one or several checkvalves with the required material e.g. hydraulically curing grout, Bentonite suspensions or Poly-Urethane-Foam (Picture 1). The pressure increase inside the BullflexO-Ring-Seal during the filling procedure can be monitored by pressure gauges.
Principle of the Bullflex-O-Ring-Seal
Prinzip einer
Principle
of a Bullflex-O-Ring-Abdichtung
Ground/Rock
Boden / Fels
Outer
Shale
Auenschale
Backfill
Hinterfllung
Special
Filling Valve
Spezialfllventil
mitCheck-Function
Rckschlagwith
funktion
Bullflex-O-RingBullflex-O-RingAbdichtung
Seal
Innenschale
Inner
Shale
Picture 1
The Bullflex-O-Ring-Seal has been applicated e.g. in London, GB, at access shafts
for the London Ring Main System, for the Sub-Way in Taipei, Taiwan, at the renovation of an old waste water collecting duct in Birmingham, GB, and for the construction
of an intake conduit for a hydro-electric power station in Valais at Sion, Switzerland.
This intake conduit connects the hydro-electric power station in the Rhonetal to the
reservoir "Grand Barrage de Dix. The 6.5 km long gallery was driven by a Full-FaceCutting--Machine in hard rock and has a diameter of 5.6 m. Bullflex-O-Ring-Seals
were used rising in an area with 30 incline as front shutters for the backfilling of the
inner shale. Other O-Ring-Seals were installed in a 750 m long, horizontal range with
a steel pipe of 5.28 m diameter installed as inner shale. The backfilling was done in

lengths of 12 m with one Bullflex-O-Ring-Seal as shutter for the annulus with up to
400 mm width at each step.
Special sealing problems arise at the TBM-drive in water bearing ground and rock.
Depending on depth and ground water level the seals are here required during the
construction against high pressures. The most difficulties for the sealing during the
launch and the reception of the TBM. Usually for the launch and the reception concrete constructions are built which have got launch and reception pipes adapted to
the diameter of the TBM. These pipes are usually sealed against the ground by not
reinforced concrete. The annulus between TBM-skin and the excavation line of the
launch/reception pipe must be sealed during the passing-by of the TBM before
opening the launch/reception wall.
The following requirement are essentially for the design of seals for the above purpose:
Flexibility in the compensation of not perfect shapes of the TBM-skin
Stability against friction forces occurring due to the pressing forward of the TBM
and
sufficient safety against failure of the sealing function in all working phases during
the passing-by of the TBM.
During the passing-by of the TBM the first elements of the liner segment rings are
built in inside the TBM in front of TBMs tail-end-seal. So also a seal for the annulus
between the liner segment rings and the ground has to be built in.
The principle of the shall be explained by the following two examples.
For the Fylde Water Project nearby Blackpool, GB, nearly 15 km of tunnel were
driven in a diameter of 3.3 m. The project
Bullflex-O-Ring-Seals for the
has had 2 contracts with altogether 27
Bullflex-O-Ring-Abdichtungen
Launch
of
a
TBM
launch/reception shafts of which 15 were
als Startdichtung
equipped with Bullflex-O-Ring-Seals with
the Hose-in-Hose-System and 5 with single Bullflex-O-Ring-Seals. The tunnelling
was partly carried out in loose water
bearing ground. The geodesic pressure
height was up to 30 m. The TBM was a
full face cutting machine of the company
LOVAT.
Picture 2 shows the launch construction
at Shaft No. 17. of the above project.
Detail
1
3 4
5 6 7
Picture 2
1 TBM-skin
12- Schildschwanz
Inner Shale of the
2 - Tunnelinnenausbau
Tunnel
3 - Gummilippendichtung
Rubber Seal
43- Fllventile
mit ange4 schlossenen
Filling Valve Rohren
with
5 - Dichtung
extension"A"
pipes
64- Dichtung
Seal A "B"
76- Stahlring
Seal B
7 Seal Holder (Steel)
2 Bullflex-O-Ring-Seals with the Hose-inHose-System were in stalled. The inner

hoses served as seal for the annulus
between TBM-skin and the launch pipe
during the passing-by of the TBM. After

the tail-end seal had passed the seal the outer hoses were filled and got the function
of the stationary seal for the larger annulus width between liner segments and the
ground. The seals were fixed in a steel ring concreted into the shaft who formed
the launch pipe (Picture 3). The seal system for the reception was arranged similar.
At the expansion of the Munich sub-way
net the Contract Josephsburg was driven
in the selective cut method with a compressed air shield of the company Westfalia-Alpine. The contract consisted of two
parallel tunnels with 7.4 m diameter each
which were driven in sections of up to 900
m of length. The cutting room of the TBM
was designed for a pressure of up to 2.2
bar to stabilise the ground and retain the in
situ water.
Here the launch and reception pipes had to
be equipped with a system of O ring seals
which was able to seal the annulus between TBM-skin and inner shale against
compressed air. A sudden pressure drop
by a failure of the seal would mean an inrush of water into the cutting room and an
inflow of the ground with the result of damages on the surface.
Picture 3
Two seals were filled between TBM-skin

and launch pipe at the shield launch first. The TBM then was driven then by 1.5 m
and a third seal was installed. Immediately after the filling of this seal the annulus
between the second one and the third seal was filled with grout and the cutting room
was put under an air pressure of 0.5 bar. After each 1.5 m drive another seal was
installed until 8 seals were built in. At this the air pressure was gradually increased to
the working pressure of 1.5 bar. The picture 4 shows the first seal shortly before the
end of the launch
of the TBM. The
seal for the annulus
between
launch pipe and
the inner shale of
the tunnel later
wasnt
installed
when this photo
was taken.
The launch of the
TBM is illustrated
on the next page
by the Picture 5
which
Picture 4

shows the launch in 2 views and one detail.
Our Bullflex-O-Ring-Seal-Systems are planned and designed dimensionally especially in co-ordination with the executing enterprises for every application. The seals
are simple in handling. Normally one supervision on site by our technicians during
the first installation is sufficient to instruct the staff for further applications.
The Bullflex-O-Ring-Seals have been applicated world-wide in many tunnelling projects with great success.
Picture 5
TBM-Launch at Contract "Josephsburg Rail 1", Munich
View from the Top
Cut A A
Rail 1
Rail 2
Legend
1 - Jet-Grout-Pile
2 - TBM, Westfalia-Alpine, D = 7.4 m
3 - Bullflex-O-Ring-Seal, Excavation-Line to Liner Ring
4 - Liner Ring
5 - Bullflex-O-Ring-Seal, Excavation Line to TBM-Skin
6 - Backfill
7 - Liner Rings of Rail 2 (already completed)
8 - Pressurized Area
9 - gate

