When access difficulties prevent
conventional engineering operations, below, or above ground, personnel
trained for Confined Spaces can often complete the job manually.
Planned Maintenance (Pennine) Limited (PMP) recently proved the
point when the removal of concrete from a sewer main posed a problem
for contractors in Manchester.
Concrete was found to be blocking the sewer at Croal UID (unsatisfactory
intermittent discharge), one of 65 sites under United Utilities’
£40m UID/CSO investment scheme. Preparing to solve the problem,
Galliford Costain JV excavated a pit down to the piled chamber in
the 800mm by 600mm sewer.
When ultra high pressure jetting proved unable to remove the obstruction,
due to lack of access, PMP were called-in to complete the work in
Confined Space operating conditions.
A fully trained PMP engineer used CP9 pneumatic hammers with medium
weight breakers to carefully remove the concrete, without damaging
the walls of the Victorian sewer.
While PMP are frequently involved in leak sealing work for United
Utilities, using their AMEX®-10-Seal for internal pipe repairs,
the ability to solve Confined Space working problems means the company
can offer a variety of other services below ground.
