Pipejacking proves beneficial for PE gas line installation. (Projects).
Uponor's polyethylene (PE) gas pipe has been successfully used in a key pipejacking project at the UK's Manchester stadium that served to host the 2002 Commonwealth Games in July. The 2002 games at the stadium were attended by athletes from all over the world. The stadium's half-mile circumference is specifically designed to enhance the spectator's sight lines and enjoyment of sporting events. The stadium forms the focus of a 120-acre site called Sportcity, providing a range of facilities including a sports injury clinic and sports retail and leisure. The British Cycling Federation's velodrome is already on the site.
Shortly after the games, the facility became home to the Manchester City Football Club.
For Transco, that transports gas for its customers through a UK-wide pipeline network, it was crucial that the venue's gas installation ran smoothly, and it was a project that was not without its unique challenges.
The Ashford Canal runs near the site and part of Transco's task was to construct, using the pipejacking method, a 196-foot long, 9.8-foot wide concrete shaft beneath the canal and then to insert the PE pipe through the duct. Transco also had to go beneath a facility being built for the new Metro Link (Manchester's tram system).
A total of 164 feet of Uponor pipe was specified that now forms part of the supply main for Manchester. The Uponor PE pipe enabled Transco to use no-dig technology, speeding up the installation in a very tight timeframe.
Transco network officer Dave Barnfield described the project as providing a cost-effective solution, at the same time satisfying the stringent criteria laid down by British Waterways to ensure protection of the historic UK canal: "The pipe performed to expectations, and this method has enabled us to achieve a successful installation with minimal disruption."
