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News 2010
Interflow and SEKISUI Rib Loc win ISTT Award

Winding the 2400mm diameter SPR™ PE pipe from inside the access chamber.
Prize-winning record

Together with technology provider SEKISUI Rib Loc, Interflow has won the coveted ISTT No-Dig Award 2010 in the category “Trenchless project completed”. This international prize honours a construction project that set a world record: in Sydney, Australia the two companies rehabilitated a continuous 706-metre stretch of sewer with a diameter of 2,400 mm.

The International Society for Trenchless Technology (ISTT) has been presenting the NO-DIG Award for notable achievements in trenchless pipe rehabilitation since 1986. This year’s award winners in the category “Trenchless project completed” are Interflow and technology provider SEKISUI Rib Loc. “We are delighted to receive this prestigious award in recognition of our work,” says Geoff Weaver, Managing Director of Interflow. The award winners more than satisfied the jury’s criteria: “We were honoured for a construction project that was in many respects a first in trenchless pipe rehabilitation by spiral-wound pipe lining technology,” says Edmund Luksch, President of the international SEKISUI SPR Europe Group, whose subsidiary SEKISUI Rib Loc supplied the technology for the project. Both Interflow and SEKISUI Rib Loc achieved what was seemingly impossible and in response to the challenging conditions and expectations of its client Sydney Water they introduced innovations that have advanced the industry.

The project in brief
Interflow was contracted to renew a main 2,520 mm collector in Sydney, Australia and in response SEKISUI Rib Loc manufactured the profile. The world record liner has a diameter of 2.4 m and a length of 706 m. The spiral-wound pipe liner was produced for the renewal of the North Georges River Submain (NGRS), an important part of the sewer network of Interflow’s client Sydney Water. Interflow received the contract to reline and rehabilitate sections of this pipeline, whose total length is 5,438 m. The project began in June 2008 and was brought to a successful close in May 2010.

Innovations in manufacturing and installation
The first challenge was to supply a liner of the required dimensions, the second was to install it with unusually large distances between the existing manholes. The product choice was SEKISUI Rib Loc’s SPRTM PE, a unique, steel-reinforced liner made of high-density polyethylene for which a special for which a special composite profile was designed. This is the only product in the market taht is stiff enough to withstand the apllied loads in this diameter. The pipe liner was formed in-situ by spirally winding strips of composite profile together using a winding machine from inside an existing access chamber. The size and length of the spirally wound liner, which is brought into place by a stationary machine, is determined by two factors: the torque of the spiral winding machine and its ability to override the frictional forces caused by the spiral movement of the newly wound lining in the pipe. To enable the liner to be installed over a continuous length of 706 m, Interflow developed an innovative technology to reduce this friction: during the spiral winding procedure the liner was floated on the water flowing through the pipe. The technology also requires control of the water levels, in order to ensure optimum buoyancy of the liners on the inside and outside.
Under these demanding conditions, Sydney Water forced the industry to face a challenge – and it has triggered a pioneering solution. The contributions from customers, contracting partners and technology suppliers have all been instrumental in the success of the project, which has now been endorsed by the ISTT Award.
SEKISUI SPR Group DIN EN ISO 14001 certified

With the certification of SEKISUI NordiTube Technologies SE in January 2010 all subsidiaries of the SEKISUI SPR Europe GmbH as well as the holding company itself are certified according to the environmental management system ISO 14001. Herewith the SEKISUI SPR Group underlines their target to assume responsibility for the environ-ment and to consider it in their strategic orientation.

Before the certification of SEKISUI NordiTube Technologies SE, SEKISUI Rib Loc Australia Ltd. Pty was the first subsidiary which was certificated according to the Environmental Management System ISO 14001 in November 2009. In January 2010 KMG Pipe Technologies GmbH, KMG LinerTec GmbH and the SEKISUI SPR Europe GmbH followed. Thus all companies have demonstrated to independent certification organisations their environmental responsibilities as well as the implementation of requested standards.

