World Trenchless - March 2021

GRUNDORAM

THE DRIVING FORCE

Dynamic steel pipe installation Undercrossings Steel pipes up to OD 4,000 Vertical application HDD Assist & Rescue

trenchless technology – simple & easy

TRACTO-TECHNIK GmbH & Co. KG www.TRACTO-TECHNIK.com

CONTENTS

SPRING 2020

12. Making landfall: the view from the shore

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Tracey Hewett, Business Development Manager at ABPmer, UK, shares how data, analysis and insight inform landfall assessment for offshore pipelines.

Figure 1. 36 in. pipe pulled into place during HDD.

Isaac Hall, Lake Superior Consulting, USA, details three factors that can assist in achieving accurate trenchless design and construction for pipelines to overcome obstacles.

T

renchless construction methods present invaluable solutions in situations when pipelines need to cross physical obstacles such as major roadways or rivers, when trenches are not feasible or prohibitively expensive, or when jurisdictional authorities require protection of environmentally sensitive areas. Primary options for trenchless construction include conventional auger boring and horizontal directional drilling (HDD), the focus of this article.

Each option is designed to enable the pipeline to be placed well below the obstacle and be tied in close to the surface.

To execute the conventional bore option, a boring machine is placed in a pit excavated to a depth lower than the obstacle. The machine’s cutting head rotates and advances along a straight path to an excavated pit on the other side of the obstacle. The conventional bore option works well when the crossing length is short, 50 - 200 ft. Various derivatives can

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Boosting cable protection R

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Ed Douziech, CCI Inc., Canada, discusses a new system designed to increase the success of trenchless fibre optic installations.

05. Follow the most perfect path

Isaac Hall, Lake Superior Consulting, USA, details three factors that can assist in achieving accurate trenchless design and construction for pipelines to overcome obstacles.

ecent advancements in fibre optic technology have greatly enhanced the pipeline operator’s ability to detect potential leaks and monitor pipeline strain. However, the technical Achilles heel of fibre optics is maintaining the integrity of the fragile cable itself, particularly during trenchless and other hazardous installations. To address this issue, CCI Inc. has developed and implemented a trenchless integrity pipeline system (TIPSTM). TIPS allows the fibre optic cable to be attached to the product pipeline without damaging the pipeline coating or the integrity of the fibre optic cable.

Pipelines are a dependable, efficient and secure means of transporting energy products, and are also a critical part of the world’s energy infrastructure. However, damage to the pipeline by external forces such as third party damage, slope

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17. Boosting cable protection

09. A race against time

Karel Bockx and Mathias Gistelinck, Denys, Belgium, explain how challenging river flow conditions were overcome to complete the crossing on a pipeline construction project in the Czech Republic.

Ed Douziech, CCI Inc., Canada, discusses a new system designed to increase the success of trenchless fibre optic installations.

21. Global news

Latest news on trenchless projects, contract news and tenders, technology and products. Including our monthly Trenchless Wrap-Up with news highlights from the website.

Tracey Hewett, Business Development Manager at ABPmer, UK, shares how data, analysis and insight inform landfall assessment for offshore pipelines.

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very offshore operation eventually makes landfall in the coastal zone; a unique and dynamic environment with challenges and risks that must be understood if a pipeline is to successfully and safely come ashore.

Landfall assessments used to inform FEED and installation activities are prepared by geomorphologists and metocean scientists, built from data and analysis which lead to the insights shared in the final assessment.

Here we explore the inter-relationship between data, analysis and insight that inform landfall assessments and how ABPmer solves questions posed by engineers and operators at the FEED stage.

What’s in a name?

Although shore approach methods vary depending on pipe size, approach profile, sea conditions and land use, all usually entail some form of dredging operation.

Submarine pipelines are significantly more expensive to construct and install than terrestrial pipelines, so the primary objective is generally to take the shortest and easiest possible route. Preferred topography for shore approach is a gently sloping bottom with sufficient thickness of unconsolidated sediment to allow appropriate burial. However, construction technologies are so advanced that there are few features or environments that actually prohibit pipeline installation.

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ON THIS ISSUE'S COVER World Trenchless is a digital magazine providing an international perspective across all aspects of the trenchless technology industry.

Subscribe for free at www.worldtrenchless.com/magazine Reader enquiries [enquiries@worldtrenchless.com] Copyright © Palladian Publications Ltd 2021. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. All views expressed in this journal are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily the opinions of the publisher, neither do the publishers endorse any of the claims made in the articles or the advertisements.

OFC-World trenchless .indd 1

14/12/2020 15:06

Hifi provides the most advanced distributed fiber optic sensing technology in the world Hifi’s high fidelity distributed sensing (HDS) monitors acoustic, strain and temperature, every meter of the pipeline, 24/7/365 in real time HDS offers world class leak detection and prevention, security, flow monitoring, slope stability and more, without false positives Learn more at hifieng.com and info@hifieng.com

COMMENT

W SENIOR EDITOR Elizabeth Corner elizabeth.corner@palladianpublications.com MANAGING EDITOR James Little james.little@palladianpublications.com ASSISTANT EDITOR Aimee Knight aimee.knight@palladianpublications.com EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Sarah Smith sarah.smith@palladianpublications.com

elcome to World Trenchless, an international publication covering trenchless technology and HDD. We’ll be publishing technical articles, project and contract news, case studies and broader interest pieces about issues that inform the trenchless sector. We’ll be looking at trenchless activity all over the world and for diverse industries such as oil and gas, utilities, water, renewables and wastewater.

Articles will discuss oil and gas pipeline HDD works, cable laying for wind and power projects, fibre optic installation for telecommunications, and much more. We will pay particular focus on construction (the mechanics and machinery of trenchless activities), inspection (condition assessment) and rehabilitation (repairs and digs) and will provide up-to-date sector news and views.

This rapidly growing sector is based on a relatively new method for installing and servicing underground assets. There are exciting developments in the field of nonexcavation technology, in terms of cost, speed, accuracy, length and environmental impact.

We look forward to bringing you interesting and informative technical articles, case studies and news in the magazine, and at www.worldtrenchless.com I welcome your thoughts and article ideas at elizabeth.corner@worldtrenchless.com

SALES DIRECTOR Rod Hardy rod.hardy@palladianpublications.com SALES MANAGER Chris Lethbridge chris.lethbridge@palladianpublications.com ASSISTANT SALES MANAGER Will Pownall will.pownall@palladianpublications.com PRODUCTION Calli Fabian calli.fabian@palladianpublications.com WEBSITE MANAGER Tom Fullerton tom.fullerton@palladianpublications.com DIGITAL EVENTS CO-ORDINATOR Louise Cameron louise.cameron@palladianpublications.com DIGITAL EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Bella Weetch bella.weetch@palladianpublications.com ADMIN MANAGER Laura White laura.white@palladianpublications.com

Editorial/Advertisement Offices: Palladian Publications Ltd 15 South Street, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 7QU, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1252 718 999 Website: www.worldtrenchless.com

Image: Bird’s eye view of a river crossing, Denys.

