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3.<br />
Volume<br />
Jahrgang<br />
5 Issue<br />
Ausgabe<br />
3 November<br />
2 Juli 2007<br />
2009<br />
Dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water pipel<strong>in</strong>es<br />
<strong>in</strong> Leipzig <strong>in</strong> Germany<br />
Turb<strong>in</strong>e pipe<br />
<strong>in</strong> Kandersteg <strong>in</strong> Switzerland<br />
Fire ext<strong>in</strong>guish<strong>in</strong>g pipe<br />
<strong>in</strong> the Tauern Tunnel <strong>in</strong> Austria<br />
Magaz<strong>in</strong>e for Employees<br />
and Bus<strong>in</strong>ess Partners<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Company<br />
Snow pipes<br />
<strong>in</strong> Cerv<strong>in</strong>ia <strong>in</strong> Italy
Contents<br />
3 Editorial<br />
Contents<br />
Projects<br />
4 Ductile <strong>of</strong> course: New projects for dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water supply <strong>in</strong> Leipzig<br />
6 The Plankenbach turb<strong>in</strong>e pipe – extreme lay<strong>in</strong>g conditions<br />
7 A turb<strong>in</strong>e pipe for the Alpbach hydroelectric power station<br />
8 Holmenkollen: New snow-mak<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>stallations on the hill that<br />
is dear to the heart <strong>of</strong> Oslo<br />
9 Fire ext<strong>in</strong>guish<strong>in</strong>g pipes <strong>in</strong> the Tauern road tunnel – on the safe<br />
side with ductile cast iron pipes from TRM<br />
10 Lay<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> a dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water pipel<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> the Thur<strong>in</strong>gian Forest<br />
11 Initial success <strong>in</strong> the Bulgarian market – dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water projects<br />
<strong>in</strong> S<strong>of</strong>ia and Shumen<br />
12 Autovia del Agua – the “Water Motorway” will solve dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g<br />
water supply problems <strong>in</strong> Cantabria<br />
13 Snow pipes for Notschrei and Cerv<strong>in</strong>ia<br />
14 Dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water supply <strong>in</strong> Al A<strong>in</strong> (UAE) – 2.2 million follow-up<br />
order for Buderus<br />
Interconnect<strong>in</strong>g pipel<strong>in</strong>e for dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water between Jägersburg<br />
and Biblis <strong>in</strong> South Hesse<br />
15 Everyth<strong>in</strong>g’s ductile: pipe systems for a paper mill <strong>in</strong><br />
Eisenhüttenstadt<br />
Pipes for fire ext<strong>in</strong>guish<strong>in</strong>g water for new factories <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Czech Republic<br />
16 A sewer on piles – sewer pipes for Sankt Florian<br />
Construction <strong>of</strong> a new factory build<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Unterach – a pile<br />
foundation up to 35 metres deep<br />
Reports<br />
17 Fairs, exhibitions and events:<br />
Look<strong>in</strong>g ahead to Interalp<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> Sochi <strong>in</strong> Russia/Interlavex <strong>in</strong><br />
Podbanske <strong>in</strong> the Slovak Republic/Swiss ALPINA <strong>in</strong> Martigny <strong>in</strong><br />
Switzerland/ “The Beautiful Polish W<strong>in</strong>ter” <strong>in</strong> Świeradów zdrój <strong>in</strong><br />
Poland/Suisse Public <strong>in</strong> Berne <strong>in</strong> Switzerland/Ville Sans Tranchée <strong>in</strong><br />
Rosny-sous-Bois <strong>in</strong> France/Symposium on Trenchless Pipel<strong>in</strong>e<br />
Rehabilitation <strong>in</strong> Siegen <strong>in</strong> Germany/International Users’ Forum for<br />
Small Hydroelectric Power Stations <strong>in</strong> Bolzano <strong>in</strong> Italy<br />
18 Work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the foundry: Summer 2009 – hot weather and a hot<br />
tempo<br />
21 Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g to become a qualified foundry eng<strong>in</strong>eer at the Austrian<br />
Foundry Research Institute <strong>in</strong> Leoben<br />
About us<br />
22 New members <strong>of</strong> staff at BGW and TRM<br />
23 Grow together – manage through <strong>in</strong>terconnection: a tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
programme for managers<br />
24 A <strong>Day</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Action</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Wetzlar</strong><br />
25 The 2009 Family <strong>Day</strong><br />
Guided tour <strong>of</strong> the works for family members<br />
26 Hobbies our fellow workers have – Helmut Kappmayer: motorcycle<br />
tours are his great passion<br />
BGW employees on the start<strong>in</strong>g l<strong>in</strong>e for the first night-time race<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>Wetzlar</strong><br />
27 Group F<strong>in</strong>ancial Report<strong>in</strong>g workshop<br />
Pipe and Pile assumes responsibility for market<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> TRM piles<br />
Anniversaries<br />
Impr<strong>in</strong>t
Dear readers <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>FORM,<br />
A stressful year, which has seen the whole world affected to by<br />
the current crisis, is draw<strong>in</strong>g to a close. Our group <strong>of</strong> companies<br />
too has not been unaffected by the past year, even though we<br />
are fortunate <strong>in</strong> that we and most <strong>of</strong> our customers have not suffered<br />
so badly as many other companies have <strong>in</strong> the surround<strong>in</strong>g<br />
area and <strong>in</strong> the regions where we operate and have plants. There<br />
have been considerable setbacks particularly to the bus<strong>in</strong>ess we<br />
have been do<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> ductile piles. Contrary to the orig<strong>in</strong>al plans<br />
and even though <strong>in</strong>vitations to tender had already been issued<br />
<strong>in</strong> some cases, there were many commercial build<strong>in</strong>g projects<br />
where ductile piles for the deep foundations needed were to be<br />
the “foundation for the foundations” but which were not started<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g the past year. We will also be unable to achieve our<br />
targets <strong>in</strong> the Eastern Europe markets <strong>in</strong> 009. There are many<br />
countries <strong>in</strong> Eastern Europe where the water <strong>in</strong>dustry is not yet<br />
<strong>in</strong> a position to f<strong>in</strong>ance itself from its own <strong>in</strong>come from charges<br />
to customers and thus generally has to rely on subsidies from the<br />
budget set by the national government and this has had a major<br />
impact on active <strong>in</strong>vestment <strong>in</strong> these countries. This is why there<br />
is simply no money available at the moment for many rehabilitation<br />
and development projects which are urgently necessary to<br />
the public pipe networks. There has to be a considerable speed<strong>in</strong>g-up<br />
<strong>of</strong> the process <strong>of</strong> political reth<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> these countries to<br />
allow alternative schemes <strong>of</strong> f<strong>in</strong>anc<strong>in</strong>g to be adopted. There are<br />
nevertheless some <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g projects that we have been able<br />
to complete over the past few months both <strong>in</strong> the pile bus<strong>in</strong>ess<br />
and <strong>in</strong> the Eastern European water <strong>in</strong>dustry. We have for example<br />
had some notable successes <strong>in</strong> Bulgaria (page 11), and <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Czech Republic our local subsidiary Buderus Lit<strong>in</strong>ové Systémy <strong>of</strong><br />
Beroun near Prague was able to carry out some demand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>dustrial<br />
projects (page 15). You can read about a selection <strong>of</strong> our<br />
projects <strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g foundations laid with ductile piles on page 16.<br />
Fortunately, our bus<strong>in</strong>ess <strong>in</strong> Western Europe was very stable <strong>in</strong><br />
009. It is our conviction that we owe this success not only to<br />
the comparatively stable <strong>in</strong>vestment activity and demand that<br />
exist <strong>in</strong> the water <strong>in</strong>dustry but also, and <strong>in</strong> particular, to the applications-focussed<br />
and customer-focused approach that we adopt<br />
<strong>in</strong> the markets and the particular spread <strong>of</strong> expertise that we<br />
have. Also crucially important <strong>in</strong> this case are the unmistakeable<br />
advantages that the restra<strong>in</strong>ed VRS ® -T/BLS ® jo<strong>in</strong>t used <strong>in</strong><br />
our ductile cast iron pipes has when it comes to performance<br />
and ease <strong>of</strong> lay<strong>in</strong>g. These advantages were just as conv<strong>in</strong>c<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to the people responsible for water supply <strong>in</strong> Leipzig <strong>in</strong> Saxony<br />
(pages 4/5) as they were to the <strong>in</strong>vestors <strong>in</strong> Cantabria <strong>in</strong> Spa<strong>in</strong><br />
implement<strong>in</strong>g the ambitious project known as the “Water Motorway”<br />
(page 1 ). It was our outstand<strong>in</strong>g know-how relat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to specific applications that enabled us to supply our pipes for<br />
the sophisticated fire ext<strong>in</strong>guish<strong>in</strong>g system <strong>in</strong> the Tauern road<br />
tunnel <strong>in</strong> Austria (page 9). Without our capable products and<br />
the applications eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g expertise we have, the build<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> a<br />
hydroelectric power station on the Plankenbach <strong>in</strong> South Tyrol<br />
would not have gone so successfully, as we take some pride <strong>in</strong><br />
report<strong>in</strong>g on page 6. In the snow-mak<strong>in</strong>g sector too there were<br />
aga<strong>in</strong> some <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g projects we were able to complete. You<br />
can read about our activities <strong>in</strong> the Black Forest and the Valle<br />
d’Aosta for example on page 1 .<br />
Despite the worldwide crisis, we were able to cont<strong>in</strong>ue our<br />
growth <strong>in</strong> the Middle East. We reported on the Al A<strong>in</strong> project<br />
<strong>in</strong> the last issue <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>FORM and part <strong>of</strong> this growth was a fresh<br />
stage <strong>of</strong> the Al A<strong>in</strong> project. Buderus Pipe Systems, our sales and<br />
market<strong>in</strong>g subsidiary <strong>in</strong> Dubai <strong>in</strong> the UAE, was able to make our<br />
cast iron pipes a part <strong>of</strong> this stage (page 14).<br />
“Grow together ...!” is the motto <strong>of</strong> our strategy and management<br />
process cover<strong>in</strong>g the entire group. This process is focused<br />
on go<strong>in</strong>g beyond the former boundaries <strong>of</strong> the Buderus<br />
Giesserei <strong>Wetzlar</strong> (BGW) and Tiroler Röhren- und Metallwerke<br />
(TRM) companies and br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g together and concentrat<strong>in</strong>g all<br />
the group’s knowhow. 54 colleagues from the Tyrol travelled<br />
to the <strong>Day</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Action</strong> and Family <strong>Day</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Wetzlar</strong> on 9 August,<br />
which showed that we are very much on the right road with this<br />
process (page 4). The <strong>in</strong>tensive tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g courses that we started<br />
a few weeks ago for the managers <strong>of</strong> our group <strong>of</strong> companies<br />
(page ) are <strong>in</strong>tended as a systematic way <strong>of</strong> prepar<strong>in</strong>g management<br />
<strong>in</strong> this regard for the challeng<strong>in</strong>g tasks they will be fac<strong>in</strong>g<br />
over the next few years. The challenges that our staff at the<br />
production centres <strong>in</strong> Hall und <strong>Wetzlar</strong> are hav<strong>in</strong>g to meet day<br />
<strong>in</strong> and day out can be seen from the peek we allow you to take<br />
at our foundry operations from page 18 on. And <strong>of</strong> course we<br />
are cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>in</strong>vest <strong>in</strong> our members <strong>of</strong> staff, the newcomers<br />
among whom we <strong>in</strong>troduce to you on pages and .<br />
The aim <strong>of</strong> all these activities is to ensure that we go on improv<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
constantly and cont<strong>in</strong>uously, so that we can cont<strong>in</strong>ue<br />
to assist our customers as problem-solvers <strong>of</strong>fer<strong>in</strong>g high-grade<br />
products. We also believe that this is how we shall be able to get<br />
through the com<strong>in</strong>g year, 010, successfully, though it promises<br />
to be just as difficult.<br />
As 009 draws to a close, we would like to express our grateful<br />
thanks to our customers and bus<strong>in</strong>ess partners for the trust<br />
they have shown <strong>in</strong> us dur<strong>in</strong>g it and the excellent way they have<br />
worked with us. Our special thanks go to the men and women<br />
work<strong>in</strong>g for us, because they have never shown any lack <strong>of</strong> commitment<br />
or loyalty to our company <strong>in</strong> difficult times and <strong>in</strong> quite<br />
a few unavoidable re-organisations. We wish you all a happy and<br />
successful end<strong>in</strong>g to the year, a peaceful holiday and a promis<strong>in</strong>g<br />
start to 010!<br />
Ulrich Päßler Max Kloger Günter Fuhry Stefan Weber<br />
Editorial
Projects<br />
4<br />
After the Berl<strong>in</strong> wall came down, relations<br />
between Buderus and the Leipzig city waterworks<br />
company, Kommunale Wasserwerke<br />
Leipzig GmbH (KWL), began to<br />
flourish. Like all the adm<strong>in</strong>istrative areas <strong>in</strong><br />
the former GDR, this city <strong>in</strong> Saxony had a<br />
backlog to catch up with <strong>in</strong> terms <strong>of</strong> the<br />
renovation and replacement <strong>of</strong> its dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g<br />
water and sewage pipes networks. The<br />
tremendous growth experienced by the<br />
city, known for its exhibition centre, was<br />
another reason. Today, KWL uses a pipel<strong>in</strong>e<br />
network some , 00 kilometres long<br />
to supply 615,000 people <strong>in</strong> Leipzig and the<br />
surround<strong>in</strong>g area with fresh dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water<br />
round the clock. Parts <strong>of</strong> the network<br />
are more than 80 years old. In 007 alone,<br />
KWL <strong>in</strong>vested around 18 million Euros <strong>in</strong><br />
the repair and replacement <strong>of</strong> its pipe network.<br />
By 0 0 there will be a need for another<br />
00 million or so Euros to be <strong>in</strong>vested<br />
<strong>in</strong> the dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water pipe network.<br />
“We have given clear pro<strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong> the applications<br />
knowhow we have and <strong>of</strong> the def<strong>in</strong>ite<br />
superiority <strong>of</strong> our material on many<br />
projects”, reports Wolfgang R<strong>in</strong>k, Head <strong>of</strong><br />
Applications Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g at BGW. “For example,<br />
th<strong>in</strong>k <strong>of</strong> the replacement <strong>of</strong> one <strong>of</strong><br />
the four ma<strong>in</strong> supply pipel<strong>in</strong>es with DN 600<br />
ductile cast iron pipes <strong>in</strong> 00 . Or <strong>of</strong> the<br />
relay<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> DN800 and N1000 dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water<br />
pipel<strong>in</strong>es on “An der Tabaksmühle”, a<br />
Leipzig street named after the tobacco mill<br />
that once stood there. The plann<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
lay<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> two transport<strong>in</strong>g pipel<strong>in</strong>es runn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong> parallel for dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water as part <strong>of</strong> the<br />
overall project for the old Leipzig exhibition<br />
grounds <strong>in</strong> 1996 was another <strong>of</strong> the<br />
prestigious projects we successfully completed<br />
<strong>in</strong> collaboration with KWL”, cont<strong>in</strong>ues<br />
R<strong>in</strong>k.<br />
This year BGW are work<strong>in</strong>g on two further<br />
“ I p r a i s e m y L e i p z i g . . . ”<br />
Ductile <strong>of</strong> course: New projects for dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water supply <strong>in</strong> Leipzig<br />
“ductile” projects, <strong>in</strong> which KWL is <strong>in</strong>vest<strong>in</strong>g<br />
a total <strong>of</strong> .7 million Euros.<br />
Pipe rel<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g with ductile cast<br />
iron pipes<br />
On the Lützner Strasse, <strong>in</strong> the section between<br />
Brünner Strasse and Schönauer<br />
Strasse <strong>in</strong> the Grünau district <strong>of</strong> Leipzig,<br />
an old dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water pipel<strong>in</strong>e consist<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong><br />
steel pipes had been suffer<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly<br />
frequent damage over the past few years<br />
and needed to be replaced for a length <strong>of</strong><br />
about a kilometre. The decision was made<br />
to pull <strong>in</strong> ductile cast iron pipes us<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
pipe rel<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g technique. In view <strong>of</strong> the decl<strong>in</strong>e<br />
<strong>in</strong> water consumption, hydraulic calculations<br />
showed that the diameter <strong>of</strong> the<br />
pipel<strong>in</strong>e could be reduced from DN 1000<br />
to DN 600. The smaller diameter <strong>of</strong> the<br />
pipel<strong>in</strong>e allows the dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water to stay<br />
<strong>in</strong> it for a shorter time, thereby avoid<strong>in</strong>g<br />
health problems.<br />
The plann<strong>in</strong>g for design and approval began<br />
as early as October last year. A consid-<br />
Pipe with traction head fitted<br />
erable amount <strong>of</strong> time and money had to<br />
be spent on co-ord<strong>in</strong>ation because 40%<br />
<strong>of</strong> the dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water pipel<strong>in</strong>e runs under<br />
privately-owned land and it was necessary<br />
for permission for the lay<strong>in</strong>g to be obta<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
from all the owners. The lay<strong>in</strong>g work stated<br />
<strong>in</strong> April 009.<br />
The pipes used were Buderus DN 600 cast<br />
iron pipes with VRS ® -T/BLS ® socket jo<strong>in</strong>ts.<br />
As the annular space left between the old<br />
and new pipes is filled with an alkal<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong>sulat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
material, a z<strong>in</strong>c coat with an epoxy<br />
cover coat<strong>in</strong>g was selected as the external<br />
protection for the ductile cast iron pipes.<br />
The Althener Strasse <strong>in</strong> the Engelsdorf district<br />
<strong>of</strong> Leipzig is another site where ductile<br />
cast iron pipes with a z<strong>in</strong>c coat and<br />
an epoxy cover coat<strong>in</strong>g are ready to be<br />
pulled <strong>in</strong> by the pipe rel<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g technique. A<br />
940 metre long section, dat<strong>in</strong>g from 1915,<br />
<strong>of</strong> the long-distance water pipel<strong>in</strong>e from<br />
the Thallwitz waterworks to the Probstheida<br />
pump<strong>in</strong>g station is be<strong>in</strong>g renovated<br />
Leipzig site at Lützner Strasse: Lay<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> ductile<br />
cast iron pipes by the pipe rel<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g technique
here. The DN 900 Buderus pipes are be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
pushed <strong>in</strong>to the old pipel<strong>in</strong>e <strong>of</strong> grey cast<br />
iron, which measures more than a metre<br />
<strong>in</strong> diameter, by slid<strong>in</strong>g along on their sockets.<br />
