3 CIPP Products Every Pipe Rehabilitation Contractor Needs

3 CIPP Products Every Pipe Rehabilitation Contractor Needs
AV-100 chemical grout from Avanti International

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When you are called on to rehabilitate storm drains, sanitary sewers and pipelines, your customers need to feel confident that you have the tools to get the job done quickly and efficiently. Cured-in-place lining has come a long way in the years since its development and the equipment and methodologies have also evolved.   

“CIPP is a big selling point,” says John Stemmle, president of Stemmle Plumbing Repair Inc. in Richmond, Va. (featured in October 2009 Cleaner “Reader Pipelines”). “Part of it is that we only keep an operation down for a day instead of two or three days. We’ve done schools where we would have had to take up a wood gymnasium floor. Instead, you’d never know we were there.” 

Choosing the most effective sewer rehabilitation technology to suit each situation means knowing what lining technologies and tools are available. 

“We got into pipe lining because we’re a full-service plumbing, heating and drain cleaning company,” Stemmle says. “We try to offer customers full service, so they don’t have to go to anybody else. We also went into pipe lining because we like to be innovative and on the cutting edge.” 

As CIPP lining becomes a viable option in more and more rehabilitation projects across the nation, there are more and more products to consider when expanding or upgrading your service offerings: 

1. Lining systems 

Any CIPP rehabilitation program begins with a proper lining system whether it involves epoxy coating, steam cure or bladder inversion. Consider these lining systems to meet different cure time, material and run length needs: 

  • CIPP from Inliner Technologies combines a non-woven engineered tube or liner with a wide array of thermosetting resins determined by the pipeline problem and surrounding environment. The technology can span 4- to 120-inch-diameter pipe; renew pipes with bends, diameter changes or non-circular geometries; and be used in gravity and pressure applications. The CIPP liners can be installed in contiguous segments of several thousand feet by accessing existing manhole structures. The product can be installed via inversion or pull-in-place methods and cured by a variety of methods. 
     
  • CIPP sectional lining bladders from Logiball cover 3- to 36-inch pipes in lengths as long as 25 feet. Available in different configurations, the bladders are resistant and reliable. If a sleeve is damaged, all sleeve installers can be factory re-sleeved. 
     
  • The Nu Drain system from Nu Flow Technologies creates a protective, structural pipe inside an existing host pipe without digging. The system can line inside infrastructure and underground pipe. The restoration uses a liner saturated with epoxy to create a barrier that can span missing sections of pipe, which commonly lead to low flow and root intrusion. A seamless, jointless pipe-within-a-pipe is used to rehabilitate deteriorating sanitary drain and storm sewer lines, including mechanical systems, with minimal disruption. 

    The technology is suited for pipe from 3/4 to 12 inches in diameter and for larger custom sizes, while accommodating multiple 45- and 90-degree elbows. It can be installed through one or two access points. The technology can also be used as a preventive measure against future cracks and intrusions. 
     
  • Quik-Shot from PrimeLine Products combines mainline technology and lateral lining technology for CIPP projects. The product will process any manufacturer’s tube and resin combinations through the gun. For those using Canaflex hose as part of their system, the product has an adapter allowing the use of all camlock fittings and hose without reinvesting in nozzles for multiple sizes of lining materials. The product allows for installation through a cleanout.
     
  • Raven 405FS (fast set) from Raven Lining Systems is a solvent-free 100 percent solids, ultrahigh-build epoxy coating formulated for fast cure and little downtime while maintaining high-quality chemical resistance. The high-build ability allows the epoxy to be applied on vertical and overhead surfaces up to 150 mm thick in one application. It can be used on concrete as a structural lining in manholes, pipelines, tanks and other deteriorated structures. The coating will be tack-free in 90 minutes at 72 degrees F and hard-dry in about two hours.
     
  • The Insignia Sealing System from LMK Technologies offers O-rings, connection hats and end-seal sleeves as solutions to groundwater infiltration at lateral/mainline connections and manholes. The seals swell three to five times their original size on contact with water, forming a watertight seal. The end-seal sleeve offers a large sealing surface, preventing it from falling over once positioned within the pipe. The seamless molding provides a uniform 360-degree compression seal. The end-seal works for pull-in-place and inversion lining.
     
