Maintaining efficiency with an alternative lifeline

Crusader Hose

All projects aim to maintain efficiency, which engineers measure in terms of volume and plant downtime.

During an unplanned flood emergency, quick action is crucial, as operational delays can result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in production losses. With over 38 years of experience manufacturing flexible pipelines, Crusader Hose offers an alternative lifeline to traditional methods, significantly reducing costs and saving time – customised layflat hose and reel systems.

More recently, a mine in Western Australia found itself in an unplanned flood emergency and urgently needed to move large amounts of water over 4km. Traditionally relying on conventional poly pipe for a temporary pipeline, the mining engineers understood that time was crucial, and they could not afford to wait for an HDPE pipeline to be installed.

The expert team at Crusader Hose consulted with the mining engineers and made the recommendation to use The Waterlord Dewatering System, for its heavy-duty and reliable layflat hose and the Hamersley reel system to ensure quick deployment.

With its compact design, the Waterlord Dewatering System, consisting of 4000m of 12-inch Waterlord, easy-to-fit flange couplings and Boa clamps, and a Hamersley reel drive unit, was despatched on a single truck. Once onsite, the pipeline was easily deployed by three operators over two days, a fraction of the time it would have taken to lay out poly. Thousands of megalitres were pumped from the flooded pit with high-pressure efficiency over the week it took to safely resume production.

Crusader Hose
Image: Crusader Hose

Relieved at the speed at which the mining project could continue, the engineers hailed it as a lifesaver. Seeing the benefits of using a flexible hose solution in an emergency, albeit temporary, situation, the mine is planning to use Waterlord for more permanent pipeline projects in the future.

Water-handling systems like this are highly adaptable and can be effectively used in other industries, including construction and large civil works projects.

“Our layflat hose systems are incredibly versatile, capable of being applied across a range of scenarios and applications – its potential is huge,” Crusader Hose Managing Director Francois Steverlynck told The Australian Pipeliner.

Able to withstand high pressures and rough handling, Waterlord large diameter layflat hose can move water up to 500L a second.

It is made by first weaving a high-tenacity polyester textile reinforcement and then completing the manufacturing process with a thermoplastic polyurethane through-the-weave extrusion. It comes in a range of diameters from 40mm to 305mm. Its exterior is abrasion-resistant when appropriately handled, making it suitable for the rugged terrain typical to mine sites. Although manufactured in standard 200m lengths, the continuous-length hose is available in longer, customisable lengths.

The flexible nature of Waterlord contributes to the ease of handling, whereas the speed of deployment is due to the efficiency of the Hamersley reel system.

The Hamersley reel system comprises reels and a reel drive unit (RDU). Up to 200m of 12-inch Waterlord is compactly wound onto the 2.4m reel, ready to be picked up by the RDU. With hydraulic couplers able to connect to a variety of plants, the RDU can deploy and retrieve kilometres of pipeline safely and efficiently. The system’s merits include the reduction of the manual labour, and minimising occupational, health and safety issues.

It perfectly complements the Waterlord hose system.

Crusader Hose is committed to partnering with the pipeline industry to

offer and demonstrate an alternative layflat hose and reel system solution for dewatering projects where traditional methods can or can’t be used. These systems offer many benefits: increased efficiency, transportation and labour cost savings, and less downtime.

Recognising the diversity of mining projects, the company offers tailored solutions to meet individual dewatering needs.

“We believe that flexible layflat hose and reel systems can offer significant advantages to the traditional methods currently in use,” Steverlynck said.

“We are eager to assist mining engineers in identifying the optimal solution for their dewatering requirements during unplanned emergencies as preparedness and rapid response are crucial.

“Apart from emergency use, we are confident that layflat hose can be the best fit for many other dewatering projects.”

crusader hose
Hamersley Reels deployed to site. Image: Crusader Hose

For more information, visit the website.

This feature also appears in the January edition of The Australian Pipeliner.

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