Each socket has to be protected by a<br />
metal cone to ensure that it has adequate<br />
protection dur<strong>in</strong>g this slid<strong>in</strong>g process. The<br />
project got under way <strong>in</strong> August and will be<br />
completed by the end <strong>of</strong> the year and will<br />
further improve security <strong>of</strong> supply <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Fair town <strong>of</strong> Leipzig.<br />
As on all the projects where Buderus cast<br />
iron pipes have been used <strong>in</strong> the area covered<br />
by the Kommunale Wasserwerke<br />
Leipzig company, BGW’s Applications Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Division has assisted KWL, Bau<br />
Service Leipzig, a fully-owned subsidiary <strong>of</strong><br />
KWL, and the eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g companies entrusted<br />
with the plann<strong>in</strong>g work. The personnel<br />
<strong>of</strong> the companies with which the<br />
lay<strong>in</strong>g contracts were placed have also<br />
been given formal tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g and on-site <strong>in</strong>struction.<br />
Fitt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> a cruciform pusher<br />
The Anniversary Conference “150 Years <strong>of</strong> DVGW” <strong>in</strong> Leipzig<br />
“Mov<strong>in</strong>g elements“… this was the motto under which the DVGW, the German<br />
Technical Association for Gas and Water, celebrated its 150th birthday.<br />
As one <strong>of</strong> the trade associations with the longest tradition, the DVGW is the<br />
liv<strong>in</strong>g symbol <strong>of</strong> 150 years <strong>of</strong> quality, safety and security <strong>in</strong> the supply <strong>of</strong> gas<br />
and water <strong>in</strong> Germany. Ever s<strong>in</strong>ce it was founded, the DVGW has been mak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
crucial contributions to the systematic cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g development <strong>of</strong> gas and<br />
water supply <strong>in</strong> Germany. Today the Association has more than 12,000 members<br />
– <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the majority <strong>of</strong> German gas and water supply companies,<br />
lead<strong>in</strong>g manufacturers <strong>of</strong> equipment for the <strong>in</strong>dustry, and representatives <strong>in</strong><br />
the fields <strong>of</strong> science and adm<strong>in</strong>istration.<br />
The anniversary was a worthy occasion for a forward-look<strong>in</strong>g conference on<br />
22 and 23 September 2009 <strong>in</strong> the new Leipzig exhibition centre. True to the<br />
orig<strong>in</strong>al aims <strong>of</strong> the DVGW, the conference concentrated on susta<strong>in</strong>able development<br />
<strong>in</strong> the gas and water <strong>in</strong>dustry. The anniversary conference was opened<br />
by Pr<strong>of</strong>. Dr. Klaus Töpfer, ex-m<strong>in</strong>ister and former Executive Director <strong>of</strong> the UN<br />
Environment Programme. The panel discussion which followed was chaired<br />
by Ulrich Wickert, well known on television and as an author.<br />
On the occasion <strong>of</strong> the anniversary, the Gas Convention and Water Convention<br />
(gat and wat) were comb<strong>in</strong>ed. wat 2010 was brought forward for this<br />
reason. A comb<strong>in</strong>ed exhibition gave all the conference participants access to<br />
a considerably wider range <strong>of</strong> exhibitors and <strong>in</strong>formation and provided an attractive<br />
opportunity for a wide-rang<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>terdiscipl<strong>in</strong>ary exchange. BGW was<br />
show<strong>in</strong>g on a shared stand together with member companies <strong>of</strong> the Fachgeme<strong>in</strong>schaft<br />
Guss-Rohrsysteme (FGR - Trade Association for Cast Iron Pipe Systems)<br />
and with the VRS ® -T/BLS ® jo<strong>in</strong>t its presentation was ma<strong>in</strong>ly focused on<br />
the suitability <strong>of</strong> ductile cast iron pipe jo<strong>in</strong>ts for trenchless lay<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Other events on the programme were the DVGW members’ assembly and a<br />
gala even<strong>in</strong>g and <strong>of</strong>ficial ceremony which was, quite literally, mov<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Projects<br />
5
Projects<br />
6<br />
Almost vertical!<br />
The Plankenbach turb<strong>in</strong>e pipe – extreme lay<strong>in</strong>g conditions<br />
At the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the year, the small<br />
town <strong>of</strong> Klausen <strong>in</strong> South Tyrol decided to<br />
build a second small hydroelectric power<br />
station as a result <strong>of</strong> latest rises <strong>in</strong> the price<br />
<strong>of</strong> electricity. In order to meet the criteria<br />
for the so-called “green certificates”,<br />
the exist<strong>in</strong>g Wieser power station was to<br />
be <strong>in</strong>corporated <strong>in</strong>to the structure <strong>of</strong> the<br />
new station <strong>of</strong> the Plankenbach river.<br />
Work on it began <strong>in</strong> the middle <strong>of</strong> May<br />
this year and when it is completed <strong>in</strong> April<br />
next year, the new power station will supply<br />
the 1400 <strong>in</strong>habitants <strong>of</strong> the village <strong>of</strong><br />
Latzfons, the biggest <strong>of</strong> the adm<strong>in</strong>istrative<br />
districts mak<strong>in</strong>g up the municipality<br />
<strong>of</strong> Klausen, with environmentally clean<br />
energy.<br />
“Even dur<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>in</strong>vitation-to-tender<br />
phase it was clear that there would be<br />
long stretches <strong>of</strong> the lay<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the turb<strong>in</strong>e<br />
pipe where both man and pipe would<br />
have to show a degree <strong>of</strong> acrobatic skill,”<br />
says Andreas Moser, TRM’s turb<strong>in</strong>e product<br />
manager, “That was why we were<br />
sure <strong>of</strong> gett<strong>in</strong>g the order to supply the<br />
pipes right from the outset, because it is<br />
only the ductile cast iron pipe system with<br />
VRS ® -T/BLS ® jo<strong>in</strong>ts that is capable <strong>of</strong> perform<strong>in</strong>g<br />
acrobatics.”<br />
In May this year the time had come – the<br />
generator build<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the Wieser hydroelectric<br />
power station was demolished<br />
and the water for power generation<br />
which thus became available had to be fed<br />
to the turb<strong>in</strong>e pipe for the Plankenbach<br />
hydroelectric power station <strong>in</strong> a special<br />
penstock.<br />
As had been foreseen, the work on the<br />
turb<strong>in</strong>e pipe was very difficult <strong>in</strong> places<br />
due to the topographic conditions. In the<br />
f<strong>in</strong>al section at the bottom end <strong>of</strong> the pipe<br />
(just upstream <strong>of</strong> the generator build<strong>in</strong>g),<br />
the pipe trench sloped at up to 80°, i.e.<br />
was almost vertical.<br />
Only specially tra<strong>in</strong>ed layers who had had<br />
experience <strong>in</strong> high alp<strong>in</strong>e terra<strong>in</strong> could be<br />
used for this work. In places, explosives<br />
even had to be used to drive a route for<br />
the pipe through the rock.<br />
“In extreme cases like this, lay<strong>in</strong>g that is<br />
successful from the economic po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>of</strong><br />
view is only possible with a cast iron pipe<br />
system that uses restra<strong>in</strong>ed jo<strong>in</strong>ts”, comments<br />
Moser, “<strong>in</strong> this terra<strong>in</strong> the fitt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong><br />
the lock<strong>in</strong>g members had to be quick and<br />
easy to perform and, what is more, safe<br />
and secure. In this connection, the company<br />
do<strong>in</strong>g the lay<strong>in</strong>g work repeatedly<br />
stressed how very easy the VRS ® -T/BLS ®<br />
restra<strong>in</strong>ed jo<strong>in</strong>t is to connect. A 90° bend<br />
for the <strong>in</strong>let to the turb<strong>in</strong>e was <strong>in</strong>stalled<br />
just upstream <strong>of</strong> the connection to the<br />
generator build<strong>in</strong>g and, because <strong>of</strong> this,<br />
this section had to be made particularly<br />
secure. There was a sideways thrust <strong>of</strong> 75<br />
tonnes act<strong>in</strong>g at this po<strong>in</strong>t, and this had to<br />
be absorbed by a special concrete thrust<br />
block. The size <strong>of</strong> the block <strong>of</strong> concrete<br />
is 150 cubic metres. The difference <strong>in</strong><br />
height between the water <strong>in</strong>take structure<br />
and the generator build<strong>in</strong>g is about<br />
450 metres and the operat<strong>in</strong>g pressure <strong>in</strong><br />
this 1. kilometre long turb<strong>in</strong>e pipe is 45<br />
bars. Even this is no great stra<strong>in</strong> on our<br />
DN 00 ductile pipes.”<br />
Nor was the rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g section <strong>of</strong> the pipe<br />
easy to <strong>in</strong>stall. In the central section <strong>of</strong><br />
the route, where the gradient was 100%<br />
– equivalent to an angle <strong>of</strong> 45° – the pipes<br />
had to be moved to their dest<strong>in</strong>ation on a<br />
goods-carry<strong>in</strong>g cable car whose cable had<br />
been specially <strong>in</strong>stalled for the purpose.<br />
To allow the work to be done quickly and<br />
economically, a 0 tonne track-lay<strong>in</strong>g digger<br />
was used.<br />
Under the adverse conditions, the lay<strong>in</strong>g<br />
time <strong>of</strong> only four weeks was an absolutely<br />
record-break<strong>in</strong>g feat.
D u c t i l e c a s t i r o n p i p e s s h o w<br />
t h e i r s t r e n g t h<br />
A turb<strong>in</strong>e pipe for the Alpbach hydroelectric power station<br />
On 14 April 008, the first sod was turned<br />
for the build<strong>in</strong>g work on the Alpbach hydroelectric<br />
power station <strong>in</strong> Kandersteg. In<br />
this village community <strong>in</strong> the Swiss canton<br />
<strong>of</strong> Berne, where the ma<strong>in</strong> bus<strong>in</strong>ess activity<br />
is tourism, the new power station, which<br />
will have a generat<strong>in</strong>g capacity <strong>of</strong> .6 megawatts<br />
and an average annual output <strong>of</strong> 11<br />
million kilowatt hours, will cover the electrical<br />
demand from around ,750 households<br />
and will thus play an important part<br />
<strong>in</strong> ensur<strong>in</strong>g that the people <strong>in</strong> the valley <strong>of</strong><br />
the river Kander have a secure and reliable<br />
supply <strong>of</strong> renewable, locally generated<br />
energy.<br />
The pressure pipel<strong>in</strong>e is about 1.5 kilometres<br />
long and for it TMH Thomas Hagenbucher,<br />
BGW’s Swiss sales and distribution<br />
partner, has supplied a total <strong>of</strong> 50 ductile<br />
cast iron pressure pipes and about 50 fitt<strong>in</strong>gs.<br />
The supply companies Licht- und Wasserwerk<br />
AG Kandersteg (LWK), which cover<br />
about 80 % <strong>of</strong> the energy consumption <strong>of</strong><br />
the municipality <strong>of</strong> Kandersteg, and Bernische<br />
Kraftwerke (BKW) had decided to<br />
build the hydroelectric power station to<br />
enable them to cover the seasonal peak<br />
<strong>in</strong> consumption caused by tourism. Consent<br />
had been given for an environmentally<br />
compatible use <strong>of</strong> the water power<br />
from the river Alpbach back <strong>in</strong> July 006.<br />
The facility was designed as a run-<strong>of</strong>-theriver<br />
hydroelectric power station without<br />
a reservoir.<br />
The build<strong>in</strong>g work began <strong>in</strong> May 008. The<br />
<strong>in</strong>take structure was set up on the Uesch<strong>in</strong>en<br />
Alp<strong>in</strong>e peak, where the Alpbach is taken<br />
<strong>in</strong> and fed, <strong>in</strong> the pressure pipe, to the<br />
generator build<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Eggenschwand over<br />
a height <strong>of</strong> 00 metres.<br />
From May onwards, the articulated lorries<br />
loaded with ductile cast iron pipes headed<br />
<strong>of</strong>f for Kandersteg, where the lay<strong>in</strong>g work<br />
was be<strong>in</strong>g done by the Alpbach Pressure<br />
Pipel<strong>in</strong>e consortium (Weiss + Appetito <strong>of</strong><br />
Berne, Gebr. Meier <strong>of</strong> Olten and Gaggioli<br />
Haustechnik <strong>of</strong> Kandersteg). Like almost all<br />
turb<strong>in</strong>e pipes, the one <strong>in</strong> Kandersteg is subject<br />
to particular stresses and stra<strong>in</strong>s.<br />
“The terra<strong>in</strong> we had to cope with was certa<strong>in</strong>ly<br />
difficult and we had to accept that<br />
some <strong>of</strong> the trenches would have to be<br />
exceptionally narrow because all the strips<br />
that had to be cleared <strong>of</strong> trees where the<br />
route ran through forested areas will have<br />
to be replanted with trees at a later date”,<br />
reports Lay<strong>in</strong>g Manager Umberto Gaggioli<br />
(<strong>of</strong> the Alpbach consortium). However,<br />
apart from the trackless terra<strong>in</strong>, it was undoubtedly<br />
the weight <strong>of</strong> the pipes (1660<br />
kilograms per pipe) that represented the<br />
greatest challenge. The idea <strong>of</strong> fly<strong>in</strong>g them<br />
<strong>in</strong> by helicopter had to be abandoned because<br />
<strong>of</strong> the cost.<br />
“Yet even this problem we managed to<br />
cope with, not without some difficulty, but<br />
certa<strong>in</strong>ly thanks to our practised <strong>in</strong>stallation<br />
team. The pipes we laid over the whole <strong>of</strong><br />
the run were cast iron pipes <strong>of</strong> a nom<strong>in</strong>al<br />
size <strong>of</strong> DN 600 with a cement mortar coat<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Due to the extreme pressures that this<br />
turb<strong>in</strong>e pipe will have to withstand, all the<br />
pipes were tested to a burst<strong>in</strong>g pressure<br />
<strong>of</strong> 115 bars <strong>in</strong> the Buderus works <strong>in</strong> <strong>Wetzlar</strong>”,<br />
Gaggioli goes on to expla<strong>in</strong>, “and <strong>in</strong><br />
the end – as it has before <strong>in</strong> other difficult<br />
lay<strong>in</strong>g situations - it once aga<strong>in</strong> proved to<br />
be a “light” task to lay the pipes with their<br />
VRS ® -T/BLS ® jo<strong>in</strong>ts able to accept angular<br />
deflections <strong>of</strong> up to °, even though they<br />
were so heavy.”<br />
The Alpbach turb<strong>in</strong>e pipe passed its pressure<br />
test on 4 and 5 July. Once all the rest <strong>of</strong><br />
the work has been completed and a period<br />
<strong>of</strong> trial runn<strong>in</strong>g comes to an end, the hydroelectric<br />
power station will be handed over<br />
to the operators at the end <strong>of</strong> October.<br />
Christian Bieri, sales manager for the Bern region<br />
at TMH Thomas Hagenbucher, is pleased with the<br />
successful work.<br />
Projects<br />
7
Projects<br />
8<br />
H o l m e n k o l l e n –<br />
A t e m p l e o f N o r d i c s k i s p o r t s<br />
Construction <strong>of</strong> the new snow-mak<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>stallations on the hill<br />
that is dear to the heart <strong>of</strong> Oslo<br />
“For years now we have been mak<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
name for ourselves <strong>in</strong> the Scand<strong>in</strong>avian<br />
market as a supplier <strong>of</strong> pipes for snowmaker<br />
pipel<strong>in</strong>es. We have assisted on<br />
many projects <strong>in</strong> Norway by supply<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
ductile cast iron pipes that transport the<br />
water they need to the snow-makers. The<br />
<strong>in</strong>stallations at Skeikampen, Kvitfjell and<br />
Oppdal for example are runn<strong>in</strong>g without<br />
any problems and our pipe systems are one<br />
<strong>of</strong> the th<strong>in</strong>gs guarantee<strong>in</strong>g their reliable operation,”<br />
reports Ulrich Päßler, co-CEO <strong>of</strong><br />
BGW. “Because <strong>of</strong> the good references we<br />
have from our exist<strong>in</strong>g customers, we have<br />
now succeeded <strong>in</strong> gett<strong>in</strong>g ourselves chosen<br />
for Scand<strong>in</strong>avia’s “jewel-<strong>in</strong>-the-crown”<br />
project“, Päßler cont<strong>in</strong>ues.<br />
This jewel-<strong>in</strong>-the-crown project is called<br />
Holmenkollen, the legendary ski jump high<br />
above the Norwegian capital Oslo.<br />
The 48th world Nordic ski<strong>in</strong>g championships<br />
are go<strong>in</strong>g to be held there <strong>in</strong> 011.<br />
The City <strong>of</strong> Oslo and the “Skiforen<strong>in</strong>gen“,<br />
the Norwegian Ski Federation, will be <strong>in</strong>vest<strong>in</strong>g<br />
110 million Euros to completely<br />
convert the w<strong>in</strong>ter sports facilities and<br />
provide them with an up-to-date <strong>in</strong>frastructure.<br />
New snow-mak<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>stallations<br />
equipped with 40 snow canons will be<br />
mak<strong>in</strong>g sure <strong>of</strong> reliable snow on this hill<br />
that is dear to the heart <strong>of</strong> Oslo. “For the<br />
supply pipel<strong>in</strong>es, we are deliver<strong>in</strong>g a total <strong>of</strong><br />
some three kilometres <strong>of</strong> ductile cast iron<br />
pipes <strong>in</strong> nom<strong>in</strong>al sizes <strong>of</strong> DN 150 and DN<br />
400, together with accessories, under a<br />
contract worth about 190,000 Euros. The<br />
water supply system for the snow-mak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>stallations is designed for 70 l/sec. Our<br />
pipes have a permitted operat<strong>in</strong>g pressure<br />
<strong>of</strong> 50 bars for the DN 400 size and 6 bars<br />
for the DN 150 size, so can <strong>of</strong>fer adequate<br />
safety marg<strong>in</strong>s”, says Silke Hackl, Sales<br />
Manager Western Europe.<br />
Detailed <strong>in</strong>formation they received about<br />
the sophisticated product range cover<strong>in</strong>g<br />
pipes, fitt<strong>in</strong>gs and the VRS ® -T/BLS ® jo<strong>in</strong>t<br />
conv<strong>in</strong>ced the operators <strong>of</strong> the Holmenkollen<br />
facility <strong>of</strong> how quick and uncomplicated<br />
the Buderus/TRM pipe system would be<br />
to lay. Not the least <strong>of</strong> the other decid<strong>in</strong>g<br />
factors was the visit made by the Norwegian<br />
Ski Federation to the TRM stand at the<br />
Interalp<strong>in</strong> exhibition <strong>in</strong> Innsbruck <strong>in</strong> April<br />
009. The negotiations were brought to a<br />
successful conclusion <strong>in</strong> May and the lay<strong>in</strong>g<br />
work is now go<strong>in</strong>g ahead at full speed on<br />
Holmenkollen.<br />
Holmenkollen is the world’s oldest ski<br />
jump. The first competition there took<br />
place <strong>in</strong> 1892. The hill (kollen <strong>in</strong> Norwegian)<br />
is named after the physician Dr.<br />
Holm, who ran a sanatorium <strong>in</strong> the salubrious<br />
air on the heights above Oslo.<br />
The 1952 W<strong>in</strong>ter Olympics were held<br />
at Holmenkollen. The World Cup competitions<br />
<strong>in</strong> the ski jump<strong>in</strong>g, langlauf,<br />
Nordic comb<strong>in</strong>ation and biathlon discipl<strong>in</strong>es<br />
attract thousands <strong>of</strong> visitors every<br />
year. The jump is one <strong>of</strong> the Norwegian<br />
capital’s landmarks and is the country’s<br />
most popular tourist attraction. This was<br />
not the least <strong>of</strong> the reasons why it was a<br />
shock for many people when the diggers<br />
moved <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> March 2009 to demolish this<br />
temple <strong>of</strong> ski sport. It no longer met the<br />
requirements <strong>of</strong> the International Ski Federation.<br />
The design competition for the<br />
new hill was won by the firm <strong>of</strong> Danish<br />
architects JDS. The “Holmenkollen Fyr“<br />
(Holmenkollen lighthouse), endowed with<br />
spectacular light<strong>in</strong>g effects, will be completed<br />
next year and will <strong>of</strong>fer the public<br />
not only a fantastic way to watch ski<strong>in</strong>g<br />
but also, from the visitors’ platform at the<br />
top, a breathtak<strong>in</strong>g panoramic view <strong>of</strong><br />
Oslo, the Oslo fjord and the landscape<br />
around the city.
