- 24 June 2008 -
HOBAS pipes in Warsaw

HOBAS IS installing 3.3 km of HOBAS CC-GRP (centrifugally cast glass-fibre reinforced plastic) jacking pipes with diameters up to 2160 mm to aid the down-town sewer collector and to transport waste water to a new treatment plant Czajka in Warsaw, Poland.

The company, which is based in Klagenfurt, Austria, is using trenchless technologies at depths of 4.7 m and 10.6 m for the project set to be completed mid-summer 2008. It  includes six curves with 200, 300 and 600 m radii, with the longest curve being 124 m at an average gradient of 0.063%. The pipes are assembled below groundwater level in soil consisting of sand and clay.

HOBAS Poland has delivered CC-GRP jacking pipes with lengths of 1 m, 1.5 m and 3 m for different radii and straight sections. Shorter pipe sections are used for smaller curve radii together with the leak-tight flush HOBAS Couplings. In curved sections, wooden rings are used between the pipes to guarantee a perfect fit.

The challenge of a clearance of only 0.6 m between the pipeline and subway has been overcome, and according to HOBAS, a single jacking drive of over 500 m is the technical highlight of the project. HOBAS used microtunneling, which is trenchless pipe installation by remote-controlled jacking where the pipe is inserted from the entry and pushed behind the mircrotunnel boring machine.

Although material prices spoke against GRP, HOBAS could offer experience and know-how, having previously completed numerous microtunneling projects with its HOBAS CC-GRP jacking pipe systems in Warsaw.

Overall, HOBAS’ solution offers cost savings on a 30% reduction of extracted soil due to smaller outer diameters with the comparably thin walled CC-GRP Pipes. The construction sites and equipment could be kept to a minimum; and fast assembly and small curve radii lead to further savings. HOBAS’ pipes have high corrosion resistance, long life expectancy and low maintenance costs.

HOBAS; www.hobas.com

<<back

To receive news and features like this every week direct to your inbox sign-up for RP Weekly.

Simply register your details to receive this free email roundup of the latest from the composites industry.

If you would like to advertise on RP Weekly please contact our sales team.

If you have some news for the composites industry or would like to comment on any of the articles on this site, contact our editorial team.

You can also access the full list of contacts here.