SEKISUI SPR Europe achieved the requirements for the management system by the set up of Environmental Management-Manual, Environmental Managementprocess instructions and some binding demonstration documents. Primarily the target was to capture the actual data of CO2 emissions of all the companies in order to define Environmental programs and to reduce CO2 emissions in the future. This included the collection of vehicle data and consumption data for electricity, water, fuel oil, diesel, etc. Furthermore, the data of incidental residual materials in connection with the incurred expenses were recorded.

The introduction of an environmental management system at SEKISUI SPR is only the first step towards a groupwide CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) alignment, which de-scribes the voluntary business contribution to a sustainable development, beyond the prescribed legal requirements. In a next step the specific subsidiaries and facilities will be approached in terms of "appearance" and "safety".

The recently established CSR department within the SEKISUI SPR group will monitor centrally the Environmental programs for all subsidiaries and will work out optimisations. Its target is to consider the environment in all steps within the company up to the last employees as well as to partners and customers.
A new, proven alternative for water mein repair

Township of Monclair, N.J., Saves Money and Time
With Cured-In-Place Technology

A leaking water main under a very busy commuter rail line could be a nightmare situation for any utility department. That was exactly the problem the Township of Montclair, New Jersey, faced in the Spring of 2009.

Director of Utilities Gary Obszarny considered the possibilities as he pondered the problem. A leaky joint on a 20-inch pit-cast iron pipe threatened the stability of a commuter rail line. How long would it be before serious erosion compromised the foundation of the railroad tracks? How long would it take to repair the damage and how would they repair it? How would they handle the thousands of commuters who use the train every day to travel to and from New York City?

“We were facing time restrictions because we didn’t know how long the joint was going to last,” said Obszarny. “Liability was a big issue if the joint had failed and caused a massive water leak.”

Obszarny enlisted the help of Suburban Consulting Engineers of Mt. Arlington, N.J., Spiniello Companies of Livingston, N.J., and CRJ Contracting of Plainfield, N.J. They considered conventional dig-and-replace methods, slip lining and boring, but each alternative presented significant problems with regard to pipe capacity, cost, inconvenience and time. After much deliberation, they turned to a tested cured-in-place technology, supplied by SEKISUI NordiTube called NORDIPIPE.

NORDIPIPE is a proven method for rehabilitating pressure pipelines. The NORDIPIPE product offers a structural liner that not only supports external loading, but resists internal pressure as well. The project was the team’s first installation of cured-in-place NORDIPIPE technology on potable water lines in the United States.

“Cured-in-place technology has been around for 30-plus years, but applications for large-diameter potable drinking water lines was something new to us,” explained Andrew Holt, P.E., of Suburban Consulting Engineers. “So we rolled up our sleeves and did some homework on it. We looked at various cured-in-place methods and eventually chose NORDIPIPE.”


SUPERLATIVE SPECS
The technical specifications for this project were demanding. The water line is vital to the city and is located in place where it is subjected to tremendous load pressure. A durable solution was needed.

The city could not afford to lose capacity in the line, so the replacement pipe needed to be at or very near the damaged pipe’s 20-inch diameter. The new pipe also needed to be structural to withstand E80 loading and vibration caused by the train. The service life needed to be measured in decades rather than years, and most importantly, the new line had to be NSF 61 approved.

NORDIPIPE met or exceeded the job specifications in every way. It is NSF 61 certified (safe for drinking water) and is rated a Class 4 structural liner. Glass fiber reinforced NORDIPIPE is structural on its own, but would be further reinforced within the cast iron of the host pipe. It also would easily withstand the internal forces of pressurized water distribution network. NORDIPIPE liners are jointless and when installed, expand to the diameter of the host pipe. They also have a smooth interior so there is virtually no loss of capacity or flow efficiency. The service life of a NORDIPIPE is conservatively estimated at 50 years.