F i r e e x t i n g u i s h i n g p i p e s i n t h e T a u e r n r o a d t u n n e l<br />
U n t e r w e g s n a c h C o s t a B a l l e n a<br />
TRM has supplied ductile cast iron pipes<br />
and fitt<strong>in</strong>gs for the safety equipment <strong>of</strong><br />
Austria‘s Tauern road tunnel. The TRM<br />
cast iron pipe systems will be do<strong>in</strong>g their<br />
duty as fire ext<strong>in</strong>guish<strong>in</strong>g pipes <strong>in</strong> the longest<br />
tunnel on the Tauern autobahn.<br />
A second tube for the Tauern<br />
road tunnel<br />
The Tauern autobahn (the A 10) is one <strong>of</strong><br />
the most important North-South transportation<br />
arteries <strong>in</strong> Austria. For the transalp<strong>in</strong>e<br />
carriage <strong>of</strong> people and goods by road it<br />
is one <strong>of</strong> the ma<strong>in</strong> routes across the Alps.<br />
On it, there are a total <strong>of</strong> 1 tunnels with<br />
a total length <strong>of</strong> some 4 kilometres and<br />
at 6.5 kilometres the Tauern tunnel is the<br />
longest and best known <strong>of</strong> these. At the<br />
same time it is the last s<strong>in</strong>gle-tube tunnel<br />
and is considered to be the ma<strong>in</strong> bottleneck<br />
along the entire route.<br />
The A10 is be<strong>in</strong>g developed to full autobahn<br />
standard and as part <strong>of</strong> this work the<br />
Tauern tunnel is now be<strong>in</strong>g given a second<br />
tube (downhill tube for the carriageway<br />
<strong>in</strong> the Salzburg direction). When that is<br />
completed the exist<strong>in</strong>g tube will be refurbished<br />
and by 011 at the latest we will<br />
have heard the last <strong>of</strong> “tailbacks from the<br />
Tauern tunnel”.<br />
The safety provisions <strong>in</strong> the tunnel structure<br />
have been given very high priority.<br />
Hence, three cross-connections negotiable<br />
by vehicles are be<strong>in</strong>g set up between<br />
the two tubes, plus three further crosstunnels<br />
for emergency services such as<br />
the fire brigade and Red Cross. Between<br />
these, another 19 smaller tunnels are be-<br />
On the safe side with ductile cast iron pipes from TRM<br />
<strong>in</strong>g driven for people on foot, so there will<br />
be a way <strong>of</strong> gett<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to the neighbour<strong>in</strong>g<br />
tube every 00 metres <strong>in</strong> an emergency.<br />
Pipes for fire ext<strong>in</strong>guish<strong>in</strong>g water –<br />
the basis for a safe tunnel<br />
TRM’s cast iron pipe systems ensure that<br />
the pipes for fire ext<strong>in</strong>guish<strong>in</strong>g water meet<br />
the highest technical standards. Between<br />
early July and early August 009, 6400 metres<br />
<strong>of</strong> DN 150 ductile cast iron pipes and<br />
around 00 fitt<strong>in</strong>gs were delivered to the<br />
site <strong>in</strong> the Tauern tunnel.<br />
The pressure pipes, which are connected<br />
by the well-tried VRS ® -T/BLS ® restra<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
socket jo<strong>in</strong>t, have a polyurethane coat<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
This coat<strong>in</strong>g material is dimensionally stable<br />
to a very high degree and is resistant<br />
to a wide range <strong>of</strong> organic and <strong>in</strong>organic<br />
media and is thus ideally suited to this area<br />
<strong>of</strong> application.<br />
The lay<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the pipes was carried out <strong>in</strong><br />
August 009 by the WIBEBA/RAB company<br />
and they did the job quickly and without<br />
any problems, which was due not least to<br />
how easy the VRS ® -T/BLS ® jo<strong>in</strong>t is to lay.<br />
“As specialists <strong>in</strong> the lay<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> fire ext<strong>in</strong>guish<strong>in</strong>g<br />
pipes, we rely solely on proven<br />
products <strong>of</strong> the very highest quality such as<br />
TRM’s ductile cast iron pipe systems. The<br />
restra<strong>in</strong>ed jo<strong>in</strong>t system is easy to lay and<br />
that is why it is possible for short <strong>in</strong>stallation<br />
times to be met, even when they<br />
are cut to the very m<strong>in</strong>imum.” is what<br />
we were told by the project manager at<br />
Wibeba, Ing. Ernst Baumgartner.<br />
The fire ext<strong>in</strong>guish<strong>in</strong>g pipe <strong>in</strong> the Tauern<br />
tunnel is designed as a wet pipe for a pressure<br />
rat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> PN 1 . There is an assured<br />
m<strong>in</strong>imum feed rate <strong>of</strong> 0 l/sec at the outlet<br />
po<strong>in</strong>t. The pressure tests were successfully<br />
passed <strong>in</strong> the first week <strong>of</strong> September<br />
and the <strong>in</strong>stallation was handed over on<br />
time.<br />
In the same way as the Tauern tunnel, the<br />
Katschberg tunnel was given a second tube<br />
<strong>in</strong> 007/ 008 as part <strong>of</strong> the upgrad<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong><br />
the A10 Tauern autobahn. This was another<br />
case where TRM’s cast iron pipes were<br />
used as fire ext<strong>in</strong>guish<strong>in</strong>g pipes. Perfect fitness<br />
for purpose was also the reason why<br />
ductile cast iron pipes were chosen when<br />
the Neuh<strong>of</strong> autobahn tunnel was be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
built close to the German municipality <strong>of</strong><br />
the same name near Fulda (see our report<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>FORM /09).<br />
The pipes for fire ext<strong>in</strong>guish<strong>in</strong>g water be<strong>in</strong>g laid <strong>in</strong> the new second tube <strong>of</strong> the Tauern road tunnel<br />
Projects<br />
9
Projects<br />
10<br />
N a t u r e c o n s e r v a t i o n a r e a<br />
N a r r o w p i p e l i n e r o u t e<br />
S t e e p s l o p e<br />
Lay<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> a dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water pipel<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> the Thur<strong>in</strong>gian Forest<br />
Fernwasserversorgung Südthür<strong>in</strong>gen<br />
(FWS), the corporate concern supply<strong>in</strong>g<br />
water to the <strong>in</strong>dividual distribut<strong>in</strong>g companies<br />
<strong>in</strong> Southern Thur<strong>in</strong>gia, has a 160<br />
kilometre long network <strong>of</strong> supply pipel<strong>in</strong>es.<br />
Damage had occurred <strong>in</strong> the section<br />
<strong>of</strong> the network between the F<strong>in</strong>stere Erle<br />
treatment plant and the Kalkhügel highlevel<br />
service reservoir close to the village<br />
<strong>of</strong> Hirschbach and because <strong>of</strong> this a new<br />
dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water pipel<strong>in</strong>e had to be laid.<br />
“We have supplied around 750 metres <strong>of</strong><br />
ductile cast iron pipes with VRS ® -T/BLS ®<br />
jo<strong>in</strong>ts and a ZMU coat<strong>in</strong>g and 5 fitt<strong>in</strong>gs and<br />
special fitt<strong>in</strong>gs for this project. The ma<strong>in</strong><br />
pipel<strong>in</strong>e was <strong>of</strong> DN 50 pipes <strong>of</strong> PN 16<br />
pressure rat<strong>in</strong>g and the connect<strong>in</strong>g pipel<strong>in</strong>es<br />
were <strong>of</strong> DN 150 and DN 00 pipes”,<br />
says Uwe Strich, BGW’s sales manager responsible<br />
for the Free State <strong>of</strong> Thur<strong>in</strong>gia.<br />
The lay<strong>in</strong>g work began at the end <strong>of</strong> June.<br />
It followed the exist<strong>in</strong>g route and the old<br />
pipel<strong>in</strong>e was removed. In do<strong>in</strong>g the work,<br />
great consideration had to be shown to the<br />
flora and fauna and particularly the birds.<br />
The reason for this was that the dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g<br />
water pipel<strong>in</strong>e runs through the “Central<br />
Thur<strong>in</strong>gian Forest” flora-and-fauna habitat<br />
area (FFH area) and EU special protection<br />
area for birds and through other biotopes<br />
which have special protection under § 18<br />
<strong>of</strong> Thur<strong>in</strong>gia’s Nature Conservation Law<br />
and which are a refuge for many species<br />
<strong>of</strong> bird threatened with ext<strong>in</strong>ction such as<br />
the black stork, the eagle owl and the k<strong>in</strong>gfisher.<br />
Hence there were long stretches<br />
where, to m<strong>in</strong>imise the <strong>in</strong>terference with<br />
nature, the width <strong>of</strong> the lay<strong>in</strong>g strip could<br />
not exceed 1 metres. The soil dug out<br />
had to be stored at the sides and backfilled<br />
after <strong>in</strong>dividual pipes were laid. This<br />
was not a challenge for the ZMU coat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
because this external protection ensures<br />
safety even with stony backfill material.<br />
The easy way <strong>in</strong> which the VRS ® -T/BLS ®<br />
jo<strong>in</strong>t can be handled meant that the lay<strong>in</strong>g<br />
company, SST Ste<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>dustrie, Straßen- und<br />
Tiefbau GmbH <strong>of</strong> Schwarza, could make<br />
good progress despite the restricted space<br />
available to them. Although the aim was for<br />
the dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water pipel<strong>in</strong>e to go back <strong>in</strong>to<br />
operation as quickly as possible, there was<br />
an area <strong>of</strong> mixed forest cover<strong>in</strong>g slopes and<br />
rav<strong>in</strong>es where it was necessary to wait until<br />
the end <strong>of</strong> the birds’ breed<strong>in</strong>g season at the<br />
end <strong>of</strong> July. Only when the eagle owls, k<strong>in</strong>gfishers,<br />
screech owls, woodpeckers and<br />
others had hatched their young could the<br />
work cont<strong>in</strong>ue <strong>in</strong> this area. What the ductile<br />
cast iron pipe system is capable <strong>of</strong> even<br />
when the topography is difficult was shown<br />
by the lay<strong>in</strong>g for a length <strong>of</strong> 00 metres<br />
down a steep slope <strong>in</strong> the second phase<br />
<strong>of</strong> the lay<strong>in</strong>g work. The gradient was 5 to<br />
50%. And if that was not enough, the slope<br />
was also <strong>in</strong> an area where spr<strong>in</strong>gs come to<br />
the surface, so slippage could be expected.<br />
“Concrete cross-beams were fitted <strong>in</strong> the<br />
trench at this po<strong>in</strong>t to stop any erosion.<br />
Heavy plant was used even though this was<br />
another po<strong>in</strong>t where only a 1 metre wide<br />
lay<strong>in</strong>g strip was allowed”, reported Uwe<br />
Strich, “but even though the section down<br />
the steep slope was demand<strong>in</strong>g from the<br />
lay<strong>in</strong>g po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>of</strong> view it too was no problem<br />
<strong>in</strong> the end and the VRS ® -T/BLS ® jo<strong>in</strong>t gives<br />
a reliable guarantee that the pipel<strong>in</strong>e is<br />
securely positioned. The pipel<strong>in</strong>e was put<br />
<strong>in</strong>to operation immediately on successfully<br />
pass<strong>in</strong>g the pressure test. The ZMU<br />
coat<strong>in</strong>g and the VRS ® -T/BLS ® jo<strong>in</strong>t have<br />
shown that time-sav<strong>in</strong>g and low cost lay<strong>in</strong>g<br />
is possible even when the lay<strong>in</strong>g space<br />
is restricted and is sometimes at a steep<br />
slope and even when the demands <strong>of</strong> nature<br />
protection have to be met.”
The certification <strong>of</strong> TRM products by the<br />
Bulgarkontrola test<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>stitution <strong>in</strong> March<br />
<strong>of</strong> this year was an important milestone on<br />
the road to open<strong>in</strong>g up <strong>of</strong> the Bulgarian<br />
market.<br />
A short time later another milestone was<br />
passed – the successful completion <strong>of</strong> two<br />
dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water supply projects <strong>in</strong> S<strong>of</strong>ia and<br />
<strong>in</strong> Shumen, the capital <strong>of</strong> the prov<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>of</strong><br />
the same name <strong>in</strong> the north-east <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Balkan state.<br />
“We knew our goals and it was with them<br />
<strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d that we worked on be<strong>in</strong>g able to<br />
penetrate the Bulgarian market”, expla<strong>in</strong>s<br />
Andreas Weiler, TRM’s export manager.<br />
“Prelim<strong>in</strong>ary discussions and contacts<br />
made at the IFAT and Wasser Berl<strong>in</strong> exhibitions<br />
and the certification played a crucial<br />
role <strong>in</strong> enabl<strong>in</strong>g us to ga<strong>in</strong> a foot<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong> this water management market <strong>of</strong> the<br />
future. The decision by the Bulgarian customers<br />
to opt for our ductile cast iron pipe<br />
systems was no fluke,” cont<strong>in</strong>ues Weiler,<br />
“because the experience they had had <strong>in</strong><br />
the past with other pipe materials had<br />
not been very satisfactory. Our products,<br />
which guarantee long life and no leaks,<br />
earned po<strong>in</strong>ts for us and there was also the<br />
fact that the customer took a very positive<br />
view <strong>of</strong> the speed with which the pipes<br />
could be available.”<br />
A dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water pipel<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> S<strong>of</strong>ia<br />
As a result <strong>of</strong> the construction work to<br />
expand the underground railway system<br />
<strong>in</strong> the Bulgarian capital, S<strong>of</strong>iyska Voda (the<br />
S<strong>of</strong>ia Water Company) had to relay part<br />
<strong>of</strong> the ma<strong>in</strong> supply pipel<strong>in</strong>e. This stretch<br />
<strong>of</strong> the pipel<strong>in</strong>e extended for about a kilometre<br />
and TRM cast iron pipes <strong>of</strong> nom<strong>in</strong>al<br />
sizes from DN 80 to DN 50 with a<br />
blue epoxy coat<strong>in</strong>g were laid along it. The<br />
I n i t i a l s u c c e s s i n t h e B u l g a r i a n m a r k e t<br />
Dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water projects <strong>in</strong> S<strong>of</strong>ia and Shumen<br />
proportion <strong>of</strong> fitt<strong>in</strong>gs was about 0%. The<br />
project was completed <strong>in</strong> September and<br />
the customer, the Metropolitan company,<br />
owned by the municipality <strong>of</strong> S<strong>of</strong>ia, was<br />
very happy with the way it was handled.<br />
This project, like that <strong>in</strong> Shumen, is be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
co-f<strong>in</strong>anced by the EU. S<strong>in</strong>ce it jo<strong>in</strong>ed the<br />
EU on 01.01. 007, Bulgaria has been able<br />
to take full advantage <strong>of</strong> the EU fund<strong>in</strong>g<br />
available from the structural and cohesion<br />
funds. For the 007 - 01 fund<strong>in</strong>g period,<br />
Bulgaria may well receive 4.4 billion Euros<br />
from the cohesion funds. One half <strong>of</strong> these<br />
resources is be<strong>in</strong>g granted for the development<br />
<strong>of</strong> the road and railway system<br />
and the other for environmental projects.<br />
As part <strong>of</strong> its EU membership, the Balkan<br />
state has to push ahead with the implementation<br />
<strong>of</strong> the urban waste-water treatment<br />
and dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water directives. In the<br />
period up to 014, around .4 billions <strong>of</strong><br />
EU money will be needed for the replacement<br />
and expansion <strong>of</strong> the water-pipe<br />
network alone. Achiev<strong>in</strong>g the aims <strong>of</strong> this<br />
implementation is very important for Bulgaria<br />
precisely because the <strong>in</strong>vestment <strong>in</strong><br />
the urban architecture will do some <strong>of</strong> the<br />
essential groundwork needed for <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the attractiveness <strong>of</strong> the towns and cities<br />
as centres for bus<strong>in</strong>ess and <strong>in</strong>dustry and<br />
as dwell<strong>in</strong>g places for the population. This<br />
is true <strong>in</strong> pr<strong>in</strong>ciple <strong>of</strong> all the member states<br />
<strong>in</strong> Eastern Europe.<br />
Refurbishment <strong>of</strong> the dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water<br />
pipe network <strong>in</strong> Shumen<br />
Improv<strong>in</strong>g the water supply is high on the<br />
list <strong>of</strong> priorities for Shumen and the rest <strong>of</strong><br />
the country. The dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water pipe network<br />
<strong>of</strong> this <strong>in</strong>dustrial and university town<br />
needs to be completely refurbished, as the<br />
100,000 <strong>in</strong>habitants <strong>of</strong> the town have had<br />
no guarantee <strong>of</strong> a supply <strong>of</strong> adequate quality<br />
for a number <strong>of</strong> years.<br />
“The municipality <strong>of</strong> Shumen gave us the<br />
order to supply about 11,800 metres <strong>of</strong><br />
ductile dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water pipes <strong>of</strong> various<br />
nom<strong>in</strong>al sizes from DN 50 up to DN 500<br />
<strong>in</strong> June”, reports Andreas Weiler, “and that<br />
was quite some launch on the Bulgarian<br />
market. Smooth progress for the lay<strong>in</strong>g<br />
work was very important to the customer.<br />
So our ability to deliver was another th<strong>in</strong>g<br />
that helped to decide the plac<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the<br />
order.”<br />
The proportion <strong>of</strong> fitt<strong>in</strong>gs is around 15%.<br />
Around a quarter <strong>of</strong> the deliveries <strong>of</strong> pipes<br />
to the consortium do<strong>in</strong>g the lay<strong>in</strong>g work<br />
(the Avtomagistrali, Aquavision and Hidrostroy<br />
companies) have already been<br />
made.<br />
The project should be completed by the<br />
middle <strong>of</strong> 010.<br />
Projects<br />
11
Projects<br />
1<br />
A u t o v i a d e l A g u a<br />
The Autovia del Agua or “Water Motorway” will solve dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g<br />
water supply problems <strong>in</strong> Cantabria<br />
The autonomous region <strong>of</strong> Cantabria<br />
lies <strong>in</strong> the north <strong>of</strong> the Iberian pen<strong>in</strong>sula,<br />
border<strong>in</strong>g on the Bay <strong>of</strong> Biscay. Some<br />
550,000 people live there but <strong>in</strong> the summer<br />
months this number doubles due to<br />
tourism. The climate has oceanic features<br />
but varies both on the coast and <strong>in</strong>land as<br />
a result <strong>of</strong> the nature <strong>of</strong> the geography.<br />
The most important watershed <strong>in</strong> Spa<strong>in</strong><br />
is situated <strong>in</strong> Cantabria, where the dra<strong>in</strong>age<br />
bas<strong>in</strong>s <strong>of</strong> the rivers flow<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to the<br />
Bay <strong>of</strong> Biscay and the rivers Duero (flow<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>to the Atlantic) and Ebro (flow<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to<br />
the Mediterranean) meet at the peak <strong>of</strong><br />
Peña Labrada.<br />
Despite the wealth <strong>of</strong> water <strong>in</strong> the region,<br />
the rise <strong>in</strong> population, the <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> agricultural<br />
activity and the thriv<strong>in</strong>g tourist<br />
<strong>in</strong>dustry has meant that the supply <strong>of</strong> water<br />
to the towns and villages has not been<br />
stable over the past few years. What was<br />
lack<strong>in</strong>g was the <strong>in</strong>frastructure for water<br />
management. The prov<strong>in</strong>cial government<br />
did not consider it acceptable for new<br />
dammed reservoirs to be built so alternative<br />
ways had to be found <strong>of</strong> revers<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
Buderus cast iron pipes with VRS ® -T/BLS ® jo<strong>in</strong>ts have so far been laid <strong>in</strong> six stretches <strong>of</strong> the pipel<strong>in</strong>e:<br />
1. Col<strong>in</strong>dres - Liendo<br />
2. Arnuera - Santoña<br />
3. Conexión con Medio Cudeyo - Área Ind. Mar<strong>in</strong>a de Cudeyo<br />
4. Etap Val de San Vicente - San Vicente de la Barquera<br />
5. Deva - Nansa<br />
6. Vispieres - Polanco<br />
decl<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> the quality <strong>of</strong> life and <strong>of</strong> combat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the threat to social and <strong>in</strong>dustrial<br />
development. The solution to Cantabria’s<br />
problems with water was the “Autovia del<br />
Agua” (Water Motorway).<br />
The preparations for this ambitious project,<br />
which will provide a last<strong>in</strong>g and susta<strong>in</strong>able<br />
solution to the problems <strong>of</strong> supply,<br />
began <strong>in</strong> 004. The Autovia del Agua will<br />
<strong>in</strong>volve a total capital <strong>in</strong>vestment <strong>of</strong> 70<br />
million Euros and the pipel<strong>in</strong>e, which will<br />
be 160 kilometres long, will be completed<br />
by 010. This will not only ensure a permanent<br />
supply <strong>of</strong> dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water for people<br />
<strong>in</strong> the region but will also be a showcase<br />
project for successful water management.<br />
The Water Motorway is a pipel<strong>in</strong>e which<br />
runs parallel to the coast, connect<strong>in</strong>g all<br />
the dra<strong>in</strong>age bas<strong>in</strong>s <strong>in</strong> Cantabria and allow<strong>in</strong>g<br />
water to be transferred from the river<br />
Besaya to the reservoir at the Ebro dam.<br />
It is able to feed water flexibly from one<br />
<strong>of</strong> the valleys <strong>in</strong> the region to the others<br />
and if there are changes <strong>in</strong> demand, the<br />
amounts supplied can be adjusted by region<br />
and time.<br />
The Autovia del Agua is ductile<br />
Right at the start <strong>of</strong> the work on the project,<br />
the M<strong>in</strong>istry <strong>of</strong> the Environment <strong>of</strong> the region<br />
decided that a large part <strong>of</strong> the work<br />
on the pipel<strong>in</strong>e would be done <strong>in</strong> collaboration<br />
with BGW’s Spanish sales and distribution<br />
partner Construtec.<br />
This was the decision that meant that ductile<br />
cast iron pipes with VRS ® -T/BLS ® socket<br />
jo<strong>in</strong>ts would be used.<br />
“With regard to the material <strong>of</strong> the stretches<br />
<strong>of</strong> pipel<strong>in</strong>e and the connect<strong>in</strong>g technique<br />
used for them, this <strong>in</strong>frastructural project<br />
was to be designed for safety, reliability and<br />
above all long life”, we are told by Francisco<br />
Domínguez, CEO <strong>of</strong> Construtec.<br />
“The particular th<strong>in</strong>g we were able to conv<strong>in</strong>ce<br />
the decision makers <strong>of</strong> was the advantages<br />
that ductile cast iron pipes have<br />
<strong>in</strong> the matter <strong>of</strong> technical work<strong>in</strong>g life. So<br />
far, pipes, jo<strong>in</strong>ts and fitt<strong>in</strong>gs have been supplied<br />
for six sections <strong>of</strong> the pipel<strong>in</strong>e totall<strong>in</strong>g<br />
around 0 kilometres. Pipes <strong>of</strong> DN 400,<br />
600 and 800 nom<strong>in</strong>al sizes are be<strong>in</strong>g used.<br />
Depend<strong>in</strong>g on the nature <strong>of</strong> the ground<br />
<strong>in</strong> which the stretches are be<strong>in</strong>g laid, we<br />
have provided either a z<strong>in</strong>c coat with an<br />
epoxy cover coat<strong>in</strong>g or a CMC cement<br />
mortar coat<strong>in</strong>g as external protection. As<br />
the M<strong>in</strong>istry <strong>of</strong> the Environment brought<br />
the completion date forward by a year to<br />
010, the work on the next sections began<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g the summer. We are confident <strong>of</strong><br />
be<strong>in</strong>g able to implement the project with<strong>in</strong><br />
the time frame laid down for us”, expla<strong>in</strong>s<br />
Domínguez.