HDD RIG

TRENCHLESS PIPELINE INSTALLATION With horizontal directional drilling technology from Herrenknecht, pipelines can be installed rapidly, economically and with little to no impact on the environment underneath rivers and other obstacles. Each year Herrenknecht HDD Rigs install over 200 km of new pipelines. herrenknecht.com/hdd/

Figure 1. 36 in. pipe pulled into place during HDD.

Isaac Hall, Lake Superior Consulting, USA, details three factors that can assist in achieving accurate trenchless design and construction for pipelines to overcome obstacles.

T

renchless construction methods present invaluable solutions in situations when pipelines need to cross physical obstacles such as major roadways or rivers, when trenches are not feasible or prohibitively expensive, or when jurisdictional authorities require protection of environmentally sensitive areas. Primary options for trenchless construction include conventional auger boring and horizontal directional drilling (HDD), the focus of this article.

Each option is designed to enable the pipeline to be placed well below the obstacle and be tied in close to the surface.

To execute the conventional bore option, a boring machine is placed in a pit excavated to a depth lower than the obstacle. The machine’s cutting head rotates and advances along a straight path to an excavated pit on the other side of the obstacle. The conventional bore option works well when the crossing length is short, 50 - 200 ft. Various derivatives can

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also be used and/or longer crossings achieved depending on the specific crossing.

HDD construction methods do not require significant excavations to be created on either side of the obstacle being crossed. Instead, the HDD method directionally drills a path deeper than the obstacle and rises to ground level on the other side of the obstacle at a specified location. Generally, HDD crossings are used when the pipeline must extend under large obstacles or when conventional bore methods are not favourable.

In recent years, unintended environmental occurrences have put the HDD process under more scrutiny, but a well-planned HDD project can set the stage for successful installation and simultaneous care of the environment.

Before construction set up begins, however, three factors are understood to help prepare for an efficient, productive, and successful HDD installation. These factors are: job site and geotechnical assessments; the right drilling fluid; and making sure conditions are correct by monitoring data.

Job site and geotechnical assessments To set up the project team for a favourable configuration and a successful installation, aboveground and below-ground site assessments must be undertaken before detailed engineering and construction can begin on an HDD project.

These assessments, critical to an efficient design process, provide data that help companies avoid unexpected expenses related to the equipment required and to the construction schedule. The front-end investigations allow for proper planning so that personnel receive the correct materials.

Above ground, a visit to the drilling site assists in determining favourable workspaces that are adequately sized for the trucks, drilling equipment, fluid tanks, and fabricated pipe section. Easements for the areas should be obtained long before the crew arrives on site, and a visual assessment

should be carried out to make sure the land is stable enough for the equipment and crew.

To identify parameters and characteristics of the subsurface conditions, a geotechnical investigation should be performed by drilling vertically 20 ft to over 200 ft, dependent on the crossing design and depth. Borings will show, for example, if the subsurface conditions hold areas of gravel, cobbles or boulders, or unfavourable rock. With this data, engineers can determine the most favourable route to avoid materials unsuitable for HDD. In a recent pipeline project crossing the Mississippi River, US, geotechnical data indicated a favourable elevation for the HDD to traverse, avoiding less favourable subsurface conditions. Specifically, the geotechnical data showed rock at a certain depth, above that was a layer of clay, and above that was a layer of gravel/sand mix. The engineering team designed a drill path through the clay layer to avoid the challenges of drilling through sand and gravel. This plan optimised the construction timeframe and avoided an increase in construction costs and risk.

If the aboveground data or the geotechnical data indicate that the HDD method is not a good fit, engineers and contractors should identify a more favourable route or crossing to avoid the unsuitable area. The team might need to pursue alternative plans for either the method of installation or pipeline alignment entirely.

Geotechnical data also help contractors, engineers, and construction superintendents have the correct equipment and fluids on site during drilling. No drilling contractor wants to arrive on site unprepared, finding cobbles and boulders where they expected competent rock.

The right drilling fluid The HDD process requires that drilling fluid – a combination of bentonite and water – be used in concert with the downhole tooling to help advance through the subsurface

Figure 2. A geotechnical assessment provides important information for contractors, engineers, and construction superintendents to prepare for a successful HDD project.

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World Trenchless SPRING 2021

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Making sure conditions are correct by monitoring data

Figure 3. HDD techniques are ideal when the pipeline must extend under obstacles, such as rivers and railroads, or when conventional bore methods are not favourable.

Figure 4. 36 in. pipe pulled into place on a horizontal directional drilling (HDD) installation.

material, as well as to transport the ground material back to the surface. Drilling fluids that are right for the conditions can lead to efficient construction.

The fluid and the cut subsurface material return to the surface together and are contained in an excavated pit at the drilling entry or exit point to be pumped to the drilling fluid recycling system on site and then continuously re-used to minimise water usage.

In some cases, the HDD contractor will be required by the permit conditions or by the pipeline owner to have a drilling fluid engineer on-site. The drilling fluid engineer tests advanced rheological properties of the drilling fluid at intervals throughout the drilling process. Based on the science and their experience, the engineer can optimise the drilling fluid make-up and properties by changing the ratio of bentonite to water and by using approved additives to adjust the rheological properties. The subsurface material along the drill path will determine the most advantageous drilling fluid properties to effectively create a hole that the carrier pipe ultimately can be pulled through.

Having accurate geotechnical data is important at this point.

Many drilling fluid engineers start with geotechnical data to determine the most effective initial fluid mixture then manipulate the viscosity or other properties of the drilling fluid based on field observations made during the drilling operations.

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World Trenchless SPRING 2021

At the drill site, data should be gathered, monitored, and stored.

Data related to drill path, formation, and reaction of the rig (e.g. torque, thrust/pull), for example, can indicate to on-site personnel the relevant information pertaining to the condition of the hole and signify any problematic areas and any foreseeable issues that could arise during future phases of operation.

During the pilot hole phase, tracking drill path data, such as the azimuth and inclination and any secondary survey data, is important to ensure that the drill path is not deviating from the specified and designed path. The azimuth indicates the drill path direction relative to North. Inclination is the slope of the drill path relative to vertical.

On-site monitoring of this data and recognising early signs that the drill path is approaching the specified tolerances of the design, or creating an excessively tight bend radius (vertical or horizontal) enable the field personnel to make changes before deviating from the project specifications and to avoid project delays due to having to backtrack to remediate the deviation(s).

A project will avoid slowdowns if the relevant data is appropriately considered. Data can indicate whether conditions in the hole risk compromising the ability to put the pipe in. Therefore, when the pilot hole is drilled, thrust/torque data (the amount of force required to advance/rotate the downhole string of drill pipe) might become relevant during subsequent phases of operation.