  • The Stinger mini steam unit from Perma-Liner Industries is a compact steam cure system for 2- to 6-inch-diameter pipes. The unit uses bladder inversion heads so users never lose pressure. Features include rapid cure times, infinite working time while still using 100 percent solids epoxy, no rush or downtime, and an average 45-minute cure time on a 60-foot lateral. The user-friendly unit is easily transported and allows operators to work year-round. 

2. Grouting systems 

Grout rehabilitation systems help restore the structural integrity of sewers, stop leaks and control groundwater intrusion. Whether you’re looking for an individual cement- or chemical-based grout or interested in a fully outfitted grout van, consider these options as you start your search: 

  • AV-100 chemical grout from Avanti International has the same viscosity as water, which allows it to quickly permeate the substrate and cure to form a matrix with the soil and porous rock. Pressure injecting the grout into voids with a remote packer also eliminates water migration into the sewer system. The product has a 362-year half-life in soil as rated by the U.S. Department of Energy. The grout is a permanent solution for controlling groundwater and infiltration in manholes, laterals and mainline sewers. It can be used with a remote packer, encapsulating hazardous waste, preventing structural movement due to groundwater, and sealing entire sewer and underground transit systems.
     
  • CUES portable and truck-mounted grout rehabilitation systems are available for mainline joint and lateral sealing and can be equipped with the latest CCTV equipment for inspection. Applications include joint testing and sealing of mainlines and lateral joints, manholes, junction boxes, large-diameter pipes or any other low-pressure waterproofing application. All systems can be configured to run urethane, acrylimide and acrylate grouts. Dry freight box (for export) and trailer-mounted systems are also available. Grout packers are available for mainline and lateral sealing. TV/grout/lateral reinstatement trucks are also available as an all-in-one production unit for TV inspection of mainlines and laterals (optional), joint sealing of mainlines or laterals, and lateral reinstatement. 

3. Cutters 

Cutters are must-haves when expanding into the CIPP lining field. Once the lining process is complete, a reinstatement cutter reconnects the laterals to the mainline. Other cutters clear away debris to streamline the lining process. Consider these options: 

  • The Dominator 430 from Bowman Tool Company & Systems is a 72-pound reinstatement cutter designed to operate in 6- to 30-inch lined pipe. There is no external air tube, giving the cutter a streamlined design. The head assembly is a pinion-less, quick-change design with only one adjustable gib to reduce adjustment time.

    The device is configured for lateral reinstatement with the Bowman 0.8 hp or 1.2 hp crossflow air motor. Optimum performance is reached with the 2.5 hp geared air motor, which reduces reinstatement time by 80 percent. The cutter can be disassembled and reassembled in 30 minutes with the simple design and only eight moving parts. All electric motors are isolated at the end of the cutter in a watertight chamber, eliminating water damage and allowing for easy access. The cutter is manufactured from temper-hardened stainless steel and bronze to cut tough liners, including UV liners.
     
  • Percussion Milling Cutters from Enz USA are designed to remove deposits such as concrete, injection cement and heavy mineral deposits. The cutter is sometimes the only alternative to digging up pipes under foundations or roads. The tools have a combination of carbide and diamond teeth and use rotating percussion power as a way to remove hard debris and deposits. The cutters offer 600 to 3,000 impulses per minute and up to 12 tons of impact force. They clean pipes from 4 to 24 inches.
     
  • The Digital Tap Cutter Controller from RS Technical Services is a single-conductor module that is compatible with all RST single-conductor mainline systems and operates multi-conductor cutters and other robotics. Features include the ability to control and monitor up to 10 functions, a proportional joystick control and programmable current limits on the motors to protect them from damage. The unit offers test modes and equipment operations, and an on-screen status display of settings is easy to read and interpret. 

(All equipment listings from Cleaner Product Focus, October 2012)



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