Follow<strong>in</strong>g the trend is an art, particularly<br />
where snow is concerned. Without snowmak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
systems without are reliably supplied<br />
by water-feed ductile cast iron pipes<br />
from TRM and BGW, the operators <strong>of</strong> the<br />
majority <strong>of</strong> ski resorts cannot guarantee<br />
dependable snow. This is particularly true<br />
<strong>of</strong> resorts less than 000 metres above sea<br />
level. It is particularly the regions classed<br />
as low mounta<strong>in</strong> ranges which are hav<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to contend with the decl<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g amounts <strong>of</strong><br />
w<strong>in</strong>ter-time precipitation. Wider use has<br />
to be made <strong>of</strong> artificial snow if the resorts<br />
are to ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> their attractiveness.<br />
Nordic Center Notschrei <strong>in</strong> the Black<br />
Forest<br />
The mounta<strong>in</strong> pass <strong>of</strong> Notschrei lies at a<br />
height <strong>of</strong> 1100 metres <strong>in</strong> the high part <strong>of</strong><br />
the Black Forest <strong>in</strong> Baden-Württemberg<br />
<strong>in</strong> Germany and dur<strong>in</strong>g the hot summer<br />
months construction workers were work<strong>in</strong>g<br />
hard for the sake <strong>of</strong> w<strong>in</strong>ter sports. A<br />
biathlon and cross-country ski<strong>in</strong>g course<br />
is currently be<strong>in</strong>g built there at a cost <strong>of</strong><br />
around .5 million Euros.<br />
The Nordic World Junior Ski Championships<br />
and the IPC World Cup for disabled<br />
cross-country skiers and biathletes<br />
are go<strong>in</strong>g to be held on this course next<br />
year. The people responsible do not have<br />
to worry about be<strong>in</strong>g sure <strong>of</strong> snow, because<br />
there will be snow-mak<strong>in</strong>g facilities<br />
to supply the .5 kilometre long circular<br />
course.<br />
“In August, we supplied 1600 metres <strong>of</strong><br />
ductile cast iron pipes <strong>of</strong> nom<strong>in</strong>al sizes<br />
from DN 80 to DN 1 5 with the reliable<br />
VRS ® -T/BLS ® jo<strong>in</strong>t. The bulk <strong>of</strong> the pipes<br />
had a cement mortar coat<strong>in</strong>g so there<br />
was no need for any subsequent fill<strong>in</strong>g-<strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> sand around them along the route,” we<br />
S n o w p i p e s<br />
f o r N o t s c h r e i a n d C e r v i n i a<br />
Lay<strong>in</strong>g work along the .5 kilometre long crosscountry<br />
ski<strong>in</strong>g circuit at Nordic Center Notschrei<br />
are told by Alexander Bauer, the member<br />
<strong>of</strong> BGW’s field sales force responsible for<br />
Baden-Württemberg. “The lay<strong>in</strong>g work<br />
had to proceed smoothly because time<br />
was rather press<strong>in</strong>g for the competition<br />
circuit to be completed. The International<br />
German Cross-Country Ski<strong>in</strong>g Trophy<br />
competition will be tak<strong>in</strong>g place there<br />
from 15 to 17 January 010 as a trial competition.<br />
The company do<strong>in</strong>g the lay<strong>in</strong>g<br />
work was very much taken with the quick<br />
and economical way <strong>in</strong> which the str<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
<strong>of</strong> pipes could be <strong>in</strong>stalled. When the topp<strong>in</strong>g-out<br />
ceremony took place on 11 September<br />
009 at Nordic Center Notschrei<br />
our ductile pipes had already long been<br />
buried.”<br />
Breuil-Cerv<strong>in</strong>ia Valtournenche ski resort<br />
<strong>in</strong> the Valle d’Aosta<br />
“Chose Breuil-Cerv<strong>in</strong>ia Valtournenche as<br />
your ski resort and you’re choos<strong>in</strong>g snow<br />
<strong>of</strong> the highest quality” is what it says <strong>in</strong><br />
one <strong>in</strong>ternet review. The operator <strong>of</strong><br />
Lay<strong>in</strong>g the supply pipel<strong>in</strong>e for the snow makers<br />
on the new ski run at Breuil-Cerv<strong>in</strong>ia Valtournenche<br />
ski resort<br />
the ski resort at Cime Bianche, Cerv<strong>in</strong>ia<br />
S.p.A., does a lot to guarantee the highly<br />
praised white stuff. After the poor w<strong>in</strong>ter<br />
season <strong>in</strong> 006/ 007, Cerv<strong>in</strong>ia, like<br />
many others <strong>in</strong> the sector, responded by<br />
<strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g its <strong>in</strong>vestment <strong>in</strong> snow-mak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and right from the start it put its trust <strong>in</strong><br />
ductile cast iron pipes from TRM.<br />
S<strong>in</strong>ce 007, 18 kilometres <strong>of</strong> ski runs have<br />
been equipped with snow-mak<strong>in</strong>g facilities.<br />
Two lakes serve as the sources for<br />
the water needed, which is fed to the<br />
respective sets <strong>of</strong> snow makers via three<br />
pump<strong>in</strong>g stations. Over the past few<br />
years, TRM has supplied kilometres <strong>of</strong><br />
cast iron pipes <strong>of</strong> nom<strong>in</strong>al sizes from DN<br />
100 to DN 400 for these facilities. Right<br />
from the start, Saud<strong>in</strong> Dario, the lay<strong>in</strong>g<br />
company, was very happy with the ease<br />
<strong>of</strong> lay<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the sometimes very difficult<br />
rocky terra<strong>in</strong>. The generous safety marg<strong>in</strong>s<br />
<strong>of</strong> ductile pipes with rugged VRS ® -T<br />
/BLS ® jo<strong>in</strong>ts were particularly welcome,<br />
because some <strong>of</strong> the pipel<strong>in</strong>es have to<br />
withstand pressures <strong>of</strong> 100 bars.<br />
The good experience which the people <strong>in</strong><br />
Valtournenche had with TRM pipes paid<br />
<strong>of</strong>f, as deliveries <strong>of</strong> pipes are be<strong>in</strong>g made<br />
this year from Hall to Valle d’Aosta.<br />
The ski resort has been enlarged by a<br />
further ski run .6 kilometres long. So<br />
that this too can be supplied with enough<br />
snow, a pipel<strong>in</strong>e had to be laid to the<br />
water reservoir. Heavy civil eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g<br />
plant was needed for some <strong>of</strong> the work<br />
but the complicated formations <strong>in</strong> the<br />
terra<strong>in</strong> were already familiar so <strong>in</strong> spite <strong>of</strong><br />
them the work was completed <strong>in</strong> only five<br />
weeks.<br />
There is thus noth<strong>in</strong>g to stop people hav<strong>in</strong>g<br />
a wonderful time ski<strong>in</strong>g with reliable<br />
snow when the season starts at the end<br />
<strong>of</strong> October.<br />
Projects<br />
1
Projects<br />
14<br />
Dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water supply <strong>in</strong> Al A<strong>in</strong> (UAE)<br />
2.2 million follow-up order for Buderus<br />
A fresh development <strong>in</strong> Abu Dhabi<br />
Over the summer months that are now beh<strong>in</strong>d us, the sales and<br />
distribution company Buderus Pipe Systems (BPS) successfully<br />
completed its work for Al A<strong>in</strong> projects I & II. However this order,<br />
worth 4 million Euros, for the development <strong>of</strong> the dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g<br />
water supply system <strong>of</strong> this oasis city <strong>in</strong> the United Arab Emirates<br />
(UAE), with its population <strong>of</strong> 500,000, was only the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
There has now been a fresh development.<br />
“At Al A<strong>in</strong>, we’ve been awarded a follow-up order for the project<br />
known as the ‘Upgrad<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> Al A<strong>in</strong> Northern R<strong>in</strong>groad’. The<br />
Northern R<strong>in</strong>groad is the access road from the Abu Dhabi’s<br />
coastal region to Al A<strong>in</strong> and the aim <strong>of</strong> its upgrad<strong>in</strong>g to three to<br />
four lanes is to develop and expand the exist<strong>in</strong>g tourism. The<br />
project is slated to cost around 1 0 million Euros. Supply pipel<strong>in</strong>es<br />
for dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water are be<strong>in</strong>g laid <strong>in</strong> the course <strong>of</strong> the project<br />
to cater for the ris<strong>in</strong>g consumption and to br<strong>in</strong>g capacities <strong>in</strong>to<br />
l<strong>in</strong>e with future development. In the UAE, the decision has once<br />
aga<strong>in</strong> been to go for Buderus’s ductile cast iron pipe, because,<br />
on the previous project, we were flexible <strong>in</strong> the way we satisfied<br />
the customer’s technical<br />
requirements and met<br />
short delivery deadl<strong>in</strong>es.<br />
The good experience the<br />
people here have had<br />
both with the tried and<br />
tested material and with<br />
the project handl<strong>in</strong>g was,<br />
<strong>in</strong> the end, the reason<br />
why this further work together<br />
has come about.”<br />
reports Peter Waßmuth,<br />
the sales manager responsible<br />
for bus<strong>in</strong>ess <strong>in</strong><br />
Asia and Africa at BGW.<br />
A total <strong>of</strong> 10.6 kilometres<br />
<strong>of</strong> DN 600, 800 and 900<br />
ductile cast iron pipes are<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g supplied. Of these, some 10% will have VRS ® -T/BLS ® restra<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
jo<strong>in</strong>ts. The special climatic conditions <strong>in</strong> this desert region<br />
make it necessary for the pipes to be given an outer coat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and an <strong>in</strong>ternal l<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g which are suitable for water temperatures<br />
<strong>of</strong> up to 60° C. This is also true <strong>of</strong> jo<strong>in</strong>t components such as the<br />
gaskets.<br />
The first part delivery left the works <strong>in</strong> <strong>Wetzlar</strong> <strong>in</strong> September.<br />
The follow-up order has helped to make BPS, BGW’s youngest<br />
subsidiary, the sales unit with the best sales figures for foreign<br />
bus<strong>in</strong>ess and has also played its part <strong>in</strong> ensur<strong>in</strong>g that BGW’s order<br />
book cont<strong>in</strong>ues to be stable and that foundry capacity cont<strong>in</strong>ues<br />
to be fully exploited.<br />
Interconnect<strong>in</strong>g pipel<strong>in</strong>e for dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g<br />
water between Jägersburg and Biblis<br />
<strong>in</strong> South Hesse<br />
Hessenwasser GmbH & Co. KG is currently operat<strong>in</strong>g waterworks<br />
and wells. With its water output <strong>of</strong> some 100 million<br />
cubic metres, its grid <strong>of</strong> pipel<strong>in</strong>es totall<strong>in</strong>g around 415 kilometres<br />
<strong>in</strong> length and its reservoir capacity <strong>of</strong> 5,000 cubic metres, the<br />
company ensures the availability <strong>of</strong> dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water to more than<br />
two million people <strong>in</strong> the Rh<strong>in</strong>e-Ma<strong>in</strong> region. Despite the fall-<strong>of</strong>f<br />
<strong>in</strong> consumption over the past few decades and the good <strong>in</strong>terconnections<br />
between the supply structures, the modernisation<br />
<strong>of</strong> the supply <strong>in</strong>frastructure and the cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g development <strong>of</strong><br />
the regional grid system is a real challenge if the conditions are to<br />
be created for a public dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water supply system capable <strong>of</strong><br />
perform<strong>in</strong>g satisfactorily <strong>in</strong> economic terms. This is also the context<br />
<strong>in</strong> which the lay<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> a new <strong>in</strong>terconnect<strong>in</strong>g pipel<strong>in</strong>e which<br />
Hessenwasser is lay<strong>in</strong>g has to be seen. This pipel<strong>in</strong>e will allow the<br />
municipalities <strong>of</strong> Biblis and Groß-Rohrheim to be supplied from<br />
the Jägersburg waterworks belong<strong>in</strong>g to the Riedgruppe East Water<br />
Procurement Association The pipel<strong>in</strong>e will replace the Biblis<br />
waterworks, which is <strong>in</strong> need <strong>of</strong> renovation, and the <strong>in</strong>tention is<br />
for it to be commissioned <strong>in</strong> late November 009. It is around .7<br />
kilometres long and consists <strong>of</strong> Buderus ductile cast iron pipes <strong>of</strong><br />
a nom<strong>in</strong>al size <strong>of</strong> DN 400.<br />
“We are supply<strong>in</strong>g dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water pipes with a cement mortar<br />
coat<strong>in</strong>g and l<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g. There are some changes <strong>of</strong> direction along the<br />
route and because <strong>of</strong> this VRS ® -T/BLS ® pipes <strong>of</strong> the same dimensions<br />
are be<strong>in</strong>g used <strong>in</strong> the areas where the fitt<strong>in</strong>gs are <strong>in</strong>serted,”<br />
expla<strong>in</strong>s He<strong>in</strong>z-Jörg Weimer, a member <strong>of</strong> the field sales force responsible<br />
for the Rh<strong>in</strong>e-Ma<strong>in</strong> region at BGW. “The advantage this<br />
has is that we can dispense with concrete thrust blocks, which is<br />
speed<strong>in</strong>g up the progress <strong>of</strong> the lay<strong>in</strong>g work.”<br />
Along the route <strong>of</strong> the pipel<strong>in</strong>e there are water protection zones<br />
<strong>in</strong> which there are certa<strong>in</strong> requirements that the lay<strong>in</strong>g work has<br />
to meet. Most <strong>of</strong> the pipel<strong>in</strong>e runs through a class III water protection<br />
zone but a short section does run through a class II zone<br />
where the requirements are more str<strong>in</strong>gent. Along the route, a<br />
1 metre long cross<strong>in</strong>g has to be made under the L 111 country<br />
road. The company do<strong>in</strong>g the lay<strong>in</strong>g work, Gebr. Becher <strong>of</strong> Mudersbach,<br />
decided to use the drill<strong>in</strong>g technique and a DN 700 protective<br />
steel cas<strong>in</strong>g tube here. A water pipe is pulled <strong>in</strong>to the cas<strong>in</strong>g<br />
tube on transport<strong>in</strong>g clamps together with two empty pipes<br />
for the lay<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> power and/or control and data cables.<br />
Because <strong>of</strong> the sandy soil, l<strong>in</strong>ed trenches have to be used <strong>in</strong> the<br />
sections <strong>of</strong> the route which are close to the country road
Everyth<strong>in</strong>g’s ductile: pipe systems for<br />
a paper mill <strong>in</strong> Eisenhüttenstadt<br />
Germany’s biggest paper mill is currently under construction <strong>in</strong><br />
Eisenhüttenstadt (literally the “town <strong>of</strong> ironworks” <strong>in</strong> German) <strong>in</strong><br />
the state <strong>of</strong> Brandenburg, a town whose sole <strong>in</strong>dustry <strong>in</strong> the days<br />
<strong>of</strong> the GDR was steel-mak<strong>in</strong>g. With this <strong>in</strong>vestment <strong>of</strong> 600 million<br />
Euros <strong>in</strong> the production <strong>of</strong> corrugated case and board paper for<br />
the packag<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>dustry, a new <strong>in</strong>dustry produc<strong>in</strong>g a basic material<br />
is be<strong>in</strong>g established <strong>in</strong> Eisenhüttenstadt as a second str<strong>in</strong>g to its<br />
<strong>in</strong>dustrial bow. Vast amounts <strong>of</strong> clean water are needed for produc<strong>in</strong>g<br />
paper, which means that a large number <strong>of</strong> pipel<strong>in</strong>es are<br />
needed to supply the water and to dispose <strong>of</strong> it afterwards. In addition,<br />
fire-ext<strong>in</strong>guish<strong>in</strong>g pipes have to be <strong>in</strong>stalled to comply with<br />
safety requirements. In the areas where the lay<strong>in</strong>g situation made<br />
it necessary to use a safe and reliable pipe material capable <strong>of</strong> the<br />
requisite standard <strong>of</strong> performance, BGW was able to come out<br />
the w<strong>in</strong>ner with its ductile cast iron pipe systems.<br />
“We’ll never be able to get at anyth<strong>in</strong>g down there aga<strong>in</strong>”, said<br />
the construction manager when work began <strong>in</strong> May 009. Anyone<br />
who says that is demand<strong>in</strong>g safety, security and reliability <strong>of</strong> the<br />
very highest standard. Many supply and disposal pipel<strong>in</strong>es had to<br />
be laid below the surface <strong>of</strong> the foundation slab <strong>of</strong> the mach<strong>in</strong>ery<br />
build<strong>in</strong>g. “The DN 80 and DN 00 ductile pipes which were set<br />
<strong>in</strong>to the concrete floor were <strong>of</strong> the restra<strong>in</strong>ed type. They were<br />
laid and secured <strong>in</strong> place with<strong>in</strong> the re<strong>in</strong>forcement <strong>in</strong> such a way<br />
that they were unable to move when the wet concrete was be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
poured”, expla<strong>in</strong>s Lutz Rau, the member <strong>of</strong> BGW’s field sales<br />
force responsible for Brandenburg. Buderus DN 400 and DN 500<br />
pipes were used for the dra<strong>in</strong>age pipel<strong>in</strong>es. Lay<strong>in</strong>g under concrete<br />
