Trenchless Pipe Installation Supports California’s High-Speed Rail

California’s High-Speed Rail project is one of the largest infrastructure efforts in the United States, spanning hundreds of miles across The Golden State. The new train system will eventually connect major population centers, creating a faster and more sustainable way to travel across California.

In the Central Valley near Fresno, FlatironDragados is building critical sections of the rail corridor. Projects this massive require more than tracks and bridges. Beneath the surface, stormwater infrastructure must safely move water under roadways and rail embankments.

At one location, that meant installing reinforced concrete pipe (RCP) for stormwater beneath State Route 43 without interrupting traffic above.

For this crossing, contractor FlatironDragados selected the jack and bore method, allowing crews to push pipe underground from one pit to another without excavating the roadway above. This approach minimizes surface disruption and avoids impacts to traffic.

Traditional reinforced concrete pipe is manufactured with a bell and spigot configuration designed for open trench installation. Trenchless construction requires something different: a double-spigot configuration, allowing each section to be pushed forward during the jacking process.

The pipe also needed threaded inserts cast into the concrete, allowing crews to inject slurry from inside the pipe to fill voids around the outside after installation.

To meet the project’s requirements, Jensen engineered and manufactured 154 linear feet of 24-inch trenchless RCP at our Las Vegas facility.

The pipe was dry cast to 6,000 psi, delivering strength above typical stormwater pipe specifications. Each section was fabricated with spigot ends on both sides, a direct rubber gasket (DRG) band to create a watertight seal, and a pressure distribution ring to evenly transfer jacking forces during installation.

In the end, trenchless pipe allowed FlatironDragados to complete the crossing beneath SR-43 while keeping traffic moving above. A small piece of infrastructure, purpose-built for the job, helping move one of the nation’s largest transportation projects forward.

Considering trenchless pipe for your next project? Contact Jensen Infrastructure today.