Agru Kunststofftechnik is launching the Sureline pipe with a protective layer in the GCC market.

Developed for extreme applications, the Sureline pipe is made of the latest material generation high-quality PE 100-RC (resistance to crack) and surrounded with a protective layer against scratches made by PP material, according to Werner Steindl, senior sales manager of Agru. 

“This special pipe is designed for extreme requirements including alternative installation techniques such as horizontal directional drilling, sandbed-free installation or pipe bursting,” he said.

The product, launched earlier in the European market, has been used to build a drinking water reservoir in Austria.

Speaking about the project, Steindl said: “The project by E-Werk Wels involved building an additional drinking water reservoir in Traunleiten, Austria in order to ensure water supply during a renovation of the existing drinking water reservoir. Additionally, the drinking water storage capacity was increased.  

“The project planning was assigned to Hitzfelder & Pillichshammer. The building contractor RBS Rohrleitungsbau decided to use pipes in the dimension OD 560 mm for the water transportation from and to the new reservoir. The main challenge of the project represented a crossing of the motorway which could not be avoided. The efficient and cost-saving horizontal directional drilling technique was chosen in order to overcome this obstacle,” he said. 

SURELINE TO THE FORE

The Agru Sureline pipe with protective layer in the dimension 560 mm SDR 17 was selected for the horizontal direction drilling installation as well as for the trench installation. This was primarily due to the excellent properties of PE regarding flexibility and low weight as well as the easy and quick welding connection possibilities, according to Steindl.

In total 1,500 m Sureline pipes with protective layer were joined by butt-fusion welding technology. After the welding process, the area of the pre-removed protection layer was completely filled by the welding bead which led to a uniform surface for easy installation.

Agru sweep bends enable a directional change of 90 degrees

In order to be able to insert the pipes with protective layer in the dimension of 560 mm underneath the motorway, pilot holes were drilled and extended to a dimension of 750 mm. Next, the construction crew connected the drilling head to the prepared, pre-welded pipes which then helped to draw in the pipe line opposite to the drilling direction. A special ‘drillmix’ drilling fluid was used instead of the usual bentonite.

Drillmix is a mixture of bentonite and cement which remains and cures in the annular gap of the drill-hole. This measure was necessary due to the high demands caused by the motorway above the line.

The pipes were inserted with a traction force of 25 tons. Under the prevailing conditions, Agru Sureline pipes with protective layer endure the maximum permissible traction force of 70 tons which means that the pipes offered enough scope of strain.

“The team examined the surface of the Agru Sureline pipe with protective layer after the installation.

Scratches of no more than 1.5 mm depth were found which cause no further problems as the protective layer of the pipe is 3 mm thick. This means that the intactness and operational reliability of the inner PE 100-RC pipe was fully guaranteed,” Steindl said.

The remaining pipes were laid through the conventional trench technique. The builders mainly connected the straight sections by butt fusion welding whereas some segments were joined by electro-fusion welding using Agru EF-couplers. The EF-couplers enabled fast installation due to the bifilar design. The welding areas are separated which allows pipes to be pre-welded on one side outside the trench. For changes of direction, Agru sweep bends were built which have the same pressure ratings as the corresponding pipes and, therefore, show improved flow characteristics. Finally, the pipeline and the water reservoir were joined with an Agru flange connection.

Welding by using Agru EF-couplers and standard welding machines after DVS

FOUR DECADES’ EXPERTISE

Agru is an Austrian company that produces and distributes worldwide its high-quality plastic products for piping systems and apparatus engineering and environmental technology as well as constructional engineering. It has been manufacturing and supplying high-grade thermoplastic solutions for the transport and storage of water resources for more than four decades.

The company, which exports some 90 per cent of its output, accords great importance to quality; its products are successfully employed in various fields of industry and infrastructure and are often used for particularly critical applications.

DISTRIBUTOR BMC GULF

It is represented in the region by its UAE-based distributor BMC Gulf, which serves regional markets with specialised engineering services and turnkey solutions for industrial and private projects. It provides its clients and partners with professional engineering services starting from the design stage to the handover of the project in the fields of environmental engineering, piping systems, water management, concrete repair and plastic welding technology.