Line Pulls

SplashTRON® Pipeline Coating For Line Pulling

For river or road crossings, when corrosion and site conditions are tough, SplashTRON® from Mark Tool Co. is the pipeline coating of choice.

Horizontal drilled crossings of pipelines – whether for rivers, beaches, or roads- have numerous advantages over their above-ground counterparts, from cost savings to having a less negative impact on the environment. Horizontal directional drilling (also called “directional boring,” or “HDD”) is a trenchless construction method that involves drilling a path underneath a river or other road and threading the pipeline underneath. 

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Conventional dredge or bridge crossings are expensive to install and require continued maintenance. Trenchless construction, on the other hand, has a few advantages:

  • Eliminates navigational hazards and can be accomplished without interrupting traffic.
  • Has a lower initial cost and a cost saving in time because permits are generally faster and easier to obtain.
  • Provides a wider work window because weather, water, or road conditions do not affect drilling or pipe installation.
  • Leaves bank, river bottoms, and road beds undisturbed – eliminating harmful effects on fish, vegetation, and the natural ecology.
  • Can be maintenance-free.

Pullback is critical part of a directionally bored pipeline project.

Once the river or road crossing is complete, the critical part of the project lies ahead – the pullback.

First, the pipeline is usually assembled to its full length and tested. After the drill head (or pilot string and washover pipe) is removed, reaming devices are attached for pullback. This involves enlarging the pilot hole to accommodate the pipeline, which is attached to the reamer with a swivel to ensure that the rotation (torque) applied to the reamer is not transmitted to the utility. The reamer enlarges the borehole to the required size, and the pipe is installed.

Intermittent pulling and stopping to weld sections could cause the reamed hole to collapse or become partially obstructed, forcing your crew to abandon the nearly-completed pipeline project. In addition, the pull can damage the integrity of the coating material or even the pipe itself. The quality of the coating material and its strength, flexibility, and corrosion protection are paramount to a successful drilled crossing.

Bill Moore

SplashTRON® inventor Bill L. Moore, outside his Garden City, LA facility. Courtesy of Offshore Diver Magazine.

SplashTRON® is the answer

SplashTRON®, the bonded-on elastomer from Mark Tool Co., has become the coating of choice on numerous river, road, and beach crossings because it provides:

  • a strong, flexible coating,
  • the best possible corrosion protection,
  • a choice of field joints,
  • and an ideal insulation coating for cased crossings.

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