Glass-fibre Reinforced Plastic pipe (GRP) piping systems which are also known as FRP piping systems are commonly used within the pipeline industry as well as other markets. The advantages of using GRP piping are that they are light weight, they have a high corrosion resistance, a smooth inner surface and are easy to install. Although with that said, from time to time, they still come with various challenges such as ovality, de-lamination, cracking and so on.
Recently, Leaktech were awarded the leak detection scope of works on a 6km pipeline section which was large bore DN1800 GRP Rubber Ringed Joint piping and had previously failed the Hydrostatic Test Pressure of 1950kpa with steady pressure drop of 2kpa per minute and no visible surface leaks. With buried Rubber Ring Joints every 13 meters, various scour valves and branches, pipeline depths and valve pits across the pipeline, we faced numerous challenges.
To ensure Leaktech’s projected work program would run smoothly, a further review of the pipeline profiles, the footprint of the area to be surveyed as well as various ongoing construction works, which could produce potential high noise levels and in return interfere with our frequency logger technology, our proposed leak detection method was to complete a full acoustic leakage survey on the pipeline charged at full pressure.
The client had raised concerns with regards to wasted water, safety and project cost implications. As Leaktech are fully committed to 100% customer satisfaction, we immediately deployed a team to Far North Queensland fully equipped with the tools and knowledge to assess and rectify the issue. Leaktech have recently developed and invested in various alternative leak detection methods which have allowed us to reduce the amount of equipment required and which enables rapid mobilisation to site. Leaktech’s Brisbane team developed the required methodology, procedures and risk assessments which were reviewed and approved by our team and the client on site prior to the works commencing.
Leaktech’s team completed a full acoustic leakage survey on the pipeline and acoustically pinpointed and located multiple leaks which were immediately rectified on site, allowing the hydrostatic test to be completed and compliant.
Water Leaks in large shopping centres can be expensive and can cause a major impact on businesses within the shopping centre. Leaktech was notified at short notice of this leak and worked closely with some of our current clients to re-organise and shuffle pre-booked jobs around, as we deemed it an imperative to support our local businesses who have already been significantly impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and further closures were not up for consideration.
Leaktech was engaged and worked around the clock to locate a major leak in one of Brisbane’s south-western shopping centres. The leakage rate was approximately 60 litres per second within a 20m2 metre area, causing access restrictions to the shopping centre, a complete shutdown of the loading area and a reduced water flow rate within all areas of the shopping centre.
Due to Leaktech’s in-house innovative technology, combined with over 30 years of knowledge and experience with all aspects of leak detection and service location, our certified and trained technicians mobilised and located the leak, which was a DN100 AC pipe buried at 1.6 metres. The civil team exposed the pipe and repaired it at the exact location our technicians had previously identified as the leak.
If you have a water leak, call in the team that has the technology and experience to identify it
quickly and accurately. Our friendly specialists are waiting for your call on 1300 053 257.
Hard to locate water leaks can be very expensive and disruptive to your business. Thanks to our technology and over 30 years of experience, we’re able to rapidly identify the source of water leaks that others miss.
We recently helped a major shopping centre significantly reduce damage to their business due to a particularly deceptive water leak. The large shopping centre in a Central Queensland city has major national tenants and is open 7 days until 9pm. The site has 18,000 square metres of concrete and had a very small but damaging leak.
The centre had over 3 kilometres of buried pipe (location generally unknown) and every previous leak was not near where the water appeared. The site had become hazardous for pedestrians and their plumber and local leak investigator had failed to find the leak despite numerous attempts. Every cut in the concrete was costing over $2500 and could only happen after 9pm. An astute local plumber had worked with Leaktech previously with a 100% success rate and we were called in to help.
It was a 550km drive each way and we were on site within 24 hours. We locate the leak within 20cm below 200mm of concrete and 32 metres from where the water appeared.
The cost for Leaktech was less than the cost of each wrong surface cut. Our team have experience working across Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and Queensland.
If you have a water leak, call in the team that has the technology and experience to identify it quickly and accurately.
Our friendly specialists are waiting for your call on 1300 053 257.
Our team has upgraded our Ground Penetrating Radar technology so we can provide an even more accessible service to you.
FIRSTLY, WHAT IS GROUND PENETRATING RADAR?
Ground penetrating radar is a non-destructive geo-physical method in which radar pulses are used to create an image of shallow subsurface features (down to 6 metres approximately). This allows you to avoid cutting into items such as the below:
water mains – all types, including asbestos, blue brut
pipes – plastic, poly, pvc
fire main valves
fibre optic cables
road crossings
rising mains
buried manhole covers
underground
underground tanks and pits
SO, WHAT’S NEW?
We are now offering premium Ground Penetrating Radar equipment in all of our service vans. We are also offering by far the lowest rates around for the service. This makes it more accessible than it’s ever been before.
We are the only local Dial Before You Dig Certified Locator. Our vehicles are fully equipped for leak location as well as underground service locations and ground penetrating radar. Nobody carries the range of equipment we do. We have the equipment, the best trained staff, attractive rates and all the insurances that you need. We are also the only such business that has been operating continuously specialising in these areas only for over 30 years.
If you haven’t used us for a while, give us another go. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.
We’re the specialists in the field and our team is ready for your call.
Many Australian businesses and customers are in turmoil at the moment, due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the restrictions governments have had to implement.
