Modernisation of a drinking water network in the Isère region (38)
Elydan Group RYB have given the Pajay commune in the Isère region a construction job to be proud of that exemplifies the success of modern materials such as HDPE in eliminating leaks and improving the network yield. At a time when local authorities are investing more and more in modernising the French water network by renovating their old pipework, this method of construction – by destructive replacement – is a concrete example of the value that HDPE piping can add.
Destructive replacement is faster and less onerous than conventional techniques
As part of the Bièvre Isère Communauté Syndicat des Eaux project, RYB supplied its solution to the GMTP company from Beaurepaire who carried out the renovation work on 370 m of old drinking water pipe in the Pajay commune that was made of asbestos cement. The work was done without opening the trench by destructive replacement consisting of destroying the existing buried pipework and inserting the new HDPE pipework at the same time and in the same place.
We opted for a solution that would permit us to use destructive replacement on the old pipework, a technique we prefer as it produces results that fulfil the contractors’ expectations.
There are many advantages to using a closed trench replacement technique:
▪ Financial: it does away with the very expensive need to scrap the asbestos cement as the old pipework remains buried
▪ It saves time: the work goes much more quickly than it would using conventional methods
▪ The locals are better off: the traffic does not have to be stopped, thus eliminating the disruption caused near the site.
Whilst it is true that modernising the French water network using modern materials requires a certain amount of investment on the part of the local communes, HDPE pipework is currently the most economical solution there is to meet the objectives set by the public authorities in terms of network yield optimisation
Innovative excavation-free techniques currently only account for 2% of the work being carried out in France
RYB supplied PE100 RC Protect sleeves on two drums, a form that allowed very long uninterrupted lengths, meaning no fittings and no leakage risk.These sleeves are stronger thanks to an additional protective layer that envelops the pipe to protect it against impacts during laying, thus providing an extra level of security for the excavation-free installation. This RYB-manufactured HDPE conduit is the first in France that can be laid without needing filler material (sand).
Although excavation-free laying techniques are modern and innovative, destructive replacement only accounts for 2% of the work carried out in France. We were fortunate to be able to work with a material like HDPE which, because of its flexibility and the fact that it could be supplied on drums, lent itself perfectly to this type of construction work and provides genuine added value to the replacement of old drinking water network pipes
