DURASEAL is now ready to be implemented. The product has completed field trials with positive results and promises to have a beneficial impact for networks and customers alike.
Initially proposed by Enduratec, DURASEAL was developed to create long-term pipe repairs by repurposing technology usually intended for short-term repairs.
Enduratec is a small enterprise specialising entirely in the UK gas utility sector, founded in 2016 by Bruce Hutt to develop DURASEAL. Hutt brought his prior experience developing solutions using high-grade silicone self-amalgamating tape to the development of DURASEAL.
The solution utilises a sealant putty, self-amalgamating tape, and fibre-glass compression layer. These materials act to compress the putty into the leak to seal them, rather than sealing by adhesion. Fibre-glass will form a hard layer to protect a pipe from external damage, working as a permanent repair method for both low and medium pressure pipes, up to 18 inches in diameter.
The project has been a collaborative initiative, facilitated by the EIC, between ROSEN, Enduratec, Wales & West Utilities and Cadent.
DURASEAL has so far undergone rigorous testing to ensure its capability and to provide confidence to the networks that it meets the required standards to qualify as a ‘permanent repair’. This has included testing to different pressures, and long-term testing to ensure the solution would be lasting.
Field trials have yielded positive results; DURASEAL promises benefits for both customers and networks. It has the potential to provide money and time savings for networks by reducing the number of temporary repairs that need to be made and as a cost-effective alternative to current methods on medium pressure pipelines.
The product will also minimise disruption to customers, as it allows for long-term repairs to be completed quickly by field engineers from each network.
Submitted by Enduratec, DURASEAL has been shortlisted in the categories Best Innovation (Gas) and Innovator of the Year at the Energy Innovation Awards 2022. Find out more here.
