The latest news fresh from the pipeline 2019 | 11

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150 years lifetime of GRP pipes:

Expert talk with Högni Jónsson
GRP pipes ready for takeoff:
Flowtite penstock in Norway Flowtite GRP pipes up in the air, on their way to being installed
for the hydropower plant Breivikelva in Norway. Read more
about the project on pages 4/5 .
The latest news fresh from the pipeline Stream

Stream Pipes designed for generations

Those who make bold claims must prove their credentials. That’s a law of nature and,
in a world where it's often hard to distinguish between real and fake news, increasingly
important. Amiblu is among “those”: we claim that our pipes have an operational lifetime
of 150 years. But who could ever say they have witnessed such a pipe’s life? It takes
about five human generations to do so. And besides: Amiblu itself has barely lit the 60th
candle of its birthday cake. So where’s the proof?

We can in fact provide evidence, and that’s thanks to our dedicated team of GRP experts
working and researching in Amiblu’s certified laboratory in Norway. They literally put
our pipes to the acid test, simulating extreme conditions under excessive strain, to then
analyze the data and extrapolate them far into the future. These tests are standardized
and require a duration of at least 10,000 hours, which is slightly more than one year. We
take things far further though: some of our GRP samples are being tested without failure
for decades already. But I do not want to anticipate too much – you’ll learn everything
on how we prove our pipes’ extraordinary lifetime from our GRP expert Högni Jónsson on
Pierre Sommereijns, CEO Amiblu Group pages 6-9 in this Amiblu Stream magazine.

As usual, this issue also features impressive projects with Flowtite and Hobas GRP
pipes as well as Amiblu NC Line from all over Europe. Special highlight is a hydropower
project in Norway, where our pipes were spectacularly unloaded from the cargo ship via
helicopter – find the case study on pages 4-5. Enjoy reading and learning, and have a
peaceful holiday season!

Best wishes from Klagenfurt,

Pierre Sommereijns

New brochure: GRP storage systems for potable water

High-quality, safe, and sufficient drinking water is essential for our daily life. Amiblu offers a wide range of standard and custom-tailored
products for the extraction of potable water as well as its storage and supply, thereby providing for a fully reliable system.

Curious to find out more?

Click HERE to download

our brandnew brochure
on GRP storage systems
for potable water!

bit.ly/Amiblu-PWT

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Sustainable solution for nature protection area

In the south of the Netherlands, a 4000 m long Flowtite pressure pipeline was installed as a bypass during renovation works on an
existing sewer channel. The quick and easy construction considerably reduced the work's enviromental impact in the Natura 2000 site.

An aged concrete sewer channel that crosses a sensitive forest terrain and is on PROJECT DATA
the verge to collapse: no time to waste for the city of Eindhoven and the local
The Netherlands |
water board Waterschap De Dommel. The damaged channel had to be urgently Country | City
Eindhoven
renovated. In order to minimize all risks, it was decided to install a reliable bypass
line for the sewage as a first and immediate step. Since the affected forest area is Year of construction 2019
listed in the EU’s Natura 2000 network, all implemented measures and materials Installation time 4 weeks
had to be strictly evaluated.
Application Sewer pressure

Time was a critical factor, both because of the old sewer’s dire condition and the Installation Buried & above ground
fact that a shorter installation time meant less harmful CO2 and NOX emissions by Technology Flowtite FW
construction machinery. Amiblu GRP pipes provided an ideal solution – they are
Total length of pipe 4000 m
quick and easy to install thanks to their light weight and the convenient filament
wound double-bell couplings. 4000 m Flowtite GRP pressure pipes DN 800 PN 10 Nominal diameter DN 800
were laid in open trench and partly, for the crossing of roads, above ground in up to Nominal stiffness SN 10000
4 m height. After four weeks, the new pipeline was ready for operation.
Nominal pressure PN 10

The Flowtite bypass line will stay in place for two to three years. After dismantling, Client / investor Waterschap De Dommel

the client Waterschap De Dommel will keep the pipes and use them for further Contractor GW Leidingtechniek BV
projects. This increases the project’s sustainability even further.
Designer Kragten BV

Click on the image on the

left and watch the Flowtite
pressure pipeline being
installed in Eindhoven!

bit.ly/Sewer-Eindhoven

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From sea to peak: GRP penstock

for Breivikelva hydropower plant
1026 m Flowtite GRP pressure pipes DN 1200 are currently being installed as part of the penstock for the
new hydropower plant Breivikelva in northern Norway. The challenging geographic conditions called for a
special multi-stage delivery approach via ship, helicopter, and trucks.

