PE pipe systems have been in use for 70 years now. Experience shows that suitable pipe systems made of PE material can be operated reliably and economically for many decades within their operational limits with correct Installation and assembly.
Trenchless installation techniques offer cost reduction potential.
Trenchless installation techniques offer economic and ecological advantages
The reasons why subsequent access to finally installed pipelines is problematic are obvious:
- Valuable sealed surfaces are created.
- Enormous costs are incurred in the event of later damage.
- Diverting traffic or closing roads is hardly feasible with today’s traffic density.
Due to the cost ratios in civil engineering, alternative trenchless installation techniques become additionally economically attractive. The pipe price rarely accounts for more than 15%; total costs are determined by civil engineering and surface restoration by 85% or more. By using trenchless installation techniques, significant cost reduction potentials open up. The material-specific advantages of PE pipes (flexibility, low weight, long lengths, small excavation pits, etc.) are fully utilized. Crucial for material selection is the chosen Installation method and, accordingly, the risk of damage to the pipe systems used.
100 Years Service Life
Underground infrastructures are constructed with significant civil engineering effort. Therefore, it is the goal of every operator to be able to operate a new pipeline free of damage for as long as possible. Polyethylene pipes offer a service life of at least 100 years with proper Installation. If, however, they are damaged during Installation, this long service life can be significantly shortened. The cause for this can be damage or weakening of the pipe wall during pulling-in. Since the standardized wall thickness is precisely matched to the operating pressure – albeit extended by a safety factor – any weakening means a reduction of the engineering safety factor or, in the event of significant damage, even a direct reduction of the pressure resistance of the new pipeline and thus a shortening of its service life.
Additive Protective Layer for Damage-Free Installation
With open-trench Installation techniques without sand bedding, point loads caused by stones or shards pressing on the pipe wall are to be expected. The use of polyethylene pipes made of RC materials with integrated protective layers and the highest resistance to slow crack propagation is indispensable for this type of Installation. This pipe construction does not have notch protection, regardless of whether the pipe wall is single, double, or triple-layered.
Trenchless installation techniques place particular demands on the pipes to be installed. When new pipes are installed or old pipes are rehabilitated, grooves and notches in the pipe are unavoidable. Therefore, for black-box procedures, pipes with an additive protective layer are required to ensure damage-free Installation and operation of the pipeline.
Proof of Undamaged Condition
The regulations for trenchless installation methods require complete documentation of all relevant construction processes. The valid regulations of the German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water (DVGW) recommend an intensive incoming goods inspection of the pipeline and pipeline components before open-trench and trenchless installation. Especially for trenchless installation, it is recommended to visually inspect the exposed parts of the newly installed pipeline section for impermissible damage before the pressure test. The non-visible pipeline parts (black box) remain uninspected. Proof of undamaged condition is thus not possible. Pipes with integrated conductor strips for construction acceptance offer the possibility of quality assurance and close this inspection gap.
egeplast
SLM® DCS
Early warning system for monitoring critical infrastructure
Pipe location
Manual damage localization
SMS signal
Permanent or discontinuous monitoring
Learn moreCore Pipe made of PE 100-RC / Standard Dimension
Electrical Conductor Strips for Damage Localization and Function Monitoring
Additive Protective Layer made of PEplus
Figure: left: Undamaged pipe surface after peeling off the protective jacket / right: Scratched pipe surface increases the risk of a faulty weld
However, when using pipe systems with integrated conductor strips, permanent monitoring of the pipeline during operation is also possible, which offers further advantages.
With pipeline systems with integrated conductor strips, the following can be achieved:
1. the Design Engineers can document that they have selected the correct pipes for the Installation method and have provided a defect-free contractual service. In the event of later damage, they can refer to this.
2. the installer can proactively prove and document during acceptance that they have installed the pipes without damage. The final acceptance confirms the perfect condition of the pipeline to the customer. In the event of any later damage, they can refer to this.
3. the network operator can proactively document that the pipeline systems were undamaged at the time of completion. It is therefore reasonable for a network operator to require proof of undamaged Installation during acceptance, using pipes with conductor strips, in the tender.
4. the network operator can also use the conductor strips for permanent monitoring of the pipeline during operation and receives complete documentation of trouble-free operation. The intelligent early warning system immediately raises an alarm even with the smallest damage. Damage can be repaired quickly and cost-effectively, as civil engineering costs are minimized due to fast and meter-accurate localization.