Changes in torque or changes in reaction at/of the drill rig could indicate a change in the subsurface formation. For example, the drill path might be transitioning from an alluvial formation into rock or from competent rock into lower-quality rock. Trained personnel on-site, recognising changes encountered by the downhole tooling, can adjust, for example, the drill rig operating parameters or the drilling fluid properties to best suit the conditions and minimise future risk to the crossing.

In the subsequent phases after the initial pilot hole is drilled, torque data is just as important because the data can indicate the condition of the reamed hole. For example, the swab pass, the last pass after the hole has been reamed to the size required to install the pipe, should not experience torque. If locations of the hole show areas of increased torque during the swab pass, the on-site personnel must consider whether the hole is in a suitable condition to receive the pipe or if additional working of the hole is necessary.

Storing this data will not only help during the project for subsequent phases, but it will assist if and when the project encounters issues that require investigations later. It can also show lessons learned when a new project is begun nearby, as any issues encountered can reasonably be expected to occur on any nearby project unless specific mitigative action, if feasible, is taken to prevent them.

Success determined by planning and monitoring An HDD project finished on time and on budget stems from several factors for success: having subsurface data early to plan a good drilling path, experienced personnel on site who can make operating adjustments and course corrections as the project progresses, and continuing to retain and monitor the data during drilling to assure the pipeline can be installed as planned.

Karel Bockx and Mathias Gistelinck, Denys, Belgium, explain how challenging river flow conditions were overcome to complete the crossing on a pipeline construction project in the Czech Republic.

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he river Ohře is a 316 km long river that runs through Germany and Czech Republic, with its tributary in the river Elbe. It is at approximately 4 km downstream of the Nechranice lake, near the town of Kadaň (Ústí nad Labem region, Czech Republic) that the new Net4Gas’ pipeline crosses the river.

The Capacity4Gas Pipeline is a part of the Capacity4Gas Project (C4G) currently being developed by NET4GAS, s.r.o., the Czech transmission system operator (TSO) as a larger initiative to provide secure and cost-efficient access to gas supplies via additional pipeline capacities. The new gas infrastructure built within the framework of C4G will be connected to the current transmission system in the Czech Republic and to the EUGAL pipeline in Germany, and increases the transmission capacity roughly by 30 billion m3/y. Part of the gas will be supplied to the domestic distribution system, while the rest will go for further transit via Slovakia.

The Capacity4Gas Pipeline is a DN1400 pipeline with total length of approximately 150 km, split in two lots for the purpose of the construction. Construction works for Lot I are carried out by the Belgian-Czech joint-venture Denys-Metrostav. The route of the new transport infrastructure is mainly parallel to the existing Gazelle pipeline, as well as a DN1400 pipeline which was constructed eight years ago: a project of which Denys built two thirds.

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The Nechranice lake is artificially created by a 3.3 km long and 48 m high dam, and supplies a small hydroelectric powerplant.

Figure 1. Dimensions of the sinker for the river Ohře crossing.

Figure 2. Use of lifting beams to reduce sideboom overhang.

Figure 3. Trenching operation.

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World Trenchless SPRING 2021

The flow through the dam is regulated by a drum gate, which allowed for a controlled reduced discharge during execution, increasing workability and reducing safety risks. At the point of the crossing, the river has a width of about 42 m and a maximum depth of 1.55 m (at the reduced discharge flow).

The river crossing was part of a larger special section including a 90 m long steep slope of 25˚. An environmental restriction for the construction was in force from 1 April 2020, and with construction activities up and running in January it was a race against the clock to get the section finished. Challenging logistics, with difficult access for heavy transport, was another issue. To get heavy machines to the river, they had to be dropped close to a big road after which a 4.5 km trip followed over a forest road onto the working strip, including the descent of the steep slope.

The sinker, which had to be placed under the river at a depth of about 4.5 m below the river bed, had a total length of 82.5 m.

Unlike the previous pipeline installed eight years ago, the design of the siphon was changed. While previously the buoyancy control was introduced by concrete saddle-weights which were installed after the installation of the siphon, this time the siphon had to be concreted on the riverbank over its total length. To counter the considerable buoyancy force of the pipeline, with an outer diameter of 1422 mm and a wall thickness of 22.5 mm, the sinker was to be concreted over 80 m of length with a minimal thickness of 16 cm. This resulted in a total weight of approximately 220 t. It enormously increased the weight of the siphon, and having the concrete installed beforehand meant that it was no longer feasible to float the siphon to the other side, as it had been in 2012.

Another big difference was the timing of the execution. While during the installation of Gazelle, the works could take place during the dry summer season, with a very low flow in the river, this installation had to be done at the end of the winter season with the highest expected water volumes in the river.

At the start of the design phase project (EPC-project) in October 2019, while Denys was developing the execution strategy, the flow in the river was only 15 m3/s, while this increased to 130 m3/s at the beginning of March 2020. The water level in the river changed over 0.5 m. While the flow could be controlled by the dam, this was only to a certain extent as this was subject to the weather conditions given the limited bearing capacity of the lake.

During the development of the execution strategy, Denys had to ensure that the installation would also work with high flowrates as the works had to be executed at the end of the winter season. At the last moment, the installation of the siphon was delayed from its originally planned date by a few days, to take maximum advantage of a dry window predicted by the weather forecasts. Finally, only two days before the already adapted start of the execution, Denys received the information the flowrate could be reduced to between 20 and 25 m3/s, for a maximum time of 36 hours.

The siphon was prefabricated at the north side of the river in two pieces. After concreting both sections, they were welded together in the upright position. Landscaping was done to create an even support throughout the length of the piece. The

connection weld was then coated and concreted, leaving the siphon ready to be placed.

In order to respect the environment, several meetings have taken place with the local authorities, and as a result the following measures have been taken: the installation of a double floating absorption line in case of any oil leakage; the use of biological hydraulic oils limiting the impact if any leakage would occur and would pass the barriers; and the usage of new machines, reducing the chance of an incident.

Project equipment To be able to carry out this challenging crossing, the jointventure Denys-Metrostav mobilised 10 pipelayers and several hydraulic excavators, among them a 75 t GPS-guided excavator used for trenching. This excavator has a high clearance, allowing it to drive through the river and absorb higher water levels in case of sudden higher flows, as well raising levels during excavation as the free-flowing surface is limited during the execution.

The 90 t pipelayers were positioned in couples along the sinker, five at each side. In order to lift the weighty siphon, each pipelayer couple was interconnected with a heavy lifting beam, thus reducing the required overhang for lowering-in.

Due to the large weight of the piece and the large trench depth – and therefore the distance to the middle of the trench – it was necessary to maximise the lifting capacity of each sideboom, hence the lifting beams were applied.

A double driving-track was created in the river using large stones. The driving tracks were not placed over the full width of the river, but reached to approximately two thirds of the river width, just below the water level. This was done to keep the flow speed as low as possible, and to prevent the creation of a narrowing that was too large. Faster flow speeds could lead to increased turbidity, possibly negatively affecting the fauna and flora downstream of the crossing. Keeping the flow speed as low as possible also reduced the risk of driving track and trench instability.