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The municipality of Beiarn is located just north of the Arctic Circle, in the middle of PROJECT DATA
Norway's pristine nature and mountains which offer many outdoor activities to visi-
Country | Municipality Norway | Beiarn
tors. However, the mountain slopes are not only used for hiking: Since April 2019,
a brand-new hydroelectric power plant is being built in Beiarn. Breivikelva hydro- Year of construction 2019/2020
power plant is fed by the river of the same name and will have an installed capacity Application Hydropower penstock
of 9 MW. The penstock was planned in the material combination ductile iron / GRP
Installation Open trench
and Amiblu supplied the required highly durable GRP pipes.
Technology Flowtite FW

A total of 1026 m Flowtite pressure pipes DN 1200 were transported from the Total length of pipe 1026 m
port of Gdynia in Poland to the bay of Beiarn on a cargo ship. Since Beiarn does not
Nominal diameter DN 1200
have a port, the ship had to anchor offshore and the delivery continued in a really
Nominal pressure PN 20
exceptional way: A helicopter lifted the 6 m long pipes one by one and flew them to
the storage area close to the building site of the future power plant at the bottom Nominal stiffness SN 5000
of the mountain. The GRP pipes’ light weight and easy handling makes them perfect Client / investor Salten Kraftsamband AS
for helicopter transportation – in fact, the transfer time per pipe was no longer than
Contractor Fjellbygg AS
3.5 minutes. From the storage area, the GRP pipes are now being moved on to the
trench with trucks.

The installation started in April 2019 and works on the hydropower plant are ex-
pected to continue until summer 2020, when operations should start. With a head
of 305.5 meters and an annual production of 27 GWh, Breivikelva hydropower plant
will then produce electricity for approximately 1360 households.

Left and below: A helicopter transported the GRP pressure pipes from the ship to the storage area at the bottom of the mountain.

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GRP pipes have a lifetime of 150 years. Here's the proof.

"Engineered for the next 150 years": It's quite a bold claim that Amiblu makes
about their GRP products. But how can anyone possibly know, given that the
company itself is just over 60 years old? We talked to Amiblu Product Develop-
ment Manager Högni Jónsson who let us in on some interesting research.

Amiblu promises an operational lifetime of one and a half centuries for their GRP
products. Where's the proof?
Jónsson: To answer this question, we first need to look at the reasons why most
pipes do not reach this mature age. These reasons carry names such as Thiobac-
cillus concretivorus and Thiobaccillus ferrooxidans – tiny bacteria that decompose
sewage and form hydrogen sulphide gas (H2S). When combined with moist air, the
gas forms sulphuric acid (H2SO4) which is highly corrosive to materials like concrete,
steel, and cast iron. This “microbially induced corrosion” can cause significant dam-
age over time. Corrosion is also a major problem in seawater applications, where
the contained sodium chloride eats away at e.g. metals and causes them to fall
apart. With GRP products, the situation is quite different.

You’re saying that GRP pipes are not affected by corrosion?

Jónsson: Exactly. Plastics are inherently more robust than both concrete and
metals in acidic environments. To prove this, we literally put our pipes to the acid The test results demonstrate the
test: Several pipe samples are exposed to sulphuric acid (H2SO4) for a considerable product performance and reveal a
time, while being subjected to artificially high tensile strains (see Fig. 4). The idea product service life of more than
is to simulate the chemical conditions in aggressive sewage, but under an exces- 150 years, including a remarkably
sive strain in order to cause failure within a reasonable time frame. To determine high safety margin.
the pipes' long-term properties, the measured data is analysed statistically and
– Högni Jónsson
extrapolated into the unknown to predict a limiting strain for use in pipe design.
Head of Product Development and Support
Amiblu Group

Fig. 1: Pipelines made of concrete or metals corrode in low-pH Fig. 2: GRP pipes are inherently corrosion-resistant and feature a long,
sewer environments under the influence of sulphuric acid. low-maintenance lifetime also in harsh sewer environments.

