Project
Located within the Wyong Shire Council region on the Central Coast of NSW, the Mardi Dam project involved the installation of 1200mm SDR11 PN16 HDPE Pipe using Horizontal Directional Drill (HDD) under the Wyong Creek Crossing as part of the Mardi to Mangrove Link project.
Solution
With difficult ground conditions (alluvial clay, sand, gravel and sandstone) and restricted site access, a 1200mm SDR11 PN16 HDPE Pipe was chosen for installation using a Horizontal Directional Drill (HDD) in the area underneath Wyong Creek due to HDPE’s flexibility, strength, and cost effectiveness. At the time, it was the largest diameter HDPE watermain attempted in Australia.
With experience in the supply and on-site welding of complex HDPE pipeline projects, KenKar was the first choice of the lead contractor John Holland and HDD subcontractor UEA to supply and complete all on-site welding utilising their own 1200B Rothenberger butt welder.
With no Australian capability to manufacture 1200mm HDPE pipe, KenKar undertook an extensive supply evaluation process and developed welding methodology to ensure the quality of the HDPE pipe and welding process.
Despite the many challenges the bore was successfully installed and tested to 1600kPa proving the integrity of the HDPE pipe and welding process. The installation was an Australian first and a success in the supply and installation of a 1200mm HDPE pipeline via HDD bore.