Colus Ltd and RSM Lining Supplies Innovative Services Help Complete Critical CIPP Rehabilitation with the use of LED Curing Technology

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Having been a loyal customer of RSM for a number of years, Colus Ltd is an innovative provider of sewer rehabilitation services to a range of UK based organisations, water companies, and local authorities. Colus were recently asked by the main framework contractor for Severn Trent, Amey PLC, to rehabilitate a 40 metre section of 300mm pipe. With the vast amount of technology available and understanding of the use of CIPP they knew this could be carried out successfully. Colus have the capabilities to use a variety of different curing methodologies including hot water, ambient, and recently with further investment, LED UV. 

The Colus team visited site to assess the issues and found that the job was much more complex than anticipated. The surface water pipe that required rehabilitation was suspended over the River Derwent and was leaking into the river. Both sides of the river had small, tight manholes with one access point through a dirt track and the other in a field. These access issues and the condition of the pipe made multiple methods of install impossible. 

After discussions with the RSM technical team it was decided that the Sewertronics system Colus recently added to their equipment range was going to be the best method for curing the liner. This system cures the liner with LED bulbs, meaning there is no risk of premature cure of the liner due to an exothermic reaction from heat or any other external elements. The system itself is also incredibly compact, meaning the tight access points would not be an issue. It was agreed that the liner would be pre-impregnated with UV Vinylester Resin and delivered to site ready for install. This methodology takes away the inconvenience of having to create a large area on site to impregnate, and mixing chemicals is taken to a factory operation as opposed to on site where it can add to health and safety risks. 

RSM impregnated the liner in a controlled environment ensuring no UV rays could penetrate the liner during the impregnation process. It was then packed into a delivery box with UV protective foil to eliminate any further risk. On the day of installation the temperatures were around 30 degrees Celsius with clear blue skies – without the LED technology the install would have had to have been delayed as alternative methods would have been too risky. The Colus team had prepared and cleaned the pipe, and erected a special UV protective gazebo so that the liner could be protected from direct sunlight as soon as it was taken out of the van. 

The liner was inverted into place with the Sluice 300 (a double bladder shooter system). This allows any length of liner from 100mm to 300mm to be inverted with positive pressure being held at all times. When the liner was installed the Sewertronics system was connected to the system and the single 800W LED head was pulled from one end to the other to prepare for curing. 

Once the head was all the way to the end of the liner the details were inputted into the control box for the controlled cure to take place. The system has 2 mechanical driven motors that pull the head back at the correct speed for the liner. Once the liner is cured it can formulate a cure log, demonstrating that the liner has been cured correctly. 

The job was successfully completed – this new technology is becoming increasingly widely used across the CIPP industry and the ease of use makes the prospect of difficult jobs much more approachable. For more information on any of the above products listed, please contact sales@rsm-web.com or phone 01709 864271.