6 GRP pipe
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Fig. 3: The process of microbially induced corrosion.

Slime and silt contain bacteria which break down Sewer atmosphere: Sewer corrosion formula:
organic and inorganic sulphur compounds, thereby Air CO2 H2S + O2 + bacteria
producing hydrogen sulphide (H2S). When the H2S gas H2SNH3 H2O O2
comes into contact with the moist surfaces above the
water line in the sewer, it can combine with dissolved H2SO4
oxygen (02 ) to directly form sulfuric acid (H2SO4 ). How-
ever, most of the H2S is decomposed into elemental SO4 + bacteria H 2S
sulfur S, which is a source of energy for the Thiobacillus
bacteria family; they are oxidizing the elemental sulfur
and their metabolic waste is H2SO4. This sulfuric acid Slime
Surface corroded by H2SO4
lowers the biofilm pH and corrodes concrete, steel, and
Silt
cast iron.

Did Amiblu invent this test method?

Jónsson: No. The acid test for GRP pipes was first
standardized by the American Society for Testing and
Materials in 1978 (test method ASTM D3681) and has
been in use ever since. The same procedure is also
specified in EN 1120 and ISO 10952. The test method
calls for minimum 10,000 hours of testing with at
least 18 samples. However, since the test is relatively
simple to conduct and does not require much space,
a great number of samples have been left exposed
to acid for much longer time periods. We studied the
results from over 40 years of continuous testing of
Flowtite and Hobas GRP pipes, involving more than
1800 test samples. Fig. 4: Strain corrosion tests according to ASTM D3681 in the Amiblu R&D center in
Norway.
This sounds very comprehensive. Please tell us a little
more about these samples and the test setting.
Jónsson: Our tests cover a variety of pipe designs
which have been in continuous use. The samples,
most of them DN 600, were taken from a number of
Flowtite and Hobas manufacturing plants. According
to ASTM D3681, we subjected each 300 mm long
pipe sample to a vertical force causing tensile bend-
ing strain in the pipe invert, while exposing it to a 5 %
concentration of sulphuric acid.

A typical test series consists of 18-25 samples,

usually from a single production batch, at various
strain levels. The strain is measured after the load
has been applied and then the sample is stored under
controlled conditions until failure occurs, detectable as Fig. 5/6: Flowtite sample from 1978 (left) and Hobas sample from 1990 (right).
leakage through the pipe wall.

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Fig. 7: A typical test series with 25

Flowtite pipe samples. The horizontal
Chemical resistance of GRP pipes
axis is the time-to-failure, the vertical
Typical standardized test,
one production batch axis shows the bending strain at the
pipe invert, both on a logarithm scale.
Each point on the graph represents a
pipe sample that has been subjected
Strain (%)

to the recorded strain until failure oc-

curred. Having fulfilled the statistical
requirements, a straight line that fits
the data is computed, using covariance
regression analysis. In this case, the
extrapolated strain value at 438,000
Regression line hours (i.e. 50 years) is 0.67 %. With
Points calculated
typical long-term deflection of 3 %
(yielding a strain of 0.27 % for current
pipe designs), the calculated safety
Time (hours) margin is approximately 2.5.