Bullflex-O-Ring-Seals for Relining
The pictures below show the installation of a Bullflex-O-Ring-Seal on a pipe which is
used as relining for a storm water sewer at Frankley near Birmingham, England. The
seals were fixed on the pipes by Velcro-straps before they were positioned inside the
duct. The seals were filled with grout through check valves of 50 mm diameter.

Bullflex-O-Ring-Seals manufactured from textile Hose for the Sealing of annular Gaps in Underground Structures or in Pipe-Relining
The three pictures below show the filling of a Bullflex-O-Ring-Seal at the testing site
of the "Mangfallstollen" water supply tunnel south-west of Munich, Germany.
At this test above ground the annulus between the 2.7 m diameter tunnel lining and
the 2.0 m diameter steel pipe was sealed.

Installation of a Bullflex-O-Ring-Seal in a Seal Holder
Botlek-Tunnel, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
At this application the Bullflex-O-Ring-Seal was used to seal the gap between the steel seal
holder and the tunnel lining.
Picture 1 shows the installation of the seal inside the flat lying seal holder.
Picture 2 was taken while the seal was inspected before the Herrenknecht-TBM was installed.

Filling of a Bullflex-O-Ring-Seal
Westerschelde-Tunnel, Terneuzen, The Netherlands
At this application 2 Bullflex-O-Ring-Seals have been used to seal the annulus between the
seal holder and the tunnel lining of each eastern and western tube.
Picture 1 shows the Herrenknecht-TBM in the construction phase. This TBM will drive the
western tube. On the day this picture has been taken the Bullflex-O-Ring-Seal for the eastern
TBM has been filled.
Picture 2 shows the installation of the Bullflex-O-Ring-Seal in the annulus between the seal
holder and the tunnel lining. The belt webbing with eyelets is visible which is attached to the
sides of the seal in the valves area to secure their position.
Picture 3 was taken during the filling of the Bullflex-O-Ring-Seal. Due to the special folding of
the seal no folds or torsion occur. The seal stays in position.
The filled Bullflex-O-Ring-Seal at the invert.

Bullflex-O-Ring-Seals manufactured from textile hose
used at a shield exit in the Munich Sub-Way
In Munich the joint-venture "U-Bahn Linie 2 Ost - Los 1" is driving the rail 1 of the line 2 from
the station "Bad-Schachener-Strae" to the station "Josephsburg" (in construction). The
shield is manufactured by
Westfalia-Alpine and has an
outer diameter of 7.40 m and
is 14.65 m long.
The exit- and reception excavation is secured by bored
piles with 0.9 m diameter on
both sides. These piles had to
be cut to a width of 0.3 m on
the left side due to the confined space. This weakening
caused a high risk of a break
of the piles due to the water
pressure behind the wall. To
Picture 1
avoid this danger the client the
"U-Bahnreferat der Stadt Mnchen" ordered that the shield should go under a pressure of 0.2
bar after a maximum heading of 3.0 m (normally the shield works under pressure after the
first segmental ring has been built in). For sealing the 0.1 m wide annular gap between the
back of the shield and the excavated ground the textile Bullflex-O-Ring-Seals DeilmannHaniel GmbH as superior to common seals were used.
These Bullflex-O-Ring- Seals are made of an inner textile hose with 230 mm diameter and an
outer two-layer protection fabric. A 50 mm
wide belt-webbing with eyelets is fixed on
both sides of the protection fabric by
seams. The fabric is covered at the front
with a 2 mm layer of hydrophillic rubber for
the sealing of pressurised water and compressed air. Between inner hose and protection fabric a 50 mm thick layer of Polypropylene-foam is situated. This layer
works as a built-in flexibility element and
seals little indentations on the back of the
shield. Picture 2 shows an Bullflex-O-RingSeal which has been fixed to the excavated
ground.
At 1.5 m advance from the start-position
one Bullflex-O-Ring-Seal of 320 mm diameter (which should seal later the annulus
between excavated ground and the first
segmental ring) and two of the above described seals were fixed to the
Picture 2

After 1.5 m drive another seal
was installed and filled. then the
1.5 m long annulus was filled
and the shield was pressurised
up to 0.2 bar. Following the plan
three more seals were installed
in 1.5 m distances.
After 7.5 m of heading a light
inrush of water occurred on the
left side. This inrush could be
stopped by lifting the air pressure up to 0.4 bar. The combined sealing of the annulus by
Picture 3
grout-filled textile Bullflex-ORing-Seals and a Bentonite backfilling was able to stand the air pressure without problems.
When the 6th seal was built-in and the 320 mm diameter seal between the excavated ground
and the first segmental ring was filled the planned pressurised heading started.
The client and the joint-venture had chosen the most economic and safest alternative for the
sealing when they decided to use the Bullflex-O-Ring-Seal-System of Deilmann-Haniel
GmbH. The success showed that they made the right decision.
The attached sketch shows the described shield-exit in the view from the top, section and
in one detail.

