As paradisiacal as Caribbean Guadeloupe may appear with its picture postcard images
of white beaches and palm trees, it also has a very real need for more functional and
sustainable wastewater infrastructure. Curing passages
Teams from ProKASRO Mechatronik GmbH and BKP Berolina Polyester GmbH & Co. KG, recently travelled to the French overseas territory to train and support their new customer, Grands Travaux Caribéens SAS (GTC), in installing three UV light-curing Berolina-HF-Liners. After three hot and humid days, the DN 1,200 hoses with a wall thickness of 11mm and a total length of 95m were successfully installed.
Working in a holiday paradise is a welcome change in any technician’s everyday life, but it does come with some unique challenges. During the monsoon season (between June and October) tropical storms and hurricanes bring torrential rain and flooding. In recent years this has been particularly extreme and has even cost human lives. Guadeloupe is responding to these changing weather patterns with a major investment programme to renovate and expand its dilapidated wastewater infrastructure. An important element of this work is the renovation of sewers and storm drains with UV light-curing pipe liners.
ProKASRO delivers flexible curing solutions and know-how
The starting signal for the renovation work on Guadeloupe was given in Germany late last year when a small delegation from GTC was presented with their new KASRO UV-CCU system, including the KASRO UV double core 2 x 4 x 1000W. A specially designed container made island hopping through the archipelago of the French Antilles with this flexible solution designed for use on construction sites much more comfortable.
Importantly however this project was far more than the supply of a high-quality lining product. Applications Technician Richard Plank and Service Engineer Nicolas Kempf trained the GTC team in Guadeloupe on how to properly use the KASRO UV system. Imparting this knowledge and experience enabled the GTC team to flawlessly complete the work and set them up to successfully deliver future projects in the region.
BKP Berolina impresses with its liner characteristics and support
The project took a major step forward when close discussions between BKP’s Sales Manager Antoine Noirtin and GTC engineer Gregory Renaison resulted in the decision to utilise the Berolina-HF-Liner to renovate the culverts in Guadeloupe. The GTC team was particularly impressed by the product’s unique extension and adapting behaviour, as well as its 50-year minimum expected lifespan. Commenting on GTC’s decision Noirtin said: “The HF-Liner’s high mechanical properties also make it an ideal solution in regions where earthquakes occur frequently.” On the ground in Guadeloupe, Noirtin and Application Technician David Kijewski then trained and supported the inexperienced installation team, working in partnership with BKP employees from France and Germany.
Elaborate construction site preparation and a tight schedule
The two construction sites with stormwater drains running under busy streets required thorough preparation. This included pumping out the backwater basins and the construction of a concrete platform to reach the pipes that needed to be renovated. In addition, 80 tons of gravel were delivered for a construction road, so that the liner boxes could be transported to the installation site using an excavator.
Incredibly, it only took three days to install the DN 1,200 liners including the training. This is even more impressive given the local team had no practical installation experience and were immediately confronted with such a large diameter liner. The BKP technicians however were always on hand to support the GTC team with all the necessary fine tuning.
Learning by doing
After the first site visit, and a final equipment check, the first installation under a country road was successfully completed. The impressive learning curve of the GTC crew was already evident during the second renovation project which took place in a busy inner-city environment. This stage of the work was undertaken while the BKP technicians were still fully involved and providing detailed instructions. Although the GTC team still had support available they were able to install the third and final liner completely independently. The overall result was outstanding, and the installed Berolina-HF-Liners adapted optimally to the host rainwater drains, despite diameter deviations.
The three days of installation with parallel training resulted in a huge amount of information for the GTC employees to process and absorb. To aid this process, the technicians from BKP and ProKASRO focused on the most important elements on the construction site, raising awareness of possible dangers and general occupational safety.
Excellent prospects thanks to high commitment
The success of the three days in Guadeloupe is naturally measured by the installed liners, but even more so by the huge progress that the GTC employees made during this time. Their professional attitude, willingness to learn, and high self-motivation means they are now well prepared for future projects. “When an installation team is so focused on the task, we as technicians naturally have more fun doing our work,” commented Richard Plank from ProKASRO.
David Kijewski from BKP highlights the cooperation between the three companies in this project: “It is clear that training which comprises technicians from the liner and UV system manufacturer and the installation team works best. The technicians provide a real focus on their area of responsibility and expertise which really benefits the customer.”
For Grands Travaux Caribéens, the first successfully installed pipe liners in Guadeloupe represent a fabulous start in their journey of trenchless rehabilitation. If the team continues to approach future projects this conscientiously, and with such motivation, their long-term success is assured. There is no shortage of potential work – there is plenty to do in the Caribbean! Antoine Noirtin from BKP is confident about the future: “The liners are now perfectly installed and everyone from BKP is confident about the future: “The liners are now perfectly installed, and everyone involved is highly satisfied.”