With at least one data point exceeding 10,000 hours and the rest relatively evenly “threshold strain", the samples simply do not fail. For
spread over the time range, and with an appropriate coefficient of correlation, the this set of data, the threshold appears to be around
data can be safely used and extrapolated with classic statistical methods. 0.9 % strain. A classic regression analysis of the data
points up to 1000 hours results in a line with a mild
How about the results? slope, while regression analysis of data points after
Jónsson: The shortest measured time to failure is 0.3 hours at 1.35 % strain; the 1000 hours through to over 350,000 hours show
longest is 28 years and 78 days at 1.05 % strain. The longest, still running test was an almost horizontal line. By extrapolating this line
set up on October 4 1978. The sample has now been exposed to the acid test for
th
by only ½ of a decade, which is less than one third of
more than 40 years at 0.91 % strain. What’s really interesting here is the bilinear what classical statistics allows, we reached a 150-
behavior: up to strains of about 1.6 %, most samples fail within relatively short time year strain value of 0.93 %.
periods. At strains between 0.9 % and 1.3 %, the time to failure is much longer.
Only a handful of data points fall below this range, meaning that below a certain

Fig. 8: The complete data of tested

Hobas and Flowtite pipe samples over
the past 40 years on a log-log scale.
The dots on the chart represent failed
samples, while the crosses represent
samples that are still running. The
failed samples are distributed along
Strain (%)

the whole time scale, clustering

together on a relatively narrow strain-
band. There are 40 samples that
have lasted more than 12 years, with
strains ranging from 0.5 % to 1.1 %. Of
these, 16 have failed, while 24 are still
running.

Time (hours)

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Is this a typical strain in sewer or similar applications?

Jónsson: No, and that’s the fantastic conclusion: The typical long-term operating
strain of such a pipe is merely 0.27 %. This means that, in real-life applications, we
even reach an excellent safety margin of 3.4.

This sounds really impressive! Any project examples that prove this durability?
Jónsson: In 2004, a pipe DN 1800 that had been in continuous use in aggressive
environment since 1980 was unearthed and inspected (Fig. 9-11). The pipe came
from the sewage treatment plant belonging to the Water and Sewerage Depart-
ment in Riyadh. After almost 25 years in service, the pipe showed no signs of
degradation or deterioration, only a slight change in stiffness. Another sample
taken from a pipe in Norway that had been submerged in sea water for more than
33 years showed no signs of corrosion or visible aging either. The mechanical prop-
erties were also well within the initial design requirements (Fig. 12-13).

Bottom line: The 150 years lifetime of Amiblu GRP pipes is a matter of fact!
Jónsson: Indeed. This large database of test results demonstrates the product
performance and reveals a service life of more than 150 years with good safety
margins. The data shows that, if the strain is below a certain threshold level, the
pipes will serve several future generations.

Högni Jónsson is the head of product development and support of the Amiblu Group.
Born in Iceland, he manages the Amiblu laboratory in Norway and is responsible for Fig. 9-11: A Flowtite GRP sewer pipe DN 1800 was un-
the design and qualification of GRP pipes and fittings as well as customer support. earthed and inspected after almost 25 years in service
Högni can draw on over 25 years’ experience with composite materials and has pub- at a sewage treatment plant in Riyadh, SA. The pipe
lished several papers in the field. He is the chairman of CEN and ISO standardization showed no signs of deterioration.
committees for glass fiber reinforced plastic pipes.

Fig. 12-13: After 33 years exposure to sewage and seawater, a Flowtite GRP diffuser was brought ashore for analysis of its condition and me-
chanical properties (left). After cleaning parts of it, the pipe looked almost brand-new (right). The pipe showed no visible signs of ageing and its
mechanical properties were basically unchanged. Read more about this project on pages 10-11.

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GRP pipes in excellent condition after 33 years in seawater

In 1975, 1500 m of Flowtite pipes were installed as subaqueous marine outfall
of the Enga wastewater treatment plant in the Norwegian town of Sandefjord. In
2008, one pipe section was brought ashore to evaluate its condition. The result:
A fully functional pipe with very good mechanical properties.