EFFICIENT INSTALLATION
Just as important as the structural specifications are NORDIPIPE’s installation efficiencies. Like other cured-in-place technologies, NORDIPIPE is minimally invasive and typically much faster to install than most other pipe rehab methods. In the case of Montclair, CRJ Contracting came in and dug access pits and installed valves at both ends of the 140 feet of affected line. Spiniello Companies then came in for the installation procedure.

“Historically, most water companies, both public and private, have relied on open-cut relay methods to repair damaged water mains,” said Scott Connor of Spiniello Companies, a licensed installer of NORDIPIPE technology. “I could never understand why. Open-cut methods are expensive and disruptive. That’s why Spiniello has been focused on trenchless pipe repair for the past several years. We are confident in recommending NORDIPIPE because the technology has a proven history of more than 500,000 feet of potable water line installations in North America, Asia and Europe. It’s a proven product.”

The NORDIPIPE liner was custom designed and manufactured by SEKISUI NordiTube to meet the structural loading and pressure requirements of the project. The liner arrived at the Montclair jobsite where it was impregnated with epoxy resin and inverted through the damaged pipe. The actual inversion took only three hours. The installation team then cured the resin within the liner by circulating hot water into the line. When the liner was fully cured, the water was drained and the ends were cut and sealed.

There was some concern by Obszarny about the safety of the lined pipe for potable water use. To provide maximum assurance of safety for the citizens of Montclair, Obszarny requested the installers use new hoses for the installation and flush the heat exchanger thoroughly before using it on the Montclair pipe. As an added measure of protection, he had the new liner chlorinated and tested before water line was put back into use.


IMPRESSIVE RESULTS
The entire NORDIPIPE installation, from digging the access pits to putting the repaired line back into service, took about one week, which was less than half the time needed for a dig-and-replace job. Meanwhile, the commuter rail line was never out of service. Best of all, the cost was about one-quarter of a dig-and-replace project.

“Both SEKISUI NordiTube and Spiniello did an excellent job. I was very impressed,” said Obszarny. “We saved a substantial amount of money and eliminated a very significant problem. I have another pipe, a 24-inch line going up the side of a mountain, that is in need of rehabilitation. I want to talk with SEKISUI NordiTube about that project as soon as possible.”

“I would say the success of the Montclair project has led us to include another useful tool to our toolbox with regard to the repair of drinking water lines,” said Andrew Holt of Suburban Consulting Engineers. “We’re eager to use NORDIPIPE again. All indications are that the NORDIPIPE product will be a very useful technology for us in the future.”

Spiniello’s Connor concurred:
“This project was a huge success for Spiniello, SEKISUI NordiTube and the City of Montclair,” said Connor. “The seamless execution of this project between owner, engineer and contractor has led to additional NORDIPIPE installations across the country. Spiniello considers this technology as an important tool to solving future potable water infrastructure issues and would like to commend the city of Montclair for their vision in implementing an innovative solution to a critical problem.”

NORDIPIPE, a technology invented and manufactured by SEKISUI NordiTube, is market through the global SEKISUI SPR sales network. With production plants in Europe and the US the global market for the repair of water mains is served cost and time effective.
Vacuum sewage disposal taken a step further

The SIVAC vacuum sewer system by SEKISUI SPR Europe conveys wastewater without leakage over long distances to municipal sewage treatment plants.
Compared to gravity flow systems, the drainage of municipal sewage by a vacuum system is fast gaining in importance. SEKISUI SPR Europe GmbH has an innovative technology that combines all the advantages of vacuum systems and offers enormous potential for the global wastewater market.