Figure 4. Sidebooms on stand-by for lowering-in of the siphon.

Figure 5. Divers were present during the whole operation.

Operational sequence The operation started early in the morning. Trenching commenced from the north bank and was done in one go to the other side of the river. For the first part, excavated soil was transported away out of the flood plain of the river using hydraulic dumpers. The second part of the excavated soil was put aside using another excavator standing on the south bank. The excavated material consisted mainly of stiff clay, allowing for a stable trench at a reasonable angle of 60˚, thus minimising the trench width at the top.

Later in the evening the lowering-in operation was started.

This had to be done with the highest care, in order not to overload one of the pipelayers. Closely monitored by the staff present, each sideboom was working near to its working range capacity. When approaching the river, the sinker could be gradually lowered into the water, reducing its weight thanks to the buoyancy force.

At the other side of the river, the 75 t excavator was standing ready to take over the tip of the sinker and guide it

Figure 6. Bird’s-eye view of the river Ohře works.

into its final position. After anchoring the sinker in its place, the works were ended at 2:00 am at the start of the next day.

A team of divers was present during the whole operation for assistance in the water: placement of oil absorption barriers, checking of the trench and trench bottom, detaching the lifting equipment, assistance in case of emergency, etc.

The preparation for the installation of this siphon has taken several months. The method using double pipelayers and as such double running tracks were used to have full control over the weight of the siphon; using the lifting beams, the sidebooms could take a higher load each and be spread over a longer length, as both sides of the siphon could be

World Trenchless SPRING 2021

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Tracey Hewett, Business Development Manager at ABPmer, UK, shares how data, analysis and insight inform landfall assessment for offshore pipelines.

E

very offshore operation eventually makes landfall in the coastal zone; a unique and dynamic environment with challenges and risks that must be understood if a pipeline is to successfully and safely come ashore.

Landfall assessments used to inform FEED and installation activities are prepared by geomorphologists and metocean scientists, built from data and analysis which lead to the insights shared in the final assessment.

Here we explore the inter-relationship between data, analysis and insight that inform landfall assessments and how ABPmer solves questions posed by engineers and operators at the FEED stage.

What’s in a name?

Although shore approach methods vary depending on pipe size, approach profile, sea conditions and land use, all usually entail some form of dredging operation.

Submarine pipelines are significantly more expensive to construct and install than terrestrial pipelines, so the primary objective is generally to take the shortest and easiest possible route. Preferred topography for shore approach is a gently sloping bottom with sufficient thickness of unconsolidated sediment to allow appropriate burial. However, construction technologies are so advanced that there are few features or environments that actually prohibit pipeline installation.

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Landfall assessment is a broad term that ranges from a simple, stand-alone sediment transport report to an iterative assessment that identifies the method of shore approach and associated impact.

Laying aside the detailed specification of any tender, all landfall assessments are founded on site characterisation and seek to answer questions concerning pipeline placement, construction and safety.

Interpretation leads to insights

Figure 1. Nested numerical models of a coastline informs landfall assessment.

Figure 2. Example Wave Rose (Mozambique), freely available from ABPmer’s metocean data explorer.

To develop a conceptual understanding of the physical processes and regimes at the landfall site, various types of data and information are brought together for analysis.

In particular, any geophysical, geotechnical, benthic and metocean data collected for the specific project are analysed along with any other publicly available or third-party information such as previous surveys or studies, photographs, charts, seabed geomorphology and existing in-house modelling.

Within ABPmer, the baseline metocean regime is usually characterised using our validated, long-term hindcast databases that form part of our SEASTATES metocean data and information service. Information about potential changes to climate (sea levels, waves and storm surge) over the lifetime of the project is obtained from regional regulator guidance documents.

Generally, there will be sufficient data available for some type of assessment but occasionally, new data may be required in more detailed studies, or for more complex areas.

By integrating all relevant available data and information we characterise the marine processes at play at the landfall itself and beyond.

Through analysis we derive sediment sources, sediment transport processes and the sediment budget (a balance of the sediment volume entering and exiting any given section of coast or estuary) at the landfall site.

This helps us to develop an understanding of shoreline evolution, past and future, as well as determine what dominates the hydrodynamic regime – waves and/or tides.

We also ascertain beach closure depth, the offshore extent of the ‘active’ beach. Seaward of the closure depth, sediment transport processes can be considered insignificant relative to the more energetic landward conditions. This is an important concept when considering how and where to bring a pipeline ashore.

Understanding informs action Depending what a client needs to know, various types of analysis are applied to answer their questions.

What is the submarine topography?

Figure 3. Sandwave bathymetry part of the data collated for landfall assessment.

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Whilst pipeline technology has advanced to deal with practically any type of topography, pipeliners prefer to avoid hard bottoms, rock substrates or places where the seabed changes depth due to erosion and accretion as it risks a buried pipeline becoming exposed or spanning, leaving it vulnerable to the hydrodynamic forces of waves and currents.

Where bedforms are present, we assess the migration characteristics of coincident features to determine the window over which they could migrate and the associated bed level change that could occur.

Where bedforms are absent, time series analysis of historic variability is used to estimate potential future levels at the assessed intervals.

Output: Results would include measures of the minimum and maximum bed levels and change likely to occur over the assessed intervals. There would also be additional information on the time period associated with the observed variability.

We regularly provide mapped measures of minimum and maximum bed levels with accretion and erosion events matrices.

What is the composition of submarine and shoreline sediments and how deep should the pipeline be buried?

Pipelines are buried for several reasons; to satisfy local regulations, or for aesthetic or environmental considerations, but the primary reason is for protection.

The composition of submarine and shoreline sediments affects the future stability and safety of the pipeline; as such, it has an influence on construction techniques.

By combining geotechnical supplied data with our understanding of the physical processes operating in the area and how the coastline has evolved, we are able to determine burial depth required to meet the relevant local statutory requirements.

Output: Findings are presented as recommended pipeline burial depths along the assessed length, based on the understanding of likely bed level variability along the route.

If using HDD, at what point should this begin?

Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) allows for the installation of a cable underneath the beach without disturbing the surface sediments. Considerable control is possible over the drilled route, enabling the avoidance of sensitive areas.

The clients want to know when and where to commence the HDD process and at which location to punch-out.

Output: We provide an assessment of the likely range of beach variability at the proposed landfall location(s), along with a definition of the beach closure depth. This information allows pipeline installation engineers to assess the requirements of any planned HDD activity.

How long will the trench remain open?

By knowing the types of sediment present, ground condition, estimated rates of sediment transport (which may be intermittent and seasonal in nature) and the anticipated depth and width of the trench to be dug, we can estimate the potential rate and nature of any expected infill arising from naturally occurring sediment transport.

Output: Our report will likely include conditions that might lead to infilling by either natural sediment transport and/or from the dredged spoil; information as to the best place to deposit displaced material to maximise or minimise time to fill; estimated recovery rate and level of infill at

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periods of one day, one month, one year, etc., as well as identify residual risks to the effective burial of a pipeline.