The outfall of the Enga wastewater treatment plant in Sandefjord was installed
and commissioned in 1975. Built of Flowtite GRP pipes, the outfall is entirely
installed underwater and consists of three different parts:
• The first part is 400 m long and consists of pipes DN 800, buried in the seabed
at an average depth of 2 to 2.5 m.
• The next 1055 m of GRP pipes DN 800 are laid directly on the seabed. Flowtite
GRP pipes do not float as they have a specific gravity of approximately 2. Horse-
shoe anchors are used for additional stability.
• The 67 m long suspended GRP diffusor, DN 700 and DN 500, was installed
floating at an elevation of up to 3 m above the seabed and 38 to 42 m below
sea level. The diffuser consists of a 45 m long initial section DN 700 and a 22 m
long final section DN 500. Both sections are fitted with 180 mm circular ports
every 3.25 m along the diffuser’s spring lines. The sections are joined with a
DN 700/500 eccentric reducer, and all parts connected with GRP butt-wrap
joints. A DN 800/700 eccentric reducer joins the diffuser with the main outfall
line DN 800 with a rubber bellow. For floatation, the GRP diffuser is fitted with
foam-filled buoyancy elements. The buoyancy elements are moored to concrete
anchors resting at the seabed.

The outfall was constructed by joining GRP pipes to 50-100 m long pipe strings
using GRP butt-wrap joints. The strings were fitted with GRP collars and steel
loose flanges at the ends, installed by means of a float-sink procedure, and joined
on site using the flanges.

In 2008, a section of the DN 500 diffuser was brought ashore for analysis of its
condition and mechanical properties after 33 years of exposure to treated sewage
and seawater. Even though there was no chlorination, the pipes showed only very
Above: After 33 years of service in seawater, a section
of the GRP diffuser was brought ashore to have its
mechanical properties tested.
Below: A drawing of the complete 67 m long diffuser.

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limited biological growth. Samples were cut from the pipe and cleaned. A visual PROJECT DATA
inspection did not reveal any signs of ageing, the internal surface of the samples
Country | Municipality Norway | Sandefjord
was as shiny as of a new pipe.
Year of construction 1975

The key mechanical properties of the 33-year-old pipe were measured at the Seawater outfall for
Application
Amiblu laboratory in Sandefjord and compared to the design requirements from WWTP
1975. The results are listed below: Installation Subaqueous

Technology Flowtite FW
Design requirement Measured result
Mechanical properties
1975 2008 Total length of pipe 1500 m

Specific initial DN 500, DN 700,

1280 Pa 1377 Pa Nominal diameter
tangential stiffness DN 800

Axial tensile strength 70 MPa 95.4 MPa Nominal pressure PN 2.5

Hoop flexural strength 140 MPa 168.3 MPa Nominal stiffness SN 1280

Client / investor Sandefjord Municipality

In addition, a pipe section was pressure tested to burst. The pipe busted at 25 bar, Designer VIak AS
which is a very good performance for a PN 2.5 pipe.

Bottom line: The GRP pipes have proven to be totally resistant to corrosion and
had retained the mechanical properties that applied to the products when they
were initially manufactured.

Left: After cleaning the pipe with soap and water, it

looked brandnew. There were no signs of ageing. The
test results confirmed the excellent condition also with
regard to the pipe's performance.

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Stormwater sewer for new "wavy" residence in Denmark

In the Danish town of Vejle, 740 m of Hobas GRP
pipes DN 1200 are being installed for a new stormwa-
ter sewer system by the construction company
Nørgaard Anlæg. The surroundings with the Vejle
Fjord on the one and the Bølgen (meaning "wave")
residential building on the other hand are perfectly
impressive - and call for an impressively perfect prod-
uct! The very high groundwater level, increasing rain,
plus incoming sea water make the construction of this
new durable pipe system necessary. The project is
running perfectly on schedule and will be completed in
December 2019.

“Energia verde” thanks to Amiblu GRP in the North of Italy

920 m of Hobas GRP pipes DN 1800, DN 2000, and

DN 2200 are being installed as penstock for a new hy-
dropower plant in the municipality of Angolo Terme in
northern Italy. Owned by Fen Energia / IDEA Services,
the plant will produce 800 KW. The GRP pipes’ smooth
inner surface allows for a perfect flow rate of 4 m³/sec
despite a relatively small head of water. The installa-
tion is scheduled to be completed by February 2020.

No more detours needed: Convenient GRP tunnel below the rails

In the small Polish town of Parczew, a passageway for

pedestrians and cyclists was built from Hobas pipes
De 3600 in August 2019. The pipes were jacked
underneath the railway line LK30, while the trains
kept passing on regular schedule. Paving new ways
without interrupting others: an Amiblu specialty!