makes special demands on pipe materials. This is where ductile<br />
cast iron pipe systems can provide the necessary safety marg<strong>in</strong>s,<br />
because they are resistant to chemical attack, thermal stresses<br />
and to possible pressure surges. “Once aga<strong>in</strong>, we were able to<br />
show how rugged and friendly for lay<strong>in</strong>g our pipes are, because<br />
they stood up to the forces exerted when the wet concrete was<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g pumped and when it was be<strong>in</strong>g compacted with vibrators<br />
without giv<strong>in</strong>g any cause for compla<strong>in</strong>t. With socket bends, all the<br />
angles could be adjusted exactly on site at the right heights and <strong>in</strong><br />
the right positions”, Lutz Rau tells us. Although the lay<strong>in</strong>g work<br />
was completed <strong>in</strong> June, the build<strong>in</strong>g work on Germany’s biggest<br />
paper mill, which will be go<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to operation <strong>in</strong> 010, is cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g<br />
full speed ahead.<br />
Pipes for fire-ext<strong>in</strong>guish<strong>in</strong>g water for<br />
new factories <strong>in</strong> the Czech Republic<br />
In the first half <strong>of</strong> the year, Buderus lit<strong>in</strong>ové systémy s.r.o. Beroun<br />
(BGC) was able to get ductile cast iron pipe systems for fire-ext<strong>in</strong>guish<strong>in</strong>g<br />
pipes accepted on two important <strong>in</strong>dustrial projects at<br />
the same time for the Tyco Fire & Integrated Solutions s.r.o. company.<br />
In Nový Bydžov, <strong>in</strong> the Královéhradecký kraj region <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Czech Republic, Alcan Packag<strong>in</strong>g, a company operat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>ternationally<br />
<strong>in</strong> the field <strong>of</strong> added-value packag<strong>in</strong>g, is <strong>in</strong>vest<strong>in</strong>g 17 million<br />
Euros <strong>in</strong> the construction <strong>of</strong> a new factory which <strong>in</strong> future will be<br />
specialis<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the production and pr<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> high quality, flexible,<br />
gravure-pr<strong>in</strong>ted packag<strong>in</strong>g. The safety equipment for the plant <strong>in</strong>cludes<br />
a fire ext<strong>in</strong>guish<strong>in</strong>g system which was planned by Buderus<br />
lit<strong>in</strong>ové systémy s.r.o. and for the <strong>in</strong>stallation <strong>of</strong> which it supplied<br />
a total <strong>of</strong> 8 8 metres <strong>of</strong> ductile cast iron pipes <strong>of</strong> the DN 100, DN<br />
00 and DN 50 nom<strong>in</strong>al sizes us<strong>in</strong>g the tried and tested VRS ® -<br />
T/BLS ® jo<strong>in</strong>t. “We are benefitt<strong>in</strong>g from the cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g will<strong>in</strong>gness<br />
<strong>of</strong> foreign companies to <strong>in</strong>vest <strong>in</strong> the Czech Republic”, comments<br />
Ivana Drozdová, CEO <strong>of</strong> BGC, “when we knew the new Alcan<br />
factory was go<strong>in</strong>g to be constructed <strong>in</strong> Nový Bydžov we made<br />
some contacts early on and<br />
demonstrated the superiority<br />
<strong>of</strong> our pipe material and<br />
<strong>of</strong> the flexible VRS ® -T/BLS ®<br />
jo<strong>in</strong>t. And we were successful<br />
at this. The project has now<br />
been completed and production<br />
at the Alcan factory will<br />
be start<strong>in</strong>g at the end <strong>of</strong> 009.<br />
Its successful handl<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> this<br />
project is enhanc<strong>in</strong>g the excellent<br />
reputation we have as<br />
problem solvers <strong>in</strong> the field <strong>of</strong><br />
pipel<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong>stallation.”<br />
In Hustopeče <strong>in</strong> southern<br />
Moravia, Hill’s, the American<br />
pet nutrition manufacturer,<br />
is currently build<strong>in</strong>g a new<br />
production plant. “This was another place where, as part <strong>of</strong> the<br />
safety system, we looked after the lay<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the pipes for the<br />
fire-ext<strong>in</strong>guish<strong>in</strong>g water from an eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>of</strong> view and<br />
supplied a total <strong>of</strong> more than 1 00 metres <strong>of</strong> DN 00 and DN<br />
50 ductile cast iron pipes. The lay<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the complicated pip<strong>in</strong>g<br />
system, which we planned <strong>in</strong> advance <strong>in</strong> collaboration with the<br />
company do<strong>in</strong>g the lay<strong>in</strong>g work, went <strong>of</strong>f <strong>in</strong> an exemplary way”,<br />
expla<strong>in</strong>s Juraj Barborik, head <strong>of</strong> applications eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g at BGC.<br />
As well as fire-ext<strong>in</strong>guish<strong>in</strong>g pipes <strong>in</strong>stalled <strong>in</strong> tunnels, safety equipment<br />
for <strong>in</strong>dustrial concerns is play<strong>in</strong>g an <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly important<br />
role as an ideal area <strong>of</strong> use for safe, reliable and long-last<strong>in</strong>g pipe<br />
systems made <strong>of</strong> ductile cast iron.<br />
Projects<br />
15
Projects<br />
16<br />
Sewer pipes for Sankt Florian<br />
A sewer on piles<br />
In Sankt Florian, a market town <strong>in</strong> Upper Austria with a population<br />
<strong>of</strong> about 6000, two TRM products have been used at the same<br />
time – ductile pressure pipes for a sewer pipe and cast piles which<br />
were needed to give the sewer pipe the necessary stability due to<br />
the difficult soil conditions. In the course <strong>of</strong> the work to complete<br />
the “Yellow L<strong>in</strong>e”, representatives <strong>of</strong> the municipality <strong>of</strong> Sankt<br />
Florian placed a contract for the construction <strong>of</strong> a new sewage<br />
treatment plant and the lay<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> sewer pipes <strong>in</strong> the villages <strong>of</strong><br />
Oberndorf and Oberweidlham. In Austria, the “Yellow L<strong>in</strong>e” covers<br />
those areas <strong>in</strong> a municipality which are connected to a central<br />
sewage works by the public sewer system and which receive 0<br />
to 60% fund<strong>in</strong>g for this purpose from the federal government.<br />
The soil conditions <strong>in</strong> the lay<strong>in</strong>g area were difficult. The geology<br />
was looked at <strong>in</strong> a soil survey and this showed that the foundation<br />
soils present were silty, clayey and boggy so unless additional steps<br />
were taken there was no guarantee that a sewer pipe could be laid<br />
safely. A “sewer on piles” was what the firm <strong>of</strong> geotechnical eng<strong>in</strong>eers<br />
responsible therefore recommended. For TRM, this meant<br />
kill<strong>in</strong>g two birds with one stone. “We’ve supplied 675 metres <strong>of</strong><br />
ductile sewer pipes <strong>of</strong> a nom<strong>in</strong>al size <strong>of</strong> DN 00 and a total <strong>of</strong> 19<br />
ductile cast iron piles for the site <strong>in</strong> Sankt Florian”, said Ingo Krieg,<br />
TRM‘s sales representative responsible for Upper Austria. As well<br />
hav<strong>in</strong>g the pile foundations made necessary by the geology, the<br />
market town also stayed on the safe side as far as the coat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong><br />
the pipes was concerned <strong>in</strong> the sections where the sewer could<br />
be vulnerable. “The only th<strong>in</strong>g that could be considered <strong>in</strong> these<br />
corrosive soils was our proven Pur Top coat<strong>in</strong>g, which provides<br />
reliable protection for the ductile material <strong>of</strong> the pipes even <strong>in</strong> a<br />
hostile environment”, comments Krieg. The lay<strong>in</strong>g will be cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g<br />
next year. The villages <strong>of</strong> Mickstetten and Oberfrauenleiten will<br />
also be rely<strong>in</strong>g on the successful idea <strong>of</strong> a “sewer on piles”.<br />
Construction <strong>of</strong> a new factory build<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong> Unterach<br />
A pile foundation up to 35 metres deep<br />
By the lake known as the Attersee, the Austrian pharmaceutical<br />
company EBEWE is undertak<strong>in</strong>g a massive expansion <strong>of</strong> its site<br />
at Unterach <strong>in</strong> the Salzkammergut. Construction began <strong>in</strong> September<br />
this year <strong>of</strong> a new factory build<strong>in</strong>g which connects up to<br />
the exist<strong>in</strong>g production build<strong>in</strong>g. The foundations are formed by<br />
ductile piles from TRM.<br />
In geological terms, the entire region around the Attersee and<br />
Mondsee lakes is part <strong>of</strong> the zone <strong>in</strong> Upper Austria <strong>of</strong> what is<br />
known as flysch, which consists on the one hand <strong>of</strong> stable sandstone<br />
and on the other <strong>of</strong> s<strong>of</strong>t, unstable clayey marl and <strong>in</strong> which<br />
there is <strong>of</strong>ten a tendency for landslips to occur. In problematic<br />
foundation soils like this, deep foundations are essential. It is only<br />
the ground mora<strong>in</strong>e at a depth <strong>of</strong> more than 0 metres that provides<br />
a firm foundation soil. This left the owners with no alternative<br />
but to use piles to safeguard their new build<strong>in</strong>g, with its floor<br />
area <strong>of</strong> 000 square metres. Because the shell <strong>of</strong> the build<strong>in</strong>g was<br />
to be completed before w<strong>in</strong>ter began, the construction work had<br />
to be done quickly. TRM was therefore able to stress the advantages<br />
<strong>of</strong> the ductile driven pile, which is notable for its productivity<br />
<strong>in</strong> terms <strong>of</strong> expeditious driv<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
“Another reason why the order was placed with us was that we<br />
could <strong>of</strong>fer a full-displacement pile which does not produce any<br />
drill spoil, thus sav<strong>in</strong>g on disposal costs. So, with our ductile pile it<br />
is possible to operate not just quickly, but <strong>in</strong>expensively too. Another<br />
factor <strong>in</strong> our favour was the years <strong>of</strong> successful collaboration<br />
we have had with the NGT company from Gross Enzersdorf near<br />
Vienna, who are specialists <strong>in</strong> underground construction”, reports<br />
Thomas Aumüller, sales manager for cast piles at TRM.<br />
To ensure that the foundations were stable, around 5 0 pressure-grouted<br />
piles <strong>of</strong> nom<strong>in</strong>al sizes <strong>of</strong> 170 mm and 118 mm were<br />
needed. The five metre long pile sections were fitted together,<br />
driven to the f<strong>in</strong>al depth and filled with concrete with<strong>in</strong> 14 days.<br />
The load test was successfully passed at the end <strong>of</strong> September<br />
with a test load <strong>of</strong> up to 000 kN.
Look<strong>in</strong>g ahead to Interalp<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> Sochi<br />
<strong>in</strong> Russia<br />
In view <strong>of</strong> the great success <strong>of</strong> Interalp<strong>in</strong><br />
009 <strong>in</strong> Innsbruck and the throngs <strong>of</strong> visitors<br />
who attended from Eastern European<br />
countries, Messe Innsbruck, the organisers,<br />
decided to hold a small, exclusive Interalp<strong>in</strong><br />
event <strong>in</strong> Sochi. Sochi will be the venue for<br />
the 14th W<strong>in</strong>ter Olympics <strong>in</strong> 014. There<br />
is not much time before the Olympics, so<br />
only carefully selected firms were <strong>in</strong>vited<br />
and Buderus Giesserei <strong>Wetzlar</strong> GmbH and<br />
Tiroler Röhren- und Metallwerke AG were<br />
among them. The exhibition is aimed at the<br />
many sports and ski<strong>in</strong>g resorts <strong>in</strong> Russia and<br />
neighbour<strong>in</strong>g countries and will be tak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
place from 11 to 1 November 009 <strong>in</strong> the<br />
port <strong>of</strong> Sochi.<br />
Interlavex<br />
<strong>in</strong> Podbanske <strong>in</strong><br />
the Slovak Republic<br />
Interlavex 009, the 1 th International<br />
Mounta<strong>in</strong> Technology Exhibition, took<br />
place from 1 to 15 October 009 <strong>in</strong><br />
Podbanske, the Slovakian w<strong>in</strong>ter sports<br />
centre <strong>in</strong> the west <strong>of</strong> the High Tatras.<br />
Trade visitors, ma<strong>in</strong>ly planners and operators<br />
<strong>of</strong> ski<strong>in</strong>g resorts, were able to get a<br />
good picture <strong>of</strong> the full range <strong>of</strong> cast iron<br />
pipe products for snow mak<strong>in</strong>g facilities<br />
on the attractive stand <strong>of</strong> Buderus lit<strong>in</strong>ove<br />
systemy s.r.o. (BGC).<br />
Swiss ALPINA <strong>in</strong> Martigny <strong>in</strong><br />
Switzerland<br />
For years now, Swiss ALPINA, the<br />
International Trade Show for Mounta<strong>in</strong><br />
Technologies, has been br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g together<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essionals and manufacturers <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Alp<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong>dustry. More than 5000 trade<br />
visitors from home and abroad came to<br />
the 14th event <strong>in</strong> Martigny, which took<br />
place from 6 to 8 August 009, to get<br />
an update on <strong>in</strong>novations <strong>in</strong> the field <strong>of</strong><br />
w<strong>in</strong>ter technology.<br />
Together with its Swiss sales and distribution<br />
partner TMH Thomas Hagenbucher,<br />
TRM showed ma<strong>in</strong>ly pipes and fitt<strong>in</strong>gs for<br />
snow mak<strong>in</strong>g systems.<br />
Fairs • Exhibitions • Events • Fairs • Exhibitions • Events<br />
“The Beautiful Polish W<strong>in</strong>ter” <strong>in</strong><br />
Świeradów zdrój <strong>in</strong> Poland<br />
The conference and exhibition entitled<br />
“The Beautiful Polish W<strong>in</strong>ter” took place<br />
from 15 to 17 June 009 <strong>in</strong> the Polish<br />
town <strong>of</strong> Świeradów zdrój (Bad Fl<strong>in</strong>sberg)<br />
<strong>in</strong> the Iser Mounta<strong>in</strong>s. The ma<strong>in</strong> focus<br />
was the development <strong>of</strong> Polish ski<strong>in</strong>g<br />
resorts by the provision <strong>of</strong> appropriate<br />
<strong>in</strong>frastructure. BGW’s Polish sales and<br />
distribution partner Tyco Waterworks<br />
Polska Sp.z o.o. was at the exhibition,<br />
where it showed the Buderus range <strong>of</strong><br />
cast iron pipes and fitt<strong>in</strong>gs for snow mak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
systems.<br />
Suisse Public <strong>in</strong> Berne <strong>in</strong> Switzerland<br />
The demand for clean water and an assured<br />
water supply is constantly grow<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
This is true both <strong>of</strong> dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g water and<br />
<strong>of</strong> water for <strong>in</strong>dustry. The Suisse Public<br />
exhibition held from 1 to 4 June <strong>in</strong><br />
Berne reflected this <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g importance.<br />
The TMH group was show<strong>in</strong>g with<br />
TPS (Trenchless Pip<strong>in</strong>g Systems AG) on a<br />
jo<strong>in</strong>t stand with a focus on trenchless lay<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
The large numbers <strong>of</strong> visitors were<br />
a clear sign <strong>of</strong> the will<strong>in</strong>gness <strong>in</strong> the sector<br />
to <strong>in</strong>vest more <strong>in</strong> the <strong>in</strong>frastructure<br />
<strong>in</strong> order to ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> the high security <strong>of</strong><br />
supply which exists <strong>in</strong> Switzerland and to<br />
drive forward bus<strong>in</strong>ess activity <strong>in</strong> difficult<br />
economic times.<br />
Ville Sans Tranchée <strong>in</strong><br />
Rosny-sous-Bois <strong>in</strong> France<br />
BGW exhibited for the second time at the<br />
Ville Sans Tranchée (Trenchless City) exhibition.<br />
This was held from 16 to 18 June<br />
009 <strong>in</strong> Rosny-sous-Bois near Paris and,<br />
as the name says, focused on trenchless<br />
lay<strong>in</strong>g technologies. The growth <strong>in</strong> visitors<br />
this year showed how important “No<br />
dig” is becom<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the French market<br />
too. BGW highlighted the CMC coat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and the VRS ® -T/BLS ® jo<strong>in</strong>t and its much<br />
appreciated display made it clear how<br />
well suited ductile cast iron pipes are to<br />
trenchless lay<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Symposium on Trenchless Pipel<strong>in</strong>e<br />
Rehabilitation <strong>in</strong> Siegen <strong>in</strong> Germany<br />
The “4th German Symposium on Trenchless<br />
Pipel<strong>in</strong>e Rehabilitation (SGL)” took<br />
place on 9 and 10 September at the University<br />
<strong>of</strong> Siegen.<br />
Some 0 experts took advantage <strong>of</strong> this<br />
<strong>in</strong>structional event, organised by the Department<br />
<strong>of</strong> Waste Water and Waste <strong>of</strong><br />
