Driven by population growth in Sydney’s north-west, the Thornleigh Inlet Outlet Main (TIOM) was delivered to provide additional drinking water and accommodate future urban development.
The project has set a new benchmark for trenchless pipeline delivery, marking the first application of Reinforced Concrete steel Cylinder Pipe (RCCP) in Australia. For Empire Infrastructure, TIOM demanded a highly coordinated technical and logistical approach to supply 1.2 kilometres of DN1800 (OD 2400) RCCP jacking pipe manufactured by Bonna Indonesia.
Each pipe weighed approximately 22 tonnes, requiring meticulous planning across the international supply chain. As the pipe was transported via break-bulk vessels rather than containerised freight, this introduced a range of logistical complexities including specialised lifting, handling, and storage arrangements at both the port of origin and arrival. Empire Infrastructure worked closely with shipping providers, port authorities, and the Ironbark Joint Venture to ensure safe, efficient, and damage-free delivery of the pipes from manufacturing through to site.
“Moving pipe of this scale via break-bulk required a highly integrated approach to logistics and risk management” said Empire Infrastructure’s Aaron Mackley. “Our focus was ensuring the pipes arrived on time, undamaged, and ready for installation in a highly technical tunnelling environment.”
From a technical standpoint, the RCCP was selected for its ability to perform a dual role as a potable water, pressure pipe and its high compressive strength, durability, and performance under jacking loads, making it well-suited to single-pass microtunnelling. Empire Infrastructure’s role extended beyond supply, involving detailed technical review of tolerances, gasket performance, and joint integrity to ensure constructability and long-term asset performance.
Empire Infrastructure is proud to have supported the Ironbark Joint Venture (IBJV), Bouygues Construction, and Rob Carr in delivering the Thornleigh Pipeline Duplication project for Sydney Water. The successful outcome underscores the value of early contractor involvement, strong technical collaboration with Bonna Indonesia, and the use of proven materials in delivering smarter, more sustainable trenchless infrastructure solutions.