A six metre section of heavily corroded 150mm steel pipe containing two elbow bends at a fire station pumping house in Saudi Arabia undergoes reinforcement using SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandages to protect and strengthen the line before it could be breached.

Case Study Overview

Site Fire station pumping house
Location Saudi Arabia
Pipe Type 6 metre section of 150mm steel pipe
Repair Type Reinforcement and corrosion protection
Products SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage

Pipe Defect

The pipe brought water from a reservoir on the lower levels of the pumping house to the upper levels, where it was required for different operations at the fire station.

After many years of service, heavy corrosion had developed all over the pipe. The damage was particularly bad on the section beneath the surface of the reservoir, where it was exposed to constant contact with water.

Although the pipe had yet not been breached, the metalwork had been weakened to the point where it was deemed only a matter of time before corrosion caused cracks and holes to appear.

With the station facing an uncertain future, replacing the pipe once it began leaking whilst the possibility existed that the pump house could be decommissioned in several years time would have been hard to justify.

Repairing future leaks would also have been difficult due to the complex shape and route of the pipe. It ran close to metal supports and concrete floors and walls, meaning that a pipe repair clamp could not be fitted anywhere along the six metre section.

To add to the challenges, the line contained two 90 degree elbow bends. The first took the pipe from running vertically up and out of the reservoir to horizontally where the line reached the upper levels. The second elbow was 50cm further along, diverting the pipe to the right to connect with valves and equipment.

After considering the cost and challenges of repairing or replacing the pipe, the station viewed prevention as being better than a cure. They instead sought a pipe reinforcement method to strengthen the line before the problem escalated.

SylWrap Solution

The entire six metre section was wrapped using SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage. SylWrap HD is a composite repair wrap with a water activated resin which sets rocks hard in minutes, creating a protective shell around pipes and structures.

SylWrap HD was applied with a 50 percent overlay, starting from the upper level. The bandage was easily moulded and shaped around the two bends before moving down the pipe, where it was also capable of being applied and curing underwater for the section of pipe through the reservoir.

Once SylWrap had been wrapped around and smoothed over the pipe, the cured bandage encompassed the entire line with an impact resistant sleeve, offering new strength to the pipe and protecting the metalwork against further attack from corrosion.

Outcome

Completing the application took under two hours with no specialist training required. Extending the lifespan of the pipe enabled it to continue serving the station until such time as a decision was made on the future of the facility.

Follow Up

Still no decision had been taken over the future of the station several years later. With the line still operational and showing no further signs of being weakened by corrosion, the reinforcement application had been justified.

Without it, there is no doubt that the pipe would have been breached in the intervening period. The station had therefore avoided what would have been a costly and challenging leak repair through their foresight and willingness to strengthen the pipe.

Products Used

SylWrap HD Bandage
Water-activated wrap sets rock hard to reinforce pipes by creating a rock-had outer shell

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