New Nitrogen Pipeline for the University Hospital Bern
Jan 12, 2016
Founded in 1534, the “Inselspital” hospital in the city of Bern today is one of the most prominent University Hospitals in Switzerland and an internationally renowned centre for high-tech medical science. The premises in the western part of the city include several buildings accommodating numerous highly specialised clinics where round about 40.000 inpatients and 520.000 outpatients are treated per year.
It is not hard to imagine that the infrastructure for operating such a high-technology complex is very expansive and has to be continuously adapted to the requirements. In order to extend the pipeline network a new nitrogen pipeline had to be installed from a fuel depot into a building housing the intensive care, casualty and surgery units (INO).
Liquid nitrogen, as a medical application, is used for freezing tissue and cells at temperatures as low as -196 °C, the so-called "cryopreservation". For the new pipeline a vacuum-insulated pipe with an outer diameter of 63 mm, which could bear up against these sub-zero temperatures, was to be installed inside a protection pipe PE NW 280 S8.
The 70 m long bore path on the clinic premises, densely covered with buildings, took its course past the hospital chapel and into a ventilation room in the basement of the INO building. Due the very confined space in the launch area, a 2.50 m high earth dam between the building and the fuel depot was chosen as the starting place for the drill rig by the parties involved. In order to avoid damage to the existing pipelines inside the building the bore into the 3 m deep storage room had to maintain a target precision of +/- 20 cm horizontally as well as vertically. All in all, this was just the right job for the experienced drilling crew of the pipe laying experts Zemp.
The construction works started in May 2015. An excavator was lifted to the launch area with the help of a truck crane to dig out the start pit for the pilot bore and another pit for collecting the drilling mud. Then the GRUNDODRILL 18ACS, weighing the whole of approximately 15.2 tons, was placed onto the banked-up starting place by means of a 100 t truck-mounted crane.
The pilot bore, reaching a depth of up to 6.50 m, caused no problems. On arrival at the target a core hole of 450 mm in diameter was drilled through the wall of the building into the ventilation room to allow pulling the backreamer of Ø 400 mm in. One single reaming operation was sufficient to pull the new pressure pipeline through the bore path. As the basement offered very little space the single pipe segments were no longer than 2.50 m and had to be welded together in situ to form 12.50 m long pipe strings. During the process of pulling in such a previously prepared pipe string was welded on every 12.50 m.
The drilling mud was collected in a 500 l basin at the target point in the basement, from where it was pumped into a pit in the access area of the casualty department via a 60 m long line. The high share of gravel did nothing to make pumping any easier, but was not really a great drawback for the pipe pulling operation.
The final works like primary cleaning of the buildings, new installation of an inspection chamber and disassembly of the machine with the truck-mounted crane having been completed, the new line was turned over to the satisfied customer after only 10 working days. "Once more, the merits of trenchless installation in general were proved by this project, especially in connection with the TT technology. Thanks to the reliability and flexibility of our GRUNDODRILL 18ACS, this measure was happily resolved, drawing to a profitable close", was the satisfied conclusion of the company owner, Markus Zemp.
More News and Articles
Apr 26, 2024
News
Bothar’s cutting head innovation
The trenchless industry in Australia continues to grow and the need to provide customised solutions becomes vital for a leading subsurface contractor.
Recognising the need for advanced solutions to meet the growing …
Apr 24, 2024
News
Sustainable drainage solutions: German Start-up transforms urban water management.
Germany boasts a well-established infrastructure for managing rainwater and wastewater, yet many developing countries lack such systems. Addressing this gap, …
Apr 22, 2024
News
HDD tooling that gets the job done
Horizontal directional drilling is a dynamic process that constantly changes and adapts to suit a range of applications across utilities and infrastructure. Operators looking to get the most from their equipment …
Apr 19, 2024
News
WATCH: Overnight with SAERTEX-LINER H20 in São Paulo
Available through Pipe Core, high-quality liner SAERTEX-LINER H20 performed under pressure in São Paulo, Brazil.
Maintaining aging potable water pipe infrastructure is a constant challenge …
Apr 17, 2024
News
Immersive media provides wastewater experience in Denmark
An immersive media experience (IMX) may not be what most people want when they think about industrial wastewater, but that is exactly what visitors can expect when they visit a new installation …
Apr 15, 2024
News
Spotlight on gender diversity at Pipe Core
Since founding in 2008, Pipe Core’s team has grown across all areas of the business and is now in a position where there are more females than males across the organisation. Research published in Harvard …
Apr 12, 2024
News
New Wave of Startups Scale Innovation to Solve Global Water Challenges
Innovators from Around the World Join Xylem’s 2024 Accelerator Program to Deploy Breakthrough Innovations for Utilities and Industrial Users of Water
A new group of startups …
Apr 08, 2024
News
Integrated sustainable electricity and clean drinking water systems
Altitude Water and New Use Energy Solutions have partnered to create integrated, mobile solar-plus-water generation systems that produce sustainable electricity and clean drinking …
Apr 05, 2024
News
How to Evaluate Hydraulic Fracture Risk in HDD Design
The design of horizontal directional drill (HDD) installations often requires an evaluation of the potential for hydraulic fracture of the soil layers through which an HDD passes. Evaluating …
Apr 02, 2024
News
Historic Project Linking Rome and Vatican City Uses Advanced Technology and Local Knowledge to Keep Water Flowing
Relocation of Major Sewer Infrastructure Enables Construction of Pedestrian Link for 35 Million Visitors to the 2025 Jubilee
Water …
Mar 27, 2024
News
USU Study Looks at Water Main Break Rates in the U.S. and Canada
Report Highlights Correlation Between Material and Diameter
Utah State University (USU) has published new research on water main breaks in the United States and Canada, examining …
Mar 26, 2024
News
Update BE-21: New Material in Course and Modules on Trenchless Pipe Installation
Online training on the topic of pipeline installation in civil engineering: Trenchless technology for underground drainage construction can be a resource-efficient, …
Contact
TRACTO-TECHNIK GmbH & Co. KG
Günter Naujoks
Paul-Schmidt-Straße 2
57368 Lennestadt
Germany
Phone:
+49 (0)2723 / 808-130
Fax:
+49 (0)2723 / 808-180