Submerged HDPE water pipe costs?

[Gungadin]

Hi, I need to come up with some budget level unit costs for installing a 24-inch hdpe in a lake - depth would be up to about 60 feet, length would be on the order of 1,500 feet - anyone been through this sort of project?

Thanks!

 

[stanier]

I have put pipes across tidal rivers before up to 1 km in length.

Costings will involve apart from the pipe:-

Crange to string the PE
Concrete weights for ballast
Beach area to weld the pipe into long sections
Runway to load weights and pipe into water
Lay barge to direct the pipeline
Butt welding machine, you'll probably only get four welds a day on this size of pipe if you do it properly
Hydrotest crew
QC of the welds which includes cutting out specimens for mechanical tests
Welder qualification tests
Pumps, meters and the like for filling the pipe with water
Concrete ballasts at the pipe ends
Scour protection such as rock mattresses on the shore
Design
Rehabilitation of the shore
Lighting/signage if the lake is trafficable

You may need a plough for the ROPW depending upon what the bottom is.

Driscopipe have good data on river crossings.
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[gtrainor]

I think stanier just about wraps it up with all the details. I started a project like this for a sewer outfall. It got to be a pretty monumental opertation just figuring the needed concrete weights and how it was going to be tugged out in the ocean. In your lake, is it possible to setup a winch on the other side to pull the pipe across while it is floating with the end plugged (Will this causes a boating hazard?)? Then fill the pipe and place the weights while it's laying on the bottom. Stanier, did you also have divers? I had to price those guys in at $$$$/hour.

 

[stanier]

Ah yes the divers. Luckily the client paid for those as part of QC. You are quite right divers are an expensive add on that I missed.

The cost is really a local thing because of transport and access requirements, local expertise, cranage, boats, productivity rates, other work in the area etc. Sharing knowledge is a way to immortality

 

[dicksewerrat]

I priced divers in Minnesota about 4 years ago at $175/hour for each. You need three. Two to work and one safety man topside. Add 20% for inflation. Of course they were local. If they are not local add $100. per day for expenses each and travel costs.

 

[Ag93]

Gungadin,

I happen to work for an HDPE pipe manufacturer and am familiar with those types of projects. Check out our website for literature and technical information

http://www.performancepipe.com

. For cost estimates on the pipe you can get them from one of our distributors who are listed on the website.

Stanier knows HDPE well and has provided a very thorough answer...as always.

 

[FLwater]

At least a grand per foot oughta cover you, plus contingency for failure and the subsequent lawsuits. Why not go around the lake? Why not use ductile iron ball & socket pipe? Can the pipe be damaged by ice or vessels? You can weld iron under water, but it is kinda hard to make those thermal joints on HDPE

 

[stanier]

Its interesting to see the support for legacy materials still exists. In Europe 90% of water and waste water lines are in thermoplastics such as ABS, uPVC, Opvc, Mpvc, PE & PP.

Modern technology welds the lines into strings that are floated out with concrete ballasts attached and then progressively sunk. Otherwise like the subsea pipelines they are welded continuously on a ship and then laid in the ROW.

Welding subsea is generally reserved for emergency repairs or tie offs.

Running pipelines around the lake has mnore environmental hooks in it than crossing the lake. The foreshores have many forms of flora and fauna, residents, users, landowners etc. Best keep out of the road of this lot.



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