What are the metocean conditions in the area?

To inform technology and operational decisions, clients usually want to know about shoaling, refraction, waves and currents as the pipeline makes the shore approach.

At ABPmer we generally obtain this information from our in-house SEASTATES metocean hindcast data product, with subsequent analysis providing a set of descriptive conditions, ranging from low intensity, high frequency events, through to more extreme, high intensity, low frequency conditions.

Output: This type of study generally takes the form of a metocean report, describing the requisite set of typical and extreme conditions, accompanied by a set of data tables, and/ or timeseries allowing further data analysis from the pipeline engineers.

How should dredging be managed to minimise impacts?

By sharing our understanding of the landfall zone with our environmental impact colleagues, we can also identify appropriate dredging management practices to manage and minimise environmental impacts in accordance with EIA and other regulations, industry guidelines, and best practices.

Output: When asked to do this our reports usually cover project design and planning; equipment impact; dredging impact; spoil placement and controls.

What changes can be expected at the landfall site that we need to mitigate?

We are often asked to consider whether the evolving coast could damage the pipeline in the short term or during the usual 25 year operational period.

Knowing whether the landfall is on an eroding or accreting coastline helps develop options to mitigate the risks that could arise. These might include reduced sediment supply, accelerated sea-level rise or increased wave attack, which could potentially increase the rate of lowering on an eroding coastline or switch from equilibrium or accretion conditions at other landfall sites.

Output: The outputs from such an assessment will normally be a technical report providing a descriptive understanding of the likely changes that might be experienced over the design life of a pipeline asset, and the potential impacts of such change.

Conclusion Pipeline landfall assessments provide answers to questions at the FEED stage. Such assessments are undertaken by geomorphological specialists and metocean scientists who develop a conceptual understanding of the local environment from insights gained from integrating data and undertaking analysis.

This understanding is used to provide informed assessments of conditions over an asset design life, which are used by pipeline engineers to help define the installation and monitoring plan.

Boosting cable protection R Ed Douziech, CCI Inc., Canada, discusses a new system designed to increase the success of trenchless fibre optic installations.

ecent advancements in fibre optic technology have greatly enhanced the pipeline operator’s ability to detect potential leaks and monitor pipeline strain. However, the technical Achilles heel of fibre optics is maintaining the integrity of the fragile cable itself, particularly during trenchless and other hazardous installations. To address this issue, CCI Inc. has developed and implemented a trenchless integrity pipeline system (TIPSTM). TIPS allows the fibre optic cable to be attached to the product pipeline without damaging the pipeline coating or the integrity of the fibre optic cable.

Pipelines are a dependable, efficient and secure means of transporting energy products, and are also a critical part of the world’s energy infrastructure. However, damage to the pipeline by external forces such as third party damage, slope

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movement or hydrological forces can still result in leaks. These continued events are a clear indication of the need to enhance the monitoring capabilities within the pipeline industry. Point monitoring (classical pipeline integrity monitoring technology)

requires high investments of power and communication facilities due to its distributive nature. Visual surveillance is primarily a reactive process to surface disturbances along the pipeline, and can be costly and have a low resolution. Additionally, these existing methods do not allow for complete coverage and/or real-time monitoring along the entire pipeline route. It is also apparent that if events leading up to possible pipeline damage can be detected or pipe integrity quantified, intervention can correct any issue prior to the actual leak occurring.

Fibre optic technology

Figure 1. Typical HDPE fibre optic conduit (orange, taped to brown pipeline).

The evolution of fibre optic sensing technologies allows the industry to mitigate this monitoring void. All pipelines exhibit an acoustic or vibration signature when operating.

Fibre optic monitoring is currently able to detect temperatures, strain, vibration and sound with high location accuracy and absolute resolution. The subtle changes in the ‘tone’ can be compared to a base line to provide insights into the pipeline performance. With proper analysis, the smallest event can be detected, location determined, and severity estimated. Fibre optics require no electrical power (along the cable), are nonconductive, intrinsically safe, immune to ionising radiation/ electrical interference, emit no signals and interfere with nothing.

Fibre optic cable installations are generally facilitated in two discrete approaches: cables that are directly buried in the trench with the fibre optic cable already installed (preloaded), or cables that are blown into a duct conduit (compressed air or fluid) after the duct or conduit is installed. Most direct burial cables (preloaded) deployed today contain corrugated steel armour surrounding the core with a polymer jacket over the armour.

Most conduit installed cables are polymer jacketed only.

However, the cable is extremely fragile, and fibre optic cable designs must aim to give the best possible protection to the fibre itself from any external (or construction) damage or influence. In particular, it is necessary to shield the fibre from external humidity, side pressures, crushing and longitudinal strains. While existing fibre optic cable designs provide good protection from these influences for typical communication purposes, installation of these cables within a pipeline environment (for monitoring purposes) is less effective and, in some cases, unreliable. Also, when optical fibres are used for strain sensing, the optical fibre should be permanently bonded to the pipeline over the whole target length.

Given the extreme conditions and environments in which pipelines are installed throughout the world, these cable installation requirements have not been effectively achieved. Fibre optic cables, currently installed within pipelines, have been simply laid in the ditch (ditch lay) or ‘strapped’ to the pipeline at intervals.

Both ditch-lay and strapped fibre optic lines will suffer reduced sensitivity, in one case (ditch-lay) not being able to directly monitor strain and suffering a reduced temperature differential, or in the other (strapped) having a very limited strain sensitivity.

Challenges in fibre optic installation

Figure 2. TIPS (yellow) bonded to pipeline (green).

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In 2017, a major North American oil and gas operator engaged CCI Inc. (CCI) to solve the most difficult issue within its pipeline design criteria: successfully installing a fibre optic system within trenchless portions of its pipeline project. CCI has established itself as a driver in the continued advancement of trenchless

systems, pipeline design and municipal services, providing highly technical services to the pipeline, oil and gas and municipal infrastructure sectors. The goal of CCI’s scope of work on this project, beyond the trenchless engineering, was to engineer a solution to reduce the risk of fibre optic damage while improving its sensitivity, within multiple trenchless crossings.

As part of this pipeline project scope, a continuous fibre optic leak detection system was to be installed by a third party provider. Pursuant to this leak detection requirement, a conduit was to be installed alongside the product pipeline to facilitate the subsequent installation of the third party fibre optic detection line. Along the length of the pipeline were numerous major and minor trenchless crossings. As a mitigation to high failure rates of existing fibre optic systems in trenchless applications, CCI evaluated all existing leak detection conduit designs. It concluded that existing fibre optic conduit applications were not applicable for the trenchless portions within the project’s scope, were likely to fail during trenchless installations (and/or after installation when no mitigation is possible), and were likely to increase the risk of the trenchless pipe installation. This was due to the unique and extremely harsh construction environments that horizontal directional drilling (HDD) and other trenchless applications need to overcome during the pipe installation.

