Condition Assessment for CIPP Repair: What CIPP Techs Need to Know
Both small and large trenchless repairs start with the same basic needs: knowing what’s wrong with the pipe, and knowing when it’s fixed properly. And as the industry has advanced, condition assessment for CIPP repair has followed suit. Today’s repairs may require more sophisticated evaluation tools, but are these new technologies necessary for all repairs?
The Need for Better Condition Assessment for CIPP Repairs
CIPP has been around since the 1970s, but the growing demand in new sectors and industries has made it more important to ensure proper installation. CIPP repairs fix more than just sewer laterals today, and large-scale municipal and industrial projects require thousands of feet of resin-impregnated liners.
Small issues with curing or installation have a cumulative effect when the projects are so big, so there is a growing need for more standardized condition assessment tools for CIPP repairs. In the past, CCTV has been the standard for visual inspections, but cities and municipalities often look for more detailed evaluations.
Current Methods
The most common approach to condition assessment for CIPP repairs today is CCTV inspection. Both before and after installations, CCTV can help identify potential issues ranging from host pipe condition to liner installation efficacy.
Pre-Installation Assessment
Pre-installation condition assessments for CIPP repairs help technicians detect damage, intrusions, and weak points in the host pipe so that all challenges are known before the liner is inserted.
Identify and locate pipe laterals and connections
Gauge the degree of damage in the host pipe
Determine structural integrity
Expose bellies, bulges, and offsets
Map out bends and diameter variations
Locate any crossbore issues
Evaluate potential delamination concerns due to corrosion
Post-Installation Assessment
Once installation is complete, technicians need to ensure the pipe liner is properly placed, cured, and cut for reinstatement. Visual inspection can also help identify possible defects in the liner installation so that repairs can be made quickly.
Delamination
Blistering
Incomplete curing
Accidental damage
Liner wrinkles, buckling, or ridges
New Technologies in Condition Assessment for CIPP Repairs
While CCTV inspections provide a great deal of information regarding CIPP repair condition assessments, regulatory organizations like NASSCO are looking for more objective assessment tools to provide more dependable repairs. Some companies are already designing tools that utilize more technological advancements to better evaluate pipe condition and repair success.
Pre-installation assessments can now utilize geospatial tech like SONDE to map pipelines with more precision. The additional data can help technicians design and fabricate liners that accommodate more complex repair needs. Geospatial information also provides a better picture of potential disruptions to infrastructure and utilities.
FELL technology (Focused Electrode Leak Location) offers more precise data for pipe liner inspections once a CIPP repair is completed, including liner thickness, wet-out failures, liner wrinkles, and curing issues. This post-installation information allows technicians to provide more dependable repairs and services to their clients with data that visual inspections typically don’t provide.
Do You Need More Than CCTV?
These new assessment tools provide valuable information that can help with CIPP repairs, but it may not be necessary for all businesses.
Large-Scale Repairs
Condition assessment for CIPP repair is most important for big projects, where multiple small issues can compound quickly into major problems. When working with thousands of feet of large-diameter pipes, the additional advanced pre-installation technology can help assess more significant repair needs and concerns, while post-installation evaluations prevent further pressure and flow losses by identifying less visible problems that could result in long-term issues.
Small Repairs
For sewer laterals and other residential repairs, CCTV inspections typically provide enough information for a proper condition assessment for CIPP repairs. Shorter liners, faster installations, and less complex installation needs make visual inspections more appropriate for smaller projects. The cost of more advanced inspection methods may simply be too prohibitive for small residential jobs.
Big Improvements for Small CIPP Repair Companies
While small repair companies may not need more advanced condition assessment tools for their CIPP repairs, they can still make improvements to their installations that will improve efficiency and accuracy for visual inspections with CCTV. Most liner failures result from one of three areas: improper installation techniques, low-quality materials, or inferior equipment. But by addressing these three areas properly, CIPP repair companies can see better results and a better bottom line.
Better Equipment
Working with outdated, worn, or poorly manufactured equipment can cost your business money in the long run. You could accidentally damage liners, inadequately mix resins, or unevenly cure the liners. Improvements in equipment manufacturing and a better understanding of functional needs for CIPP repairs have led to longer-lasting equipment that makes it easier to install liners without issues.
Better Materials
ASTM standards regulate safety, but it’s up to the company to ensure quality. Benchmarked and tested materials make installations more predictable, but few companies perform extensive third-party testing on their materials. Your small business deserves a pipe lining supply company that supports its materials with precise testing, specs, and quality assurance.
Better Training
High-quality materials and equipment will improve your technicians’ efficiency to some extent, but industry-leading training needs to be part of the equation. When techs are trained properly on their equipment and materials, they complete jobs faster and with fewer errors. This saves time, money, and effort for your company in the long run.
You can find better equipment, materials, and training all in one place with T3 Lining Supply. Trust our expert team to help your CIPP repair business meet the needs of your community. Reach out to us today to get started!