Industrial Collector Ensures Wastewater Disposal for Dresden’s Growing Semiconductor Industry

The approximately 10 km long North Industrial Collector (ISN) in Dresden creates the necessary wastewater infrastructure for the expanding semiconductor industry. The large-scale project, which began in July 2023, combines open-cut and trenchless construction methods and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026. egeXXL PE 100-RC pipes will be laid as a gravity pipeline.

New Backbone for Industrial Wastewater Management

With the North Industrial Collector, Stadtentwässerung Dresden GmbH is responding to the rapidly growing wastewater discharge from semiconductor plants. New and expanded factories from Infineon, Bosch, Globalfoundries, X-Fab, and the future ESMC plant are increasing wastewater volumes so significantly that the existing sewer network is reaching its limits. The new collector connects the industrial area on Königsbrücker Straße with the Kaditz wastewater treatment plant, thus forming the backbone for industrial wastewater disposal for decades to come. Approximately two-thirds of the construction of the approximately 10 km long pipeline will be carried out using trenchless methods, involving the jacking of reinforced concrete pipes through the ground. 5,500 m will be implemented as a gravity pipeline using the egeXXL large-diameter pipe system made of PE 100-RC in OD 1,200. Approximately 2,750 m of this will be installed as long-pipe inlining within a pre-jacked reinforced concrete protection pipe DN 1,600, laid at depths of 6 to 14 m. The longest pull-in section measures 1,086 m – a new challenge for this pipe dimension. The remaining sections will be constructed using open-cut methods with excavation and pipe laying.

Challenges and Solutions

Dresden’s densely built-up urban area, high groundwater levels, potential unexploded ordnance in the ground, and the flood risk of the Elbe river required special planning. Parallel work in four construction lots with an average of eight to twelve specialists to coordinate for pipe laying, as well as the provision of up to four welding machines for OD 1,200 mm pipes, posed additional logistical challenges. The combination of long-pipe inlining within the protection pipe, precisely coordinated machine technology, and close-meshed construction supervision enabled safe pull-in even with varying pipe curvatures of 200 m to 400 m radius.