Several existing systems are available to install fibre optics into a trenchless application, mainly within HDD. CCI evaluated these systems and applications with a focus on the installation and subsequent operational success. One key characteristic that all trenchless fibre optic installations shared was that in all evaluated cases, the process included installing a separate conduit (‘string’,

HDPE or similar) that was attached to the lead section of the pipeline and the remaining conduit would ‘float’ loosely (or in some cases, strapped at a specific frequency) within the borehole.

In these cases, the conduit is unlikely to withstand a single point load strain in amounts generally associated with trenchless installs.

Additionally, banding of the conduit to the pipeline – straps, tape or wraps – tend to add additional risk to the installation and are prone to failure. If the fibre conduit fails during trenchless installation, there is no reasonable mitigation strategy to repair or replace the conduit after pipe installation.

Therefore, it was concluded that neither the available fibre optic conduit products, nor banding of the available conduit products, were likely to survive the forecasted trenchless installation forces. Any improvement to existing fibre optic conduit systems within trenchless installations must focus on a product that is fully attached (monolithically bonded) to the target product line in such a way that these failure modes are significantly reduced. It is also noted that the protective coating of the product pipeline could not be compromised with the addition of the fibre optic conduit and its bonding.

In support of this pipeline project, CCI pursued engineering, development and execution of a trenchless fibre optic system.

TIPS is purposely engineered for trenchless and difficult applications. The primary objective of the TIPS is to increase the success of trenchless fibre optic installations (including conventional installs), improve sensitivity, and expand capabilities for all fibre optic cables without posing additional risk to the pipeline installation. CCI developed TIPS in 2018 and successfully installed the system in February 2019.

A trenchless system TIPS consists of internal high-tensile steel (0.5 in./12.7 mm diameter) conduit(s), encapsulated in a robust monolithic extruded material, that are arranged in a specific low profile configuration (0.75 in./19.05 mm tall), and are completely bonded directly to the exterior of the pipeline. TIPS was designed to withstand extreme operating conditions (temperature and corrosion) and pass all current engineering pipeline stress analysis without compromising the cathodic protection coating. This low profile TIPS conduit design is intended to provide a larger range of existing integrity monitoring usage through ease of installation, increasing the success rate of any trenchless and conventional installation, providing a wider range of integrity detection (current and future), and allowing for installation of multiple third party integrity providers (optical and other).

The most difficult challenge, beyond the overall engineered design and material requirements of TIPS, was the field bonding application. A comprehensive literature search was conducted

to find potential adhesive resin systems that could cure at low temperatures. The commercial and scientific literature revealed only systems that could cure at 0˚C to -10˚C. Generally, these resins were from the methacrylate and vinyl-ester groups.

Methacrylate adhesives break down in wet conditions at approximately 70˚C, dissolving and disbonding entirely under these conditions in a matter of days, if not hours. Vinyl-ester resins have relatively high chemical resistance but are glassy as opposed to ductile. The chemistry of vinyl-ester limits the means of curing agents. The solution was found by working in epoxy formulation: specifically, a unique novolac epoxy-based system.

It was also expected at the onset of the TIPS development that the TIPS profile would be difficult to adhere to the pipe.

The TIPS profile is made of thermoplastic urethane plastic (TPU). The solution was to use a proprietary overwrap of the TIPS profile. Using CCI patented technology developed to solve these issues, a robust method of attaching the TIPS was developed which met all the requirements of the ‘criteria for good adhesion’.

The TIPS system for the client’s pipeline project consisted of a dual conduit arrangement. The dual conduit TIPS was fully bonded longitudinally to each targeted pipeline on the pipeline outer surface by injection mould, prior to HDD pipe pull. Once installed on the pipeline, the trenchless contractor would pull in the pipeline (and its bonded TIPS) until the pipeline was fully pulled into the trenchless annular space. The successfully installed pipeline would then expose the opposite ends of the TIPS conduits, and a third party provider would install the fibre optic line into the open conduit(s) as required. In some cases, the fibre optic cable was preloaded prior to pipeline installation.

Successful application Figure 3. TIPS injection mould to pipeline.

In February 2019, TIPS was installed on the trenchless portions of the pipeline project. The longest trenchless section was a 1751 m (5745 ft) HDD section under a major water course in northwestern Saskatchewan, Canada. The TIPS installed pipelines were an NPS 8 in. with a second adjacent TIPS pipeline of NPS 20 in. Several smaller trenchless crossings required TIPS as well. In all, just under 13 000 m (42 651 ft) of TIPS was prepared for trenchless installation for this pipeline project. During TIPS installation, temperatures ranged from 0˚C to -40˚C (32˚F to -40˚F), with most of the TIPS bonding and pipe pulls occurring well below -20˚C (-4˚F). All installations were completed successfully, and the fibre optic integrity was confirmed after installation with not a single TIPS conduit/fibre loss.

Conclusion

Figure 4. TIPS (yellow) bonded to pipeline (brown) during trenchless installation.

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With the deployment of TIPS, it is now possible to ensure a much higher degree of success with pipeline fibre optic installations in even the most extreme pipeline environments (trenched or trenchless, new or existing retrofits). TIPS is also capable of providing the pipeline industry with increased monitoring capabilities such as slope movement (axial strain and other geohazard strain), with a unique focus on spatial micro-strain measurements. Future success with these TIPS capabilities is expected to move the pipeline industry from a more predictive, reactive risk analysis to an active and accurate real-time risk definition in all pipeline environments.

PROJECT NEWS GAZ-SYSTEM COMPLETES FIRST STAGE OF POLISH PIPELINE RECONSTRUCTION GAZ-SYSTEM has completed an important stage of the reconstruction of the Goleniów – Police gas pipeline.

“The economy of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship will benefit from the reconstruction of the Goleniów – Police gas pipeline”, said Krzysztof Jackowski, Vice-President of GAZ-SYSTEM. The Goleniów – Police gas pipeline represents one of the most crucial elements of the gas transmission network in Western Pomerania. This investment was broken down into two stages.

The first stage encompasses crossing through Roztoka Odrzanska by the underground passage method and disassembling two lines of the old DN500 and DN400 gas pipeline. During these works executed in Roztoka, a 1814 m long HDD directional drilling was made. The works using this method consisted of simultaneous drilling of a pilot borehole from opposite river banks in two directions. The drilling, along with the sinking of the gas pipeline, was being performed from September to November 2020.

The second stage of the investment will commence in 2021. As per the assumptions adopted, a new, 8 km long gas pipeline will be installed in the communes of Police and Stepnica. Trenchless technology will also be used on this occasion. In total, four drillings, ranging from 700 m to 2000 m in length, will be executed. This stage is scheduled to be completed in 2023.

The environmental scope of works involves the disassembly of approximately 4 km of the old gas pipeline running through the area across the Olszanka Reserve. Dismantling the pipe abolishes the obligation to maintain a controlled zone for the gas pipeline, therefore no need to monitor and interfere with nature there will arise. What will be the outcome is a greater development of fauna and flora and free migration of animals within the reserve.

