As many indoor exercise facilities shut their doors during the height of the pandemic, COVID-19 has amplified the criticality of public ‘green spaces’ for essential activities. It is now more important than ever that local governments ensure these facilities create a safe space for the social health of their communities. When a stormwater pipeline in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia was at risk of collapse, a local council’s proactive planning helped to protect the continuity of activities for park goers above.
Whilst sport and recreational activities are part of the Australian way of life, COVID-19 has restricted access to many of the indoor facilities that enable these activities. As a result, the use of ‘green spaces’ has increased dramatically as people have been forced out of gyms, sports centres and public swimming pools to stay active. Understanding the social health benefits associated with community sport infrastructure, local governments are putting immense efforts into ensuring Australia’s green spaces are operating safely to sustain the increased demand. This involves not only maintaining what’s on the surface but also managing the critical infrastructure that lies beneath.
A SWIFT RESPONSE
Given the critical nature of essential infrastructure, assets such as water, wastewater and stormwater pipelines require regular condition assessment. This provides in-depth information about an asset’s overall health and can avoid catastrophic social, economic and safety ramifications through early remedial intervention.
After completing a condition assessment of its stormwater assets, Ipswich City Council contacted specialist in water infrastructure, Interflow, to restore a failing section of pipeline beneath the busy outdoor recreational space, the Timothy Molony Oval. Keeping the safety and wellbeing of park goers a primary focus, Interflow and Ipswich City Council worked collaboratively to repair the underground deteriorated section before it was able to pose a risk to the community.
Steve Latimer, one of Interflow’s Business Development Managers in Queensland, described the importance of proactive asset management saying: “Condition assessments allow councils to prioritise the maintenance and repair of their underground assets. By developing a proactive programme of works, councils can address weaknesses within their network before something goes wrong and they require emergency repair.”
TRENCHLESS BENEFITS The early remedial intervention of the asset avoided community disruption and the cost of major construction works. The works were further streamlined by Interflow’s use of trenchless technology.
The Company’s trenchless Rotaloc relining solution, halved the expected project time of
traditional ‘dig and replace’ methods, whilst maintaining a small site footprint. As a result,
Ipswich’s Timothy Molony Oval could continue to support the sports and recreation needs of its local community throughout one of the toughest periods the world has faced.
“It is moments like these that make us realise the value of the work we do.” Steve said. “By helping our customers manage their critical assets in the most efficient ways, we are creating the best future for the communities we serve.”Rotaloc® offers structural lining for deteriorated circular pipes and culverts from 800 mm to 1,800mm diameter. It consists of a single, continuous strip of PVC, which is progressively wound into the existing pipeline by a Rotaloc winding machine. No excavation is required and installation can be achieved from existing access chambers.
The Rotaloc winding machine traverses the pipeline at the same time as it rotates and locks the edges of profile strip together. The machine can alter its diameter as it moves through the pipe to ensure the liner fits tightly against the host pipe, even if its diameter changes along its length. On site set-up requires access from both manholes during installation – one for the Rotaloc winding machine and one for the profile.
Like Expanda (another spiral wound lining option), the Rotaloc PVC profile strip is supplied to site on spools so the size of the site foot-print is minimal. The profile is available in a range of sizes and thicknesses to enable selection based on design requirements for the project. Cementitious grouting of the void between the liner profile and the host pipe can be offered in order to meet specification requirements. Rotaloc also offers similar benefits as Expanda in that it provides a strong flexible liner which can be designed as a stand alone structural pipe to AS/NZS 2566.1.
The liner can be installed in pipes with missing inverts and obverts and has a constant wall thickness so it will not balloon or thin out in unsupported sections. Made from proven UPVC grade pipe materials, Rotaloc provides a flow efficient smooth bore circular crosssection.
The flow resistance coefficients of Rotaloc are the same as those applicable to new PVC
sewer pipe and because the liner is installed to fit tightly against the existing pipe wall there is only minimal loss of cross-sectional area.
Installation is easy and fast, with minimal set-up required. There is no need to excavate pits and no on-site pipe storage means smaller site foot-print. smaller support vehicles means less disruption to local traffic. The winding process is controlled and monitored remotely above ground so there is no need to work inside the deteriorated pipeline, an obvious safety benefit.With no resins involved the process is cleaner and safer and there is no waiting for curing or heat treatment.
Rotaloc can be installed in pipes constructed of brick, concrete, glass reinforced plastic, or
corrugated metal making it an effective solution for renewing larger diameter pipes. Rotaloc is a full-bore spirally wound PVC liner that restores the structural integrity, reliability and efficiency of aging sewers, gravity pipelines and culverts. Website: www.interflow.com.au
