NEWS
Fusion Marine hydro installation underlines PE versatility
The versatility
of polyethylene (PE) piping for use in hydro-electric schemes has
been underlined following the completion of a major project in north-west
Scotland.
Working under
contract to RJ McLeod Ltd, large diameter pipe (LDP) specialist
Fusion Marine Ltd supplied and installed 1,100 metres of 900mm PE
piping for a hydro scheme at Inverbain Wester Ross.
The LDP pipe
was used to connect a weir constructed on a hillside river to a
pumping station below. The pipe sections were laid out on a roadway
bulldozed up the hillside and then joined together using a self-contained
butt-fusion machine.
This butt-fusion
technique involves the insertion of a heated plate at the pipe-ends
to 233degreesC; the plates are then withdrawn allowing the pipe
sections to be seamlessly joined together. The piping was then buried
and the roadway converted back to its natural condition so as to
blend in with the environment.
| "Plastic
cages offer many advantages such as ease of production and maintenance,
and lower operational costs than submersible technology,"
Iain Forbes said. |
According to
Alan Macleod, Fusion Marine Technical Director, PE large diameter
piping offers several advantages over more traditional steel or
GRP pipe used in such schemes.
"Polyethylene
is flexible which means the course of the pipe can follow the contours
of the ground without the need for welding-in joint sections, which
obviously adds to the expense of any project," he says.
In addition,
steel or GRP piping needs concrete infilling around the pipe for
stabilisation, whereas PE piping can often be buried straight into
the ground, even in the most demanding types of terrain.
"The versatility
and durability of large diameter polyethylene is ideal for use in
hydro schemes and saves on time and costs during installation,"
added Mr Macleod.
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