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    Picote Solutions Technical Support

    22m of Cementitious Compoud Running Downstream

    A cementitious compound had set in a pipe in London, in a very busy urban area with limited access.

    The pipe in question was only accessible by manholes 27 metres apart.

    Location:

    London, UK

    Year:

    2021

    Work:

    Concrete removal

    Time frame:

    3 days

    Pipe:

    Clay, DN150

    Introduction

    Picote Solutions tools and equipment were put to the test at a busy urban site in London, UK to tackle a job for Thames Water, consulting Lanes for Drains, the main contractor on the job.

    Picote_MaxiPower+_cementitious_removal_2021_uk_06

    Issues and Challenges

    With technical consulting support from Picote Solutions, the task was to mill out 22 metres of a very hard cementitious compound from a DN150 clay pipe, accessible via manholes, 27 metres apart.

    The pipe was positioned in a busy urban area with very limited access at either side, owing to ongoing construction works and bus lane restrictions. The portability of Picote was paramount, with the equipment manoeuvred to allow construction site access throughout the day.

    To date the contractor had been able to remove around 0.5 metres of the cementitious compound per day, using Super High Pressure Water Jetting, however, the remaining deposit levels varied between 40% to 100%. A 7.5T Jetvac unit had been deployed twice daily over a prolonged period to prevent flooding. The ongoing associated costs and disruption were significant.

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    Strategy

    A CCTV inspection revealed that the pipe invert was partially filled with silt and loose debris, which was first removed by HPWJ. The Maxi Miller Power+ (18mm shaft) powered by a Picote Generator (12kVA) in combination with a Maxi Miller Plus (12mm shaft), both exceptional machines used for the toughest of challenges, were utilised to remove the cementitious deposits.

    These machines are capable of outstanding high-speed cleaning, descaling, root cutting, blockage removal, concrete removal and more, allowing for maximum power and efficiency on the job.

    From Picote’s extensive portfolio, the following tools were chosen to undertake the project:

    • Maxi Power+
    • Maxi Miller
    • Tiger Twister Concrete Remover
    • Tiger Chain
    • Twister Concrete Remover+
    These heavy-duty tools have unique features that were perfect to meet this challenge.

     

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    Implementation

    The Maxi Miller Power+, the machine for the most challenging cleaning jobs, was set up with the Picote Generator and used throughout the project, in combination with a Maxi Miller Plus.

    The removal rate varied between 0.5 to 1.5 metres per hour based on the consistency and hardness of the cementitious material, miles faster than the 0.5 metres per day that had previously been the average.

    Overall, 22 metres of very hard cementitious compound and silt were milled out using this combination of Picote High Speed Millers and Tools, completing the project in only three days, with no remedial works on the clay pipe required.

    Benefits

    This project reinforces the concept that using trenchless technologies, with their low carbon footprint, create not only operational savings in terms of time, labour, costs, disruption and efficiency, but also make a substantial contribution to improving quality of life for us all.

     

    Click the image below to find out more about how this project won the UKSTT environmental Award in 2022! award winners