Hose-in-Hose-System for the Sealing of
several annular gaps with different widths
In many TBM drives the problem occurs that at first the annulus between TBM skin and excavation
line and later the gap between inner lining and excavation line must be sealed.
A safe and successful alternative to existing systems is the Hose-in-Hose-System of the Bullflex-ORing-Seal (Patent pending).
This type of sealing consists of two or more hoses with different diameters which are positioned one
inside the other. The diameters of the hoses are adjusted to the different gap widths. A protection fabric which is connected to the outer hose avoids damages done to the hoses by sharp edges on the
back of the TBM or by other reasons. The seal is fixed to the excavation line by an attached belt webbing which has got eyelets in 10 cm centres (see picture).
Due to this kind of application the TBM is
able to pass the seal - which is not filled without hindrance. Additionally the seal is
fixed into position and cannot be pulled
away by the TBM due to the friction forces.
For the sealing of the annulus around the
TBM skin the inner hose is filled under
pressure with grout. The necessary filling
pressure is a result of the gap width and the
estimated ground water and/or backfill
pressure.
After the inner lining has been built in and
the tail seal has passed the O-Ring-seal the
outer hose will be filled and seals the annular gap between lining and excavation
line.
In some cases several seals were built in
one after the other as for example at the
Fylde Coastal Waters Improvement Project
in Blackpool, England, were a ground pressure of up to 3 bar had to be sealed off. In this case a layer of Polypropylene-foam was built in between the outer hose and the protection layer which regained it's full volume when the pressure was
taken away. The task of this layer was to seal little indentations on the TBM skin and to close tightly
around the fins which were welded on the skin. This application is described by the sketches on the
next two pages.
Page 2
Bullflex-O-Ring-Seal, Hose-in-Hose-System
Built-in situation
Phase 1
2 seals close the annulus between TBM skin and
the excavation line
Long section
A
2
3
A
Legend on Page 3
Cross section A - A

Page 3
Bullflex-O-Ring-Seal, Hose-in-Hose-System
Legend for the sketches on page 2 and 3
1
2
3
inner Bullflex-hose
outer Bullflex-hose
protection fabric, one or two layers
filling of inner hose
filling of outer hose
foam layer
belt-webbing with eyelets for fixing the seal
to the excavation line or a seal holder
TBM tail seal
TBM-skin
inner lining
Phase 2
The TBM's tail is situated under the second seal. The outer
hose of the first seal has been filled and seals the annulus
between inner lining and excavation line.
Long section
A
A
Cross section A - A

Sealing of the Annulus behind a
Liner Ring Segment by segment
At some tunnel headings in particular in geological fault zones and during the passing of
buildings near to the surface it is necessary to inject the annular space around liner ring directly behind the tail end seal of the TBM. The danger exists that mortar penetrates into the
brushes and makes them inflexible and thus ineffective. An O-ring-seal usually cannot be
inserted or only at large expenditure within the tunnel drilling machine behind the liner ring.
Additional the danger exists that the brush seal pushes the seal away from the liner ring or
rolls it and makes thus a filling impossible.
A solution for this problem is the segment by segment sealing by Bullflex-Hoses. The
Bullflex-Hoses are fixed to the back of the liner segments before they are transported into
the tunnel.
Sewn to one side of the hoses is a belt webbing with eyelets with 13 mm diameter in 100 mm
centres. This eyelet strap is fixed onto the segment at the rear side of the hoses regarding to
the direction of the TBM-drive. Due to this fixation the brush seal cannot bring the BullflexHoses out of position (Fig. 1).
Fig.1
Fig.2 : Sketch showing the sealing in a longitudinal cut
tail end seal
filled Bullflex -Hose
TBM-skin
filling connector
eyelet strap with fixation

The length of the hoses is so dimensioned that at both sides of the segments an overlap
range is created in order to ensure the tightness in these ranges (Fig. 2).
Fig. 2
The Bullflex-Hoses are inflated by filling connectors made of braided hoses with 50 mm in
diameter, which are led through drill holes in the segments (Fig. 3).
Fig. 3
The remaining annular space behind the liner segments is injected over similar filling ports.
This system was used with success at the construction of the Bzbergtunnel and at the
construction of the Tunnel de Mont du Russelin (both in Switzerland).

A new Procedure to protect the Cutting Head
of a TBM during extended Periods of Repair
First Application of the Bullflex-Concreting-Protective-Hood
in the Westerschelde-Tunnel
developed and manufactured by:

Gebhardt & Koenig
Bereich Geotextilien
Cranger Strasse 11
D - 45661 Recklinghausen
Germany
Tel.: **49 (0)2361 304 315
Fax.: **49 (0)2361 304 312
Email: info@bullflex.de
http://www.bullflex.de

A new Procedure to protect the Cutting Head of a TBM
during extended Periods of Repair
First Application of the Bullflex-Concreting-Protective-Hood
(Face Block)
The Westerschelde-Tunnel project in The Netherlands consists of the construction of
2 parallel 6.6 km long road tunnels under the river Westerschelde between Terneuzen in Zeeuwsch-Vlaanderen and Ellewoutsdijk in Zuid-Beveland. The distance between the two tunnels is 12 metres. They are driven by 2 Herrenknecht-Hydro
Shields with a diameter of 11.3 m each. One machine follows behind the other with a
time lag of approximately 2 months.
After driving approx. 3600 m the main bearing failed at the eastern TBM (Sara).
Presently 3 methods are normally used to protect the working area during a repair of
this type of damage on a TBM, which is in progress underground.
1.
2.
3.
Sinking of a shaft, in which the work can be carried out

Freezing the face and a part of the tunnel
Filling the complete workarea in front of the TBM with concrete and removing
suficient grout by hand excavation to cut out a workarea.
With the first method a shaft with a diameter wide enough to expose the TBM is sunk
down to the invert of the TBM. The cutting head is then loosened and removed into
the shaft. After the repair the TBM will be driven forward through the shaft wall which
introduces an additional launch arrangement. Normally, the shaft will be backfilled. At
this method very high cost and a large time delay are caused by the sinking of the
shaft. In addition, the use of this method is restrictive, because of buildings on the
surface or services crossing the shaft or the TBM is at too great depth.
The Freezing of the face and a part of the tunnel requires the erection of a freezing
plant above the site of the damaged TBM with the same restricting as with the first
method or the mounting of a freezing plant in the mouth of the tunnel and the installation of bore holes for the cool lances. This also causes a large time delay particularly since a structurally sound cooling jacket must be built up. The cost of running
the power source is very high for this method.
Grouting the complete working area in front of the TBM is the easiest of the three
known methods, but high costs arise from the removal of the surplus grout by hand
excavation.
With the two the latter methods the cutting head is loosened from the TBM which can
then be pulled back to expose the damaged bearing for the repair.
When the damage occurred to the main bearing of the eastern of the two TBMs of
the Westerschelde-Tunnel project the contractor Kombinatie Middelplaat Westerschelde v.o.f. looked for a more favourable solution to safeguard the workarea during
the repair. It was decided to fill the room between cutting head and diving wall with
air filled containers and to concrete the cutting head.

