With an estimated yearly market of over $7.1 Billion USD in 2023, sewer and water districts are taking a closer look at sliplining to replace the vast amount of aging underground infrastructure. While sliplining is one of the oldest and simplest forms of trenchless rehabilitation, new installation technologies have allowed contractors to slip line large diameter pipes while minimizing surface disruptions, avoid bypass pumping, and improve flow capacity. After developing a successful prototype in the early 90’s, bent-up demand triggered Akkerman engineers to reinvigorate existing designs to develop a new modular sliplining system required in congested urban areas.

The Akkerman SLS-100 sliplining system is designed to minimize the social, environmental, and economic impacts required in trenchless technology. Once a pipe has been inspected and deemed a candidate for sliplining, the host pipe is thoroughly cleaned and cleared to accept the new carrier. To minimize disruption a large laydown area can cause when using traditional pipe such as HDPE, FRP pipe is commonly used with deep installations. A launch shaft that is approximately 10ft longer than the product pipe must be excavated and the top ½ of the host pipe removed allowing the SLS-100 to be set. Equipped with 130-ton of bi-directional thrust, the SLS-100 can simultaneously slip line in both directions while the operator controls all pipe movements via a remote-controlled belt pack with digital display. Since the sliplining process can be carried out without costly issues of bypass pumping, friction forces are significantly reduced. This leads to longer and more successful trenchless installations.