LyondellBasell New-generation PP Resin Selected for Rainwater Management System at Berlin Airport

August 31, 2010 - Rotterdam, Neterlands - LyondellBasell’s Hostalen PP N2122 resin is being used to produce infiltration pipes for the rainwater management system at the new Berlin-Brandenburg International (BBI) Airport, one of Europe’s largest currently under construction.

The airport’s rainwater management system is being installed by Wavin, a leading plastic pipe producer in Europe. The company’s Q-Bic rainwater management system is an alternative technological solution to the trench-based soakaway systems that were originally requested for the project. According to Wavin sales manager Bernhard Pieper, LyondellBasell’s Hostalen PP N2122 resin was selected to produce the 19,000 Q-Bic individual infiltration units required for the project “because it is the first grade we’ve seen that offers sufficient flow properties, good impact strength and outstanding long-term creep resistance required for our systems.”

 

Higher melt flow rate
Hostalen PP N 2122 resin met Wavin’s demanding requirements for the system’s finished parts. “Conventional pipe grades typically have a melt flow rate of 0.3g/10min (at 230°C), while the new Hostalen PP N 2122 grade has a melt flow rate of 2.0g/10min,” said Werner Rothhöft, LyondellBasell’s technical development manager for the resin. Other essential application requirements include good creep resistance and high impact strength to withstand heavy traffic loads and avoid damage during installation. Added Rothhöft: “Flowability on the one hand, and impact and creep resistance on the other hand, are diametrically opposing forces. However, the Hostalen PP N2122 resin offers the ideal balance of both.”

Durability
The material is highly stabilized, as the application must survive several decades without thermal degradation. Added Pieper: “With long service life requirements, durability is a must. At the BBI Airport, Q-Bic units are subjected to heavy loads from the soil above. The durability of the system is measured using long-term creep resistance tests based on ISO 9080 methodology.” In the original tests, pipes are subjected to high pressure at different temperatures. The regulations applying to plastic pressure pipes specify the control points for the required hoop stress, temperature and minimum time-to-failure under internal hydrostatic pressure. The rigorous, ISO-based testing of the infiltration units produced using Hostalen PP N2122 on injection molding machines show that the material easily meets the long-term creep requirements of the application.

Simpler, faster installation
According to Pieper, Wavin’s Q-Bic system was selected because it offered an alternative technological solution to the trench-based soakaway systems that were originally requested for the project. “The Q-Bic systems are simpler and faster to install, while still delivering the required rainwater capacity,” said Pieper. “The main advantage of the system lies in its access shaft configuration: The Wavin Q-Bic system features infiltration units with top-mounted access shafts, which eliminate the need for separate access shafts between the soakaway systems, and provide better access to the infiltration units for easier inspections.” Additional system advantages include a reduction in the number of parts required during installation, and elimination of the typically required pipes between the shafts and soakaway systems. These benefits help to shorten construction time and facilitate ease of installation.

“This project is another example of our commitment to providing products that assist in the efficient management of rainwater,” said Gianluca Brescia, head of LyondellBasell’s EAI pipe and infrastructure business unit. “LyondellBasell is dedicated to working with leading industry partners to develop innovative solutions that meet the needs of today’s large civil infrastructure.”