PIPE-REHABILITATION METHOD FOR REHABILITATING UNDERGROUND OR OVERGROUND NON-MAN-ACCESSIBLE OR MAN-ACCESSIBLE PIPELINES

摘要

In a pipe-rehabilitation method for rehabilitating an underground or overground non-man-accessible or man-accessible pipeline, at the site of the pipeline which is to be rehabilitated, non-deformed ends of pipe sections of a multiplicity of pipe sections are connected (56) integrally to form a whole pipe section (40), an interior (22) of a pipe-heating apparatus (10) is heated (58) to a hot-forming temperature for the plastic material and an initial part of the whole pipe section (40) is introduced into the interior (22) of the pipe-heating apparatus (10). The whole pipe section (40) is continuously fed, and heated, within the interior (22) of the pipe-heating apparatus (10). The heated part of the whole pipe section (40) is deformed such that the largest dimension of a cross-sectional shape of the whole pipe section (40) is significantly smaller than a diameter of the pipeline which is to be rehabilitated. The whole pipe section (40), once deformed and cooled, is introduced into the pipeline which is to be rehabilitated. The whole pipe section (40) is subjected to superheated-steam pressure for a predetermined period of time and is cooled while being subjected to continued gas pressure, without the action of superheated steam.