MATERIALS | POLYOLEFINS
Right: Uponor is now offering PP-RCT in addition to PEX pipe
piping applications in the USA. As well as offering PP-RCT pipe, it has also launched Uponor Construction Services, offering professional estimation, design, and building information modelling (BIM) services to support the design and installation of plumbing and mechanical piping systems. “Our PP-RCT and Construction Services offer-
ings, combined with our traditional PEX piping, deliver a complete polymer solution for a range of commercial plumbing and mechanical projects – from half-inch diameter PEX to 12-inch diameter PP-RCT,” said Bill Gray, president of Uponor North America.
Uponor initially announced its entry into PP-RCT
market in North America in 2019, through an agreement with Pestan North America. As a result, it now markets around 270 pipe and fitting prod- ucts in the USA in sizes up to 12 inches in diameter – with plans to expand this up to 24 inches.
Gas delivery UK-based GPS has produced a bespoke solution as part of a £3 million (US$3.6m) project to build a new gas mains pipeline. The line, underneath the River Foyle in Ireland, is one of the largest direc- tional drilling gas projects ever undertaken in the country, said the company. The 660-metre pipeline uses GPS’ Excel PE100
grade.
Below: Simona’s PE100 pipe helped a
municipality in southern Germany to overcome groundwater shortages
Due to concerns of the long-term structural stability of the pipeline, a thicker pipe than is normally used for the transportation of fuel gas was needed – with 355mm SDR 7.4 Orange PE pipe specified. As a size not previously used in the gas industry, GPS says it was the only manufacturer that could manufacture and test this specific pipe. McCormack, the drilling contractor, drilled a 660mm diameter hole under the riverbed in preparation for the pipe. The pipe was laid out on
nearby school grounds and joined using butt fusion welding. Using school grounds put a short timeframe on the installation: it was moved into position over a weekend and pulled through the hole under the river in a continuous 10-hour operation overnight. The pipe was produced in lengths of 13.5m – in-
stead of the standard 12m – in order to reduce the number of deliveries needed, cut transport costs and reduce carbon emissions. It also reduced the number of butt fusion joints required, which made installation faster.
Network expansion Egeplast recently supplied its HexelOne SLM pipe – which is made from polyethylene (PE) – to expand a gas pipeline in Bavaria in Germany. In total, the project involved laying more than 8,000m of pipe using several different methods, including horizontal directional drilling and trenchless installation. The pipe transports gas with a 16bar pressure rating to a variety of users across the region, with one being a ‘mega greenhouse’. “Using the HexelOne system enabled us to
reduce the total costs of the construction project – compared to other materials – and the construction time,” said Peter Hößl of Bayernwerk Netz, which owns the network. The long delivery lengths – with pipe coils of
100m each — helped to reduce the number of joints compared to other materials. The project required around 100 connections, compared to around 750 that would be required for steel. HexelOne SLM pipes were joined using combina- tion welding, or a connection was achieved via compression fittings. For long pipe segments (which were installed using ploughing, milling or drilling), a combination of butt welding and electrofusion was used. The pipeline was successfully commissioned in
14 PIPE & PROFILE EXTRUSION | March 2021
www.pipeandprofile.com
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