Since the Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH was known to the Kombinatie Middelplaat Westerscheldev.o.f. because they had delivered and filled the
Bullflex-O-Ring-Seals for the launch of both TBMs, they were asked to work on the
development of the air filled containers in combination to a method to safeguard the
workarea.
After surveying the difficulties it was decided to install the separation between concrete and TBM not behind but in front of the cutting head to reduce the work by hand
for cleaning to a minimum. Due to this problem definition the Bullflex-ConcretingProtective-Hood was developed by the Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik
GmbH. The planning for the work to protect the workarea is described as follows.
TBM
Detail 1
Ground
Cutting Head
concreted area
BullflexConcretingProtective-Hood
Picture 1: Principle of the planned application
the cutting head. There the folded hood

is stretched and fixed horizontally by
attached straps which are led backwards over the heads rim through the
annulus. Then the hood is unfolded upwards and stretched and fastened by
several straps like described before.
The
Bullflex-Concreting-ProtectiveHood is then unfolded and also braced
and fastened downwards. Because a
part of the debris remains - determined
by the system - in the lower part of the
workarea the protective hood cannot be
spread out without problems in this
area. For this reason the hood got another special folding with an additional
mount fastening to a special calibre
cutter. The cutting head covered with
the protective hood then will be turned
until the special fold gets out of the de-
The Bullflex-ConcretingProtective-Hood consists of the already known high-strength

Bullflex-Fabric and is stretched
flatly over the full surface of the
cutting head. For this work the cutting head is pulled back from the
face by approx. 0.3 m, after a
length of approx. 1.0 m has been
cut to a larger diameter to make
room for the work.
The Bullflex-Concreting-Protective-Hood for the Westerschelde
tunnel has an area of approx. 104
m . It has a special fold so that it
can be stored inside the air lock
and later be transported through
the gate over the spokes in front of
concreted area
Ground
water filled
Bullflex -O-RingSeal
Bullflex -ConcretingProtective-Hood
strap for
fixing
Bentonite
Picture 2: Detail 1

bris on the opposite side again and the rest of the fabric can be unfolded and
stretched over the cutting head.
Attached to Bullflex-Concreting-Protective-Hood is a Bullflex-O-Ring-Seal which
seals the annulus between the cutting head and the cut-out line. This seal will be
filled with water so that it can be deflated after the repair. After the BullflexConcreting-Protective-Hood is installed and braced completely, the breasting plates
will be driven forward between the cutting head spokes up to the front of the cutting
head. Since no breasting plate is built-in in the range of the debris outlet a BullflexGrout-Container - manufactured on measure - is installed in this area to support the
hood against the diving wall.
Picture 3: Inspection of the BullflexConcreting-Protective-Hood
To stabilise the face the 0.3 m wide gap

between face and Bullflex-ConcretingProtective-Hood is filled with concrete
through filling ports built-in into the fabric. The room between hood and pressure wall will be filled parallel to this
with a thixotropic mixture which specific
weight is adapted to the density of the
concrete. After the curing of the concrete this mixture is pumped out and
the TBM can be driven back for the repair of the bearing. At this time the
pressure in the workroom will be lowered to the normal pressure.
After completion of the repair the cutting head will be pulled back from the BullflexConcreting-Protective-Hood. And the hood will be removed under compressed air.
filling port
Picture 4: View to the centre with breasting plate in front left

Due to a planning amendment the lower third of the room between hood and pressure wall was filled with mortar. Due to this the turn of the folded part of the BullflexConcreting-Protective-Hood through the debris became obsolete. The fabric was only
unfolded and laid onto the debris. The annulus between cutting head and cut-out line
was sealed up so far by the not filled Bullflex-O-Ring-Seal that it did not require. The
Bullflex-Fabric proved so strong that the parallel filling of the upper third of the
backward room with thixotropic material was also unnecessary.
Picture 5: The damaged bearing at the left
After completion of the repair the work area was put again under compressed air.
Then the mortar fill in the lower third of the backward area was extracted and the
Bullflex-Concreting-Protective-Hood was removed without problems.
After completion of the work the heading could be started again.
Bullflex-Special Applications
Anti-Foating Devices
Joint-Seals
Levelling Bags
Slope Protection
Packers

Anti-floating device manufactured from textile hose to avoid
the floating of pipes as a result of the backfilling
The sketch and the picture describs the application of a Bullflex-anti-floating device at the
"Mangfallstollen"water supply tunnel south-west of Munich, Germany.
The outer diameter of the steel pipe is 2.0 m, the tunnel lining has got an inner diameter of
2.7 m. The anti-floating device is made of a Bullflex-hose of 500 mm diameter and is filled
with grout.
Sketch: Principle of an anti-floating device
ground
Bullflex-anti-floating
device
grouted annulus
tunnel liner segments
pipe
annulus between tunnel
lining and pipe, to be
filled with grout
transport construction
for the pipe

