Denso Bore-Wrap Used for HDD Weld Coating Protection on Gas Main

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Project Data

Project Details

Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) has become commonplace for the installation of buried pipe in urban environments and/or areas where open-cut just isn’t feasible. The use of HDD is not new, however, the technology behind it as well as the coatings used to protect the directionally drilled pipe from corrosion have improved dramatically in recent years.

Kitchener Utilities owns and maintains both water and gas infrastructure within the City of Kitchener municipal boundaries.  This project involved the installation of approximately 210 m (689 ft) of 300 mm (12″) welded steel yellow jacket pipe in two separate pulls. The gas main was located in a low-lying area adjacent to a creek along a pedestrian path. As a result, Kitchener Utilities elected to go with HDD to minimize environmental impacts to the area. However, Kitchener Utilities was looking for an alternative product to protect each weld joint.

The yellow jacket pipe sections were welded together, and after the appropriate QA checks on the welds were completed, each joint was covered with bituminous tape as the corrosion protection system, followed by a double layer of the Denso Bore-Wrap. Denso’s Bore-Wrap has been specifically designed as a sacrificial abrasion-resistant outerwrap (ARO) to protect the anti-corrosion coating at each weld joint from abrasion and gouging during the directional drilling process.

The Bore-Wrap proved its effectiveness when the Contractor ended up pulling a portion of the pipe in the dry because the water they inject into the bore at the drill head temporarily stopped working. The Contractor ended up excavating down to inspect the pipe and found the Bore-Wrap completely unaffected. The Contractor was impressed with its ease of application and the finished result, as well as the support provided by Denso North America.