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K.M.R.
Pipeline Services Ltd
17
Oaks Fold
Shiregreen
Sheffield S5 0TD
Tel & Fax: 0114 249 2762 |
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Case Studies |
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The problem faced by Yorkshire Water with a public sewer adjacent to Smithies Lane, Barnsley, was that the pipeline had not been cleaned for at least ten years, it was 80% full of silt and debris, and there was no vehicular access except by all-terrain vehicles across muddy, waterlogged fields. They estimated that cleaning the 900 metres of sewer by high-pressure jetting would cost about £70,000, because of the need for extended hoses and perhaps temporary access roads.
A solution was provided by K M R, a Sheffield based company that had recognised the virtue of the almost forgotten technique of bucket winching, especially where access was difficult and the objective was to guarantee removal of the debris instead of simply shifting it somewhere else. We set up the company to revive the lost art, headed by Lawrence Kieran whose father had spent the best part of 40 years learning how to do it properly.
The Smithies Lane sewers were in ten sections, some over 100 metres long, and ranged in diameter from 225 to 375 mm. They were expected to contain approximately 50m³ of debris, and their much reduced capacity was evident from the state of the surrounding ground and extensive ponding in the fields where manholes had surcharged.
We have invested in the latest equipment and technology, and have generations of experience to offer this invaluable traditional service. They have obtained new winching and ancillary equipment from Wards. Two 2.5 -tonne hydraulic winches were each equipped with 200 metres of 8 mm steel cable, and a selection of buckets from 100 mm to 275 mm was also acquired. The hydraulic motors on the winches offered precise speed control, much better than the old mechanical types.
The first step was to rod through the line and pull back a winch cable. In most lengths the debris was not so bad as to prevent the rods from passing through, but if necessary a drilling machine may be used to create a pilot hole for the cable. A typical procedure in a 375 mm diameter sewer was to start with a 100 mm bucket, winch it forwards about 10 metres, then winch it back and empty the bucket. The next pull was be 20 metres, then 30, and so on until the small bucket had passed right through the line. Even at this stage the improvement in capacity was clear from the reduced flow level in the sewer. The procedure was then repeated with a 185 mm bucket, followed by one of 275 mm diameter. Finally a 375 mm diameter squeegee was winched through and back to remove the last traces of silt and debris, and a CCTV inspection was then carried out to verify that the sewer was now completely clean. No water was required at any stage of the process.
This project started in late March 2004, and took about six weeks. Lawrence Kieran commented, "We have shown that bucket winching can be an extremely effective cleaning method, provided it is done the right way by an experienced team. Especially on a site like this with difficult access, it is much simpler than jetting, and guarantees that the debris is removed rather than flushed into other sewers."
Perhaps the most telling fact is the bottom line. Cleaning these sewers by bucket dredging cost Yorkshire Water about a quarter of the cost of jetting. As Lawrence Kieran remarked, "It is perhaps time that the obsession with jetting came to an end. Especially where there is a substantial amount of debris to be removed, bucket winching is simpler, more effective, and considerably cheaper."
We are continuing to develop the winching division, with considerable interest from Water Authorities, Drainage Boards and other clients throughout the UK, giving a timely renaissance to a technique that never deserved to be ignored.
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Design & Development
by mis-uk.com |
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