Insituform’s range of pipeline rehabilitation products is now available in Australia through Insituform Asia Limited (IAL), a joint venture between Insituform Technologies and VSL International. VSL is a worldwide company with 50 years experience in specialist civil construction employing 3,900 personnel in 35 offices around the world. VSL currently has offices in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide and employs over 250 personnel Australia-wide.

While the Australian market will be somewhat familiar with Insituform’s CIPP liners for non-pressure/gravity applications, it is the range of pressure pipe lining systems that is now receiving significant interest from water authorities.

Insituform manufactures and installs five different pressure pipe liners, four of which are suitable for potable water applications. All of these systems have undergone lengthy testing and have proven track records under operating conditions.

For example, Thermopipe is a close-fit structural liner for DN 60 – DN 300 water mains with a pressure rating up to 16 bar that has been in use in the UK since 1993. The key benefits of Thermopipe include the speed of installation, its cost effectiveness, minimal loss of cross sectional area and the ability to line around bends. A 16 bar liner for a typical DN 150 water main will have a wall thickness of just 2.5 mm.

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Another world first is the recently developed iTAP system which allows Insituform to reinstate house connections in lined water mains robotically without the need for excavation. The iTAP system can be used in DN 150 pipes or larger and is expected to be available to the Australian market early in 2007.

PolyFold and PolyFlex are PE based systems which together take the range of sizes that can be lined up to 1,200 mm. PolyFlex was trialled with Thames Water in 2005.

IAL is currently seeking opportunities to work in partnership with both asset owners and service providers to truly deliver a one-stop-shop pipeline rehabilitation service to the Australian market.