By: Casey Giambrone, Vice President, Progressive Pipeline Management
NASTT- Spring 2021
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The ability to identify and measure the integrity of ferrous pipe walls provides critical data needed to determine the condition and integrity of an underground facility. PPM has invested in Broadband Electromagnetic Probe (BEM) to accurately assess the condition of pipelines and identify the degree of corrosion or graphitization. It proved to be valuable when a utility client needed to assess a section of a 20 inch cast iron main that runs under a railroad right-of-way. The task was to determine if the pipe was a good candidate for Starline® cured-in-place-lining.
In November 2020, Progressive Pipeline Management was lining a 2,000 feet section of 20-inch cast iron main for a major eastern gas utility along Edgewater Avenue in Ridgefield, New Jersey. A section of the main, roughly 150 feet, runs underneath the railroad right-of-way and belongs to the railway. Railroad companies operate differently, but the railroad would not allow the utility to perform work on their line within the right-of-way unless they verified the condition of the line. It had to meet the conditions to be a good lining candidate.
BEM Ferrous Wall Condition Assessment
For the railway to greenlight cured-in-place-lining to proceed, the utility had to perform an assessment. We recommended Broadband Electromagnetic Probe (BEM) on the 150 feet section. BEM is a patented, main ferrous assessment tool that’s been in operation in Australia for over 20 years. It was developed by Rock Solid Pty. Ltd. The Australian company has extensive experience with non-destructive assessment of cast iron and other ferrous piping.
The first step was a field visit. We reviewed the maps, the layout of the pipe geometry to determine the layout of the pipes. Was it a straight run? Were there any 90-degree bends or 45-degree bends? The inspection tool had some limitations on what it could negotiate from a pipe geometry.
BEM for ferrous pipe integrity assessment can determine wall thinning, graphitization and cracks. It is being inserted into a 20” main.
We identified that the pipe was a straight run which made it feasible for us to perform the internal BEM inspection. After the section was isolated, the next steps were cleaning operation and CCTV inspections. Two excavations were required. The BEM crew was scheduled to start the inspection once the excavations were complete.
Read More - BEM Pipeline Assessment Technology Greenlights Railroad Crossing
About PPM: Progressive Pipeline Management is a full service contractor and team of highly skilled infrastructure renewal specialists. For over twenty one years, PPM has been improving the safety and longevity of pipeline infrastructure. They hold the exclusive licensee in North America for the Starline® Cured-in-place-lining. PPM’s specialized expertise included gas pipeline rehabilitation, restoration of damaged or leaking infrastructure, PIPES ACT compliance and trenchless technology.
