Failed CIPP liner removed with water jet cutting robot

Problem: Water infiltration during the curing process of a CIPP liner, installed inside an 18-inch host pipe in Northampton, Massachusetts, resulted in a failed liner with a massive shark fin in the bottom. The triple-layered and partially uncured liner was 200 feet long and had to be removed to eventually repeat the lining of the pipe segment.

Solution: For accurate and fast removal of the liner with the shark fin at the bottom, the Sewer Robotics USA WJ180 water jet cutting robot was sent down the manhole and into the pipeline. The operator first identified the best cutting strategy, using the robot’s live camera situated just behind the nozzle, and used the system’s controls to deliver the right amount of pressure, the angle to the pipe surface and the distance to the liner/pipe. The operator then applied the high-pressure water blast — in this case 14,500 psi — directly to the CIPP liner to cut it into pieces without adding damage to the host pipe.

Result: The 200 feet of failed liner was successfully cut into small pieces, which were then jetted to the manhole where they were hand-cut into smaller pieces and finally removed from the pipeline. The clear pipe was then relined. 717-658-4532; www.sewerrobotics.com.