Description
KOBUS Services were invited by gas contractors, AMEC Group, to perform a trial on a galvanised steel service pipe replacement in Dronfield, Derbyshire. The sites selected where a cross-road pipe underneath a main road and a private domestic site where the pipe lay underneath a property.
The gas pipes selected for replacement were both 1” galvanised steel pipes, 35mm in diameter and 9m in length. At the private property, the gas pipe ran underneath the pavement to the front garden. The pipe lay at a depth of between 0.2m and 0.55m.
The cross-road pipe lay in hardcore with electricity and water services crossing its path under ground. This posed a high risk of potential cable strikes if moling was used. The trenchless Kobus Pipe Puller was ideal for minimising the risk of any damage to nearby utilities because the removal of the old service pipe creates the bore hole for the installation of the new PE pipe.
Kobus have since developed the KPP400 excavator mounted Pipe Puller which is specifically designed for galvanised steel pipe replacement. The KPP400 uses as unique design of spool which is in two halves, allowing the extracted galvanised steel pipe to be easily removed from the spool.
Outcomes
Both pipes were successfully removed from the ground and replaced with new pipes.
The average pull time was 361 seconds and the average time for performing works was 51minutes.
There were no health & safety issues in respect of service strikes (HSG47) or operator activity.
To watch the Kobus Pipe Puller in action – go to our Video Gallery