CIPP Leaves Diverse Attractions Undisturbed
When choosing a contractor for a sewer rehabilitation project that involved both busy downtown and more remote idyllic settings, City of Reno engineers selected cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) specialist PIPEnology, according to netcomposites.com.
PIPEnology chose Vipel corrosion-resistant resin from AOC.
PIPEnology’s sewer repairs were installed from existing manhole access points to eliminate the need for disruptive and potentially damaging excavation. At the downtown site, a major convention was able to continue without rescheduling. At the Rosewood Lakes Golf Course site, the homes and scenery in this quiet and picturesque neighborhood were undisturbed. For both sites, CIPP was a much faster process than tearing up surface streets, so traffic and business could be back to normal sooner. The consulting engineering firm responsible for initial design and overseeing construction on the project was Brown & Caldwell of Phoenix, AZ.
“Each jobsite presented its own challenges,” said Ryan Broyles, President of PIPEnology.
The work in the downtown area had to be completed in a narrow, three-week time window to accommodate event scheduling for the convention business. For the downtown work, we lined 5,468 linear feet (1,667 meters) of 30- to 42-inch (76- to 107-centimeter) diameter pipe, including an installation that crossed under the Truckee River.”
The Rosewood Lakes Golf Course work upgraded 66- and 72-inch (168- and 183-centimeter) diameter pipe. Broyles said the distance between manholes in the Rosewood Lakes area severely limited access to the host pipe. “To eliminate destructive excavation, individual installations of more than 2,000 feet (619 meters) were a necessity,” he pointed out. How CIPP Works
CIPP technology rehabilitates aging or damaged pipelines by constructing a new liner inside the existing host pipe. Liner construction starts with a special felt tube of predetermined dimensions and length. The felt is impregnated with resin then inserted into existing manholes to eliminate or minimize the need for excavation.
Water pressure introduced into the resin-impregnated tube moves the tube forward and inverts it along the walls of the host pipe. When the entire length of tube has been inverted, heat is introduced, typically by heating the water used during insertion.
The heat accelerates a chemical reaction that cures the resin from a liquid state to a molecularly-crosslinked solid with excellent corrosion-resistance and durability. The result is a new seamless liner. Robotic equipment cuts openings to reconnect laterals to the main pipe.
The recent sewer rehabilitation in Reno by PIPEnology totaled 25,285 feet (7.7 kilometers) of 8- to 72-inch (20- to 183-centimeter) diameter sanitary sewers. More than 40% of the work involved pipe that was 60 inches (152 centimeters) in diameter or more. “Because of the excellent teamwork involved, including prompt AOC service and delivery, we were able to get the CIPP phase of the work completed in less than five months,” Broyles stated.
Publication Date: 22/06/2009