JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #49 - June 2009 - 56

USERS’ PLATFORM Application GRP pipe system for Cancéropôle stormwater network Cancéropôle, a centre of excellence dedicated to cancer research and treatment in Toulouse, France, is being built on the grounds devastated by a chemical explosion on 21 September 2001. The centre’s stormwater network uses Hobas CC-GRP pipe systems. he French city of Toulouse is famous for being one of the world’s top aerospace centres and home to the headquarters of aircraft manufacturer Airbus. On 21 September 2001, it gained unwanted notoriety when a large-scale chemical accident occurred in the southern outskirts of the city: several hundred tonnes of ammonium nitrates stored in a chemical waste warehouse exploded at a fertilizer factory. Following the accident, politicians, local experts and investors decided to create a medical centre dedicated to cancer research and treatment on the former plant site. The project was launched in 2004 and is a picture of modernity through its architecture and its obvious commitment to sustainable development and environmental responsibility. T use a single system for the stormwater network, namely a Hobas CC-GRP pipe system. Using a single supplier ensures consistent high quality and leak tightness over the complete network including all involved items such as piping, fittings and manholes. Main characteristics Year of construction: 2008 Total pipe length: 4,550 m Pressure class: PN 1 Stiffness class: SN 10000 Diameter: DN 400 - 1500 Installation method: open cut Application: SewerLine® Developer: Le Grand Toulouse Client: Scam TP (Giesper, Sogea, Exedra as sub-contractors) Advantages: chemical resistance, absolute leak tightness, long life Extra access pipes were provided to elongate the manholes to ground level. Hobas pipes are easy to handle due to they very low weight compared to other materials. From 2004 to 2007, great effort went into the clean-up operations to remove as many hydrocarbons and other chemicals as possible from the site’s contaminated soil. Due to the remaining substances in the groundwater, it was extremely important to select the right material for all buried water networks. The technical project manager, Le Grand Toulouse, and the design engineer, Setomip, decided to Hobas products offer a wide range of advantages, though they are rarely required altogether as was the case for this challenging project. Their resistance to aggressive substances was particularly important. The pipes were equipped with special nitrile rubber (NBR) couplings to ensure absolute, long-term leak tightness of the complete system despite the given groundwater conditions. The low weight of the Hobas GRP pipe systems facilitated the project, which required installation depths of up to 6 m. With a slope of only 2 to 3 mm per metre to the preliminary treatment facilities, the unique hydraulic properties of Hobas products effectively prevent sedimentation and optimize the global system efficiency. Their high mechanical resistance is no surprise considering that the products are designed to last a minimum of 50 years. This also guarantees safe and reliable stormwater discharge for the Cancéropôle. A total of 4.6 km of DN 400-DN 1500 Hobas pipes were laid and no fewer than 148 different tailor-made manholes were installed. On the construction site managed by the French company Scam TP five different contractors, including , Sogea, Giesper and Exedra, worked simultaneously in five different places. The entire logistics was coordinated by MTP The quality of their service created . a smooth workflow between all involved parties from June right through to October, therefore contributing to the project’s success. Hobas manholes are usually delivered with a ladder. Special requirements were efficiently implemented, such as adapting the fasteners in manhole production to fit locally-provided ladders, as well as extra access pipes to elongate the manholes to ground level. Once completed in 2012, Cancéropôle will provide around 4,000 jobs and, supported by the Hobas infrastructure, hopefully develop promising innovations in this field. More information: www.hobas.com 56 jec composites magazine / No49 June 2009

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JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #49 - June 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #49 - June 2009