A road crossing with two 90-degree bends.
14
Water Sewage & Effluent May/June 2018
material that can withstand such
high pressures.” The cast iron is a
sturdy material, which withstands
high service pressures and external
mechanical accidents.
The expert explains that Saint-
Gobain
PAM
has
numerous
manufacturing facilities, including
European Union, China and Brazil.
The high-pressure Hydroclass pipe
was manufactured in the Chinese
manufacturing plant, complying to
the pressure class according to EN
545 and ISO 2531.
“We had a third-party inspection
to confirm the quality and conformity
of the pipe to the international
standard,” Sithole assures.
The installation was started
around August 2017 and the testing
of the pipe was completed within the
first week of April 2018.
This particular pipeline comprises
2 100m of Class 50 bars, 7 600m of
Class 40 bars, and 19 800m of Class
30 bars, to be installed above ground
and resting on concrete pedestals.
This makes it easier to maintain as
there will be no need to dig up the
pipe when repairs are required —
in the unlikely event of leakages.
After the completion of the project,
the mine is responsible for the
maintenance of the pipeline.
“As the water flow rate will be
dependent on how the mine pumps
the water, the water pressure varies.
Over the length of the pipeline, there
are three sections. One is a 50-bar
pipe, the second is a 40-bar, and
the third is 30-bar, depending on
the distance from the mine. This is
a key point,” Sithole stresses and
adds, “The 50-bar pipe is a special
Kennedy Sithole, projects and
export manager for Saint-Gobain
PAM Southern Africa region