As is well known, the July floods left indelible marks on the Walloon landscape, particularly along the waterways. Immediately after these tragic events, urgent solutions had to be found for the evacuation and transport of water. The company Deschacht was soon able to supply large-diameter PP-Ribwall pipes for two very different projects, one in Hargimont and a second in Esneux.
“PP Ribwalls are ribbed polypropylene infiltration pipes of stiffness class SN8 with a very high resistance to crushing, says Vincent Brehl, technical and commercial advisor at Deschacht. These pipes are co-extruded. This means they consist of two membranes that are welded together, so that large-diameter components can be manufactured using little material. But these pipes offer even more advantages. Because they are lighter than solid-wall pipes, they can be installed more quickly. Thanks to their smooth inner walls, they also guarantee good drainage even on slight slopes, and finally, their installation is minimally invasive and they can therefore be easily dismantled and reused.”
Marengo Bridge in Hargimont
In Hargimont, there were fears regarding the stability of the Marengo Bridge following significant land subsidence beneath the abutments. “We had to pour concrete underwater, in the bed of the Wamme, to reinforce the bridge's foundations,” explains Vincent Brehl. “To protect the fauna and flora and prevent pollution of the river, the watercourse had to be diverted at the location of the work.”
“The client, 4M Engineering, contacted us to inquire about our large-diameter pipe solutions to divert a river in case of emergency,” says Kadri Demirkol, internal sales representative at Deschacht. “Our quick response, the availability of a stock of pipes and bends at the factory, and the fact that we were able to deliver the requested products quickly made all the difference in securing this order.” The prices and deadlines were perfect for 4M Engineering, the company responsible for carrying out the work, and so 180 linear meters of Ø 800 PP-Ribwall pipes were installed. Vincent Brehl: “The intention is for these pipes to be reused elsewhere in the future. Because they are only temporary, they were installed without seams and can be dismantled more easily.” Alain Drion, site manager at 4M Engineering, confirms this: “We are going to immediately reuse these pipes at other bridges that also suffered from the floods. That is the advantage of these pipes: they are lighter and easier to install than concrete pipes, and they can be easily moved for reuse.”
Storm basin at Esneux station
Near the Esneux station, the customer – Infrabel – urgently needed high-performance drainage material for the storm basin next to the Esneux station, right by the Ourthe. During the floods, the basin reached its overflow level, and the water had to be diverted to prevent further overloading. Amin Malek, administrative, technical, and financial manager at S.A.C.E., explains how everything worked: “Beneath the dirt paths running through a campsite, we installed pipes with a diameter of 1,000. These pipes will not be dismantled: they will remain in place to guarantee water drainage from the basin in the event of another flood.”
