Pipeline Cleaning
The Process
Firstly, Proline will survey the area to be rehabilitated and consult
the drawings if they are available. Following this, we will confer
with you the "client" and decide were the best possible sites are for
access pits.
Cleaning.
When the access pits have been excavated and a short pipe
nipple has been removed or a manhole access point has been
cut into the top of the pipe we begin the process of removing
the debris from the interior of the pipe. There are four ways
of managing this process and pipe size is a critical factor
in deciding which method is the most appropriate.
Rackfeed.
This method is most effective on pipe size ranging from 3”(75mm)-12”(300mm).
The Rackfeed consists of a Hydraulic drive, which rotates
and moves backwards and forwards. The rotation is to rotate
the special interlocking steel rods, which are connected to
the warhead, and flails; this process cleans the interior
of the pipe. The backward and forward motions are to force
the warhead up or down the pipe.
Drag Scraping.
At each access pit at the ends of the run to be cleaned we
set up a winch. Once the steel cable is through the pipe scrapers
are attached and these repeatedly pull backwards and forwards
until the debris is completely removed from the pipe wall,
we then attach a series of squeegee’s these are also
pulled backwards and forwards until all debris is removed
from the interior of the pipe.
Hydraulic Cleaning.
With this system we use a specially adapted scraper. We remove
a pipe nipple and introduce the cleaner into the pipe then
we replace the pipe nipple. At the far end of the run, this
can be as much as 15 Kilometers away we have a catchment nipple,
once this is in place we slowly increase the water pressure
within the main, as the pressure increases the scraper begins
to move, thus removing the debris from the pipe wall, the
passing water pushes the debris forward. Once the cleaner
gets to the end of the run the scraper is retained within
the catchment nipple.
Mechanical Cleaning.
This is a self-propelled machine with rotating arms at the
front. At the ends of the arms special are aggressive blades,
these are set under tension against the pipe wall, as the
arms rotate the blades scrape the pipe wall and remove the
debris. Once the debris is on the pipe floor we then apply
the squeegee process to remove the debris from the interior
of the pipe.
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