LOGISTEC COMPLETES WATER PIPELINE RENEWAL PROJECT IN SAN FRANCISCO The engineers at the San Francisco Public Utility Commission (SFPUC) and the City of San Francisco Water Utility (CSFWU) joined forces with LOGISTEC Environmental Services Inc. (LOGISTEC) to renew a century-old section of water main buried below historical Taraval Street, San Francisco, US. Located in Parkside, between Sunset Beach and the San Francisco Zoo, the 800 ft. of old 8-in. cast iron pipe along Taraval Street required attention to avoid a water main break and major disruption to residential buildings and businesses.

The multi-faceted project had to incorporate several important environmental, community and cost considerations into the planning and execution, which was made possible with LOGISTEC’s ALTRA Proven Water Technology (formerly Aqua-Pipe), an innovative trenchless technology and one of the only solutions on the market to be proven earthquake-resilient.

ALTRA Proven Water Technology addressed many of the other unique challenges specific to Taraval Street in this historical area of San Francisco.

CROSS RIVER RAIL’S TUNNEL BORING MACHINE READY FOR QUEENSLAND PROJECT The first of two massive Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) that will excavate the bulk of Cross River Rail’s 5.9 km twin tunnels, located in Queensland, Australia, is built and ready to go, marking an exciting milestone for the project.

The project’s first 1350 t TBM is undergoing some lastminute checks at Herrenknecht’s northside facility, Pinkenba, Australia, to make sure it is in peak condition before being transported in parts to Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia.

The same process will be completed with the second machine in December 2020.

After the first TBM passes factory acceptance testing, it will be disassembled and transported to Cross River Rail’s Woolloongabba site, where it will then be reassembled, with the second TBM to follow over December 2020 and January 2021.

The TBMs will each tunnel under the Brisbane River to Albert Street station in mid-2021, before continuing on to the new Roma Street station and finally emerging at the project’s northern portal at Normanby, Far North Queensland, Australia.

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PROJECT NEWS WILMOT COMPLETES REHABILITATION PROJECT FOR AGL ENERGY

NEW RECORD FOR MCCONNELL DOWELL’S MICRO TUNNEL BORING MACHINE

Despite being faced with a tricky and challenging pipe relining project at a power station in New South Wales, Australia, Wilmot Pipelining (Wilmot) successfully delivered the relining of three stormwater pipelines for client AGL Energy.

The Wilmot team faced many hurdles on its recent AGL project in New South Wales, where pipelines were located in areas where digging would compromise the power plant’s operations, therefore requiring a non-destructive pipeline rehabilitation method. To add to the challenge of achieving a no-dig solution, the existing pipelines were also completely deteriorated, with the inverts washed away over time. To counteract these challenges, Wilmot carefully cleaned and used non-destructive vacuum technology alongside constant CCTV assessment to lean and remove debris from the pipeline.

The team guided the equipment from each pipe and successfully completed the challenging rehabilitation of the power stations water drainage network.

Wilmot’s engineers worked in collaboration with the liner manufacturer to ensure the custom-designed liner would be suitable for AGL’s power station and the discharges on site. For AGL, the importance was getting a liner to stand up to medium levels of abrasion and have a high chemical resistance. Wilmot worked closely with the manufacturer to ensure this high-performance cured-in-place (CIP) UV liner was exactly what AGL would receive.

A large amount of Wilmot’s services are used to upgrade and repair vital municipal assets such as water, energy, wastewater, industrial facilities and refineries, which are often situated in locations where creating minimal disturbance during works is essential. The team has delivered large-scale pipeline rehabilitation projects around Australia and has been a domestic leader in its championing of trenchless technology methods.

Recently, the company has made significant progress in CIP lining through its investment and development in UV CIP lining technology, used on all wastewater infrastructure. The UV liner has a high resistance to chemicals and abrasion due to its ECR glass fibre properties, putting it at the top of the line for liners when it comes to structural capabilities.

McConnell Dowell’s micro tunnel boring machine (mTBM) beat its previous project record by 80 m on 20 November 2020.

The AVN2500 mTBM set a new pipe-jacking record for the longest single drive in the Southern Hemisphere by a tunnel boring machine greater than 2.6 m in diameter. The project set a 1216 m record on completing the second drive for the pipeline earlier in 2020.

The new record is an achievement for the team delivering the 3.5 km water mains upgrade for Watercare. The final 1296 m drive consisted mostly of basalt rock and tough clay ground conditions, but despite the geological challenges, the crew completed the final drive in less than three months.

With 2.9 km of tunnelling now completed, Amiria, one of McConnell Dowell New Zealand’s three mTBMs, will be refurbished in-house. The next step for the project team is the installation of the 1575 mm diameter concrete-lined steel watermain pipes inside the tunnel, which is planned for early 2021.

McConnell Dowell’s proposed trenchless methodology won the contract to design and construct the final section of the Hunua 4 pipeline in 2018.

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THE TRENCHLESS WRAP-UP >>Vermeer acquires new trenchless technology >>Michels features on Deloitte Wisconsin 75 list >>Global SIPP market forecast >>Urban Utilities’ Brisbane sewer project nears completion Follow our website and social media pages for more updates, industry news, and technical articles www.worldtrenchless.com

CONTRACTS AEGION CORP. WINS TEXAN REHABILITATION CONTRACT Aegion Corp. has announced that its subsidiary, Insituform Technologies, LLC (Insituform), has been awarded a wastewater rehabilitation contract valued at US$8 million in Southwest Texas, US. Insituform will rehabilitate more than 12 000 linear ft of existing sanitary sewer main utilising trenchless technology, including 24 – 60 in. curedin-place pipe (CIPP). The ‘no-dig’ rehabilitation method reduces overall project costs and minimises disruptions to residents. Crews will also perform bypass pumping, miscellaneous point repairs and associated manhole improvements. The project is expected to begin in autumn 2020 and conclude by the end of 2021.

Aegion has also announced that Insituform Technologies has been awarded a contract to rehabilitate more than 7000 linear ft of pressurised water pipelines in Portsmouth, Virginia, US. The project includes 3525 linear ft of 8 in. cast iron fire-suppression system pipeline, 1700 linear ft of 8 in. cast iron drain lines, and 1464 linear ft of 8 in. cast iron drain lines in maintenance tunnels under a tunnel roadway.

Insituform will utilise Thermopipe®, Aegion Corp.’s proprietary, hightenacity, polyester-reinforced liner suited for the rehabilitation of potable and non-potable water mains and other pressurised piping systems up to 12 in. in diameter. Once installed, the liner forms a close-fit within the host pipe, creating a jointless, leak-free lining system able to independently support the full system internal design pressure.

Charles R. Gordon, Aegion Corp.’s President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “This is an exciting project for Aegion. Not only does it demonstrate our commitment to providing trenchless technology to rehabilitate pressurised water pipelines, but it also utilises one of our recently introduced proprietary technologies, Thermopipe®.”