Levelling of a Tunnel-Caisson in a River Bed by Bullflex-Hoses
In Summer 1993 an enquiry came in at the department for Geotextiles of the Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH which led to a development of a new Bullflex product.
The city of Bilbao in the Spanish Basque region set up a complete new metro system with
considerable effort. Among others the traversal of the Rio Nevrino for the connection of the
two districts Olabeaga and Deusto was part of this project.
After presentation of the corresponding studies the decision was made to use prefabricated
concrete Caissons for the construction of the river crossing.
At first concrete elements of different length were connected in a dry dock to a tunnel-tube of
approximately 86 m length. The tunnel contains two separate roads of 4.10 m of width each.
The thickness of the Caisson walls was 0.80 m with additional reinforcements at the sides by
another 0.70 m. The total weight of one tube was approximately 8,000 tons.
Simultaneously to the construction of the tube a ditch which should contain the Caissons was
cut into the rocky ground of the Rio Nevrino partly by sub-water blasting (Picture 4).
The temporary positioning of the tunnel and the compensation of different gap widths between ditch sole and Caisson underside should be carried out with help of Bullflex-hoses of
9.60 m length and 800 mm diameter each.
On October 9th, 1993 after the flooding of the dry dock the sluice door was opened and the
tube, which has been sealed on both ends was pulled with heavy steel cables at a speed of
1.8 m/min to the opposite bank of the Rio Nevrino by a floating lift bridge (Picture 1). To ensure a stable swimming position additional floating elements were fixed to the tube. From the
beginning the work was monitored by a computerised measuring system to ensure a correct
positioning.
Picture 1: The floated tube on its way

The crossing of the river lasted all in all 72 hours. The following flooding and lowering to the
ditch in the river bed was delayed, because the image at some areas the contour of the ditch
wasnt exact enough and because in the meantime the tidal stream of the river had washed
rubble and sand in a greater amount into the ditch.

Before the flooding started the Bullflex-Hoses had to be attached to the tube. For this
frames made of steel pipe with mesh wire had been prepared. On each frame two BullflexHoses of 800 mm diameter were fixed as base and due to the uneven ground of the ditch another Bullflex-Hose of 630 mm diameter was mounted on top of these hoses. All filling
ports and filling hoses were been installed on top of the tube. For easy distinction under water the filling hoses had been marked by different colours (Picture 2).
Picture 2: Frames prepared with Bullflex-Hoses

After the caisson was placed over the ditch, the steel frames were hoisted into the water by a
floating crane and fastened by divers under the tube rectangular to the longitudinal axis
(Picture 3).
Picture 3: Hoisting of a frame

Then the caisson was positioned on the ground of the ditch. The Bullflex-Hoses were inflated with a grout mixture made of cement and broken chalk sand pumped by a screw type
pump.

The divers worked in a depth of approximately 18 m beneath the medium high tide at a diving time of 45 minutes.
The filling of all Bullflex-Hoses was carried out within three weeks. Then the caisson was
levelled properly onto the ground in tolerances of less than 30 millimetre. The cavities between the Bullflex-Hoses were filled with sand after the second unit of the tunnel tube had
been positioned (Picture 4).
The second unit of the tunnel tube had been prepared in the dry dock parallel to the above
described work and has been positioned in the same way in April 1994.
level of the river bed

bulk stones
gravel
sand
sand
ditch
cut out by under water
blasting
Picture 4: Cross cut
prepared
caisson
Bullflex -LevellingPackage

Repair of Damage to Quay Walls by the Use of Bullflex-Hoses
The earth-quake in Kobe, Japan in spring 1995 has caused damage to the quay
walls of the harbour.
The quay walls consist of concrete-segments which were pushed apart by the earthquake (See upper picture). The joints were widened to an average width of 170 mm
down to a depth of approximately 10.0 m.
To avoid washing away of earth behind the quay wall the joints had to be closed as
fast as possible. For this purpose Bullflex-hoses were fixed inside the joints by steelbars and than filled. The joints were sealed fast and properly by this method.

Repair of washed-out Joints
in Quay Walls by the Use of Bullflex-Hoses
Damaged or washed-out joints in quay walls can be repaired by the use of textile
hoses. According to the requirements the hoses are filled with grout or with resin. It
doesn't matter if the joints are horizontal or if they are vertical. This method has been
used successfully in the harbours of Conakry, Guinea, Kobe, Japan und Recklinghausen, Germany.
The sketch of the principle sows the repair of horizontal joints in quay walls. The picture was taken during the repair of joints in the harbour of Recklinghausen.
Sketch
waterlevel
Bullflex-hoses fixed into position
by divers and filled under water
quay wall
drill hole
for grout
injection
washed-out joints which are filled through a drill

hole after the Bullflex-hoses have been filled

Bullflex-Packer as Seal for
the Gap between a Sheet Pile Wall and a Channel Embankment
The pictures show the application of two Bullflex-Packers as seal on both ends of a
sheet pile wall which has been set in front of a channel embankment near London.
The packers of 500 mm diameter and 5.0 m length where positioned in the gap and
then filled with grout. The grout replaced the water inside the packer which was
drained through the fabric. Due to the inflation with a pressure of approximately 4 bar
the fabric was pressed firmly and shrink free against the sheet piles and the embankment. After filling the packers the gap was filled with concrete while the water
flowed over the upper edge of the sheet piles.

Bullflex-Packer
for Closure of Drill Holes or Pipes
The sketch below shows 3 variations of Bullflex-Packers. The packers are manufactured on customers request in any length and diameters of 19 mm and more. Due to
the elastic fabric the packer gets in very tight contact to the pipe respctive to the cutout line of a drill hole. They have been used with great success for the closure of survey-drill holes in fissured water-bearing rock.
The filling is done by a Bullflex-Check-Valve in diameter of 50 mm or 32 mm or by
special filling ports requested or given to us by the customer.
For filling grout, Polyurethane- or Phenol-resins or permanent media may be used.
Bullflex-Packer
Bullflex-Packer with Injection-Pipe
Tandem-Packer for partial Filling of Pipes, Drill-Holes etc.
Legend
1 pipe / cut out-line of drill hole
2 Bullflex-Packer
3 filling port
4 injection pipe
5 filling pipe for the packers

6 fill of the intermediate space
7 bleeding pipe
8 filling pipe for the intermediate space fill

