The challenges pipe owners and operators with aging potable water infrastructure have to face are diverse: Freeze-and-thaw conditions as well as settlement of the host pipe can cause leaking joints leading to water loss and potential damages to other surrounding infrastructure. Internal corrosion and thinning of the host pipe wall provokes degradation and since the host pipe cannot accommodate the internal pressure, corrosion holes with water leaks or bursts can be the result. Moreover, lime-dissolving water in asbestos cement pipes may deteriorate the strength of the asset making it unable to maintain the operating pressure. The GSTT Information 20-1 offers a comprehensive overview of typical failure modes in pressurized pipes for different pipe materials and the AWWA M28 manual provides the asset owners with different options to revitalize their assets.
So flexible fabric-reinforced pipes (FFRP) are now also part of the latest M28 manual version. FFRP is a flexible sliplining solution for the trenchless renovation of pressurized pipes. It is characterized by a three-layer composition with polymer inside and outside coating as well as reinforcement fabric. FFRP permits the installation through bends, thus reducing costs for thrust block and surface reinstatement. It is a seamlessly manufactured product, brought to the construction site cut to its installation length and therefore prevents welding procedures on site. Furthermore, only minimal on-site equipment is needed for installation which results in quick execution times. Flanged force-fit end connectors make reintegration into the existing network fast and easy.
Primus Line® is a unique FFRP product. Due to its aramid reinforcement, it is considered an independent pressure pipe liner installed with annulus space and designed as a new pipe inside the existing one with regards to the internal operating pressure. The host pipe becomes a conduit for the lining material which has to be capable of accommodating external loads only.
With Primus Line®, asset owners and designers not only benefit from the manufacturer’s design and engineering support, they can also rely on features like designing a new pipe inside an existing conduit, even allowing to upgrade/increase the operating pressure independently from the host pipe. Moreover, they can achieve long installation lengths of 3,000 feet and more in one pull due to the aramid reinforcement. The installation through bends of up to 45 degrees – and under special considerations of up to 90 degrees – is realized without the need for excavation. By rehabilitating an asset with Primus Line®, its service life is extended by at least 50 years.
Whereas one solution does not fit all applications, FFRPs now offer design engineers a new option, bringing additional value to network operators to the table.
Historic flashback to the origins of Primus Line®
Primus Line® was developed in the late 1990s in Germany, originally for high pressure gas pipelines. Meanwhile, it has a 20-year track record of successful installations, now for water, oil and gas applications, in more than 50 countries worldwide. It holds numerous international potable water certifications including NSF/ANSI 61. More than two million feet of Primus Liner are in operation around the globe, more than 150,000 feet of them successfully installed in North America.