The project is expected to begin in autumn 2020 and conclude by the end of 2021.

PRIMORIS AWARDED MICROTUNNELLING CONTRACTS Primoris Services Corporation has announced two awards with a combined value of approximately US$39 million. The contracts were secured by the Pipeline & Underground segment.

Primoris was awarded a microtunneling project to install a new sewer main in North Tampa Bay, Florida, US. The project involves the design, procurement and installation of approximately 3200 linear ft, using 78 in. pipe, in a single reach tunnel.

The project also includes designing and building two 70 ft deep Secant Pile shafts.

The second design-build award is for furnishing and installing seven microtunnels reaching approximately 4324 linear ft using 36 in. pipe. The shafts used will be between 17 - 29 ft deep, consisting of watertight, sheet pile construction.

The work will be performed for the Silicon Valley Clean Water agency and is scheduled to begin in 2Q21 and completion is expected in 3Q22.

LAVALLEY AND SITETEC ANNOUNCE CO-OPERATION LaValley Industries and SiteTec are proud to announce their co-operation. As an industry recognised product in North America, the DECKHAND has become a jobsite staple for providing safety and great economic benefits for contractors.

SiteTec will represent LaValley Industries in the HDD field in Europe.

Corné Willemsen explains: “Being on jobsites for over 25 years, we know safety is very important. Besides our units, we believe that safety products are just as important to our customers. In LaValley we found the perfect partner. We can’t

wait for our customers to experience the safety benefits.”

As a SiteTec representative in North America, LaValley Industries will offer a range of SiteTec products to customers invested in promoting an environmentally friendly approach to horizontal directional drilling. With the complete range of electrical operating mix, recycle, storage and pump units.

“We believe that we can both strengthen our position by not just selling and representing each other’s products, but also by sharing knowledge and learning from experience in different continents”, said Jason LaValley.

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CONTRACTS SEWERAI SECURES SUBSTANTIAL FUNDING FOR PIPELINE INSPECTION SewerAI, a start-up that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision to inspect, identify and analyse sewer infrastructure defects before they reach catastrophic levels, has announced that it has secured US$2 million in seed funding led by venture capital firms Builders VC and EPIC Ventures.

The company was established by sewer infrastructure inspection technology veterans to address the massive problem of ageing pipe infrastructure – with over 6 billion ft of sewer pipe in the US alone, approximately 3 billion ft are in need of repair or replacement.

US municipalities spend approximately US$50 billion/yr maintaining this infrastructure, mainly using manual inspections, data delivered via physical disks, and desktop-based software. SewerAI harnesses the power of AI and computer vision, along with a cloud workflow platform, to automatically detect pipeline defects, allowing sewer inspections to be completed in a fraction of the time and with increased accuracy.

Matt Rosenthal and Bill Gilmartin have separately been working in the industry for more than 10 years and have a combination of technical capability and real-world operational experience. They have prior experience and have seen the problems for 10+ years, and that is what led to this AI that is solving real industry problems.

SewerAI’s AI, cloud-based software, AutoCode™, significantly enhances and accelerates sewer infrastructure inspections.

This technological breakthrough is setting the stage for the wastewater industry to enter the 4th technological revolution, creating an entirely new category of business in the process. With over 860 billion gal. of raw sewage leaking into lakes, wetlands, rivers and oceans, the environmental impact of a deteriorating sewer infrastructure makes the need for accurate, fast, and cost-effective inspections all the more urgent.

Coupled with the SewerAI Inspection Management Platform® (IMP) – a web-based tool that stores the inspection data and enables users to stream inspection videos, view reports, and access data analytics and predictive models for risk assessment – AutoCode™ empowers asset owners to move from expensive reactive maintenance activities to more cost-effective proactive asset management strategies.

SewerAI’s mission is to challenge the status quo of infrastructure management by delivering advanced technology that helps engineers plan repair projects, automate routine maintenance schedules, and manage environmental compliance with efficiency and accuracy.

KOBUS STRENGTHENS PRODUCT DISTRIBUTION IN EUROPE The Kobus Pipe Puller, a trenchless technique for removing and replacing water and gas pipes in one swift action, is rapidly gaining traction in European markets as well as the US. In Poland, Blejkan S.A. have been signed up as exclusive distributor partner while in Spain, Sistemas de Perforacion will sell exclusively for Kobus there.

This follows successful trials in Murcia, Valencia and Madrid, Spain.

Increasingly, the European water utilities are seeing Kobus as the perfect solution to replacing ageing service pipes with minimal customer disruption, minimum environmental impact and with the maximum possible efficiency.

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Kobus is now actively pulling in four European markets and poised to sign up new partners in a further eight territories.

Multiple demos are planned across Europe as word about the technology spreads as well as for UK water utility customers.

Simon MacDonald, Business Development Director at Kobus commented “The adoption of Kobus as vital means of safely, quickly removing service pipes with minimum customer and general public disruption and in an environmentally friendly way is quite phenomenal.

“Not only in Europe but in US as well where we are playing a significant part in the major lead service line replacement programme.”

PRODUCT NEWS QUICKCONNECT EXPANDS SERVICES WITH ACQUISITION OF BOREHEAD

VERMEER ACQUIRES NEW TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGY

QuickConnect, manufacturer of pull heads, pull collars, multipipe pullers and pipe bursting sleeves, has announced the acquisition of BOREHEAD. The purchase will better serve the needs of QuickConnect and BOREHEAD customers.

QuickConnect offers pull heads that are a safe and efficient way to install underground polyethylene (PE) pipe. The pipe allows installation crews to fuse a MJ Adaptor to the pipe above ground, as opposed to a bell hole underground. This removes personnel from hazardous work areas while speeding up the installation process. Another advantage to using the QuickConnect pull head and attachments is that there is no cleaning the mud or soil out of the pipe. You can simply remove the pull head and it’s ready for the next connection.

“This acquisition represents an important strategic opportunity to combine our resources and allow us to offer top technology for trenchless operations,” said Clint Baumgartner, QuickConnect Product Specialist.

“I’m excited to offer our BOREHEAD customers QuickConnect products for the safe and fast polyethylene pipe installation methods they’ve come to expect from us,” states Dave Ziola, BOREHEAD President/Owner.

Vermeer Corporation (Vermeer) has announced that it has acquired electric-powered horizontal directional drilling (HDD) and fluid systems technology from Normag. Through this acquisition, the company assumes the rights to develop, manufacture and distribute the proven fully electric HDD rigs, generator sets and fluid management systems, which are currently operating across Europe under the Normag brand.

This acquisition is a key part of the Vermeer strategy to meet growing demand for electric-powered worksite solutions.

The Normag electric HDD technology offers a unique integrated electric power system that optimises efficiency across the generator set, drill rig and fluid management systems during operations. When connected to the electric grid, the system can operate as a fuel-free system. All systems have also been designed to match standard international shipping container dimensions to reduce the machine footprint, jobsite set-up time, complexity and cost.

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