Bullflex-Packer for Blocking Underground Cavities
through Drill Holes
An old haulage shaft and some galleries of the abandoned colliery Piesberg have
been renewed for the museum Industriekultur Osnabrck, Germany.
One gallery adjacent to the shaft was filled with mud and had to be blocked in some distance
from the working site for safety reasons. The gallery had and rectangular crosscut of 2.0 m
height and 2,2 m width.
The blocking of the gallery was prosecuted by 3 Bullflex-Packers with 800 mm diameter set
side to side rectangular to the gallerys axis which were positioned through 3 approximately
30 m deep drill holes of 150 mm diameter. The Bullflex-Packers were filled from the surface
by sacrificial plastic pipes of 50 mm diameter.
Sketch: Cut through one Bullflex-Packer in direction of the gallerys axis
Drill Hole, 270 mm Diameter,

30 m deep
Plastic Pipe
DN 50
Bullflex-Packer,
800 mm diameter
Gallery, filled
with mud

Bullflex-Shaft- SafeguardingSystem (Pat. Pend.)
A new Method to stabilize abandoned and plugged Shafts
New studies into the conventional means of securing abandoned shafts has lead to
former mine-owners and their respective successors looking carefully at the economics of the required work.
Examples from the recent past have shown that such stabilization work involves a
high cost risk for the clients even when evaluation and examinations were carried out
very carefully.
The methods used to carry out this work at present are either in the installation of a
cohesive shaft filling or the reinforcement of the shaft wall.
These two methods tend to cause the shafts to sink down to stable bed rock. Since
records of the existing filling material, however, are frequently missing or are incomplete, there are considerable risks concerning safety as well as economic considerations with the implementation of these measures.
The company Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH, has developed a
new method for the long-term stabilization of the existing shaft plugging without the
need to excavate the material out of the shaft down to rock level.
The method is primarily based on stabilising the existing filled column. The safeguarding system achieves this by surrounding injections.
This new method has been introduced for the first time in the renovation of the shaft
Heerberg in Bingen-Weiler, Germany, with great success.
The Shaft Heerberg
The shaft Heerberg in the former
ore and dolomite mine "Dr. Geier is
situated on private property in
Weiler, a suburb of Bingen on the
River Rhine (illus. 1).
Illustration 1. The shaft Heerberg in the

year 1961
The shaft served as personnel

access and for the haulage of
material in and out of the mine. The
level of the shaft mouth is approx.
+265,5 m above sea level and the
height of the shaft bottom is approx.
+175,9 m this equals a total depth of
approx. 90 m. At the shaft bottom
two galleries are connected to the
shaft. No data about the dimensions
and the safeguarding of these
galleries are available. The shaft was
sunk in the 19th century has been
abandoned and plugged since 1965.

After the plugging operation, the shaft was covered with a reinforced concrete slab
with dimensions of 5.25 m x 5.30 m and a thickness of 0.30 m. Plans for the reinforcement and shuttering of the slab were available .
No data about the condition of the shaft and the plugging exist. According to the
property owner the shaft had to be refilled twice.
15
17
12
86
88
1
83
82
84
rg
Am Heerbe
88
2
96
2
81
87
96
1
85
89
2
14
90
91
114
2
92
93
94
114
1
112
shaft
security
area
27
9
11
of
mH
r de
Obe
95
111
3
113
27
10
Weg
shaft
cover plate
27
3
25
26
109
110
90
27
5
108
27
4
rt
nge
Ba
Im
Illustration 2: Extract from the land register

showing the shaft security area
In the spring 2003 the shaft

was found to be unstable, so
the security area around the
shaft was extended to approx.
2.600 m. It was also decided
not to allow the erection of
any buildings in this area
(illus. 2). The property and
shaft owner together with the
Weiler Municipal Council
wanted to restore the longterm stability of the shaft to
reduce the security area
around the shaft to a
minimum .
The company Gebhardt &
Koenig
Bergund
Bautechnik GmbH received
the order to safeguard the
shaft
with
the
newly
developed
Bullflex-ShaftSafeguarding-System.
The administrative office of

geology and mining of Rheinland-Pfalz approved the complete system. Additionally
the arccon Ingenieurgesellschaft Gelsenkirchen was engaged to execute the geotechnical and ground static calculation taking into account the mechanical rock conditions.
A core drilling down to a depth of 25.5 m was used to survey the rock surrounding
the shaft.
To establish the quality of the plug in the shaft, a core was drilled down to a depth of
25.5 m. The plug starts at about 2.0 m beneath the manhole cover in the shaft cover
slab. The plug consists of evenly distributed material previously excavated from the
former mine.
For the calculation of the Bullflex-Shaft-Safeguarding-Element, the geometric details
of the shaft and the parameters of the filling - determined by extensive laboratory examinations together with the density of the plug and the density of the BullflexShaft-Safeguarding-Element, as basis of the swelling forces, were taken into account. The calculation established that a length of 9.14 m for the Bullflex-Shaft-

Safeguarding-Element was required together with a filling pressure of 3.0 bar. A
safety factor of 2 against failure was used in the calculation.
Other details of the operation were as follows:
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Installation of the BullflexShaft-Safeguarding-Element

at a depth of 15,0 m to 25,0 m
into the piping of the drilling
BK2 (illus. 3).
Sinking of 3 drills to 25 m
between shaft wall and
Bullflex-Shaft-SafeguardingElement followed by the installation of steel pipes with
built-in valves - valve distance
1 m - for the grout injection in
the area of the BullflexShaft-Safeguarding-Element
between 15 m and 25 m
depth.
Inflation of the Bullflex-ShaftSafeguarding-Element after
the removal of the casing pipe
with a swelling (and shrink
free) grout at a pressure of 5
bar.
24 hours later the injection of
the area surrounding the
Bullflex-Shaft-Safeguarding-Element
through
the
steel
pipes
is
commenced. The injection
pressure and the grout flow
was monitored.
Monitoring of the top level of
the plug and of the shaft wall
during the inflation of the
Bullflex-Shaft-Safeguarding-Element and the
injection through the pipes.
Illustration 3: Insertion of the Bullflex-ShaftSafeguarding-Element into the drill hole BK2
Results
Including the core drilling, the
work was completed in only 10
working days. The concrete shaft
cover slab remained in place and
was structurally unaffected by the
works. No more earth moving or
other work were necessary.
Illustration 4: Section through a shaft stabilized by the
Bullflex-Shaft-Safeguarding-System

