During a repair stop in a production line, all work needs to be quickly executed, with high quality and durability for a long time to come. In just a few days, culverts were renovated under Billerud Korsnäs’ paper mill in Kalix, in the north of Sweden. Using Railcare’s relining method, the culverts were restored with a fibreglass reinforced lining, and will now fulfil their function for decades to come.
– Removing the culverts and putting in new ones was not even an option. Above the ground where the pipes are located, there is paper mill storage and a newly built paper mill tank, which is why it is very difficult to intervene. But even without the buildings above ground, we would never have made it during the production stop. Relining was therefore the absolute best solution, says Lennart Svanberg, Maintenance Engineer Building and Construction, at Billerud Korsnäs and continues:
– I had been in contact with Railcare in a previous project and had also seen them carry out a similar job at Obbola’s paper mill. Choosing this solution was simple, as the method is suitable for different types of industries.
Karlsborg’s production unit, as the factory is called, is located in Norrbotten county in the north of Sweden, and is a world-leading manufacturer of sack paper, formable paper, kraft paper and pulp. Every year in August, the factory shuts down for 12 days to do preparatory maintenance and repairs. During this production stop, Railcare had the task of renovating two worn-out culverts, with a diameter of 600 mm, by using an extra durable liner adapted to the special conditions required by the industry. Lennart says:
– One of the culverts is from the bleaching process and has a hot flow with a low pH value that eats into the lifespan. This culvert was planned at an early stage to be fixed. The other culvert was a fibre-conducting drain, and we noticed during a connection that this line was in poor condition.
– We agreed to have a third lining in reserve in case something went wrong with the first two linings. When we saw that the linings were successful, a third lining was also carried out on a section of the same length. We thereby avoided digging up a section of approximately 37 meters of asphalt that was to be restored the same week as the upcoming salt delivery from Kalixhamn. In this way, we saved on restructuring, culvert material and time consumption, which is a big factor for a successful project.
Good planning before a mission of this nature is extremely important because anything can happen and usually does. Railcare’s Per-Ove Eriksson has extensive experience in relining and knows the value of preparation. Lennart even started calling him ‘The Professor”.
– When the professor becomes silent and just gives an overview. Then you know that all the details will fall into place. It has worked very well with Railcare together with all other subcontractors. Unforeseen things always happen, but thanks to good communication between the supervisors, we have solved the problems together, out there where it happens, concludes Lennart.