With that in mind, we’d like to explain how we’ll be operating over the coming weeks. As an essential business, we’re determined to stay open as long as possible.
Water leaks need to be found and often cannot be safely excavated without preliminary accurate underground service locations. Despite the recent rains, our water reserves are still depleted.
We need to protect the precious water resources of our households, businesses and community. However we need to implement new policies and procedures so that this can be done safely. The health and well-being of our staff and our clients has been at the forefront of our planning and we continue to monitor the advice of the Queensland and Federal Government regarding the outbreak. We will rapidly adapt to any new recommendations.
HERE’S HOW WE’LL BE ABLE TO OPERATE WITH OUR DIFFERENT CUSTOMERS DURING THIS PERIOD. RETAIL CUSTOMERS
On-line or phone bookings are stlli being attended to in a timely manner. As usual we wlli prioritise according to need but usual response times remain as the same or next business day where possible for leaks causing damage or costing big $$$
For staff and customer safety, we wlil not be accepting cash. Credit card payments wlil be carried out safely over the phone.
Our technicians sanitize regularly during the day including before, during and after every job.
Face masks are worn where deemed necessary.
Social distancing is practiced as a matter of course. Usually we have no need to enter a premises. If, however this is necessary, please
understand that our staff wlil ask a few questions to be sure it is safe for them to enter.
Our technicians wlil text clients prior to arriving.
Our office staff are all working from home now.
TRADE CUSTOMERS
Once you advise the details of the job, where possible, we will contact your client and advise the precautions we are taking and how it may impact on the job.
All other procedures are as per Retail Customers above.
TRADE CUSTOMERS
Where possible, we request that our clients allow us access to sites alone to carry out the required works.
If working with traffic controllers, contractors or others, we will require distancing and safe practices to protect our staff.
UTILITIES, BUILDERS AND CIVIL CLIENTS
Where possible, we request that our clients allow us access to sites alone to carry out the required works.
If working with traffic controllers, contractors or others, we will require distancing and safe practices to protect our staff.
NIGHT WORKS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSES
are still available as required subject to safe practices.
PAYMENT TERMS
Customers will be required to settle accounts on a COD basis during this crisis. Credit Cards are the best option where possible.
Please be assured that your safety and amenity is at the forefront of our planning. We will still be there to save water and your money as required. Thank you for your support and cooperation. Stay safe.
Don’t estimate the power of water. Water under pressure is very abrasive. In fact, it is used for cutting toughened glass and many other products in manufacturing processes.
Small leaks quickly become large leaks.
We have seen many different types of leaks during the last 33 years of specialist leak detection. We have the people, the knowledge and the unique equipment to resolve issues. That is why so many of our delivery partners are quality plumbing contractors who understand that there are many aspects of quality leak detection above and beyond simply buying a piece of technology.
Our unique knowledge and combination of technologies is why we are the industry leaders in leak detection. There are now many new businesses purporting to be leak detection specialists. Nobody else has Leaktech’s 33 years of experience, range of technologies and skilled staff who ONLY specialise in leak detection and underground service location.
In January 2020, we were contacted by our long-standing and valued client, J & K Plumbing Works from Gladstone. A major commercial centre in that city was virtually without water on both the domestic and the fire lines. The leak had presented over several hundred metres of a thick concrete carpark more than a kilometre in length. Despite major efforts by the experienced plumbing team, they could not pinpoint the leak.
The centre was losing around 300,000 litres of water a day. That is equivalent to 1.5 Olympic swimming pools of water lost each day.
Leaktech deployed to site from our Sunshine Coast office and began work with the plumbers late at night after the businesses had closed for the day. The leak was located, Leaktech carried out an underground service location to ensure it was safe to excavate and the concrete was cut by waiting contractors.
Over the course of around 10 years, Leaktech has carried out many jobs with J & K Plumbing. They know that when we say “digâ€, that is where the leak will be. We find leaks and we are accurate!
Our Leaktech technician detected two sounds at different frequencies when he first located the leak above concrete, prior to the cutting of the concrete. He advised that this indicated there were most likely two major leaks at this location beneath the concrete, coming from two different types of pipes.
The domestic feed to this property is a large 75mm (3) poly pipe. This pipe was found to be almost completely missing for around 70 mm of the length of the pipe, allowing water to flow from the pipe at full flow. See the photograph below with a shovel beside it to visualise the size of the hole.
Below the domestic water feed, there are three 150mm PVC fire main pipes. One of these pipes had a hole caused by a rock in the back fill. This hole was only around the size of a 20-cent piece.
Water from this fire main was escaping at high flow and high pressure and almost cut right through the domestic line. Whilst this is not the first time that Leaktech has seen this, it was by far the biggest.
Again, this proves the logic in using only proven experts when these (or any other) leakage problems occur. Without the three technologies deployed on this project, it is unlikely that this great result would have been achieved.
Leaktech is often called in by one of its partner plumbing clients as happened here but body corporate managers, property owners, engineers and many others call us directly. We will find the problem and, if required, recommend a suitably qualified and competent contractor to carry out the work.
Don’t waste your time and money. Call Leaktech first.
“I have used Rod and his Leaktech team for the last 10 years and will continue to do so. They are a crucial component of my business locating leaks in difficult areas and in a timely manner. To date they are on a 100% success rate with leak locations which is no mean feat. Definitely recommend these Guys.â€