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GRP pipes add value for nature and citizens

Between the cities of Gondomar and Porto in northern Portugal, a 3129 m long Flowtite pressure pipeline was installed to relieve an
ecologically sensitive river from excessive sewage discharges.

Rio Tinto river is a small tributary of the river Douro and has a rich biodiversity. DN 800, PN 12 were installed in open trench between
Over the past years, flora and fauna have decreased due to discharges from the WWTPs Freixo and Meiral, alongside the Rio Tinto
two wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) that were led directly into Rio Tinto’s river. A high groundwater table and strict environmen-
sensible waters. In 2018, the councils of Gondomar and Porto decided to stop the tal requirements posed a challenge to the installation
pollution and build a new pipeline to divert the treated and depurated water away works but were easily managed thanks to the GRP
from Rio Tinto into the larger river Duoro, which has a much bigger regeneration material’s optimal properties. The client is very satis-
and assimilative capacity. fied with the completion of the project which created
a new natural environment and returned the Rio Tinto
The clients Águas do Porto and Águas de Gondomar chose to implement this proj- river to the population, including a pedestrian and
ect with a reliable, sustainable GRP pipe solution. 3129 m Flowtite pressure pipes cycling lane that follows the riverbed.

PROJECT DATA

Country | Cities Portugal | Porto & Gondomar Nominal diameter DN 800

Year of construction 2018 Nominal stiffness SN 10,000

Installation time 10 months Nominal pressure PN 12

Application Sewer Águas do Porto,

Client / investor
Águas de Gondomar
Installation Open trench
Contractor DST Domingos Silva Teixeira
Technology Flowtite FW
Hidrofunção-consultores
Designer
Total length of pipe 3129 m De Engenharia

Click on the image on the

left to get a visual impres-
sion of this remarkable
project!

bit.ly/Sewer-Rio-Tinto

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Sustainable sewer rehab with Amiblu GRP in East Anglia

In the British city of Norwich, the life of a corroded sewer has been extended with Flowtite GRP relining pipes. Thanks to the innovative
design and a collaborative approach, the initially estimated carbon emissions were reduced by 55 %.

Norwich’s main trunk sewer had been found to be in extremely poor structural The pipes were jacked into place and the anulus
condition: Hydrogen sulfide gases had corroded the mortar, resulting in large grouted to restore the full structural condition of the
scale brick loss and a high likelihood of collapse. The @one Alliance design team sewer for another 150 years, eliminating any future
defined the best solution to rehabilitate the 11 m deep sewer DN 1676 to be GRP risk of H2S attack. With a Colebrook-White friction co-
relining pipes manufactured by Amiblu. Other methods were considered for the efficient of Ks = 0.0029 mm (compared to the current
sewer renovation but were deemed impracticable due to the depth and condition Ks value of 60 mm+ as per the WRC Sewerage Reha-
of the existing pipeline and the need to create a contingency plan to release flows bilitation Manual), the new GRP sewer allows for an
during the construction process. A major challenge was the temporary bypass of increased hydraulic performance despite a reduction
foul sewage; up to 2,200 l/s had to be temporarily diverted to facilitate rehabilita- in cross-sectional area, and a planned future network
tion works. The sewage was bypassed to a temporary pumping station by using a upgrade to 3,200 l/s.
bespoke prefabricated system, allowing the renovation to take place
Following an extensive upfront enabling program,
Flowtite relining pipes DN 1500 were delivered to the Whitlingham Wastewater collaborative stakeholder engagement and innova-
Treatment Works fully cured, in a mix of 1 m and 3 m long sections with in-line tive design, the sewer and connected manholes have
joints. A severely corroded manhole was dismantled to create a launch pit through been successfully rehabilitated, whilst achieving a
which the GRP pipes were lowered and jacked 300 m downstream and 60 m 55 % carbon reduction against baseline targets. By July
upstream. The thrust wall was specifically designed with a 1200 mm diameter 2019, the sewer was returned to a structural condi-
opening, allowing released flows to pass through in an emergency. tion grade 1.

