RAIL LIVE |
93
Next generation drainage Neil Wallace, MD of Aquaspira Limited on shaping the future of drainage systems for the Rail Industry – lower carbon, smarter products and fully integrated, digital designs
A
sk anyone in the Rail Industry what represents digital innovation and next-generation technology, the last thing they will say is drainage. Nevertheless, as the 2021 Office for Road and Rail’s Annual Assessment of Network Rail pointed out, drainage systems are a critical part of the rail infrastructure. They are as important as track or earthworks when it comes to network resilience – so why not strive for more intelligent drainage systems? As the report highlights, improved monitoring of assets is desperately needed and the rail industry should: ‘manage drainage as a critical asset and make the most of new technology’. The challenge is to do this without impacting on the performance of the network it supports. Network Rail has reduced human trackside work by 45 per cent and plan to phase it out completely. Clearly, better data and more autonomous monitoring will be required to make this happen. Drainage requirements are also evolving with severe, frequent weather events inevitably impacting on system performance and network safety. Upstream capture of storm water is vital for alleviating flash flooding and greater in-system holding capacity is needed to provide buffering at peak run-off periods. This requires integrated engineering and joined-up thinking at the design stage of drainage projects. Network Rail recognises the challenges and in its ‘Improving Drainage Asset Management’ and ‘Understanding Drainage System Capability’ challenge statements, R&D actions are expected to develop new datasets, tools, models and decision-making systems in order to: • Manage, view and map drainage. • Calculate the past, present and future demand on the system. • Account for factors such as degradation, capability analysis and flood risks. • Support the decision-making process and allow for timely interventions. Additionally, meeting Net Zero carbon by 2050 will be a challenge to the rail sector which traditionally relies on concrete as its material of choice. Not easy, so what can the drainage industry do to support Network Rail? Put simply, how can it innovate and provide the rail industry with the next
generation of drainage systems to meet the challenges? Promoting pipeline innovation As a manufacturer of large-diameter, composite steel/plastic drainage pipes, Aquaspira understand how difficult meeting these challenges will be. Over the past few years, we have embarked on a programme of pipeline innovation (the ‘SmartSense’ concept) that pulled in UK universities, key partners from the material supply chain and sensing experts to develop the next generation of pipeline systems. Core to SmartSense has been three themes of innovation – carbon reduction, digitally-enabled design and embedded sensing/monitoring; all pivotal for future drainage systems. The carbon issue It is a stark reality that UK construction accounts for seven per cent of GDP but also ~25 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. The pipeline industry is an integral part of the construction sector and needs to play a major role in the Net Zero journey. Developing low-carbon products is a must and, like many in the industry, Aquaspira have taken steps to reduce the embedded carbon of its pipes. Good carbon control starts in manufacturing and we have invested heavily in our material supply chain with new, low-carbon products using up to 80 per cent recycled material without loss of product performance. Current research is focused on integrating mixed source materials and improving designs to optimise the use of recycled plastics. The whole drainage system installation also has a carbon cost, which includes trench excavation and backfilling. Under current pipeline installation standards, fresh aggregate materials (usually sand and/or gravel) are required for the fill materials to guarantee pipeline integrity. As such, there is a significant added carbon footprint in the off-site removal of excavated soils and the import of virgin aggregates. It is estimated that the average transport distance from quarry to construction site is 40 kilometres – a significant source of carbon emissions. Next generation drainage systems will have to utilise recycled ‘as-dug’ backfill materials to mitigate this carbon cost. This will reduce transport-related carbon footprints and facilitate the use of modern electric-based
plant (diggers, etc.) rather than emissionheavy diesel vehicles. Regulations are also a barrier with current standards for pipeline installation (e.g., BS Rail Professional
