DREDGING

TM

Case Study
ICL group - Dredged
Salt Transport

Project Details
Highlights :
Customer:
Location:
Working Conditions:

Transportation of dredged crystallize

salt sediment (at 30% concentration)
Dead Sea Works, ICL group
Dead Sea, Israel
Extremely high corrosive, high abrasive material,
high ambient temperature (low 6o, high 46o),
constant direct sun exposure

Pipes Used:

PEXGOL 400mm OD Class 10, 450mm OD Class 10

500mm OD Class 8

Application:
Length:
Year:

Dredged material transportation

Over 5,000 meters

Constant crystallization of salt on the bottom of the evaporation

ponds of Dead Sea Works caused a rise in the water level, threatening
the harvesting of minerals from the Dead Sea and nearby hotel
resorts. The Dredging operations were facing serious problems since
the existing pipeline needed to be replaced every 3 months, due to
wear related failures.
Pipe materials tried prior to PEXGOL:
Rubber pipes: were damaged by weather conditions and suffered
from abrasion. Maintenance and replacement were expensive.
Steel pipes: suffered from both internal and external corrosion.
Pipeline is not flexible and salt accumulated on the pipe.

v/4

The original Mean Time between Failures (MTBF) was 3

months. Changing to PEXGOL extended that time to 60
months (the remaining life time of the project). Without
PEXGOL the client would have changed the entire pipeline
20 times over the life of the project. Furthermore, the
pipes will be reused in the future during the next phase
of the project.

1992-present

The Challenge

Creative group

Economic Benefit

HDPE pipes: offered short lifetime due to low resistance to high

temperatures and abrasion.
PEXGOL Solution
Based on two decades (at the time) of exposure to harsh conditions and
thousands of meters of PEXGOL pipes, with their unmatched abrasion
resistance - it was clear PEXGOL was the best solution for the client's situation.
The pipes keep their internal smooth surface and had no failures since 1992.

PEXGOL Advantages
Easy To handle: the durability of PEXGOL enabled the
operator to be less careful in handling the pipe, allowing it to
be dragged, bent, cut and dropped as happens during work.
Excellent chemical, corrosion and temperature
resistance: excellent resistance to mixture of salt crystals &
water and high working temperatures.
Superb internal and external corrosion resistance:
PEXGOL has been proven to withstand decades of exposure
to corrosive environments, with perfect performance in some
of the world's harshest environments, such as the Dead Sea.
High resistance to wear: PEXGOL is a preferred solution
for transportation of abrasive materials.
Low weight: In comparison to steel or rubber, thereby
reducing related transportation, storage and labor costs
due to lower weight per meter.
Creep and impact resistance: Due to cross linking,
PEXGOL pipes can withstand combinations of axial and
radial stresses. PEXGOL is also highly resistant to impact,
fracture and fatigue, making it entirely resistant to cracks,
even when dragged over sharp and rocky terrain and
sharp coagulated salt crystals.

For further details on this project, please contact your local pexgol system representative.

www.pexgol.com