With new EPA regulations for containing pipes transporting hazardous fluids, companies are continually faced with the challenge of adapting to meet these rulings, often at significant expense. Such was the case for a car manufacturer in Lafayette, Ind., who discovered it needed to contain existing pipe in order to bring its facility up to new EPA standards.
The car manufacturer used transmission fluid, motor oil, windshield wiper fluid and steering fluid in its production process. All these fluids were stored in 10,000 gallon underground tanks, pumped out, and then transported through above ground pipe to the building. Once inside the manufacturing facility, the fluids are used to start up the new vehicles coming off the line. With new EPA regulations in effect, the existing above-ground, two-inch carbon steel pipe now needed to be secondarily contained in order to comply.
Faced with the prospect of a possible system shutdown in order to work on the pipe and contain it properly, the company turned to Craft Mechanical, a mechanical contractor in Lafayette, in hopes of finding a solution. With the goal of purchasing a system that would require as little downtime as possible, or one that could actually avoid downtime altogether, Craft Mechanical chose the Contain-It Secondary Containment System from GF Piping, a manufacturer of industrial fluid handling and control products.
“The GF Contain-It system allowed us to continue production without system shutdown,” explained Don Moore, Craft Mechanical's Project Superintendent. “It snaps around the existing pipe – there’s no need to disturb anything with the current system or shut the system”
The Contain-It System’s split pipe and fitting design allows installation over virtually any carrier system. Its clear PVC construction allows for visual inspection of the annular space, in many cases eliminating the need for expensive leak detection systems in above-ground applications.
Besides the major advantage of retrofitting the system in place without shutdown, Craft Mechanical found that installation was easier as there are no gaskets or hinges to align. Additionally, interlocking construction, predetermined fitting clip locators, and split pipes shipped with crossover holes pre-drilled at the factory, all combined to make installation fast. Moore and his installation team were able to install about 2,000-to-2500 feet of 4-inch PVC pipe in two-and-a-half weeks.