SYSTEM FOR INSITU REHABILITATION OF PIPELINES

WATER AND WASTEWATER PIPELINES COMPRISE A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE NATION'S INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE. ONLY ONE TECHNOLOGY IS AVAILABLE FOR INSITU REHABILITATION OF THESE PIPELINES WITHOUT EXTENSIVE EXCAVATION--BUT IT IS EXPENSIVE AND RELIES ON A RIGID THERMOSET PLASTIC LINING THAT IS SUBJECT TO SHEAR FAILURE. OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO TEST THE FEASIBILITY OF A POTENTIALLY LOWER COST TECHNOLOGY FOR INSITU REHABILITATION OF PIPELINES USING MORE DUCTILE THERMOPLASTICS. WE WILL DESIGN, FABRICATE AND TEST A SMALL-SCALE WORKING MODEL OF A SYSTEM FOR INSITU REHABILITATION OF 4-INCH BUILDING CONNECTION SEWERS AS THE FIRST STEP IN DEVELOPMENT OF A SYSTEM CAPABLE OF LINING THOSE AND LARGER PIPELINES. THE WORKING MODEL WILL COMPRISETHE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS: A LINER INITIATION DEVICE, A MOVABLE EXTRUSION DIE, AN EXTRUDER (RENTED), A LINER ID CONTROL/COOLING SYSTEM AND A LINER TERMINATION DEVICE.