Case Study: Repair and Reconnection of a Ruptured 20bar Cast Iron Water Supply Pipe

The Only Way is Sylmasta – A complex application in Essex reconnects a block of flats to their water supply

After removing a damaged section of water supply pipe connected to a block of flats, a contractor discovered new fittings were not available – they now needed a repair for the initial rupture which could hold up to 20bar and to reconnect the pipe with the rest of the line.

Case Study Data


Site
Block of Flats
Location
Essex, United Kingdom
Repair Type
No pressure repair and pipeline reconnection
Defect
Ruptured 70mm cast iron water supply pipe

Products Used


SylWrap Pipe Repair Contractor Case
The complexity of the application required the multiple pipe repair products available in a Contractor Case

Superfast Steel Epoxy Putty Stick
Epoxy putty sealed the holes in the pipe which caused the rupture

Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape
Increased pressure resistance of repair and provided watertight seal for reconnecting the damaged section to the supply line

SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage
Provided an impact resistant protective layer over the damaged section and the entire length of pipe once reconnected

Case Study PDF


Case Study Review


Corrosion had caused the 100-year-old 70mm cast iron water supply pipe to rupture, resulting in a high-pressure leak that was losing a considerable amount of water.

Upon inspecting the pipe, the contractor in charge decided that it was too badly damaged to be repaired and so they removed the effected section with the intention of carrying out a replacement.

It was only once the pipe had been cut away that the contractor discovered replacement fittings of the size and type required were no longer manufactured because of the age of the pipe.

Whilst the damaged section remained unrepaired and disconnected from the supply line, the block of flats was disconnected from the public network and therefore had no water.

The contractor needed to find a rapid repair method for the rupture capable of withstanding the 20bar pressure which the pipe was normally under, and a way to reconnect the removed section to the supply line so that water could be restored to the flats.

The seriousness of the problem was such that the contractor drove from Essex to Sylmasta HQ in West Sussex first thing in the morning to collect a SylWrap Pipe Repair Contractor Case. Sylmasta recommended the use of the Case rather than a Universal Pipe Repair Kit because of the complexity of the repair.

Corrosion had led to the cast iron pipe rupturing

A Sylmasta Contractor Case contains enough products for up to six live leak pipe repairs but on this occasion, the additional Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape and SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage were to be used for reconnecting the pipe after the initial repair had been made to the ruptured section. It was in effect two repairs in one.

Superfast Steel Epoxy Putty Stick was used to seal the rupture in the cast iron pipe. The putty was kneaded by hand and pushed into the cracks where it hardened, plugging the leaks. Because of the high pressure that the water supply pipe comes under, it was decided to reinforce the putty with an overwrapping of Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape.

Superfast Steel Epoxy Putty used to seal a rupture in a water supply pipe prior to a reconnect to the network
Superfast Steel sealed the rupture in the pipe
Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape used to seal a large rupture in a pipe prior to a reconnect taking place using Wrap & Seal
The epoxy putty was reinforced with Wrap & Seal, increasing pressure resistance
Initial repair is overwrapped with a SylWrap HD Bandage

Wrap & Seal is made from self-fusing silicone and stretches by three times its length, fusing into a solid rubber band. Layers of Tape can be built up to provide a repair which is pressure resistant up to 30bar.

Using Wrap & Seal and Superfast Steel in conjunction increased the pressure resistance of the application in a similar manner. The initial damage repair was completed with a SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage, providing a rock-hard, impact-resistant protective layer to the Superfast Steel and the Wrap & Seal.

Wrap & Seal applied at the joints to reconnect the cut-out section to the supply line
SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage encompassed the entire section of water supple pipe after the reconnect had taken place
Additional SylWrap HD used to encompass the entire pipe

For stage two of the repair, further Wrap & Seal was used to reconnect the damaged section of pipe to the water supply line. The Tape provided a high-strength, watertight seal between the joints. To further protect the connections between joints and the initial damage repair, another SylWrap HD Bandage was applied.

This final Bandage encompassed the entire pipe; the section which had been removed and the rest of the water supply line which had remained in place either side. Once cured, the bandage was painted black to make it a uniform colour with the rest of the pipe.

SylWrap HD is painted black to appear uniform with the pipe and complete the repair

The entire repair was completed in under two hours, after which water supply to the block of flats was restored. The contractor estimated that replacing the damaged section with specially fabricated new parts would have cost £12,000. Thanks to Sylmasta, the repair was completed for under £300.

If you have an application you would like to enquire about, then please get in touch

Call: +44 (0)1444 831 459
Email: sales@sylmasta.com

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