Pipe rehab project finishes ahead of schedule

• Insituform rehabilitates 1,720 m of 12 inch (300 mm) diameter water main in just 8 days using Thermopipe® technology.

Insituform Technologies Ltd (ITL) offers as part of its extensive pipe rehabilitation portfolio the Thermopipe® system. Currently offered under the newly created Insituform Blue division, Thermopipe® is one of a number of specialist lining products used by the company for rehabilitation of pressure pipe networks.

A recent project carried out by ITL for client Severn Trent Water in association with Severn Trent's main contractor, Balfour Beatty (Civil and Specialist Engineering and Services division) has highlighted just how effective the Thermopipe® system can be on water main rehabilitation projects.

PERRYFIELD ROAD
The project in question comprised the rehabilitation of some 1,720 m of 12 in (300 mm) diameter water main in the Perryfield Road area of Bromsgrove, to the south of Birmingham. The rehabilitation was necessary because the pipeline had, over time, required a number of repairs to be undertaken on this particular section of pipe.

The main itself comprised a straight run of pipeline with the advantage that there were no service connections to be made on the pipe. Given this situation the project might not normally be seen a 'rehab' project of significant interest, given that rehabilitation is now a major tool in the armoury of most water companies. What make this project so significant is its timescale.

ITL started work on the Thermopipe® lining operations on 20 Feb, 2008 with a due date for completion of 21 March. As it turned out this timeframe was a little more than required. Excellent co-operation between Severn Trent, Balfour Beatty and ITL enabled the full 1,720 m of water main to be completely rehabilitated and restored to service in just eight (yes 8) working days. This just shows that effective planning, co-operation between the various involved parties, the use of an experienced rehabilitation contractor and the immediate provision of materials from ITL which is also the provider of the Thermopipe® product, can come together to give massive savings in time, effort and cost. In all, 7 individual Thermopipe® liner installations were completed on the project, valued at around £200,000, with the best production rate being 380 m installed in two shots in a single day.

This combined effort has enabled the client to bring its rehabilitated main back into full service well ahead of its expected schedule. This in turn has meant a very significant reduction in disruption to local residents, businesses and the usual significant traffic flows experienced in the area, which might otherwise have occurred over the longer, scheduled timeframe.

Commenting on the project Nigel McGuinness, Acting Mains Renewal Manager, for Severn Trent Water said: "Using conventional techniques, the disruption to traffic and local residents would have been too great. This solution allowed an effective and environmental solution to a difficult project."

David Wilson, Regional Manager for Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions commented: "The project had to be completed within a very short timescale and I was impressed with the professionalism and commitment of all involved."

For ITL John Beech, Business Development Manager, said: "We were extremely pleased to be able to bring this project to a close on such a quick timescale. We were able to achieve this due to our position as both contractor and materials provider which, alongside our 30+ years of experience in the sector, is one of our biggest advantages in the UK renovation industry. Being able to ensure that materials are available as and when required, without the need to rely on third party providers puts us in a very strong position when it comes to project completion. The massive time saving on the Perryfield Road project was however only possible because of the excellent co-operation between ourselves, Balfour Beatty and Severn Trent to ensure that the work site were all ready and waiting for the renovation installations when they were needed. Praise must also be given to the Insituform crew, which included Dave Gascoigne, Graham Dobie, Garry Farrel and Lawrence McGovern without whose efforts this project could not have been completed in record time. If only all projects could run as smoothly!"

The project was also nominated for a UKSTT Project of the Year Award.

THERMOPIPE® SYSTEM
The Thermopipe® liner is a polyester reinforced, polyethylene structural lining system that offers major advantages for the rehabilitation of pressure mains. The system provides an independent structural lining with an internal pressure rating of 12 bar (16 bar for 100 mm through 200 mm diameter). It is available for installations in pipe diameter from 60 to 300 mm. The liner system stops leakage by bridging and sealing holes and faulty joints; Improves the quality of water; Reduces social cost because of low foot print and minimal downtime; and is a very cost effective way of extending the life of water supply infrastructure systems with its 50 year design life.

One of the major advantages of the system is that it offers the ability to rapidly install up to 300 m (1,000 linear feet) in just a few hours whilst being able to negotiate multiple bends in the host pipeline, so minimising the need to break down projects into individual straight installation lengths.

The Thermopipe® system is designed for the rehabilitation of distribution water mains and other pressure pipe systems such as sewer force mains, fire water mains and industrial pressure applications. It is supplied as a factory-folded 'C' shape liner, which is winched into the host pipe from a reel located at one of just two main access pits required for an installation. Once winched into place, the liner system utilises air pressure and steam which is applied to the inside of the liner to revert it to its fully round shape within the host pipe. Once inflated and heated, the liner forms a close-fit within the host pipe, creating a jointless, leak-free lining system able to carry the full pipe system internal design pressure, independent of the remaining structural strength of the host pipe. The installation process is simple and most installations can usually be completed within an 8 hour time period.

The system also carries several recognised approvals including:
• Certification by NSF International as complying with the requirements of ANSI/NSF Standard 61
• UK DWI Approval
• Manufactured under a Quality Management System approved to ISO 9000

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