World-class trenchless technologies
The acquisition of trenchless technology specialist Tuboseal by Esor is set to unlock a wealth of future business opportunities for the construction and civil engineering contractor .
Esor CEO Wessel van Zyl regards the development as a strategic diversification into the burgeoning market of infrastructure maintenance and rehabilitation , with a major focus on pipelines . Using advanced trenchless techniques to replace pipelines in fragile and complex environments , Esor Tuboseal gained a reputation for successfully completing jobs .
“ We ’ ve reached a point where several municipalities and some businesses are piping water and sewage in lines that are 50 years old — and in some cases well beyond that ,” says Van Zyl . “ Pipelines will inevitably have to be replaced or rehabilitated , but in busy urban areas or major industrial installations , gaining access by digging is simply not an option .
Van Zyl also makes the point that to restore the integrity and efficiency of pipelines that are installed under or alongside major freeways and link roads ( he cites the William Nicol Highway as an example ), would cause unacceptable disruptions to traffic flows . As if this was not bad enough , resurfaced areas would be a fertile breeding ground for the South African motorist ’ s biggest bugbear : the pothole .
A CCTV inspection was the first and vital step in the rehabilitation process that ensued . The city conducted several viability studies and finally appointed Aurecon Consulting Engineers to manage the trenchless rehabilitation project , comprising the cured in place pipe ( CIPP ) lining of more than
The cured in place pipe ( CIPP ) afterwards .
3 300m of bulk sewer pipes ranging from 800mm to 1 200mm in diameter , crossing underneath the N2 freeway and Baden Powell Drive .
“ With services as varied as CCTV inspection , pipe cracking , pipe cleaning , patch lining , CIPP , and robotic cutting , we can provide a range of options and methodologies under each of these categories ,” Van Zyl adds .
Esor