Sewer Rehabilitation at the Ramstein NATO Airbase

High-Security Pipe Lining

It was not an everyday assignment for the experts of the Umwelttechnik und Wasserbau GmbH (U&W): With Brandenburger pipe liner technology, they successfully rehabilitated the sewers underneath the runways of the Ramstein NATO Airbase in the Palatinate in Germany. The Federal Republic of Germany was the client, represented by the Liegenschaft- u. Baubetreuung (LBB) Kaiserslautern, a company owned by the regional (Land) government.
During the rehabilitation, the runways had to remain available for takeoffs and landings by the airplanes of the US armed forces. Trenchless rehabilitation was the only viable solution. As a Brandenburger partner, U&W relied on the light-curing GFK pipe lining process with a BLUETEC^® UVA 1000 C (Comfort) system.

Security officials thoroughly investigated all the personnel involved

Before the project was ready for takeoff, the technical and logistical aspects of the rehabilitation project needed to be discussed in many talks with the responsible persons of the US Army, which is in charge of the premises. It was readily apparent that this rehabilitation project would be a special challenge due to the frequent takeoffs and landings at the airbase. "We drafted a very precise schedule with the Americans", says Jürgen Schäfer, director of the U&W Frankfurt/Main branch office. Part of the work had to be carried out at night. "Despite a number of inevitable interruptions we were able to complete our work in an orderly manner and, with a duration of four weeks, almost on schedule." Prior to the project however, extremely strict security requirements needed to be fulfilled. All U&W employees who were eligible for work on the construction site had to undergo a comprehensive security check. "Our employee data was sent to the US for checking before we were handed our access passports", Schäfer reports. The rehabilitation work itself was also sternly observed by the military: "Every day started with a thorough check at the gate. And our every step on the premises was followed by a military vehicle – it was pipe lining under constant surveillance", Schäfer laughs.

Starting Aircraft on the Ramstein Air Base, Germany
Foto: US Airforces Ramstein, Germany

Saturation at the factory and the fast-curing BLUETEC® technology were great assets

The actual installation of the pipe liners in the sewers was preceded by elaborate preparation: A TV inspection, sewer cleaning and some milling work. Finally, about 600 meters of resin-saturated ADV 95 GFK pipe liner with diameters DN 500 and DN 600 and wall thicknesses of 4.9 and 6.3 mm were used. Schäfer describes the conditions on-site: "We had to interrupt our work several times when the Americans were concerned about hazards to the airport operation in bad weather. Also, we frequently had to vacate the runways for unscheduled landings and takeoffs of special aircraft." Using Brandenburger materials and technology proved to be a great benefit under these circumstances: "The delivery of pre-saturated, ready-to-install liner materials made time-consuming on-site treatment unnecessary. This would have been difficult, considering the narrow available time frame", Schäfer adds. "After all, we had to be packed and gone at 5 am every day." Of course, the US military also inspected the crates containing the Brandenburger liner deliveries.

The curing process with the BLUETEC^® system was also on a tight schedule. The convenient handling and quick-curing characteristics came in very handy. U&W was the first Brandenburger partner to employ the new technology last year. "Since the fall of 2006, the system has been in use almost constantly", says Fischer. "And we're highly satisfied with it."

Contact and additional information
Umwelttechnik und Wasserbau GmbH
Subsidiary Frankfurt/Main
Ferdinand-Porsche-Straße 9a
60386 Frankfurt/Main, Germany
Telephone: +49 (0) 69 - 42 01 18 - 10
Telefax: +49 (0) 69 - 42 01 18 - 19
http://umwelttechnik-wasserbau.de
E-mail: frankfurt-m - at - umwelttechnik-wasserbau.de

Brandenburger Liner GmbH & Co. KG
Taubenshlstr. 6
D-76829 Landau / Pfalz
Telefon +49 6341 5104 -0
Telefax +49 6341 5104 -256
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