Pipeline Restoration At A Generating Station Using Chemical Grout

By C. Karl Sauereisen, Vice President, Sauereisen, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The sheer size of the infrastructure at any power plant is impressive. Chimneys, cooling towers, scrubber modules, coal silos, and a network of flue gas ducts are obvious at a glance. These structures are what most likely comes to mind when considering plant maintenance at a coal-burning power generation facility. There is, however, a great deal of buried infrastructure equally essential to plant operation and safety. This article describes the repair of a 75-ft (23-m) deep, gravity-flow water inlet pipeline to stem the inflow of groundwater into the pipe.

The search for a solution focused on material that could be applied to localized areas on the exterior of the pipe where the pipe was ruptured or cracked. This approach had its own challenges too. First, there would be the need to locate all the ruptures and cracks in the pipe. Second, any repair material would need to be applied in the presence of water or atleast be able to bond to a wet surface. Sauereisen, Inc. (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) was asked to recommend and supply the proper material and to advise on methods of installation.