A BRUGG GROUP COMPANY
Project
In the French twin municipality of Veigy-Foncenex, a reliable pipe system was to be laid for a biogas plant near Lake Geneva. The biogas site was founded five years ago, and a new building was added in 2023. A local heating pipeline with our FLEXSTAR UNO pipes was installed to ensure a flawless energy supply for the new part of the building.
Execution
Two rings of FLEXSTAR UNO, each 200 metres long, were supplied and laid for this construction project. The aim was to connect the pre-pit of the biogas plant with the boiler room. The construction work took a total of two months, whereby the actual laying of the pipes was completed within two days.
The most important construction stages were the construction of a new building and the laying of the pipes under the floor slab. In the first stage, the pipes were laid in the new building before the concrete slab was poured. The next stage involved laying the trench to the boiler room. Thanks to the good weather and the easy handling of the FLEXSTAR pipes, the installation was simple and uncomplicated. Now the biogas plant can supply the region even better with renewable energy in the future.
Project
In the canton of Basel-Stadt, an efficient pipe was laid in the village of Riehen for the Fondation Beyeler, the internationally renowned museum of modern and contemporary art. Our best-insulated CALPEX pipe was used to supply the new museum building with district heating and cooling in the future.
Execution
Construction work began in November 2023 and extended over three stages. A total CALPEX pipe length of approx. 800 metres was installed in the project. The aim of the work was to connect the new museum building with the pavilion and connect it to an existing district heating network. A special feature of the project was the production of a special part. This was a ventilation system, which was agreed with the customer before construction work began and installed accordingly. During the construction work, the customised part had to be slightly adjusted on site by the regional welder.
One of the biggest challenges in the CALPEX project, in addition to the complex construction of the customised product, was the terrain next to the new museum building. In order to protect the large old trees, the pipes had to be laid carefully in the trench - which our fitters mastered in exemplary fashion.
Project
In the municipality of Attiswill in Bern, three apartment buildings were linked together in a heating network. The members of the community supply the raw material for the central heating system themselves – wood from the nearby community forest.
Challenge
As the topping-out ceremony for the building was imminent, the CALPEX pipe had to be laid at temperatures around freezing point. Additional measures, such as pre-heating the CALPEX pipe, helped with ensuring that the pipe could be installed without any problems. Now that the CALPEX pipe has been laid successfully, Rolf Steffen, team leader at Alpiq AG, is very much satisfied. “The project showed how cooperation between the installer, Meier Tobler and Brugg Rohrsystem AG worked from the planning phase right through to the execution phase. That’s exactly how I picture team work.”
Project
In Carona, a small village in the popular Swiss canton of Ticino, an extensive district heating pipeline was laid from the heating plant to the centre of the village. Our reliable PREMANT UNO and CASAFLEX DUO pipes were used to optimise the supply of heat energy to the residents.
Execution
The main heating network for Carona was built twelve years ago. Over the years, it has been repeatedly extended and expanded. In the course of these expansions, the largest construction phase was completed in 2019. We laid an extensive district heating pipeline from the heating centre to the village centre. Our rigid PREMANT UNO pipe was used for the straight pipeline. The flexible and bendable CASAFLEX DUO pipe, on the other hand, was mainly used in the centre of the village.
The biggest challenge on site was the limited space in the old town centre. As the streets were not passable by lorry, our fitters parked the lorry outside the village centre and then pulled the CASAFLEX pipe over the winding streets to the trench. The laying of the pipes themselves has been a complete success so far.
Project
In the diverse Swiss municipality of Sachseln, a district heating pipeline was laid near Lake Sarnersee for the local heating network. Our efficient CASAFLEX and PREMANT DUO pipes were used for the Flüelistrasse to ensure that the residents are supplied with sustainable energy in the future.
Execution
Construction work began in March 2023 and is still ongoing, as the construction project is part of a larger heating network. As a pipe constructor, we have already realised several projects for the customer together with the engineering office. The aim of this project was to connect Flüelistrasse to an existing district heating network. The energy released for the district heating pipeline is obtained from the combustion of wood chips.
As the Flüelistrasse connects the village of Sachseln with Flüeli-Ranft and the pilgrimage site there, it was important to minimise damage to the road. Our CASAFLEX and PREMANT DUO pipes have two inner pipes of the same size for the flow and return of thermal energy. As only one pipe was required per line instead of two, our fitters were efficient when laying the pipes. The biggest challenge in the construction project was installing the pipe at the Salzbrunnen bridge. Because the pipeline could not be installed above or below the bridge, it was necessary to attach it to the side of the Salzbrunnen bridge with special fastenings.