Due to the minimal work required (only 5 drilling points), as opposed to the conventional systems, this method of stabilization of shaft plugging using the Bullflex-ShaftSafeguarding-System is a fast, economical and environmentally harmless solution.
As a result of the measures used the shaft security area could be reduced considerably (illus. 5).
15
17
12
86
88
1
83
82
96
2
84
erg
Am Heerb
88
2
81
87
96
1
85
89
2
14
90
91
114
2
93
114
1
former
shaft
security
area
27
9
112
92
94
Hof
dem
r
e
Ob
11
95
111
3
113
27
10
25
26
Weg
27
3
new
shaft
security
area
109
110
90
27
5
108
27
4
rt
nge
Ba
Im
Illustration 5: extract from the land register showing the former and the new shaft security area.
References for textile Shutters

made by
Gebhardt & Koenig

Bullflex-Pillars
Bullflex-O-Ring-Seals
Special Applications

1. Bullflex-Reinforcement-Hoses
Germany
a) Mining
- Until today more than 1.000 km of Galleries in German mines were provided with
Bullflex - und GKG SG 2-Reinforcement-Hoses.

b) Safeguarding of Historical Cavities
- Creuen, safeguarding of the historical cellars beneath the city wall and the church
- Mechernich, safeguarding of a gallery in the abandoned ore mine Mechernich
- Oppenheim, safeguarding of the drainage chamber of the Krtenbrunnen
France
- several collieries of the Houlleries du Bassin de Lorraine
- potash mines of the Mines de Potasse d Alsace
Greece
- Smokovo, ground-outlet gallery of the Smokovo Damm Projekt
- Smokovo, Ofarna Tunnel
Great Britain
- London, Heathrow Express Project, temporary support of the tunnel
- London, Jubilee Line Project
- Peterhead/Longside, Auchlee Bridge Project
Italy
- Applications in several tunnelling projects e.g.:
- Tunnel Itinera (Autostrada Torino - Bordighera)
- Tunnel Morgex (tunnel to the Mont Blanc)
- Impresa Riunite Genova (Subway)
Japan
- Kushiro, Colliery Taiheijo
- Kobe, Maiko-Tunnel, Pipe-Umbrella-System
- Kumagai, Omaezaki-Tunnel
Korea
- Togye, Colliery DHHC
Russia
- Kemerovo, Siberia, Colliery Schwejakowa
Schwitzerland
- Applications in several tunnelling projects e.g.:
- Bzbergtunnel
- Tunnel de Mont Russellin
- Locarno, Tunnel Centovalli
Spain
-
Figaredo, Asturien, Colliery Minas de Figaredo
Ukrainia
- Donezk, Colliery Skotschinski
- Podinskoje, Colliery Krasnolimanskaya
Hungary
- Applications in several collieries on yielding steel arches and on rigid steel rings

2. Bullflex-Pillars
Germany
a) Mining
- Neukirchen-Vluyn, former colliery Niederberg, road side packing
- Dorsten, former colliery Frst Leopold/Wulfen, seam support
- Kamp-Lintfort, DSK, Bergwerk West, road side packing
- Hamm, DSK, Bergwerk Ost, road side packing
- Marl, DSK, Colliery Auguste Victoria, road side packing
- Vellberg, Gypsum Mine of the Knauf-Group, support of the main haulage gallery
- Dhlau, Gypsum Mine Dhlau, support of the main haulage gallery
- ERA Morsleben, closures of galliers and raise chutes with Bullflex -Pillar-Walls
b) Safeguarding of Historical Cavities
- Ilmpark-Cave in Weimar, former Travertine mine, gallery support
- Kohnstein, Memorial Mittelbau-Dora, safeguarding of a T-junction
- Former iron ore mine Kahlenberg, Herbolzheim, safeguarding of several T-junctions
- Mendig, safeguarding underground cavities caused by historical basalt-mining for millstones
c) Civil Engineering
- Hattingen, underpinning of the historical City Hall
- Aachen-Schmithof, underpinning of a 2-floor building
- Wuppertal,
- Ulm, temporary underpinning of the 22-floor Universumcenter
- Tiefurt, Beercellar of a former Brewery, additional support due to construction work on the
surface above
- Gelsenkirchen, new building of the BOGESTRA, underpinning of the neighbouring buildings
- Essen, Elisabeth-Hospital, underpinning of the foundation in the area of a new building
- Freyburg, Unstruth, underpinning of the historical part of the headoffice of the champagnedresser Rotkppchen
Australia
- Calgoorlie, support in room-and-pillar gold mines
Chile
- Colliery Tamaya, road side packing
France
- Potash mine Marie-Luise, Mines de Potasse dAlsace, Safeguarding of an
extraction chamber
Italy
- Nuraxi Figus, Sardinien, Colliery Carbosulcis, seam support an safeguarding of T-junctions
Korea
- Togye, Colliery DHHC, safeguarding of T-junctions in 20 incline
Spain
- Figaredo, Colliery Minas de Figaredo, road side packing
Sdafrika
- Klerksdorp, gold mine Haartebeestfontein, seam support an safeguarding of T-junctions
USA
- Kentucky, Colliery Arch of Kentucky, gallery support
- Utah, Colliery Skyline No.1, gallery support
Hungary
- Budapest, underpinning of a building

