Project Overview
When a major drinking water supply pipeline collapsed in downtown Amsterdam, water delivery capacity to the city centre was suddenly and significantly reduced. Insituform® was contracted to restore service quickly by rehabilitating a 600 mm diameter, nearly 100-year-old cast iron pipe located beneath one of the city’s historic canals.
Working closely with AOC (formerly AOC Aliancys), Insituform deployed an innovative relining solution that restored potable water service within five days, minimising disruption to both residents and traffic in one of Europe’s busiest urban areas.
Emergency Pipeline Failure in Historic Amsterdam
On 3 March 2018, a key drinking water main collapsed near the Nassaukade, causing a section of the quay to fail. The damaged pipe was a vital component of Amsterdam’s potable water distribution system, supplying thousands of households throughout the city centre.
Given the age and location of the pipeline, the failure presented a complex engineering challenge:
- The site was in a high-traffic urban zone
- Beneath a historic canal
- Bordered by monumental buildings sensitive to soil movement
- With limited space for heavy equipment or excavation
Risk of Major Disruption
“The customer initially thought that a brand new pipe would need to be installed as a permanent solution,” explains Ton van Geest, R&D Manager, Insituform® Europe.
However, full replacement would have required large-scale construction lasting several months, blocking both road and canal traffic and potentially causing ground movement that could damage protected buildings.
Relining the Existing 100-Year-Old Pipe
An unused century-old cast iron pipe running beneath the canal provided a viable alternative. Insituform proposed converting it into a reliable new drinking water pipeline using advanced InsituMain® CIPP relining technology.
A Structural, Pressure-Capable Solution
The InsituMain® system creates a durable, corrosion-resistant composite pipe inside the existing host pipe. Benefits include:
- Structural reinforcement
- Long-term corrosion resistance
- Ability to withstand pressure fluctuations in potable water networks
This approach allowed the client to avoid major excavation while meeting strict drinking water quality and pressure requirements.
Technical Collaboration Between Insituform® and AOC
For more than five years, Insituform® and AOC had been developing enhanced relining materials for drinking water applications. For this project, liners were impregnated with Beyone™ 700-T-01 FC, AOC’s styrene-free resin formulated specifically for potable water systems.
According to Rob van de Laarschot, Head of Technical Service, AOC Europe:
- All ingredients in the resin appear on the positive list for food contact applications
- The resin is manufactured under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)
- Resin and glass liner systems are KIWA-ATA approved, confirming quality and suitability for drinking water
This material has already been used successfully in multiple European drinking water rehabilitation projects.
Fast, Efficient Installation Beneath a Historic Canal
Insituform® completed the relining of the 50-metre-long, 600 mm pipeline in just two days. Key success factors included:
- Thorough site preparation
- An experienced Insituform® installation crew
- Reliable material performance
- Strong coordination with the subcontractor handling civil works
Five-Day Return to Full Service
Within five working days, the pipeline was fully operational again, restoring secure drinking water supply to the city centre with:
- No reduction in water quality
- No compromise to network reliability
- No major reconstruction or long-term traffic disruption
“Our customer was very happy with the support received from Insituform® and AOC during project preparation and execution. They were delighted that the whole renovation did not require major reconstruction work. This was also a relief to nearby residents.”
– Ton van Geest, Insituform
