Funded by the Queensland Government, the $215 million Haughton Pipeline Duplication Project involved the duplication of an existing fully functioning 36.5km pipeline to provide Townsville with a backup supply of bulk water from the Burdekin Water Supply Scheme.
Project Overview
In April 2018, Townsville City Council awarded Iplex the tender for the supply of 36 kilometres of DN1800 FLOWTITE® GRP pipe, engineered to provide up to 234 megalitres of water per day into the Ross Dam. The duplication will enable water to be pumped more efficiently than the existing DN1200 DICL pipe, securing a sustainable, long-term water supply for the City of Townsville.
Iplex offered FLOWTITE® GRP pipe in preference to the proposed DICL pipework, providing Council with quantifiable installation and operational cost savings. With a different product on the table, Iplex was able to offer effective solutions to design challenges and risks.
To achieve Council’s ambitious project milestones, light weight GRP pipe was a logical product choice. Easily lifted into trenches, FLOWTITE® GRP pipe is strong and durable. Iplex and RPC delivered the FLOWTITE® pipe to the Haughton Project for stage one which was successfully completed at the end of 2019.
FLOWTITE®'s innovative curvilinear construction process is well-suited to the 36 kilometre pipeline, accommodating gradual changes in direction and eliminating the need for a welding joint system. Simple field cutting and joining, along with on-site hydrotesting allows pipe to be installed, jointed and tested as installation proceeds.
FLOWTITE® GRP is expected to reduce pumping energy requirements by 8% over the life of the project relative to MSCL and DICL pipework. For our client, this represents an estimated saving of $21.5 million over a 100 year service period.