Lee Forth, technical manager, Anglian Water @one

Below / Upper left: The old trunk sewer's very bad condition before the renovation. Alliance: “With tight deadlines to achieve, Amiblu have
Lower left: The shiny new GRP sewer with its smooth inner surface. assisted from design onwards to ensure this project
Right: Flowtite relining pipes revitalized the corroded pipe systemm, extending its has been a success. Delivery was prompt and, as this
service life by another 150 years. was our first project of this nature, their advice to our
site team ensured installation went smoothly.”

PROJECT DATA

Country | City UK | Norwich

Year of construction 2019

Application Sewer

Installation Trenchless / Relining

Technology Flowtite FW

Total length of pipe 360 m

Nominal diameter DN 1500

Nominal pressure PN 1

Nominal stiffness SN 10,000

Client / investor Anglian Water

Barhale Ltd /
Contractor
@one Alliance
Designer Sweco / @one Alliance

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Four-line Amiscreen installed in Thuringia

In the city of Geisa in the German state of Thuringia, a combined sewer system
was successfully upgraded with a 70 m³ Flowtite storage sewer DN 2800 with
integrated Amiscreen solids retention. The GRP sewer features a comprehensive
screening system made of four circular elements DN 600 that result in a filter sur-
face of 73 m² and a maximum discharge rate of 1445 l/s. A stormwater overflow
shaft DN 3000 is also part of the structure.

PROJECT PARAMETERS

Country | City Germany | Geisa

Year of construction 2019

Installation method Open trench

Storage sewer with integrated
Application
solids retention system
Technology Flowtite FW, Amiblu Amiscreen

Specs storage sewer DN 2800, 12 m length

Specs Amiscreen elements 4 x 10 m of DN 600

Client Water & sewage board Bad Salzungen

Designer TTB Werra

Contractor Baugesellschaft Ulsterstal Above: Outside and inside view of the Flowtite storage
sewer with integrated Amiscreen system.

GRP pipes help modernize combined sewer system in France

Hobas and Flowtite GRP pipes were installed as part of a new storage system in the city of Clermont-Ferrand.
They ensure that the combined sewage is reliably discharged without harming the environment.

The French city of Clermont-Ferrand and its met-

ropolitan area are mainly equipped with combined
sewer networks that transport both stormwater and
wastewater. Whenever it rains, the networks tend
to overflow and thereby pollute the rivers Artière,
Bédat, and Tiretaine. As separating the combined
networks into two networks is impossible, a big
modernization program has been initiated to guar-
antee the sound condition of the watercourses and
improve the area’s waste- and stormwater treat-
ment. This program is part of the European directive
on urban wastewater treatment (91/271/EEC) that
aims to protect the environment from the adverse
effects of urban wastewater discharges.

Right: A Hobas pipe system DN 2400 was installed

between the intercepting chamber and the storage tank.
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The program includes the construction of six big storage tanks with a total capacity
of 80,000 m³ by 2025. The first 2,200 m3 storage tank was commissioned in 2018,
and a second one with 10,000 m3 should start operations in the second half of
2020. It is made of concrete and named “Belle-Ombre” according to the street it is
located in, directly in the city of Clermont-Ferrand. In addition to the tank, various
structures were needed to complete the system:
• A concrete intercepting chamber to intercept the flow from the combined net-
work during a rain event and direct it towards the tank.
• A pipe network DN 2400 of 80 meters length installed at 4.60 meters depth,
leading from the intercepting chamber to the storage tank.
• An overflow chamber located at the end of the pipeline DN 2400 just before the
storage tank to bypass the flow to the river once the water level inside the stor-
age tank reaches a defined maximum.
• A flushing system DN 3000 inside the storage tank.

The client chose Amiblu GRP for the implementation of the pipe network DN 2400
and the flushing chamber DN 3000. The products’ very good hydraulic perfor-
mance, long lifetime, quick and easy installation, as well as the professional sup-
port by Amiblu experts were especially important due to a number of challenging
circumstances: the construction site is located in an area of protection of historical
monuments, there was no storage capacity on site, and the area lies in a moder-
ate seismicity zone as well as in a “flood zone” of the Tiretaine river with a high
groundwater level and soils of different nature. Moreover, the discharge into the
Tiretaine river had to be maintained throughout the duration of the project.

