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Sliplining Provides a Solution for Water Lines
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rovidence Water recently carried out a supplemental tunnel and aqueduct inspection and repair program to address concerns about its existing 78‑ and 102‑inch prestressed concrete cylinder pipe. “The pipeline had certain issues that we now know made it particularly susceptible to ruptures, and these ruptures can occur without warning and be catastrophic,” said Providence Water Engineering Division Manager Matthew Gallant, PE. Providence Water takes vigilant measures before an issue becomes a disaster, and it embarked on a systematic and comprehensive inspection, repair, and risk assessment program. “Using historical data, real-time monitoring, and inspections that we perform every 3–5 years that consist of internal visual, structural, and specialty electromagnetic inspections, we are able to make informed decisions about the long-term operation and maintenance of this critical pipeline system,” Gallant explained. Through the decades, Providence Water has made numerous repairs, and it is on the forefront of using different technologies and methods. “Once we looked into sliplining, it accomplished two goals,” Gallant said. “Sliplining with HOBAS pipe
offered a solution that allowed us to make needed repairs but also start incrementally replacing the existing pipeline, which is now over 50 years old, with a fully structural pipe that didn’t compromise hydraulics. It was also more cost effective and expedient to slipline with HOBAS pipe than to use some of the methods we previously used. Using the HOBAS pipe allowed us to complete larger repair areas in a much shorter amount of time.” The highstrength structural pipe proved to be a good choice because it does not depend on the host pipe. The installation contractor was also happy with the product. “HOBAS pipe is a good fit because of its strength, integrity, and ease of use,” he added. “It has given us the ability to actually navigate curved pipe sections, which has been critical to accomplishing the work. The existing pipeline had vertical and horizontal curves, and we can match pipe lengths to what’s necessary to navigate those curves and give us a continuous slipline.” said Project Executive Andy Greenlaw of R. Zoppo Corp., whose company has also used HOBAS pipe for several other New England projects.
