The old concrete and clay sewer pipe system in the German port of Cuxhaven was leaking badly and in urgent need of renovation.The old concrete and clay sewer pipe system in the German port of Cuxhaven was leaking badly and in urgent need of renovation. The network owner wanted the new system to be leak-tight and highly durable as well as easy to install. The system was partly situated under the pedestrian zone of the town, which meant that the work area was very restricted, and the renovation needed to be carried out as quickly as possible in order to minimise disruption to the local population. Obviously, the new system also had to conform to all relevant European standards.
The network owner chose Awadukt PP SN10 Rausisto solid-wall pipe, made by leading processing company REHAU using BorECO BA2000, a high molecular weight polypropylene launched by Borealis in 2009.
BorECO BA2000 is a pioneering high modulus PP (2000 MPa) that allows pipe manufacturers to produce heavy duty pipes without the need for mineral fillers. This very high stiffness is combined with excellent impact resistance. The high molecular weight, low melt-flow block copolymer runs very easily on existing pipe extrusion equipment, and so its adoption requires no extra investment for the pipe maker.
Pipes made with the new grade exceed all requirements of the newly created S14 class in the revised EN1852:2009 standard and provides further dimensioning options for non-pressure solid wall pipes. The S14 class sets a minimum wall thickness for a 110 mm solid wall pipe of 3.8 mm. Only pipes with BorECO BA2000 can be made with walls this thin and still meet the performance requirements in the standard. The excellent inherent chemical resistance of polypropylene also guarantees resistance to degradation in use, which is further aided by very good abrasion resistance over years. The REHAU pipes are expected to have a service life of at least 100 years.
Cuxhaven is situated right next to the North Sea, so the installation team had to contend with large amounts of ground water that create destabilising forces in the surrounding ground. "With a flexible pipe such as that made from BorECO, the surrounding soil and the pipes establish a safe symbiosis preventing leakage in the case of soil settlements - the pipes do not break," says Jane Toogood, Borealis Vice President Business Unit Pipe. "Rigid concrete or clay pipe has no deflection capability and breaks under load or soil movements."
Borealis BorECO PP materials contribute to sustainable wastewater management, not only by eliminating water losses, but also through reduced material and energy consumption throughout production, transport and operation. The BorECO BA2000 pipes have a massive weight advantage over traditional concrete and clay types: the weight difference between two pipes, each of them one meter long and 200 mm in diameter, one in BorECO BA2000 and the other in concrete, is a massive 51 kg. This makes transportation and installation easier, faster, more energy-efficient and safer.
In all, the project involved the installation of 1.2 km of pipe. The network owners say they are completely satisfied with the result, and based on the good experience are likely to continue using the BorECO PP based pipe solutions in future projects.
Borealis has a long-standing and ongoing commitment to increase the use of polypropylene in the gravity pipe market. Thanks in good part to the company's efforts over the last more than 30 years, PP has shown remarkable growth rates and market share gains throughout Europe in underground drainage, sewage, and soil and wastewater pipe systems.
Borealis Business Unit Pipe
Borealis is the leading supplier of advanced polypropylene and polyethylene pipe system solutions. Through the close dialogue with our customers and stakeholders, we have developed a broad and innovative product and service portfolio over the last 50 years. Our applications cover water and gas distribution, wastewater and sewage disposal, chemical and industrial pipelines, in-house plumbing and heating as well as pipe systems for oil and gas exploration and transportation. Through our close relationships with our customers & partners we strive to deliver a steady stream of innovative pipe and fittings solutions that add real value for all members in the value chain.
Borealis is a leading provider of chemical and innovative plastics solutions that create value for society. With sales of EUR 4.7 billion in 2009, customers in over 120 countries, and 5,200 employees worldwide, Borealis is owned 64% by the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) of Abu Dhabi and 36% by OMV, the leading energy group in the European growth belt. Borealis is headquartered in Vienna, Austria, and has production locations, innovation centres and customer service centres across Europe and the Americas. Through Borouge, a joint venture between Borealis and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), one of the world's major oil companies, the company's footprint reaches out to the Middle East, Asia Pacific, the Indian sub-continent and Africa. Established in 1998, Borouge employs approximately 1,400 people, has customers in more than 50 countries and its headquarters are in Abu Dhabi in the UAE and Singapore.
Building on the unique Borstar® technology and their experience in polyolefins for more than 50 years, Borealis and Borouge provide innovative, value creating plastics solutions for the infrastructure (pipe systems and power and communication cables), automotive and advanced packaging markets. In addition, Borealis offers a wide range of base chemicals from melamine and plant nutrients to phenol and acetone.
Today Borealis and Borouge manufacture over 4 million tonnes of polyolefins (polyethylene and polypropylene) per year. Borouge is currently tripling its polyolefins manufacturing capacity to 2 million tonnes per year (t/y) by mid-2010 and an additional 2.5 million t/y is scheduled for 2013. The companies continue to invest to ensure that their customers throughout the value chain, across the globe, can always rely on product quality, consistency and security of supply.
Borouge and Borealis are committed to the principles of Responsible Care® and proactively contribute to addressing the world's water and sanitation challenges through their Water for the World™ initiative.
For more information visit: Borealis: www.borealisgroup.com Borouge: www.borouge.com; Water for the World: www.waterfortheworld.net
WaterWorld Online, June 2010
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