3. Bullflex-O-Ring-Seals
Germany
Application as O-Ring-Seals for launch and reception of the TBMs in several subway-projects
in and street tunnels e.g.:
- Gelsenkirchen
- Essen
- Mlheim
- Mnchen, sealing against compressed air
- Dsseldorf
th
- 4 tube of the Elbtunnel, Hamburg, Herrenknecht-TBM witha diameter of 14,2 m
as front seal for the pipe-relining:
- Stadtwerke Stuttgart, sewers
- Stadtwerke Mnchen, Mangfallstollen, water supply gallery
- Ruhrverband Essen, Mhnetalsperre, sealing of relining of the ground outlet gallery in a
depth of 30 m beneath the water surface
- Crailsheim, Gallery Beimbach
Belgium
- Antwerpen, ASDAM-Tunnel, high speed railway connection Gent Amsterdam,
Launch seals for the TBM at both tubes
Great Britain
O-Ring-Seals in shaft-sinking e.g.:
- London, Thames Water Ring Main;
Shafts:
Ashford Common
Kempton Park
Merton
Streatham Well
Brixton
O-Ring-Seals in Tunnelling e.g.:
- Fleetwood and Blackpool, Fylde-Water-Project, launch and reception seals
for the LOVAT-TBMs
- Channel Tunnel Rail Link
Contracts (a.o.): 320, 250
- Dartford, Dartford Cable Tunnel
- Hull, 2000 UWWTD
as front seal for the pipe-relining:

- Brighton, Brighton & Hove Stormwater Project
- Liverpool, MEPAS 4
- Torrence, Glasgow, Torrence Sewage Treatment Works
- Birmingham, Frankley Water Treatment Works
Netherlands
- Rotterdam, Botlek-Tunnel, Launch seals for the TBM at both tubes
- Terneuzen, Westerscheldetunnel, Launch seals for the TBM at both tubes
- Rotterdam, SATURN Leidingentunnel, Launch seal for the TBM
Portugal
- Lissabon, Novaponte Ace, new Tagus-bridge, O-Ring-Seals for theannular gap between
steel foundation piles and the caissons which wioll be the foundations for the bridgdes pylons
Schwitzerland
- several applications in tunnelling mostly in combination with Bullflex -Reinforcement-Hoses

- Grand Dixence, water supply duct to a new power station, sealing of the annulus between

the steel pipe and rock
Taiwan
- Taipei, Subway-Line Chung-Ho
Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Outfall Tunnel DC/93/18, Launch seal for the TBM
- Central, Western and Wai Chai West Trunk Sewers, Launch seal for the TBM
Thailand
- Bangkok, MRTA Initial System Project, Launch seal for the TBM
Singapore
- Project DTSS T-05, Launch seal for the TBM
- MRT North East Line Contract 704, Launch seal for the TBM
4. Special Applications
Germany
- Recklinghausen, channel harbour, sealing of joints in the quay wall partly under water
- Duisburg, harbour, sealing between quay wall and sheet pile wall
- Elsterberg, anti-floating-device fore a pipe with 600 mm diameter
- Gypsum mine Dhlau, Packer in a diameter of 1,2 m and 6 m length and in the dimensions
- 1,4 m x 1,8 m x 6 m for the sealing of the intake shafts, inflation for the surface
- Safeguarding of the blasted bunker12 nearby Schwanau/Ottenheim by covering with
Bullflex -Mattresses
- Rostock, Feste Warnowquerung, sealing and underpinning of the eastern foundation
- Wrzburg, Winterhuser Well, sanitation of the drainage gallery by Bullflex -Support
- Olpenitz, reinforcement of marine piles in the Navy Harbour by Bullflex -Pile-Jackets

Guinea
- Conakry, Harbour, sealing of horizontal joints in the quay walls, inflation of the Bullflex Hoses in a depths of up to 12 m beneath the water surface
Japan
- Kobe, Harbour, sealing ofl joints in the quay walls which have been damaged by an
earthquake
- Kobe, levelling of buildings by simultaions inflation of several Bullflex -Leveling-Bags

beneath the foundation
Netherlands
- Terneuzen, Westerscheldetunnel, Bullflex -Concreting-Propective-Hood for the

cutting head of the TBM
Schweden
- Oscarshamn, Granite quarries of the Emmaboda AG, support of the rope-saw-cuts against
rock pressure
Spain
- Bilbao, Subway, Bullflex -Levelling-Containers for the caissons of the tunnel under the Rio
- Nevrino, inflation of the containers in a water depths of up to 20 m
Sri Lanka
- Samanalawewa Dam Project, stoppers for a temporary drain, filling in a high speed water
current
Hungary
- Budapest Castle, Budapest, safeguarding of vertical gaps beneath the castle, filling of the

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Bullflex

Textile Shutters, Seals, Construction Elements

Gebhardt & Koenig Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

O-Ring-Seals for the Launch and

Anti-Floating-Device - the ideal Addition

For Support of Vault Cellars

Immediate bearing Support Element for Mining

Under Water Application

Gebhardt & Koenig Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

Gebhardt & Koenig

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

Stresses induced into the Rock by the pressurized

close and frictional

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

1. How the Bullflex -Reinforcement-Hoses are delivered

The Bullflex -Reinforcement-Hoses are manufactured to customer requirements.

2. Grout-Mix for the Bullflex -Reinforcement-Hoses

4. Installation of the Bullflex -Reinforcement-Hoses

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

Picture 3: Filling nozzle connected to the valve

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

The Bullflex -Reinforcement-Hoses are filled to a pressure of approximately 4 bar.

Picture 4: Filled Bullflex -Reinforcement-Hoses with reusable clamps

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

3- Bullflex-Rock-Bolt-Basement for Enlarging

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

Picture 2: Tunnel Morgex,

Picture 3: Showing the pipe screen and the filled

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

Picture 5: View into the Maiko-Tunnel during the heading

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

108 117 126 135

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

After 24 hours the grout has cured to an extend that

Picture 4: A Bullflex-Support in a vault cellar under a castle near Budapest, Hungary

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

Stainless Steel Pipe DN 400

Longitudinal cut through the gallery and details

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

Reusable shutters inside the gallery

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

The gallery after completion of the work

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

Fmax.load = maximum load in kN

= slenderness ratio of the pillar with =

= resistance against crushing of the grout in N/mm ( R = 0,7 DN , as in DIN 1045 )

max. load [kN]

Pillarheight-Loadability-Diagram for a grout with 30 N/m m resistance

Gebhardt & Koenig - Berg- und Bautechnik GmbH

Resistance against Crushing [N/MM]

DMT - BETONPRFSTELLE W+E