Project
In the popular sports and recreation centre in Bürglen, a reliable and robust local heating pipeline from BRUGG Pipes was laid for Klausenstrasse for the local community. Our perfectly matched CASAFLEX and PREMANT pipes were used in this project to provide residents with a reliable supply of sustainable energy in the future.
Realisation
Construction work began in March 2023 and lasted until July 2023. The aim was to lay a local heating pipeline for the school building and the surrounding residential buildings. The flexible CASAFLEX and the rigid PREMANT pipe system were used in several construction stages. In total, the fitters installed a route length of 400 metres during this construction phase. Approx. 1,700 metres are planned for the final expansion.
Important steps in this project included parking the lorry with the material, pulling and aligning the pipe in the trench and fitting the couplings. Our resistant PREMANT pipes were used for the transport line and the flexible CASAFLEX pipes were used for the house connections. A considerable challenge in the project was laying the pipeline from the power station up the steep mountainside to the main road. Despite the demanding gradient on site, our fitters mastered the individual construction stages with aplomb.
Project
In the foothills of the Swiss Alps, the municipality of Rothenthurm has decided to install a district heating pipeline. Many public and private buildings in the town are to be heated sustainably with a central heat source. Our compatible CASAFLEX and PREMANT pipes were used to provide the residents with an optimum energy supply in the future.
Realisation
The construction project started in summer 2019 and involved laying a total length of up to six kilometres. Not only existing buildings, but also new flats will be connected to the heating network. Our rigid PREMANT pipes were used for long and straight sections. Flexible CASAFLEX pipes were used for the house connections.
In the first construction phase, the district heating pipeline was built from the new heating centre to the primary school building. The energy for the heating centre is supplied by an enormous wood boiler, in which heat is generated by burning wood chips and transported to the buildings through our pipes.
When carrying out the project, the trench along the roads had to be cleared in such a way that it caused as little disruption to road traffic as possible. Another challenge for the workers on the project was the electrical and water pipes already laid in the ground. The altitude of the construction site posed an additional challenge in winter, as the construction pits had to be kept clear of snow.
Project
We have successfully completed the expansion of the district heating network for our customer EBL (Genossenschaft Elektra Baselland) in the Swiss capital of Bern. With our extremely heavy-duty FLEXWELL DHC district heating pipeline, we have completed a crucial construction phase. Namely the connection between the municipality of Ittigen and the city of Bern. Our pipes were laid under the River Aare to supply the Worblental heating network with sustainable heat in the future.
Execution
The project began immediately after Easter with the delivery of two of our FLEXWELL DHC pipes in the largest available dimension DN 150, which weighed an impressive 7.5 tons per pipe. With a casing diameter of 310 millimetres, a pipe length of 226 meters each was transported to Bern on two drums. Thanks to the use of a special transport with extra width, the pipes were also transported over narrow stretches of land.
The construction site was managed thanks to the use of heavy machinery and six experienced fitters. A special mobile crane with a lifting capacity of 130 tons was used to unload the pipes. Another 60-tonne pneumatic crane lifted the drums into the pipe-laying trolley. Two of the FLEXWELL DHC district heating pipes were pulled from the starting trench on Arastrasse in Ittigen into the empty pipes and laid from there under the river up to Tiefenaustrasse in Bern using cable winches.
Project
The Burgergemeinde and the municipality of Lengnau in the Swiss canton of Bern are focussing on ecological and economical heating with their joint heating network called WärmeLengnau - with the aim of producing heat sustainably. Our durable FLEXWELL DHC steel casing pipe system was used in Moosstrasse to ensure that the town is optimally supplied with heat energy.
Execution
Since 2020, many new district heating pipes from BRUGG Pipes have already been reliably laid for the construction projects of the heating network in Lengnau. In September 2023, a district heating pipe was installed in Moosstrasse as part of these construction projects. The aim was to connect the flexible steel casing pipe to an existing heating centre in the shortest possible time so that public traffic was affected as little as possible.
The short time frame was a considerable challenge for our fitters on site, especially as a total of two FLEXWELL DHC pipes, each 134 metres long, were to be laid. Due to the time constraints, our workers had to unwind the pipes from the reel, straighten them, pull them into the trench and align them particularly quickly and efficiently. As the trench was very close to the road, it was also important to work extremely carefully within the cordoned-off areas when laying the pipes. Another challenge was finding the space for the bogie and ensuring access for the lorry with the drum. Despite the challenges, the installation went smoothly thanks to the hard work of our fitters.
Project
In Zurich, the city with the highest population in Switzerland, a flexible and resistant district heating pipe from BRUGG Pipes was laid for Nürenbergstrasse under narrow conditions. Our FLEXWELL DHC steel casing pipe system was used to provide the residents of the building block with an optimum and sustainable supply of heat.
