Leaktight recommendations from SMP
Jul 17, 2007
A publication last year of a European study of the performance of various pipe systems, respectively pipe materials for municipal sewage systems under special consideration of the ecological range of effect during the service life, caused quite some stir amongst those involved with sewer systems.
For RondLeiding magazine this was an important reason to interview Mr Robert Stein from Stein & Parnter GmbH in Bochum (Germany), the company which performed the above mentioned study. Stein & Partner is a highly experienced and knowledgeable engineering corporation where the underground infrastructure is concerned.
Stein & Partner GmbH
Stein & Partner GmbH (hereafter: “Stein”) considers its USP to be the knowledge and expertise on all aspects which deal with underground infrastructure: not only sewer systems, but also tunnels and fully equipped underground transport systems.
Stein is neutral, which means they look for the best solution for each problem, regardless of any possible material. Next to neutrality of course they want to be considered reliable and knowledgeable. As proof of the latter the many translations of their guidance documents can serve, even into Japanese!
Stein is active in 3 areas: Research & Development, Auditing - mainly of situations where an assessment of damage has to be made -, and knowledge transfer.
Stein differs from similar engineering offices because of its focus on the complete infrastructure: this goes beyond pipes!
This philosophy is best explained by their slogan “the future is in the underground”. Most knowledge about sewer systems is concentrated in the Stein subsidiary “Stein Consult GmbH”. This is also where the SMP study has been performed.
An important part of Stein’s message is that too often the value of the underground infrastructure is underestimated. Many owners and users of underground pipe systems have no idea of the value of the infrastructure they own and/or use. And this explains why often important and necessary investments never take place or at least are postponed!
And this is all the more important where in the future the interdependency of all what is part of the underground infrastructure will only grow: changes (repairs, maintenance etc.) of certain parts of the sewer system should only be allowed when the consequences for the whole system are known.
This is where Stein sees much room for innovation: making the whole network more efficient. And as part of this innovation new design of pipes should allow for a more efficient use of pipe systems and their applications.
Obviously this will require additional funds. And these will not be found if owners and users of the underground infrastructure are not fully aware of the value of these systems.
Status
In order to maintain the value of the underground infrastructure good maintenance is paramount. And good maintenance requires good planning. This is why Stein is proud of a software programme they developed themselves: Status.
Status allows for the planning of maintenance, expansion and renewal of underground pipe systems, while considering a great variety of parameters.
Unfortunately the underestimation of the value of underground networks has also as a consequence that not much relevant data are directly available. Fortunately there often is more information available than the owner of the net is aware of, and Stein is able to convert this information into useable data.
However, it is Stein’s clear conviction that regular sewer inspection, a/o to gather more data, is imperative. This is why they support that sewer inspection should be mandatory, like for instance in Germany.
And the more data are collected, the more specific circumstances can be considered in the planning software.
Plastics vs. concrete
Obviously BureauLeiding is very interested in learning about Stein’s opinion on plastic pipes. Before addressing this issue Mr Stein repeates that Stein is neutral: there is no preference for methods and/or materials; Stein is only focussing on what is best for the underground infrastructure.
According to Robert Stein, managing director of S&P consult, the question is not about a preference for a specific material. It is his strong conviction that the emphasis should be on the design of the pipe system, the construction of the pipe system and the maintenance of the pipe system.
For most applications the choice for a specific material will be clear on the basis of the specific advantages. When choosing a material a few criteria should be considered: the material should be durable, functionally safe and leak tight. Further the whole pipe system should be sustainable. With the latter is especially meant that it should be possible at all times during its lifetime to inspect the system, to repair it and to maintain it.
Having said that, Stein nevertheless sees some clear advantages of plastic pipes:
- - the large number of possible forms of the various parts of plastic pipes. This allows for flexible and efficient design and installation. However, a warning is in place as well: the industry has to be careful for the “l’art pour l‘art” principle: changes should be functional and not only a marketing tool. If the customer cannot be convinced of the added value of a different shape or form, he might loose confidence in plastics altogether.
- the lower number of joints that are needed for plastic pipes and thus a lower risk of leakage, and in addition to this the possibility that the weld of the joint is made of the same material as the pipe itself.
- easier handling of plastic pipes during installation.
SMP
As mentioned before it can be said that SMP on the basis from data from Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden concludes that plastic pipes have less damages which affect tightness than other materials. However, SMP does not analyse the cause. Further it has to be considered that attention for tightness of the sewer pipe system is relatively new (approx. the last 15 years). It was always thought that a sewer pipe system would make itself watertight. Now more recent information show that this is not the case, waterthightness has become more important.
