The Right Tools for the job / The Right Products for the application

Picture an overland pipeline in a mountainous tropical region, running over 16km and a 150m maximum elevation change. The pre-2000 solution was a rubberlined welded steel and bolted pipeline.  Fast forward to the 2020s, and this pipeline needs to be replaced.

With so many competing products and services available, it is sometimes easy to miss something that truly makes your life/project easier. Be it having the right technology stack to provide your customers with the best outcome or utilising products that change the game.

The solution developed was SoluForce High-Pressure Flexible Composite Pipe Systems. SoluForce was in its infancy in 2000, but its products have come of age and provide a flexible pipeline system at relatively high pressures and easy installation.

SoluForce has a proven track record over the past 20 years in the Oil and Gas Space, and more recently, it has made inroads into the Mining and Minerals.

We have had to opportunity to be involved in a couple of such projects:
• 2.5km slurry pipeline with a 160m static head.
• 17km Acidic Process Water Return pipeline and 17km Tailing pipeline with 113m total lift, including an intermediate elevation at 150m above the pumps.

These applications are pumped at anything up to 120bar at the pump discharge without the need for any intermediate booster stations.

We found the benefits of the SoluForce Products are:

1. High Operating Pressures at elevated temperatures (when compared with standard HDPE pipe). Depending on the product/size, this starts at 36Bar @ 85°C, ranging up to 450bar at 105°C

2. Durable and Corrosion Free (HDPE inner and outer, minimal thermal expansion or stretch under axial loads)

3. Fast installation (400m rolls) (a range of end connection types depending on client requirements)

4. Smooth non-stick HDPE Liner (Darcy Weisbach surface roughness (e) 0.0015mm)

5. Reusable

6. Maintenance Free

7. Up to 50-year design life

We recommend SoluForce products for Overland pipelines, including concentrate or tailing transport, acidic or problematic process water transfer and dewatering applications, and underground rising mains, particularly those with low pH due to high sulphide ores.

Over the past few years, Verum Projects and Engineering has developed a good working relationship with the SoluForce team in the application of the SoluForce range of products to mining and minerals. We are happy to discuss your pumping needs and can work with you to develop the best solution.

“Engineers like to solve problems. If there are no problems handily available, they will create their own problems.” – Scott Adams (aka Dilbert)