INFRAPIPE (Research and Development of the Pipes used in Environmental Infrastructure Facilities (Potable Water + Drainage ) and the Production techniques for these pipes)

The aim of the project is to improve structural rigidity of Infrastructure pipes by material and geometry optimization. The final target is the development of optimal profile geometry in order to use 50% less material to have the same structural rigidity.

Second stage of the project is the development of mobile production facility for infrastructure pipes, so that pipes can be produced on-site by winding of PE profiles to form this pipe. Winding PE profiles to produce pipes on-site is the first industrial application on earth. In this manner, mobile spirally winding system will be designed and produced. Final product is a pipeline made up of spirally wound PE profiles. By this way of producing large diameter pipes, transportation expenses will be much lower than that of conventional ways.

At the third part of the project, corrugated pipes are produced by various extrusion methods. Two different unique methods are developed for this purpose. First one is based on using a multilayer extrusion die which has concentric rotating parts to form profile geometry on the extruded pipe during extrusion. Second method is based on sucking of the outer layer of a multilayer pipe by rotating screw shaped calibers which will form the corrugated part of the pipe.

Last part of the project aims the production of a pipe which has flow disturbing geometry at the inner surface so there is a natural resistance against fluid flow throughout the pipe. Numerical modelling techniques will be used to determine the optimum geometry of obstacles in the pipe. The inner obstacles will be optimized based on the slope of the pipeline and diameter of the pipe.

In conclusion, all the methods described above were tested on-site and improvements were made using knowledge gained from on-site experiences. All the developed pipe producing systems also have pipe installation instructions with required parts and methods.