UNSPSC 22101909: Slurry tunnel boring machine

A slurry tunnel boring machine (slurry TBM) is a type of underground excavator that removes excavated material by hydraulic means. It is considered a "soft ground" tunnel boring machine (TBM) along with the earth pressure balance tunnel boring machine (EPB-TBM).

UNSPSC 22101909 Slurry tunnel boring machine is a Commodity code that encompasses horizontal directional drilling (HDD) and jack & bore services for underground utility installation, repair, and extension work. State and local governments buy these services to bore under obstacles such as railroad lines, roadways, and water bodies when installing water, sewer, natural gas, and other utility pipes. The work involves directional boring equipment operation, drilling fluid management, frac-out prevention, bore-path documentation, traffic control coordination, and surface restoration. Issuing bodies include municipal utilities and city public works departments procuring on an as-needed or term-contract basis. Contractors typically furnish labor, equipment, drilling fluids, and consumables while the procuring entity furnishes pipe and appurtenances; compensation is fixed unit pricing per linear foot by pipe diameter and material type.

Recent activity shows two substantive solicitations grounded in actual HDD work. The City of Milton, Florida issued ITB 2026.05 for directional boring services on an as-needed purchase-order basis with response due July 22, 2026, covering installation and repair of water, sewer, and natural gas infrastructure within Milton and authorized areas of Santa Rosa County, with individual bores limited to less than 500 feet and pipe diameters ranging from two to twelve inches in steel, HDPE, or PVC. The Fort Valley Utility Commission (Fort Valley, Georgia) issued an RFP for design and construction of approximately 4,000 linear feet of 20-inch PVC effluent pipe with proposals due July 3, 2026, including approximately 185 linear feet bored under a Norfolk Southern railroad line using jack & bore methods with a 30-inch steel casing pipe. Contractors in both solicitations must hold current state underground contractor licenses, furnish performance and payment bonds when work exceeds specified thresholds, carry substantial liability and pollution insurance, and provide 24-hour emergency response on as-needed contracts. Geographic activity is limited to Florida and Georgia in the recent-opportunities record; no evidence supports widespread multi-state procurement volume under this code.