Amiblu supplied 80 m Hobas GRP pipes DN 2400 that were installed in open
trench. Thanks to the very smooth inner liner, the pipeline can handle a flow rate
of 12.3 m³/s despite a very small slope of 0.55 %. Additionally, a 7 m long verti-
cal Flowtite pipe DN 3000 was installed directly inside the 10.000 m³ tank. It was
lifted with a crane and its lower part cast in concrete thanks to a premounted
masonry coupling. The DN 3000 pipe forms the main part of a vacuum flushing
system that automatically cleans the tank after a rain event. Client, designer, and
contractor are very satisfied with the installation of the GRP products and coop- Above: A 7 m long vertical Flowtite pipe DN 3000
eration with Amiblu in this project. serves as flushing system inside the storage chamber.

PROJECT DATA

Country | City France | Clermont-Ferrand Specs Hobas CC pipe DN 2400, SN 5000, PN 1

(supply pipeline) 80 m length
Year of construction 2019
Specs Flowtite FW pipe DN 3000, SN 5000, PN 1
Installation time 1 month
(flushing system) 7 m length
Stormwater storage and
Application Communauté Urbaine Cler-
retention tank Client / investor
mont Auvergne Métropole
Installation Open trench & inside tank
Contractor NGE - EHTP
Technology Hobas CC & Flowtite FW
Designer Egis
Total length of pipe 87 m

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Renovation of sewer system with Amiblu NC Line in Krakow

In Poland’s second largest city Krakow, an aged non-
circular sewer was relined with 746 m of Amiblu NC
Line pipes. The location close to a main artery and
ongoing operations of the existing sewer line made
the installation challenging.

The project "Water and sewage management in

Kraków - stage V" is co-financed by the European
Union and underway in Krakow since 2017. It involves
a comprehensive modernization of the municipal
water and sewage management system. Over 6 km of
sewerage and 3.5 km of water supply lines will be cre-
ated, and approximately 30 km of the existing network
will be repaired and renovated.

Depending on the locations and conditions of the

various network sections, different technologies were
used to rehabilitate the aged pipelines. For a combined
sewer system in Słowackiego Avenue, which is one of
the most frequented roads of the city, trenchless was
clearly the best option. The 80 year old non-circular
collector required structural reinforcement due to its Above: 746 m of Amiblu NC Line pipes in various cross-sections were installed in the
course of eight months to renovate parts of Krakow's aged sewer system.
very poor static condition, and it was decided that
Amiblu should supply the necessary GRP products for
this project.

The rehabilitation plan was challenging: Both the PROJECT DATA

traffic on Słowackiego Avenue and the water flow
Country | City Poland | Krakow
inside the sewer had to be maintained throughout
the construction works. The contractor decided to Year of construction 2018/2019
work 90 % at night, i.e. from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the Installation method Trenchless / Relining
morning. Amiblu NC Line facilitated the installation in
Application Combined sewer system
the still operating sewer thanks to the quick and easy
way to join the gaskets. 746 m of non-circular profiles Technology Amiblu NC Line
in lengths of 1 to 3 meters were fitted inside the old Total length of pipe 746 m
channel to upgrade its structural strength and thereby
800/1200 mm, 700/1050 mm,
extend its lifetime. The project was successfully com- Pipe diameters
618/1084 mm, 500/950 mm
pleted in June 2019 and now contributes to a safer,
Miejskie Przedsiębiorstwo
future-oriented wastewater management in Krakow.
Client / investors Wodociągów / Kanalizacji Spółka
Akcyjna w Krakowie
Contractor PPRiUS REMKAN Sp. z o.o.

Designer PPU CPROJECT Kraków

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Pipes designed for generations

Now that you read about several recent and ongoing Amiblu showcase projects on the previous pages, we want to close this
issue of Amiblu Stream with a few fabulous impressions from earlier days of our pipeline business. Enjoy the flashback!

Pipes designed for generations

Contact | Disclaimer | © Amiblu Holding GmbH, 2019