When a new shareholder acquires a company or even a group there is usually a period of great change. This may involve organisational structures, strategic alignment and the product portfolio. Particularly in a global group this gives rise to numerous opportunities to utilise existing synergies and provide the right solutions to customers all over the world. SEKISUI SPR Europe GmbH (S SPR E) is offering this advantage in the underground infrastructure sector. In June 2008 the Japanese SEKISUI Chemical Group acquired a majority shareholding in the company (formerly CPT Chevalier Pipe Technologies) with headquarters at Schieder-Schwalenberg in Germany. From this time onwards S SPR E has been pressing ahead with the global marketing of underground infrastructure solutions as a part of the SEKISUI “Urban Infrastructure and Environmental Products Company” with a workforce of more than 500. Backed by a financially sound majority shareholder, SEKISUI SPR Europe can fall back on a wide range of leading technologies. The spiral-wound pipe lining method by Australian subsidiary SEKISUI Rib Loc, the pipe lining process of SEKISUI NordiTube and the Japanese SPR technology that enables the rehabilitation of a wide range of large-profile shapes all contribute to achieving the goal of global market leadership. A further system invented in Japan, marketed through the S SPR E network and by KMG Pipe Technologies GmbH in Europe since 2008, is the SIVAC vacuum sewer system – a technology for sewer pipes.

Economical alternative
The SIVAC vacuum sewer system has been successfully in use in Japan and Asia for the past 15 years and is now being marketed worldwide. Disposal of municipal waste water via a vacuum system is particularly suitable for sensitive environments such as lakes, coastal areas or harbours. The reason: the pipe system can be laid with a shallow gradient in very narrow trenches, as only small diameters of 80 -200 mm are required. The special configuration of the vacuum pipes in a "saw-tooth principle" even enables the delivery of wastewater along upward gradients. Bodies of water or intersecting pipelines, for example, are no longer a problem and construction costs are substantially reduced. Furthermore, shallow installation means that no new resources such as sand are required as a filling material. In comparison to a conventional gravity flow system the SIVAC vacuum sewer system produces savings of up to 40% in installation and operational costs and protects the environment at the same time.

In narrow pipes to the sewage treatment plant
As shown in the diagram, the SIVAC vacuum sewer system consists of a domestic connecting shaft which first of all collects the sewage effluent in tanks. Three-inch valves permit sewage from up to six households to run together. A controller

opens the vacuum valve of the collection tank to enable the wastewater to be suctioned into the pipe system and on to a vacuum station by vacuum. Here it is collected in a vacuum tank until pressure pumps deliver the sewage to the municipal sewage system when it reaches its capacity.

Leak-free and self-cleaning
A vacuum sewer system has an enclosed system design with all pipes hermetically sealed like in a drinking water or gas pipe system. This precludes the possibility of either infiltration of ground water or exfiltration of wastewater into the surrounding area. It guarantees complete freedom from leakage and relieves the burden on municipal sewage treatment plants. Furthermore, system-inherent self-cleaning effects render the normally required annual pipe cleaning unnecessary (in Germany, for example, every water pipe system must be cleaned twice a year). Installation by the “saw-tooth principle” enables all suspended solids and deposits to be carried away by the turbulence resulting from suction, so that the pipe is kept permanently clean. Vacuum sewer systems are thus particularly eco-friendly and reduce the burden and hazards for the environment to a minimum. In contrast to other vacuum sewer systems, SIVAC technology by SEKISUI SPR Europe incorporates line aeration valves which automatically ventilate the system. This enables wastewater to be transported over distances exceeding two kilometres.

Numerous applications
Shallow installation and small pipe diameter mean that the potential applications of the SIVAC vacuum sewer system are almost limitless. It is suitable for draining recreational and industrial areas, low-lying urban neighbourhoods and areas with a high groundwater table, for crossing pipelines, roads and rivers or areas with difficult soil conditions. SEKISUI SPR Europe is thus pursuing ambitious goals with its in-house SIVAC system: several projects in major international cities are already on the drawing board and are due to be executed with a high degree of technical competence in 2010 by construction companies within the group. One of them is the long-established German KMG Pipe Technologies which uses the Japanese SIVAC technology in Europe and can draw on the expertise of a global network of specialists for underground infrastructure at SEKISUI SPR Europe.

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