According to Stein, SMP can surely be considered a European study for the simple reason that it is the largest research in this field ever, and because of the fact that data from several countries is used.
Stein very much hopes that this first study of its kind will be the basis for discussion and further research in this area.
The study itself, and a summary written by Stein can be downloaded from the BureauLeiding website.
Waste Water quality
When discussing sewer systems it is inevitable not to discuss what is supposed to go through these pipes. And in this respect the (changing) quality of waste water quality is of quite some interest.
The most dramatic changes over the last decades concern the chemical cocktail of the waste water and the raise of temperature. Stein is convinced that the current emphasis on environmental impact will cause a stable situation for the near future, which will most likely change in to an improvement a bit further down the line.
BureauLeiding considers this to be good news, because it means that the life time predictions which were recently established, were based on a truly “worst case scenario”, and thus allow for even more optimistic interpretation.
At the end of the interview Mr Stein urges us not to forget how intelligent water is. Water will always find its way! To design (sewer) systems which sufficiently consider this a holistic and material-neutral approach is required, which considers most of all the water tightness of the system and the proper and correct installation.
More information on Stein & Partner GmbH can be found on:
The full SMP study and a summary written by Stein Consult can be downloaded on www.bureauleiding.nl.
This text is an unofficial translation of the Dutch text which is intended for RondLeiding, a magazine edited by BureauLeiding, the Dutch trade association of plastic pipe manufacturers.
The interview was conducted in German.
More News and Articles
Sep 27, 2023
News
New Launch: UNITRACC Module "Coding of Damage (Findings), Causes, and Consequences of Damage"!
New e-learning module of the course BE-07 Investigation and Inspection of Sewers and Pipelines now available on UNITRACC!
Sep 27, 2023
News
Report shows how leakage technology is advancing
Any water loss through leaking pipes is unacceptable in the eyes of the public, and on the launch of a deep-dive leakage report from Ovarro, technology leader for leakage solutions, Barbara Hathaway, explains how technologies continue to advance.
Sep 25, 2023
Article
Saving energy: Pumping liquids should follow the heartbeat
Pumping liquids may seem like a solved problem, but optimizing the process is still an area of active research. Any pumping application—from industrial scales to heating systems at home—would benefit from a reduction in energy demands. Researchers at the Institute …
Sep 22, 2023
News
Courtesy of Mcelroy- Mobile App goes live for PPXXI
PPXXI Conference and Exhibition welcomes McElroy Manufacturing, Inc. as the mobile app sponsor. Their sponsorship enhances networking opportunities for the delegates. Scheduled over September 25 -27, 2023, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, PPXXI is the key technical and business event …
Sep 20, 2023
News
What’s on at Aquatech Amsterdam 2023
Aquatech is the leading water technology show in the world, with over 800 exhibitors and expecting over 22,000 visitors from over 140+ countries.
Sep 18, 2023
News
Cleveland's $3B Project Clean Lake Features Large-Scale Storage Tunnels
Designed to reduce pollution in Lake Erie by four billion gallons per year, Project Clean Lake is a 25-year plan being overseen by Cleveland's Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD). When construction crews complete the $3 billion undertaking in 2036, …
Sep 13, 2023
News
Mullane rehabilitates heavily deteriorated stormwater pipelines
Mullane once again proved why the company is an industry leader in pipeline solutions with a relining project on the mid north coast of New South Wales.
Sep 11, 2023
News
Pezzimenti Trenchless boasts microtunnelling capabilities
Pezzimenti Trenchless continues to showcase its position as a leading trenchless specialist by completing works on two Victorian projects.
Sep 08, 2023
News
Silvertown Tunnel under Thames - Newham to Greenwich near O2 Arena: See two massive boreholes in east London
The second of two boreholes beneath the Thames – which will together form London’s new Silvertown Tunnel – is now complete.
Sep 04, 2023
News
American Water Issues Sustainability Report
Report highlights American Water’s sustainable impact on communities across the U.S.
Aug 31, 2023
News
Anaergia Selected to Design, Build and Operate Organic Waste-to-Renewable Energy Project in San Diego County
System to provide renewable power, reduce wastewater utility costs, and cut greenhouse gas emissions for East County Advanced Water Purification facility.
Aug 28, 2023
News
Interflow’s spiral wound lining for sustainable pipe maintenance
Spiral wound lining is a sustainable method of pipe maintenance, allowing water authorities and councils to renew their critical infrastructure. Interflow is an expert in this field and has been pioneering new techniques for decades.