Execution
The construction project began in September 2023. The aim was to connect the flexible steel casing pipe to an existing pipeline and connect it to the building. The construction work took just three days, with the most important steps being the challenging pulling of the pipe into the trench and the pipe laying itself. Two FLEXWELL DHC pipes were used for this project. As the trench was close to a garden plot, it was important to lay the pipe extremely carefully.
At the construction site, there was hardly any parking space on Nürenbergstrasse for the lorry carrying the material, which is why the workers parked the lorry on the other road and then pulled the pipe across a green area to the trench. Another challenge was that no tractor unit could be used for digging. The fitters on site therefore worked increasingly with deflection pulleys to align the pipes underground and master the narrow bends - which they did perfectly.
Project
Insulated pipe systems at the Swiss Museum of Transport
At Switzerland’s largest and most famous museum – the Swiss Museum of Transport located directly on Lake Lucerne – BRUGG Pipes collaborated on an amazing project together with Energie Wasser Luzern (ewl) in March 2022. The district heating and cooling lines connect the new energy centre of the new “House of Energy” multi-purpose building to the existing exhibition buildings through the outdoor area.
Execution
Use of lake water as a modern and ecological source of heating and cooling in Lucerne.
The system is located in the outdoor area of the museum, which is also open to visitors, so fast and efficient execution of the project was of utmost importance and central for all involved parties. Thanks to detailed project planning and coordination, the project went smoothly and was completed on schedule. Installation was carried out by our own installation team to the complete satisfaction of the customer.
A special feature of this project was that the lake water in the immediate vicinity was used as an energy source and distributed with a heat pump. The lake has large heat and cold reserves that can be used ecologically. This is an inexpensive and renewable source of energy with low investment costs and low maintenance. Thanks to the energy from the lake, the use of fossil fuels can be greatly reduced, thereby minimising CO2 emissions. Since the energy is produced locally, long transport routes are not necessary and the added value stays in the region
District heating at the Baltic Sea beach
The striking white buildings along the Baltic Sea beach are what give Heiligendamm its nickname of the “white town by the sea”. The “string of pearls” of white buildings has been supplied by a newly laid district heating line since 2017. Both old and new district heating lines run here, for which a total of €1.1 million was invested. The PSP DN 200 pipe was connected to the existing DN 250 plastic casing pipe close to the tracks of the Molli narrow-gauge railway. German Pipe PREMANT pipes and moulded parts were delivered and laid to cover a length of around 250 m.
As usual, there were some other supply lines to cross. In terms of statics, the pipe was measured for 16 bar. It was relatively easy to position the calculated U and Z expanders along Kühlungsborner Straße. Constructed from 1 x 2 m elbows, no installation sleeves were required. PREMANT and FLEXWELL
This situation changed between the spa building and the Grand Hotel. The areas between adjacent buildings and paths were narrow and a different method was required. The water, which is up to 110°C, flows here at a depth of up to 4 m. With the BRUGG district heating cable DHC, this section could be finished using directional drilling and without having to dig up paths, parking areas and lawns. The transition from PREMANT to FLEXWELL is key here. As a result of the 16 bar internal pressure, the expansion force at the ends is approx. 45 kN. To absorb this stress, the subsequent PREMANT pipes and moulded parts were statically measured.
Some of the force is absorbed by the surface friction, which amounts to approx. 4 kN/m. The majority of the counterforce, however, is achieved by means of the side compression of the PSP elbows against the ground. The steel casing of the FLEXWELL district heating cable is also helpful as it applies or transfers some of the counterforce. The third and fourth construction stage ran from the Villa Perle, which was completely reconstructed in 2013, to behind the Hotel Residenz. Another 600 m of FLEXWELL 200/310 pipes were buried, interrupted only by connection points and intersections. Pipes were shut off to establish the connection with the existing PSP pipe. To allow subsequent reconnection, there are six ball valves over an area of just 20 m². The “FWN-Aufrüstung Heiligendamm – 1. bis 4. BA” project (Heiligendamm district heating upgrade – construction stage 1 to 4) shows how an optimum line can be created thanks to the clever planning solution of combining rigid and flexible pipe systems. German Pipe compiled the static calculations. Flow temperature: 110°C
Nominal pressure: PN 16
Task:
A steam pipe was installed between the incinerator and the paper factory. An 836 m intermediate piece could not be laid above ground for visual reasons and the overground pipe used could not be laid in the ground. A solution was required. Requirement: 220°C operating temperature DN 500, output 45 tons/hour
Solution:
A steel casing pipe was laid. A FLEXWELL DN 100 made of 1.4404 steel was used for the condensate return. For the most part, 12 m parts were used for the 836 m stretch. Special parts were required for changes in direction. The flexible DN 100 condensate pipe was able to be laid in one piece between the shafts.