the University <strong>of</strong> Siegen’s Institute <strong>of</strong> Research<br />
on Water and the Environment, to<br />
widen their exist<strong>in</strong>g knowledge and their<br />
practical and scientific expertise. The symposium<br />
covered constructional, technical<br />
and legal questions relat<strong>in</strong>g to trenchless<br />
pipel<strong>in</strong>e rehabilitation.<br />
The participants took great <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> the<br />
lecture on “Modern methods <strong>of</strong> pipel<strong>in</strong>e<br />
renovation us<strong>in</strong>g cast iron pipes” given by<br />
F. Schaffarcyk <strong>of</strong> J. Pfaff<strong>in</strong>ger Bauunternehmung<br />
GmbH <strong>of</strong> Berl<strong>in</strong>. BGW had a stand<br />
at the accompany<strong>in</strong>g exhibition, where 0<br />
or so exhibitors were show<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
International Users’ Forum for Small<br />
Hydroelectric Power Stations <strong>in</strong><br />
Bolzano <strong>in</strong> Italy<br />
In times <strong>of</strong> climate change and the <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g<br />
awareness <strong>of</strong> the scarcity <strong>of</strong><br />
fossil fuels, politicians and populations<br />
are tak<strong>in</strong>g a much greater <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> selfregenerat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
energy sources such as water<br />
power. The 1 th International Users’<br />
Forum for Small Hydroelectric Power<br />
Stations, which took place on 4 and 5<br />
September 009 <strong>in</strong> Bolzano <strong>in</strong> Italy, was<br />
a response to this <strong>in</strong>terest and provided<br />
a platform for foreign and domestic plant<br />
operators, manufacturers, planners, authorities,<br />
fund<strong>in</strong>g bodies and energy supply<br />
companies to exchange views and<br />
<strong>in</strong>formation. Subjects <strong>of</strong> both current and<br />
future relevance were dealt with <strong>in</strong> five<br />
groups <strong>of</strong> papers. The forum was accompanied<br />
by an exhibition at which TRM<br />
and BGW took a small stand to show the<br />
clear advantages <strong>of</strong> the ductile cast iron<br />
pipe for the construction <strong>of</strong> turb<strong>in</strong>e pipel<strong>in</strong>es<br />
<strong>in</strong> the market for small hydroelectric<br />
power stations, where vigorous growth<br />
can be expected <strong>in</strong> future.<br />
Reports<br />
17
Reports<br />
18<br />
The foundry is at the heart <strong>of</strong> pipe production.<br />
In <strong>Wetzlar</strong> and <strong>in</strong> Hall, this is where<br />
the centrifugal cast<strong>in</strong>g process is used to<br />
cast ductile cast iron pipes, pipes for a wide<br />
variety <strong>of</strong> applications – sewage and dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g<br />
water pipel<strong>in</strong>es, turb<strong>in</strong>e and fire-ext<strong>in</strong>guish<strong>in</strong>g<br />
pipes and snow-maker pipel<strong>in</strong>es<br />
– which are do<strong>in</strong>g their duty almost everywhere<br />
<strong>in</strong> the world.<br />
For people who do not work <strong>in</strong> a foundry<br />
or the areas connected with it, the foundry<br />
exerts an absolute fasc<strong>in</strong>ation. Molten<br />
iron, sparks and heat – a place that stirs the<br />
emotions. ”When I entered a foundry for<br />
the first time, I was overwhelmed. It wasn’t<br />
just a simple production plant; it was a different<br />
world I was experienc<strong>in</strong>g”, are the<br />
words <strong>of</strong> a student who was one <strong>of</strong> a party<br />
<strong>of</strong> fellow students who made an excursion<br />
to <strong>Wetzlar</strong> to become acqua<strong>in</strong>ted<br />
with BGW’s pipe produc<strong>in</strong>g facility. “I saw<br />
the workers at the cupola furnace <strong>in</strong> silver<br />
safety suits who were measur<strong>in</strong>g the temperature<br />
<strong>of</strong> the iron, and the glow<strong>in</strong>g pipes<br />
that were pulled out <strong>of</strong> the centrifugal<br />
cast<strong>in</strong>g mach<strong>in</strong>e and that rolled to the anneal<strong>in</strong>g<br />
furnace, where the annealers look<br />
W o r k i n g i n t h e f o u n d r y<br />
Summer 2009 – hot weather and a hot tempo<br />
straight at them through flaps at the side<br />
and have to check their position. The atmosphere<br />
<strong>in</strong> the foundry made a powerful<br />
impression on me”, is how this student<br />
summed up his experience.<br />
“This fasc<strong>in</strong>ation is someth<strong>in</strong>g we see all<br />
the time”, says Klaus Emrich, technical<br />
works manager at <strong>Wetzlar</strong>, “but we do our<br />
best to make it clear to visitors that, for all<br />
the romance that molten iron has, the production<br />
processes that take place <strong>in</strong> the<br />
foundry are up-to-date and cleanly and<br />
smoothly planned ones.”<br />
“Even so, we have already taken advantage<br />
<strong>of</strong> this fasc<strong>in</strong>ation factor and used it as<br />
a tool”, says Elvira Sames-Dickopf, a member<br />
<strong>of</strong> BGW’s market<strong>in</strong>g department staff.<br />
“At the IFAT 00 exhibition for example<br />
we attracted considerable attention, and<br />
made the visitors aware <strong>of</strong> the process by<br />
which our ductile cast iron pipe systems<br />
are produced, with a film that was deliberately<br />
designed to have an emotional appeal.<br />
By show<strong>in</strong>g the foundry, we brought<br />
out the gripp<strong>in</strong>g contrast that there is between<br />
the product sitt<strong>in</strong>g on the stand and<br />
the production process, a contrast that<br />
made visitors stop and watch. They learnt<br />
someth<strong>in</strong>g about the impressive background,<br />
about the work under extreme<br />
conditions, and about the many steps that<br />
have to be taken before the ductile pipe<br />
can f<strong>in</strong>ally be produced and, <strong>in</strong> the end,<br />
disappear below the ground.”<br />
The market<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> this fasc<strong>in</strong>ation is one<br />
th<strong>in</strong>g but the reality <strong>in</strong> the foundry is someth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
different.<br />
“We are foundrymen and women and<br />
hence – if I may put it like this – someth<strong>in</strong>g
<strong>of</strong> a race apart”, expla<strong>in</strong>s Harald Tschenett,<br />
manager <strong>of</strong> the foundry <strong>in</strong> Hall, “and all the<br />
employees, from the man mak<strong>in</strong>g up the<br />
furnace charge and the workers <strong>in</strong> the<br />
smelt<strong>in</strong>g plant to the annealers and the<br />
people work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the coat<strong>in</strong>g section,<br />
th<strong>in</strong>k <strong>of</strong> themselves as foundrymen and<br />
women. We work under extreme conditions,<br />
even though the modern-day equipment<br />
we use has already done someth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to help.”<br />
“It was hot this summer”, Klaus Emrich<br />
tells us, “and we did after all have temperatures<br />
<strong>of</strong> up to 7° centigrade. Even <strong>in</strong> ord<strong>in</strong>ary<br />
situations there were many people<br />
who found this a stra<strong>in</strong>. For us at the <strong>Wetzlar</strong><br />
site the summer <strong>of</strong> 009 was not only<br />
hot because <strong>of</strong> the temperature but also<br />
because <strong>of</strong> the hot tempo demanded by<br />
the order book. We had the Abu Dhabi<br />
order (we reported on this <strong>in</strong> the last issue<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>FORM), which was a project worth<br />
four million Euros let us remember, and to<br />
be able to deliver on time we had to work<br />
three shifts a day <strong>in</strong> the months from June<br />
to August. The order was for a desert<br />
country where the thermometer climbs to<br />
well above 40° centigrade <strong>in</strong> summer, and<br />
to cater for the special climatic conditions<br />
the pipes for it had to be given a special<br />
outer coat<strong>in</strong>g and <strong>in</strong>ternal l<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g. Our employees<br />
did a splendid job and helped to<br />
enable us to handle this “hot” situation <strong>in</strong><br />
a relatively cool way. We were lucky <strong>in</strong> that<br />
there were no particular <strong>in</strong>cidents such as<br />
any lengthy breakdowns to the mach<strong>in</strong>es<br />
or any <strong>in</strong>dustrial accidents. We do hope<br />
that th<strong>in</strong>gs will stay that way because the<br />
follow-up order from the emirate on the<br />
Gulf (see page 14) is what is ensur<strong>in</strong>g that<br />
our foundry can cont<strong>in</strong>ue operat<strong>in</strong>g at full<br />
capacity.”<br />
Stefan Koldas, who has been work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
the <strong>Wetzlar</strong> foundry s<strong>in</strong>ce 1991, is currently<br />
employed as a furnace worker <strong>in</strong> the<br />
smelt<strong>in</strong>g plant. Here he makes sure that<br />
the liquid iron melted <strong>in</strong> the cupola furnace,<br />
which is at a temperature <strong>of</strong> 1500°<br />
Celsius, flows cont<strong>in</strong>uously and does not<br />
go astray on its way to a 90 tonne hold<strong>in</strong>g<br />
furnace and f<strong>in</strong>ally to the system for converter<br />
treatment. He keeps a watchful eye<br />
on the smelt<strong>in</strong>g process to make sure that<br />
noth<strong>in</strong>g goes wrong. He cleans the channels<br />
for the iron, skims <strong>of</strong>f the slag <strong>in</strong> the<br />
hold<strong>in</strong>g furnace, measures the temperature<br />
<strong>of</strong> the molten iron and takes samples<br />
for chemical analysis. In short, he does<br />
everyth<strong>in</strong>g to ensure that there is a trouble-free<br />
supply <strong>of</strong> iron for his colleagues <strong>in</strong><br />
the centrifugal cast<strong>in</strong>g foundry.<br />
Koldas tells us: “From June to August we<br />
smelted around 5,000 tonnes <strong>of</strong> iron. It<br />
was hard work and our new slag conveyor<br />
also did its bit to keep the temperature<br />
high. The heat comes at you from every<br />
direction and I used to dr<strong>in</strong>k five to seven<br />
bottles <strong>of</strong> m<strong>in</strong>eral water every shift.”<br />
“However”, cont<strong>in</strong>ues this father <strong>of</strong> two<br />
young boys aged seven and ten, “though<br />
the physical exertion was tremendous and<br />
Stefan Koldas, a furnace worker <strong>in</strong> BGW’s smelt<strong>in</strong>g<br />
plant<br />
the temperatures were sometimes close<br />
to the limits and this was quite a stra<strong>in</strong> on<br />
us and made it difficult to concentrate at<br />
times, th<strong>in</strong>gs were always <strong>in</strong> a perfectly<br />
good state when we handed over to the<br />
next shift. Then, when I had to face an outside<br />
temperature <strong>of</strong> ‘only’ 0° centigrade<br />
on my way home, I found it perfectly<br />
cool.”<br />
Stefan Koldas’s colleague from the pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and concret<strong>in</strong>g department, Antun Rossi,<br />
agrees with him: “We needed tremendous<br />
amounts <strong>of</strong> m<strong>in</strong>eral water to stay fit <strong>in</strong><br />
temperatures <strong>of</strong> up to 50° centigrade at<br />
our work station. Our foundry’s order<br />
book was well filled and we took this as a<br />
challenge. At many companies, th<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
were not good this summer because <strong>of</strong> the<br />
crisis. We on the other hand had an endless<br />
amount <strong>of</strong> work and were happy that<br />
this was the case”, says the 1-year-old,<br />
who was born a Croat and worked as a<br />
cook <strong>in</strong> his “former life”. Nowadays, Antun<br />
Rossi is entrusted with the responsible<br />
task <strong>of</strong> f<strong>in</strong>al <strong>in</strong>spection <strong>in</strong> the pipe pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g<br />
section. Directly each <strong>in</strong>dividual pipe<br />
Antun Rossi works <strong>in</strong> the pipe pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g section at<br />
BGW<br />
Reports<br />
19
Reports<br />
0<br />
Work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the foundry<br />
leaves the pa<strong>in</strong>t dryer, a team consist<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong><br />
him and a colleague decides whether it<br />
meets the quality requirements that the<br />
<strong>in</strong>ternal l<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> cement mortar and the<br />
external pa<strong>in</strong>t f<strong>in</strong>ish have to meet. Rossi’s<br />
tasks also <strong>in</strong>clude the application <strong>of</strong> the<br />
correct standard mark<strong>in</strong>gs to the pipes and<br />
the mak<strong>in</strong>g up <strong>of</strong> the pipes <strong>in</strong>to bundles.<br />
“The seven-day week, which we had to<br />
work <strong>in</strong> three shifts, was an extraord<strong>in</strong>ary<br />
situation“, says Antun Rossi, “but after all,<br />
<strong>in</strong> those three summer months, we did<br />
produce ,500 big pipes just for projects<br />
<strong>in</strong> Spa<strong>in</strong> and the Middle East. We are proud<br />
to have managed to do that. I was very<br />
glad”, he adds, “that many <strong>of</strong> our colleagues<br />
from the foundry <strong>in</strong> Hall were able<br />
to take part <strong>in</strong> our <strong>Day</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Action</strong> because<br />
this allowed us to get to know one another<br />
and have a chat.” (see page 4)<br />
Mart<strong>in</strong> Kl<strong>in</strong>genschmid, an operator <strong>in</strong> the anneal<strong>in</strong>g<br />
furnace control room at TRM<br />
Whereas August sent the mercury shoot<strong>in</strong>g<br />
up to “fever temperatures” <strong>in</strong> Germany,<br />
<strong>in</strong> Austria the weather was comfortably<br />
warm, though it was after all the fifth hottest<br />
August s<strong>in</strong>ce records began 150 years<br />
ago, but there not any days <strong>of</strong> such extreme<br />
temperatures.<br />
Mart<strong>in</strong> Kl<strong>in</strong>genschmid is an operator <strong>in</strong> the<br />
control room for TRM’s anneal<strong>in</strong>g furnace.<br />
The pipes from the centrifugal cast<strong>in</strong>g<br />
foundry roll along two tracks to this furnace.<br />
“The pipes are cooled abruptly <strong>in</strong> the<br />
cast<strong>in</strong>g mach<strong>in</strong>e and for them to meet the<br />
standards laid down for the material properties<br />
<strong>of</strong> ductile cast iron they have to take<br />
a trip through the long anneal<strong>in</strong>g furnace”,<br />
expla<strong>in</strong>s Kl<strong>in</strong>genschmid, “they first enter<br />
the heat<strong>in</strong>g zone, where they are heated<br />
to 9 0° Celsius, and then make their way<br />
<strong>in</strong>to the hold<strong>in</strong>g zone. The temperatures<br />
Richard Holzhammer, a foreman <strong>in</strong> the centrifugal<br />
pipe cast<strong>in</strong>g foundry at TRM<br />
<strong>in</strong> this zone have to be precisely monitored<br />
because this is where the carbides break<br />
down. Then, <strong>in</strong> the cool<strong>in</strong>g zone, there is<br />
a controlled cool<strong>in</strong>g process from about<br />
8 0° to 680° Celsius and the transformation<br />
<strong>of</strong> the structure <strong>of</strong> the material takes<br />
place. The pipes now have a ferritic structure<br />
and are what they are <strong>in</strong>tended to be,<br />
namely ductile.” Kl<strong>in</strong>genschmid stresses<br />
that, with its air-conditioned environment,<br />
the new plant has, s<strong>in</strong>ce 001, been ensur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
that people are no longer so “heatprone”.<br />
“The control room is the very<br />
place where there’s been a welcome<br />
change. We have to do a great deal more<br />
“bra<strong>in</strong>work” and that is why we are pleased<br />
to be able to concentrate better <strong>in</strong> an airconditioned<br />
environment”, the 47-yearold<br />
tells us, and adds that all the work<strong>in</strong>g<br />
conditions will undoubtedly cont<strong>in</strong>ue to<br />
improve <strong>in</strong> the newly erected build<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
His colleague Richard Holzhammer, who<br />
has been employed at TRM s<strong>in</strong>ce 006, is<br />
currently work<strong>in</strong>g as a foreman <strong>in</strong> the centrifugal<br />
pipe cast<strong>in</strong>g foundry. Holzhammer<br />
is responsible for see<strong>in</strong>g that the production<br />
process proceeds exactly as it should<br />
on his shift and that the quality <strong>of</strong> the cast<br />
pipes is up to the standards laid down.<br />
Holzhammer too is thrilled about the new<br />
build<strong>in</strong>g: “Six million Euros have been <strong>in</strong>vested<br />
<strong>in</strong> the foundry and we are all look<strong>in</strong>g<br />
forward eagerly to its commission<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and are hop<strong>in</strong>g that the entire situation <strong>in</strong><br />
the foundry will become more stable so<br />
that we can operate at full capacity. It is<br />
true that we haven’t had to contend with<br />
a long hot spell like our colleagues <strong>in</strong> <strong>Wetzlar</strong><br />
this year and the build<strong>in</strong>gs did not get<br />
so hot as they have <strong>in</strong> previous years, but<br />
the work<strong>in</strong>g conditions were still more<br />
than just pleasantly warm.”
Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g to become a qualified foundry eng<strong>in</strong>eer<br />
at the Austrian Foundry Research Institute <strong>in</strong> Leoben<br />
The Austrian Foundry Research Institute<br />
(ÖGI) is a non-pr<strong>of</strong>it and non-university research<br />
<strong>in</strong>stitution operat<strong>in</strong>g under the aegis<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Austrian foundry <strong>in</strong>dustry. It sees itself<br />
as an up-to-date research and serviceprovid<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>stitution cover<strong>in</strong>g the entire<br />
range <strong>of</strong> foundry science and technology<br />
from the raw material to the f<strong>in</strong>ished cast<br />
component and its applications.<br />
As well as <strong>of</strong>fer<strong>in</strong>g other tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g courses,<br />
it also regularly holds advanced tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
sem<strong>in</strong>ars for people wish<strong>in</strong>g to become<br />
qualified foundry eng<strong>in</strong>eers. Employees<br />
qualified to a high standard <strong>in</strong> foundry eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and technology are needed to<br />
ensure that foundry products are <strong>of</strong> high<br />
quality and that the processes are economical.<br />
The aim <strong>of</strong> the sem<strong>in</strong>ars is to allow<br />
foundry employees to become more highly<br />
qualified by giv<strong>in</strong>g them a practically focused<br />
knowledge <strong>of</strong> technical and bus<strong>in</strong>ess<br />
adm<strong>in</strong>istration subjects specifically slanted<br />
towards the foundry <strong>in</strong>dustry.<br />
In the first six months <strong>of</strong> 009, as well seventeen<br />
other tra<strong>in</strong>ees from various areas<br />
<strong>of</strong> the foundry <strong>in</strong>dustry there were also<br />
two TRM employees who become qualified<br />
foundry eng<strong>in</strong>eers at the end <strong>of</strong> the<br />
tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g sem<strong>in</strong>ars: Johannes Melcher, head<br />
<strong>of</strong> Production Quality Assurance, and<br />
Christian Auer, head <strong>of</strong> Quality Management.<br />
Both successfully completed the advanced<br />
tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g course.<br />
Participants and lecturers on the 2009 Foundry Eng<strong>in</strong>eer’s<br />
Course<br />
Christian Auer (on the left) and Johannes Melcher<br />
are happy to have successfully completed their<br />
tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g to become qualified foundry eng<strong>in</strong>eers.<br />
The tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g lasted from January to July<br />
009 and consisted <strong>of</strong> three technical<br />
blocks and three bus<strong>in</strong>ess adm<strong>in</strong>istration<br />
blocks, with the technical section divided<br />
<strong>in</strong>to units for ferrous foundrymen and<br />
women and units for non-ferrous foundrymen<br />
and women.<br />
The technical section began with the fundamentals<br />
<strong>of</strong> cast<strong>in</strong>g and materials characterisation.<br />
The subjects dealt with <strong>in</strong> the<br />
other modules ranged from simulation,<br />
through feeder and gate design, smelt<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
fundamentals <strong>of</strong> metallurgy, and heat treatment,<br />
to materials test<strong>in</strong>g and quality assurance.<br />
The topics dealt with <strong>in</strong> the bus<strong>in</strong>ess<br />
adm<strong>in</strong>istration section were problem-solv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
techniques, management,<br />
organisation, cost<strong>in</strong>g, controll<strong>in</strong>g, quality<br />
management, safety at work and logistics<br />
and plant management. “The quality <strong>of</strong> the<br />
lectures was def<strong>in</strong>itely high and the <strong>in</strong>structional<br />
content was demand<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
forced us to concentrate hard”, says Christian<br />
Auer, “Also, we had to prepare a company-specific<br />
project, which ensured that<br />
we had the practical part <strong>of</strong> the tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
firmly lodged <strong>in</strong> our m<strong>in</strong>ds.”<br />
Johannes Melcher adds these words: “As<br />
well as the <strong>of</strong>ficial programme <strong>of</strong> sem<strong>in</strong>ars,<br />
we also had an opportunity to attend six<br />
<strong>in</strong>formal, so-called “fireside”, even<strong>in</strong>gs at<br />
which short talks <strong>in</strong>tended to stimulate further<br />
discussion were given on certa<strong>in</strong> subjects.<br />
Incidentally, the people attend<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
course <strong>in</strong>cluded Herr Adolf Kerbl, the chief<br />
executive <strong>of</strong> the Austrian Foundry Industry<br />
Association, and dur<strong>in</strong>g the overall programme<br />
they and the lecturers had an opportunity<br />
to get to know one another and<br />
to exchange experiences <strong>in</strong> a really <strong>in</strong>depth<br />
way.”<br />
Leoben and its<br />
(M<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g) University<br />
With some 30,000 <strong>in</strong>habitants,<br />
Leoben is the second largest town <strong>in</strong><br />
Austria’s federal state <strong>of</strong> Styria. It lies<br />
<strong>in</strong> the central part <strong>of</strong> the valley <strong>of</strong> the<br />
river Mura at the start <strong>of</strong> the Styrian<br />
Iron Route, among the foothills <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Eisenerzer (iron ore) Alps. In the 19th<br />
century, there was a tremendous<br />
boom <strong>in</strong> iron production <strong>in</strong> the region<br />
under Archduke Johann. He was<br />
also the man who, on the 4th <strong>of</strong> November<br />
1840, founded the “Styrian<br />
Corporate School <strong>of</strong> M<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g”, which<br />
became today’s (M<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g) University<br />
<strong>of</strong> Leoben which is one <strong>of</strong> Europe’s<br />
pr<strong>in</strong>cipal tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g and educational<br />
<strong>in</strong>stitutions for metal production and<br />
metallurgy and other broadly m<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g-related<br />
subjects such as m<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
itself, the materials sciences and petroleum<br />
technology. The outstand<strong>in</strong>g<br />
reputation <strong>of</strong> Austria’s only university<br />
<strong>of</strong> this k<strong>in</strong>d has turned the little district<br />
capital <strong>in</strong>to a sort <strong>of</strong> Mecca for<br />
foundry experts.<br />
The Higher Technical Institute (HTL),<br />
with its departments <strong>of</strong> materials<br />
science and petroleum technology,<br />
and also the ÖGI (Austrian Foundry<br />
Research Institute), are situated <strong>in</strong><br />
Leoben, which further emphasises the<br />
importance <strong>of</strong> the town <strong>in</strong> this field.<br />
Reports<br />
1
About us<br />
Viktor Gauk<br />
Viktor Gauk, born 198 ,<br />
has been work<strong>in</strong>g as a<br />
controller for Pipe and<br />
Pile International S.A.<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ce the 1st <strong>of</strong> November<br />
008. He is responsible<br />
for the ongo<strong>in</strong>g development<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Pipe and<br />
Pile Group’s f<strong>in</strong>ancial report<strong>in</strong>g<br />
systems and for<br />
the <strong>in</strong>troduction <strong>of</strong> groupwide<br />
risk management.<br />
After pass<strong>in</strong>g his schoolleav<strong>in</strong>g<br />
exam<strong>in</strong>ation at<br />
Essen-Überruhr secondary<br />
school <strong>in</strong> 00 , Viktor<br />
did his military service.<br />
He then spent 00 to 008 study<strong>in</strong>g economic science at the<br />
Ruhr University <strong>of</strong> Bochum and economics at the University <strong>of</strong><br />
Passau. While he was study<strong>in</strong>g, he also had some <strong>in</strong>itial practical<br />
experience with the Association and Delegation <strong>of</strong> German Trade<br />
and Industry <strong>in</strong> Moscow and St. Petersburg. In 007 he worked<br />
for DaimlerChrysler Automotive Russia <strong>in</strong> Moscow <strong>in</strong> the Fleet<br />
Management Division.<br />
Hav<strong>in</strong>g moved to the beautiful Tyrol, he became an aficionado <strong>of</strong><br />
alp<strong>in</strong>e leisure activities such as hik<strong>in</strong>g and ski<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Peter Hubert Macha<br />
Welcome!<br />
On the 1st <strong>of</strong> August, Peter<br />
Hubert Macha, born<br />
1988, began his tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
bus<strong>in</strong>ess adm<strong>in</strong>istration<br />
at BGW. On complet<strong>in</strong>g<br />
his secondary school education<br />
at the August-<br />
Bebel School <strong>in</strong> <strong>Wetzlar</strong>,<br />
he passed his vocational<br />
school leav<strong>in</strong>g exam<strong>in</strong>ation<br />
<strong>in</strong> 008. This native<br />
<strong>of</strong> Upper Silesia then did<br />
his civilian national service<br />
at the Old People’s<br />
Centre <strong>in</strong> <strong>Wetzlar</strong>. In his<br />
spare time Peter is a keen<br />
sportsman and enjoys socialis<strong>in</strong>g<br />
with friends.<br />
Elisa Müller<br />
On the 1st <strong>of</strong> August, Elisa<br />
Müller, born 1985, began<br />
her tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> bus<strong>in</strong>ess<br />
adm<strong>in</strong>istration at<br />
BGW. Follow<strong>in</strong>g her secondary<br />
school education,<br />
she first tra<strong>in</strong>ed as a qualified<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice worker <strong>in</strong> retail<strong>in</strong>g<br />
at a men’s fashion<br />
retailer <strong>in</strong> Giessen, successfully<br />
complet<strong>in</strong>g her<br />
tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g there <strong>in</strong> 005.<br />
This native <strong>of</strong> Giessen<br />
then showed her skills as<br />
a saleswoman <strong>in</strong> a fashion<br />
house <strong>in</strong> Friedberg. In<br />
007, Elisa decided she<br />
would go back to school for two years and catch up by pass<strong>in</strong>g<br />
her vocational school-leav<strong>in</strong>g exam<strong>in</strong>ation. The 4-year-old is a<br />
keen traveller with an <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> foreign countries and their cultures<br />
and counts scuba div<strong>in</strong>g as one <strong>of</strong> her favourite hobbies.<br />
Manfred Schmied<br />
S<strong>in</strong>ce the 1st October<br />
009, Manfred Schmied,<br />
born 1960, has been<br />
work<strong>in</strong>g as a product<br />
manager <strong>in</strong> the department<br />
<strong>of</strong> TRM sell<strong>in</strong>g pile<br />
systems. Follow<strong>in</strong>g his<br />
tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g as a tester <strong>of</strong><br />
build<strong>in</strong>g materials and<br />
the successful completion<br />
<strong>of</strong> a course <strong>in</strong> civil<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g and build<strong>in</strong>g<br />
construction, he worked<br />
<strong>in</strong> various positions at<br />
YTONG Hold<strong>in</strong>g AG<br />
from 1985 to September<br />
007. He then moved to<br />
the Bauer Spezialtiefbau company <strong>in</strong> Schrobenhausen as a sales<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>eer. In his new post at TRM, his pr<strong>in</strong>cipal aim will be to<br />
give a strong boost to pile sales <strong>in</strong> the German market. Manfred<br />
lives with his wife and three children <strong>in</strong> Berg im Gau (<strong>in</strong> Bavaria)<br />
and spends his leisure time with his family or <strong>in</strong> the garden.
Anja Theiß-Müller<br />
S<strong>in</strong>ce the 11th <strong>of</strong> August,<br />
Anja Theiß-Müller, born<br />
1968, has been work<strong>in</strong>g as<br />
an assistant to BGW’s<br />
technical works manager.<br />
After tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g as a legal and<br />
notarial assistant <strong>in</strong> 1988<br />
and work<strong>in</strong>g for two years<br />
at a legal and notarial practice<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>Wetzlar</strong>, Anja<br />
moved to the human resources<br />
department <strong>of</strong><br />
Buderus Guss GmbH <strong>in</strong><br />
1990. Hav<strong>in</strong>g returned<br />
from parental leave <strong>in</strong><br />
00 , she worked <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Technical Plann<strong>in</strong>g and Environmental<br />
Protection Department where her duties were those<br />
<strong>of</strong> a qualified <strong>of</strong>fice worker. In 006 Anja took three more years<br />
<strong>of</strong> parental leave to look after her two children, who are now three<br />
and ten years old. She enjoys sports <strong>in</strong> her leisure time and is a<br />
dedicated member <strong>of</strong> the Naunheim Carnival Association.<br />
Tobias Wagner<br />
Tobias Wagner has been<br />
work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> BGW’s Technical<br />
Plann<strong>in</strong>g and Environmental<br />
Protection Department<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ce June. His<br />
duties consist <strong>of</strong> the technical<br />
plann<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> and for<br />
the mach<strong>in</strong>es and systems<br />
<strong>in</strong> the factory. After tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
as a precision mechanic<br />
he then passed his vocational<br />
school-leav<strong>in</strong>g<br />
exam<strong>in</strong>ation. Follow<strong>in</strong>g<br />
this, Tobias, who hails<br />
from <strong>Wetzlar</strong>, studied mechanical<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g at<br />
Gießen/Friedberg Technical<br />
College. Before graduat<strong>in</strong>g, he spent a term on placement<br />
with a company <strong>in</strong> Munich. He then worked for a year <strong>in</strong> the development<br />
department at BMW as a designer deal<strong>in</strong>g with bodywork<br />
structure. The 7-year-old enjoys cycl<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> his spare time<br />
and is <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> history.<br />
Grow together – management through<br />
<strong>in</strong>terconnect<strong>in</strong>g<br />
A tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g programme for managers<br />
In September, the first part <strong>of</strong> a tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g programme for managers<br />
from all Pipe & Pile S.A. companies got under way under the<br />
slogan “Grow together!” As a prelude to the actual tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, a<br />
meet<strong>in</strong>g was held <strong>in</strong> Nördl<strong>in</strong>gen. There the participants were<br />
not only given some <strong>in</strong>sights <strong>in</strong>to the strategy but also some<br />
<strong>in</strong>itial <strong>in</strong>dications <strong>of</strong> the multi-stage programme that was wait<strong>in</strong>g<br />
for them.<br />
On 10 September, th<strong>in</strong>gs really got started: divided <strong>in</strong>to four<br />
groups, the four women and thirty-six men mak<strong>in</strong>g up the management<br />
squad set <strong>of</strong>f at <strong>in</strong>tervals <strong>of</strong> one to two weeks to outdoor<br />
tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g sessions <strong>in</strong> Obergurgl and Kössen/Schwendt <strong>in</strong> the<br />
picturesque mounta<strong>in</strong>s <strong>of</strong> the Tyrol. It was pr<strong>in</strong>cipally a matter <strong>of</strong><br />
show<strong>in</strong>g their talent for management<br />
and team skills when perform<strong>in</strong>g<br />
unaccustomed activities<br />
out <strong>in</strong> the countryside. The tasks<br />
were to organise a barbecue, run<br />
water pipes from fast-flow<strong>in</strong>g<br />
mounta<strong>in</strong> streams with only limited<br />
resources, create reservoirs<br />
<strong>of</strong> water, and set up appropriate<br />
organisational and communications<br />
structures. And thanks to<br />
the unpredictable nature <strong>of</strong> the<br />
tasks, there was no shortage <strong>of</strong><br />
fun. The managers were required<br />
to cont<strong>in</strong>ually adapt to ensure<br />
that the predeterm<strong>in</strong>ed goals<br />
were achieved even when under<br />
time pressure. Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g was given<br />
to develop abilities such as manag<strong>in</strong>g problems that crop up at<br />
short notice and the ability to “<strong>in</strong>terconnect” the knowledge <strong>of</strong><br />
several fellow workers.<br />
The second phase <strong>of</strong> the management tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g project, full <strong>of</strong><br />
different tasks to be performed, kicked <strong>of</strong>f on 11 November. In<br />
it, <strong>in</strong>dividual management guidel<strong>in</strong>es and pr<strong>in</strong>ciples were worked<br />
on aga<strong>in</strong> and <strong>in</strong> more detail for specific groups.<br />
The provisional conclusion <strong>of</strong> the tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g programme for managers<br />
will be a jo<strong>in</strong>t event for all the participants and the executive<br />
management <strong>in</strong> the spr<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> 010. At this, the results and<br />
f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs from the tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g courses will be presented and further<br />
steps will be decided on for implement<strong>in</strong>g them.<br />
About us
About us<br />
4<br />
Everyth<strong>in</strong>g neat and tidy and<br />
the job done right<br />
Almost everywhere <strong>in</strong> the works there was<br />
work be<strong>in</strong>g done, maybe not production<br />
work but certa<strong>in</strong>ly productive work. In the<br />
smelt<strong>in</strong>g plant, <strong>in</strong> the foundry and the coremak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
shop, on the fettl<strong>in</strong>g l<strong>in</strong>e, <strong>in</strong> the concret<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g shops, <strong>in</strong> the chill-mould<br />
prepar<strong>in</strong>g section, <strong>in</strong> the amenity rooms<br />
and, f<strong>in</strong>ally, even <strong>in</strong> the car parks – everywhere<br />
there were people pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g, clean<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
sweep<strong>in</strong>g, repair<strong>in</strong>g and clear<strong>in</strong>g up.<br />
“We’d got hold <strong>of</strong> about 500 litres <strong>of</strong> wall<br />
pa<strong>in</strong>t, 70 litres <strong>of</strong> gloss pa<strong>in</strong>t, 160 pa<strong>in</strong>t rollers,<br />
90 pa<strong>in</strong>t brushes and any number <strong>of</strong><br />
other implements and it was all used up”,<br />
reports Doreen Wittkamm who together<br />
with her team made the preparations for<br />
the <strong>Day</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Action</strong>. “You only have to look<br />
round to see the results. It was really pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
and I’m happy to see how well the<br />
plann<strong>in</strong>g work paid <strong>of</strong>f”, cont<strong>in</strong>ues Doreen,<br />
a foundry eng<strong>in</strong>eer. “Grow together” was<br />
written on the T-Shirts that were handed<br />
out to the participants at 7 o’clock <strong>in</strong> the<br />
morn<strong>in</strong>g on August the 9th. As the day<br />
went on, this motto became a reality. The<br />
day before, 54 ‘TRM’ers‘ had travelled <strong>in</strong> by<br />
coach from Hall and were there to added<br />
to by a team <strong>of</strong> 79 ‘BGW’ers‘ who l<strong>in</strong>ed up<br />
for the <strong>Day</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Action</strong>.<br />
“We had a lot <strong>of</strong> fun and it was good to<br />
get to know our colleagues <strong>in</strong> <strong>Wetzlar</strong> and<br />
the factory where they work”, says Gerhard<br />
Karbon, who works at TRM <strong>in</strong> the<br />
pipe coat<strong>in</strong>g section. “I thought it was super<br />
that everybody really put their backs<br />
<strong>in</strong>to it and that so many <strong>of</strong> the workforce<br />
turned up from Hall and that, despite all the<br />
hard work, the atmosphere was relaxed<br />
and cheerful“, was what Sigrid Lettau had<br />
to say, who on the <strong>Day</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Action</strong> swapped<br />
her normal post at the reception <strong>in</strong> BGW<br />
for the amenity rooms and showers <strong>in</strong> the<br />
works to get everyth<strong>in</strong>g clean, bright and<br />
sh<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g there.<br />
This special atmosphere, which then carried<br />
over <strong>in</strong>to the Family <strong>Day</strong> which began at 1<br />
o’clock <strong>in</strong> the afternoon, was summed up<br />
by Manuela Wor<strong>of</strong>ka <strong>in</strong> a nice little poem.<br />
A <strong>Day</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Action</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Wetzlar</strong><br />
I heard it <strong>in</strong> your voice, you heard it <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>e:<br />
<strong>Day</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Action</strong> at Buderus <strong>Wetzlar</strong> on 29.8.2009!<br />
A coach-load <strong>of</strong> people came over from Hall<br />
To be a help on this day to their Buderus pals.<br />
At the start people tended to keep their distance<br />
But as the day wore on there was less <strong>in</strong>sistence.<br />
The friendship between Hall and <strong>Wetzlar</strong> has grown even stronger<br />
And we hope that will cont<strong>in</strong>ue as time grows longer.<br />
We started work early, all bright and alert<br />
And wait<strong>in</strong>g for each <strong>of</strong> us was a nice T-shirt<br />
Then we got stuck <strong>in</strong> and gave it our best;<br />
A lot got done together before tak<strong>in</strong>g a rest.<br />
On many a wall there’s sh<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g new white,<br />
And if it gets hot <strong>in</strong> the midday sunlight<br />
There are benches and tables fresh pa<strong>in</strong>ted and wait<strong>in</strong>g<br />
In the freshness <strong>of</strong> noon so warm and <strong>in</strong>vigorat<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Cast<strong>in</strong>g mach<strong>in</strong>es 3 and 4 are a new gleam<strong>in</strong>g green<br />
And are proud <strong>of</strong> their new clothes, so it would seem.<br />
We’ve touched up the warn<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> yellow and black<br />
As you’ll see on a walk through the factory and back.<br />
There’s been clean<strong>in</strong>g and scrubb<strong>in</strong>g and everywhere laughter<br />
And perhaps it’s the fun we’ll remember hereafter.<br />
One f<strong>in</strong>al th<strong>in</strong>g may I say <strong>in</strong> these m<strong>in</strong>utes<br />
Our thanks for this day and everyth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> it<br />
Go to two lovely ladies whose names I will quote<br />
Frau Turek and Frau Wittkamm are the women to note.<br />
So, company history will show 29.8.2009 with a star,<br />
And for many who came it was just “Au revoir”<br />
Till the next <strong>Day</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Action</strong> <strong>in</strong> year 2010<br />
Will they all be back? YES, AND YES AGAIN!
