AWWA INF52150

Polyethylene (PE) pipes are commonly used in trenchless applications, and particularly with a technique known as pipebursting, where the old cast iron pipe is burst and replaced by the new polyethylene pipe. Care must be taken to reduce any surface scratching which significantly reduces the wall thickness of the PE pipe, and assurances made that the pipes are correctly fusion jointed. Recognizing the above, an innovative and cost-effective product known as Profuse has been developed, field tested and introduced into operations through a partnership between the Northumbrian Lyonnaise Technology and Research Centre (NLTRC) in the United Kingdom (UK) and Uponor (UK), manufacturers of innovative plastic pipe materials and fittings. This paper describes all aspects of the development of the product; technical, economic and operational, including the field trials carried out in the UK and the subsequent uptake of the product by Lyonnaise des Eaux (LdE) operations in the UK and in Gibraltar. Includes 6 references, table, figures.