Trenchless Renewal of a Main Water Pipe in Groningen

In the heart of downtown Groningen / Netherlands, a cast iron drinking water pipe from 1882 was renewed with the egeplast SLA® Barrier Pipe System using the horizontal directional drilling method. Due to the busy city center and difficult soil conditions, particularly precise and careful work was required.

Project description

Renewal of the main water pipe from 1882 in the city center of Groningen

Challenges

Underpass of the Reitdiep
Possible soil contamination (foundations of the city wall, old pipes and cables, explosive residues from the 2nd World War)

Solution

HDD drilling with egeplast SLA^® Barrier Pipes

Pipe system

204 m SLA^® Barrier Pipe, Dimension: 315 x 28.6 mm

Project participants

Client	Waterbedrijf Groningen
Location	Groningen, City Center (Netherlands)
Distribution Partner	Conval Nederland BV
General Contractor	BAM Infra BV
Implementation of the directional drilling	Van Leeuwen Sleufloze Technieken BV

Why did the main water pipe need to be renewed?

The culvert in downtown Groningen is one of the city’s most important drinking water pipes. It is located under the city wall of the Noorderhaven at the foot of the Reitdiep. Last year, the water supplier of the province of Groningen noticed a hole in the almost 140-year-old cast iron pipe during an inspection, which was caused by corrosion.

The solution for drinking water protection: egeplast SLA^® Barrier Pipe

Possible soil contamination from surrounding buildings as well as possible explosive residues from the Second World War led to high safety requirements. Foundations of the old city wall and other old pipes and cables were also suspected in the ground. Under these special circumstances, the use of the egeplast SLA® Barrier Pipe System was ideal. The drinking water pressure pipe prevents the permeation of pollutants and thus enables permanent protection of the drinking water.

In this project, the Groningen waterworks renewed a total of 204 meters with the SLA® Barrier Pipe in OD 315 mm, SDR 11 at a depth of 15 meters. The pipe was installed under the Reitdiep canal within 1.5 hours using the HDD method. Thanks to the trenchless installation, the construction site could be kept relatively small in order not to impair the lively tourism in the beautiful city center of Groningen. “The installation at this depth as an underpass of the Reitdiep canal in the heart of Groningen presented us with a major challenge,” explains Johannes Zandstra from the installation company BAM Infra BV. “We had to keep an eye on the entire above-ground and underground infrastructure.” “For such an important main artery in our water network, which also guarantees a reliable supply of drinking water in the future, it takes very good preparation, experienced partners and first-class material on the construction site,” adds Dick van de Weerd from the supplier Waterbedrijf Groningen.

Construction Site Video on the Renewal of the Drinking Water Pipe in Groningen

The construction site video shows the renewal of the main water pipe from 1882 in the city center of Groningen. The video is in Dutch, but you can see the application of directional drilling very well. You can also see the installation of the SLA® Barrier Pipe System, as well as the location on the canal in Groningen. The video was created and published by OGG Radio en Televisie.

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