This year’s Family <strong>Day</strong>, which<br />
took place for the third time <strong>in</strong><br />
succession on the event field <strong>in</strong><br />
front <strong>of</strong> the Haus der Technik,<br />
was celebrated on the 9th <strong>of</strong><br />
August after the <strong>Day</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Action</strong>.<br />
The team <strong>of</strong> organisers led by<br />
Melanie Turek had laid on some<br />
great attractions. A special favourite<br />
was the “Crazy Bikes”<br />
– penny farth<strong>in</strong>gs, m<strong>in</strong>i-bikes,<br />
eccentric-wheeled bikes and<br />
those little th<strong>in</strong>gs like skateboards<br />
with big wheels at the<br />
four corners. It was amaz<strong>in</strong>g<br />
how many people there were<br />
who could show such skill and<br />
good balance. All this athletic<br />
activity stoked up an enormous<br />
appetite for food and dr<strong>in</strong>k <strong>of</strong><br />
course. To fill this need there<br />
were steaks, sausages, barbecued suckl<strong>in</strong>g<br />
pig, oodles <strong>of</strong> vegetables, a cake, waffles<br />
and all sorts <strong>of</strong> dr<strong>in</strong>ks. The cake, which sold<br />
like hot cakes, had been baked by <strong>in</strong>dustrious<br />
members <strong>of</strong> staff themselves. The<br />
tak<strong>in</strong>gs from its sale were donated to the<br />
ASK, the Albert-Schweitzer-K<strong>in</strong>derdorf<br />
(Children’s Village). The proceeds from<br />
the tombola went to the ASK as well, and<br />
BGW and the Strieder Logistics company<br />
each put <strong>in</strong> 1000 Euros on top <strong>of</strong> that. The<br />
O.K. Oberflächentechnik company also<br />
did its share with an additional donation <strong>of</strong><br />
00 Euros, thus br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g together a total<br />
The 2009 Family <strong>Day</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> , 00 Euros. The apprentices<br />
had assumed responsibility for<br />
sell<strong>in</strong>g tickets for the tombola,<br />
for which there was a splendid<br />
range <strong>of</strong> cash and other prizes<br />
thanks to numerous sponsors,<br />
and little Michelle did a great job<br />
as the Good-Luck Fairy when<br />
the time came for the draw. As<br />
he did last year, Frank Mignon,<br />
the well-known keyboard player<br />
and pianist, jo<strong>in</strong>ed Clown Rudi<br />
to put everyone <strong>in</strong> a good mood<br />
and make sure they had fun.<br />
“Rudi was very good at gett<strong>in</strong>g<br />
us laugh<strong>in</strong>g”, said Sab<strong>in</strong>e Walter,<br />
who together with her colleagues<br />
from TRM was attend<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the <strong>Wetzlar</strong> Family <strong>Day</strong> for<br />
the first time, “but there was no<br />
lack <strong>of</strong> the party spirit that we<br />
could see to compla<strong>in</strong> about. We all had<br />
an excellent time on the event field; the<br />
food was delicious and there was even ice<br />
cream for free. It was super.” Eva Fermanjuk,<br />
an apprentice at BGW, who won a digital<br />
camera <strong>in</strong> the tombola, added to the<br />
praise: “It was good for me to see what<br />
great commitment the workers had shown<br />
<strong>in</strong> gett<strong>in</strong>g ready for this day. That made it<br />
all the better when we saw that everyth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
had worked out well, and our guests from<br />
Hall were happy to jo<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> the celebrations<br />
as well.”<br />
Even the people who had not won anyth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
on the tombola did not go home emptyhanded.<br />
There were little presents for<br />
everyone who had found their way onto<br />
what are affectionately called the “Wiesn”:<br />
Buderus lanyards for the grown-ups and<br />
Buderus yo-yos for the kids.<br />
Guided tour <strong>of</strong> the works for<br />
family members<br />
“It was very <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g to see daddy at<br />
work”, said 1 -year-old Sophia Reiter, the<br />
daughter <strong>of</strong> Carsten Reiter, who works as<br />
a foreman <strong>in</strong> the crane repair and ma<strong>in</strong>tenance<br />
shop at BGW. Together with her<br />
grandmother, Sophia went on the guided<br />
tour <strong>of</strong> the works that the executive management<br />
<strong>in</strong>vited family members to attend<br />
on the 7th <strong>of</strong> August.<br />
After be<strong>in</strong>g welcomed by jo<strong>in</strong>t CEO Stefan<br />
Weber, the 4 family members watched a<br />
presentation <strong>of</strong> the company and saw the<br />
new film “How a cast iron pipe is born”<br />
which was made this summer.<br />
The guided tour <strong>of</strong> the works which followed<br />
was conducted by Steffen Ertelt <strong>of</strong><br />
BGW’s Applications Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g Division,<br />
whose wife <strong>in</strong> the past had only visited the<br />
works on days when no production was<br />
go<strong>in</strong>g on. She was very enthusiastic about<br />
what she saw go<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the foundry. “The<br />
place has its own special atmosphere”, she<br />
said, “and I have to say I was entranced by<br />
the centrifugal cast<strong>in</strong>g foundry.”<br />
Follow<strong>in</strong>g the tour <strong>of</strong> the works, the family<br />
members saw the <strong>in</strong>ternal pressure tests,<br />
the so-called burst<strong>in</strong>g tests, on the test rig<br />
and were able to get an impression <strong>of</strong> the<br />
sort <strong>of</strong> loads that ductile cast iron pipes<br />
can stand up to. “When we turn on a tap<br />
at home, we don’t really have any idea <strong>of</strong> all<br />
the work that has had to be done beforehand<br />
to ensure that we have a constant<br />
supply <strong>of</strong> cool clean water, our most important<br />
nutriment. Today I have become<br />
aware <strong>of</strong> just how much work, effort and<br />
knowhow are necessary to transport water.<br />
It has been an illum<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g morn<strong>in</strong>g.”<br />
were the words <strong>of</strong> Hans-Dieter Pohl, the<br />
father <strong>of</strong> BGW’s head <strong>of</strong> human resources<br />
Stefan Pohl.<br />
About us<br />
5
About us<br />
6<br />
Hobbies our fellow workers have<br />
Helmut Kappmayer: motorcycle tours are<br />
his great passion<br />
Helmut Kappmayer was born <strong>in</strong> 1958 and even as a youngster<br />
he dreamt about motorcycl<strong>in</strong>g. F<strong>in</strong>ally, this Innsbrucker by birth<br />
had only to go out <strong>of</strong> his door and there were the world’s most<br />
beautiful roads wait<strong>in</strong>g for him. He got his motorcycle licence<br />
<strong>in</strong> 1976 and <strong>in</strong> no time at all little trips <strong>in</strong>to the country had<br />
become long tours.<br />
“Of course, trips out are most fun when you do them with other<br />
like-m<strong>in</strong>ded people”, says this father <strong>of</strong> two grown-up sons,<br />
“we’re a good bunch, all careful riders who value good equipment<br />
and safe bikes.”<br />
Kappmayer’s pr<strong>of</strong>essional career has been closely l<strong>in</strong>ked to the<br />
foundry. He started work at TRM <strong>in</strong> 1979, spent two years as a<br />
foundry worker <strong>in</strong> the centrifugal pipe cast<strong>in</strong>g foundry and after<br />
that was responsible for 10 years for operat<strong>in</strong>g the pipe weigh<strong>in</strong>g<br />
system which existed at the time. After occupy<strong>in</strong>g other<br />
posts <strong>in</strong> the works, <strong>in</strong> 1985 he f<strong>in</strong>ally returned to his orig<strong>in</strong>al<br />
home at TRM, the centrifugal pipe cast<strong>in</strong>g foundry, first as a<br />
charge hand and then as a foreman. S<strong>in</strong>ce 1991 he has been<br />
responsible for 0 employees.<br />
He uses his hobby to relax, and his devotion to the job was what<br />
also moulded his attitude to his hobby. “For me, motorcycl<strong>in</strong>g<br />
is not a matter <strong>of</strong> burn<strong>in</strong>g up the roads and runn<strong>in</strong>g risks but<br />
<strong>of</strong> enjoy<strong>in</strong>g the tours, see<strong>in</strong>g the landscape and improv<strong>in</strong>g my<br />
rid<strong>in</strong>g skills to meet the challenges the road sets,” says Helmut<br />
Kappmayer, who is happy that his partner, Christ<strong>in</strong>e, supports<br />
his enthusiasm for the sport. His favourite dest<strong>in</strong>ations are the<br />
roads over the mounta<strong>in</strong> passes <strong>in</strong> South Tyrol, which are well<br />
known to make the heart <strong>of</strong> any biker beat a little faster.<br />
“I’ve been round the Sella Ronda loop repeatedly and that classic<br />
<strong>of</strong> all the Alp<strong>in</strong>e runs, the Stilfserjoch, with its 48 hairp<strong>in</strong><br />
bends, is another that I’ll never get bored with”, says this proud<br />
owner <strong>of</strong> an Aprilia RSV 1000. With its 14 horsepower and<br />
tw<strong>in</strong>-cyl<strong>in</strong>der eng<strong>in</strong>e, this is not a mach<strong>in</strong>e for beg<strong>in</strong>ners so it<br />
is no surprise that the tour<strong>in</strong>g fan likes to get away from time<br />
to time to the rac<strong>in</strong>g circuit to let the beast really get the bit<br />
between its teeth.<br />
In w<strong>in</strong>ter, when the Aprilia is stand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the garage, he spends<br />
his leisure time on the ski runs <strong>in</strong> the Tyrol where he impresses<br />
everyone – and not just the ladies – with his f<strong>in</strong>esse at wedel<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Before he slips back <strong>in</strong>to the leathers aga<strong>in</strong> next summer and<br />
heads <strong>of</strong>f for his favourite dest<strong>in</strong>ations, there are some major<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essional challenges he can see before him, namely the commission<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>of</strong> the new centrifugal pipe cast<strong>in</strong>g foundry, pass<strong>in</strong>g<br />
on his great knowledge <strong>of</strong> the trade to the younger employees,<br />
and the foster<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> loyalty to one’s colleagues <strong>in</strong> his team.<br />
“Team spirit is always important if one is to reach both shared<br />
dest<strong>in</strong>ations and goals”, says Kappmayer, “this applies as much<br />
to everyday work as it does to one’s leisure time when out motorcycl<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Team spirit helps you make headway.”<br />
BGW employees on the start<strong>in</strong>g l<strong>in</strong>e for the<br />
first night-time race <strong>in</strong> <strong>Wetzlar</strong><br />
The Brückenlauf or “Over the Bridges Race” <strong>in</strong> <strong>Wetzlar</strong> has<br />
become established as the biggest runn<strong>in</strong>g event for amateur<br />
athletes from schools, clubs and associations, companies, authorities<br />
and large organisations <strong>in</strong> Central Hesse, and as part<br />
<strong>of</strong> the “Bridge Festival” it is difficult to imag<strong>in</strong>e the town centre<br />
without it. For the first time <strong>in</strong> its history, this year’s race<br />
on 4 September 009 took place at night. The build<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> the<br />
old town were illum<strong>in</strong>ated with coloured lights and this created<br />
a very special ambiance which cast its spell on runners and<br />
spectators alike. Around 1 00 teams took part <strong>in</strong> the night-time<br />
race, with a total <strong>of</strong> more than 500 runners, and among them<br />
were three teams from BGW. Patricia Spilka took part <strong>in</strong> the<br />
event with its 000 metre long circular course for the second<br />
time and said: “Every time I take part <strong>in</strong> this event, I really enjoy<br />
it, because it’s not <strong>of</strong>ten that you can improve your own fitness<br />
<strong>in</strong> such a great atmosphere.”<br />
The teams from BGW, left to right, back row: Atilla Acar, Sebastian Pohl,<br />
Christ<strong>of</strong> Lepper, Roman Grendysa, Tolga Ayd<strong>in</strong>, Stefan Weber; front row,<br />
kneel<strong>in</strong>g: Lutz Cromm, Julia Strassheim, Patricia Spilka, Antun Rossi
Group F<strong>in</strong>ancial Report<strong>in</strong>g workshop<br />
It was under the rather unexcit<strong>in</strong>g title <strong>of</strong> “Group F<strong>in</strong>ancial Report<strong>in</strong>g”<br />
that colleagues from the f<strong>in</strong>ance and controll<strong>in</strong>g departments<br />
<strong>in</strong> Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic met <strong>in</strong> <strong>Wetzlar</strong><br />
for a two-day workshop on 11 and 1 May 009. After the<br />
structural changes at company level and the publication <strong>of</strong> the annual<br />
accounts under International Account<strong>in</strong>g Standards for the<br />
first time <strong>in</strong> 008, the purpose <strong>of</strong> this work<strong>in</strong>g meet<strong>in</strong>g was to<br />
present the new report<strong>in</strong>g system as it will operate at group level<br />
and to standardise the different ways <strong>in</strong> which matters reported<br />
on are dealt with <strong>in</strong> the <strong>in</strong>dividual companies. Rather than just<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g a matter <strong>of</strong> juggl<strong>in</strong>g un<strong>in</strong>spir<strong>in</strong>g figures, it had also been requested<br />
that this be an opportunity to get to know new colleagues:<br />
Viktor Gauk, who is work<strong>in</strong>g as the Group Controller at<br />
Pile and Pile International S.A <strong>in</strong> Hall and Hana Marxova, who is<br />
assist<strong>in</strong>g Pavel Moucha, F<strong>in</strong>ance Manager <strong>of</strong> Buderus Lit<strong>in</strong>ové Systémy<br />
s.r.o., <strong>in</strong> the account<strong>in</strong>g department <strong>in</strong> Beroun. Pavel<br />
Moucha will be concentrat<strong>in</strong>g more on sales work <strong>in</strong> the future.<br />
Anja Scholz is currently the temporary Head <strong>of</strong> the F<strong>in</strong>ance and<br />
Balance-Sheet department at Buderus Giesserei <strong>Wetzlar</strong> GmbH.<br />
Stefan Weber, F<strong>in</strong>ancial Director <strong>of</strong> Pipe and Pile International<br />
S.A. and co-CEO <strong>of</strong> Buderus Giesserei <strong>Wetzlar</strong> GmbH, opened<br />
the workshop with a review <strong>of</strong> the past year and outl<strong>in</strong>ed the<br />
prospects for the future, where the aim is to strengthen the group<br />
through close collaboration between colleagues dur<strong>in</strong>g these turbulent<br />
times. In the even<strong>in</strong>g, the discussions cont<strong>in</strong>ued <strong>in</strong> a sociable<br />
atmosphere <strong>in</strong> a tavern <strong>in</strong> <strong>Wetzlar</strong>.<br />
In front on the left: Maria Hörtnagel, Siegfried Künig (both from TRM), Andreas<br />
Becker (BGW), Viktor Gauk (Pipe & Pile), <strong>in</strong> front on the right: Hana<br />
Marxova (BGC), Anja Scholz and Stefan Weber (both from BGW). Pavel<br />
Moucha does not appear <strong>in</strong> the photo.<br />
Pipe and Pile assumes responsibility for<br />
the market<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> TRM piles<br />
For purely organisational reasons, responsibility for sales and<br />
market<strong>in</strong>g activities <strong>in</strong> the piles sector was assumed by the parent<br />
company <strong>of</strong> our group, Pipe and Pile International S.A., Hall<br />
branch, as from 1 September 009. This change will have no effect<br />
whatever on the actual operation <strong>of</strong> the bus<strong>in</strong>ess done with<br />
the ductile piles produced by TRM. Contacts and their contact<br />
data will also rema<strong>in</strong> unchanged. Thomas Aumüller manages the<br />
sales and market<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> piles and Jérôme Coulon is responsible<br />
for foreign bus<strong>in</strong>ess <strong>in</strong> the countries where romance languages<br />
are spoken. In customer service and support, Jacquel<strong>in</strong>e Weger is<br />
available to customers to provide useful assistance <strong>in</strong> expedit<strong>in</strong>g<br />
day-to-day bus<strong>in</strong>ess.<br />
Anniversaries<br />
Buderus Giesserei <strong>Wetzlar</strong> GmbH<br />
25 years with the company<br />
Nevzat Yildirim, 10.09.<br />
Impr<strong>in</strong>t<br />
Published by:<br />
The executive management <strong>of</strong> Buderus Giesserei <strong>Wetzlar</strong> GmbH and the<br />
board <strong>of</strong> management <strong>of</strong> Tiroler Röhren- und Metallwerke AG<br />
Editors:<br />
Dietmar Fischer, Iris Re<strong>in</strong>hardt, Elvira Sames-Dickopf<br />
Contributors to this issue:<br />
Florian Althaler, Christian Auer, Thomas Aumüller, Juraj Barborik,<br />
Alexander Bauer, Christian Bieri, Angelika Blume,<br />
Francisco Domínguez, Ivana Drozdová, Arm<strong>in</strong> Eberl, Klaus Emrich,<br />
Luca Frasson, Günter Fuhry, Viktor Gauk, Silke Hackl,<br />
Richard Holzhammer, Mart<strong>in</strong> Kl<strong>in</strong>genschmid, Stefan Koldas, Ingo Krieg,<br />
Christ<strong>of</strong> Lepper, Sigrid Lettau, Andreas Moser, Pavel Moucha,<br />
Harald Oster, Ulrich Päßler, Lutz Rau, Wolfgang R<strong>in</strong>k,<br />
Karl-Wilhelm Römer, Antun Rossi, Thomas Schleicher, Marta Sikora,<br />
Patricia Spilka, Stefan Sterr, Uwe Strich, Harald Tschenett,<br />
Melanie Turek, Peter Waßmuth, Andreas Weiler, He<strong>in</strong>z-Jörg Weimer,<br />
Doreen Wittkamm, He<strong>in</strong>rich Wörner, Manuela Wor<strong>of</strong>ka<br />
Design, typesett<strong>in</strong>g and litho plates:<br />
K13 Medien, <strong>Wetzlar</strong><br />
Picture credits/sources:<br />
Page 4/5, photo at top: Wikipedia © Dirk Goldhahn,<br />
Page 8, photos at top: www.oslo2011.no/JGS Architekts<br />
Except where otherwise <strong>in</strong>dicated, rights <strong>in</strong> photos, draw<strong>in</strong>gs and other<br />
representations are held by Buderus Giesserei <strong>Wetzlar</strong> GmbH and Tiroler<br />
Röhren- und Metallwerke AG.<br />
Pr<strong>in</strong>ted by:<br />
Druckhaus Bechste<strong>in</strong>, <strong>Wetzlar</strong><br />
Editor’s address:<br />
<strong>in</strong>FORM<br />
Sophienstraße 52-54, D-35576 <strong>Wetzlar</strong><br />
Telephone: +49(0) 64 41 4914 90 Fax: +49(0) 64 41 4914 97<br />
e-mail: <strong>in</strong>form@gussrohre.com<br />
© Buderus Giesserei <strong>Wetzlar</strong> GmbH and<br />
Tiroler Röhren- und Metallwerke AG<br />
Next issue: 1 April 2010<br />
About us<br />
7
www.gussrohre.com www.trm.at<br />
“Even <strong>in</strong> rocky soils our pipes with the<br />
rugged cement mortar coat<strong>in</strong>g (ZMU) can<br />
be laid without any additional bedd<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
sand. When comb<strong>in</strong>ed with our restra<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
VRS-T ® /BLS ® jo<strong>in</strong>t they are therefore ideal<br />
as turb<strong>in</strong>e pipes for hydroelectric power<br />
stations, because these generally have to<br />
be <strong>in</strong>stalled <strong>in</strong> difficult terra<strong>in</strong>.”<br />
Andreas Moser, TRM Product manager Turb<strong>in</strong>e