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As principal contractor for a major power producer, Ekspan is carrying out a 4 year programme of major refurbishment works on the High Head Pipeline - replacing the existing High Head Pipeline concrete supports with new composite/stainless steel pipe support bearings generally located 500mm above ground level, but some also in very difficult areas where the pipeline is above 2000mm from ground level.


 

Hydro-Electric High Head Pipeline Refurbishment

The pipeline originally constructed around the 1930's, is 1.8m diameter riveted steel pipeline with support plinths located between 8m and 10m centres.Ekspan offered a new bearing design, which after 7 years in use proved to be a lasting solution, in contrast to the original bearing design based around a steel-on-steel contact which had resulted on a fair proportion failing after several attempts to replace them in the last 10 years.

 

 

Ekspan's new bearing design offers many advantages over the previous design. There is no possibility of detachment of the sliding surface, the special bearing surfaces and attachment mean that the pipeline is free to slide without steel on steel contact thus avoiding / minimising corrosion.

 

 

226 bearing plinths in total are to be refurbished over a period of 4 years (2006 - 2009 inclusive) - working in remote open locations exposed to extreme weather conditions such as heavy rainfall, with limited access for emergency vehicles, and where the fall of the land is very high and steep, with boggy, rough, uneven terrain to contend with during the refurbishment process. The site is also located within a National Park, hence additional environmental considerations have to be taken.

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