CUIRE Awarded Formal Review of CIPP Safety
In response to the growing usage of cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) installations and recent industry reports, NASSCO submitted requests for proposals to facilitate a formal review of potential safety impacts associated with CIPP. Of particular interest is the use of polyester resins in CIPP that result in volatilization of styrene during the steam curing process.
Previous studies have focused on the concentration of styrene present in the air of residential homes tied to sanitary sewers during pipeline renewal. There have been very few studies, however, on the impact of styrene emissions on the safety of construction workers and the general public when used for rehabilitating sanitary and storm sewer pipes. Therefore, there is a critical need to study organic chemical emissions associated with the CIPP installation process, and recommend methods to mitigate any potential adverse impacts on human health.
After careful consideration of all responses received, NASSCO has awarded the review to the Center for Underground Infrastructure Research and Education (CUIRE) at the University of Texas at Arlington. The overall goal of this two-phase project is to evaluate the potential release of organic compounds during pipe rehabilitation using the steam cure CIPP method. Potential impacts on health will be assessed and policies will be recommended to protect construction workers, the public, and the environment.
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Phase one of this project launched on Dec. 1, 2017 and is expected to conclude in April 2018. During that time the CUIRE team, led by Dr. Mo Najafi, Dr. Melanie Sattler and Dr. Kevin Schug—with support from the Institute for Underground Infrastructure (IKT) in Germany and CUIRE graduate research assistants—will review recent publication(s) that propose the presence of organic chemicals and other available literature relating to emissions associated with the CIPP installation process. Phase two of the project will include the development of a scope of services for additional sampling and analysis of emissions during the field installation of CIPP using the steam cure process.
For questions or additional information, contact NASSCO at 410-442-7473 or visit nassco.org.
