The project in five facts.
Challenge, approach and results.
In 2015, construction of a new motorway began, which required the relocation of the water supply network in the municipality of Podlehnik. As he works for a company involved in drinking water distribution, he decided to prepare a diploma thesis on the construction of the new network, demonstrating how water supply network construction is carried out. He conducted measurements and analysis comparing the old and new pipeline, and presented his findings. The construction of the new water supply system increased both the flow of drinking water and the lifespan of the pipeline.
Problem
In 2015, construction of a new motorway began, which required the relocation of the water supply network in the municipality of Podlehnik.
Solution and Method
As he works for a company involved in drinking water distribution, he decided to prepare a diploma thesis on the construction of the new network, demonstrating how water supply network construction is carried out. He achieved his set objective, as he prepared a book of accounting measurements for a smaller water supply network as part of the construction. He created the book in digital form using Microsoft Excel, showing all measurements and calculations of completed works carried out in stages, and also added sketches of specific details.
He included a description of construction standards in his work, which assisted him with the task. In the book of accounting measurements, he added calculations for work standardisation for excavations, backfilling and pipeline assembly, and attached as annexes a plan view of the pipeline by stages and a cross-section of the pipeline. His contribution through the preparation of the diploma thesis was to demonstrate, using standards, how work proceeds in pipeline construction and how to correctly complete the book of accounting measurements.
He prepared the book of accounting measurements in electronic form, which will save the company time in future when preparing such books and enable more transparent preparation of interim, monthly and final accounts. Through standardisation calculations, he demonstrated how to calculate individual work items for machinery and workers.
Results
He conducted measurements and analysis comparing the old and new pipeline, and presented his findings. The construction of the new water supply system increased both the flow of drinking water and the lifespan of the pipeline. For drinking water users, the new water supply system means higher quality drinking water, as the materials are of better quality, preventing pipe breakage and thus the possibility of foreign matter entering the pipeline.
The pipeline construction itself proceeded without any major difficulties. Excavations, pipeline assembly and backfilling proceeded according to plan, as envisaged. The terrain where construction works were carried out was not demanding, which enabled fairly rapid execution of construction works.
Pipe assembly proceeded simply, as newer pipes and angular elements have an anchor joint, which facilitated the work. As an innovation, he added an air valve for ventilating the water supply network to the new pipeline. Until now, air valves have not been frequently installed in practice, but he decided to include one in the network. With the old network, whenever air accumulated in the pipe, there was always the problem of having to go to the site and manually vent the network via the hydrant. The feature of this air valve is automatic network ventilation in the event that air enters it.
This facilitates work and eliminates the need for manual flushing. In comparing the old and new pipeline, he compared the flow and pressure conditions of the pipeline. He monitored all results in the control centre for drinking water supply, to which both the flow meter and pressure gauge are connected.
Even before the new water supply system began to be constructed, he monitored and recorded measurements on the old pipeline. Later, upon construction of the new one, he monitored measurements in the same way as with the old one and likewise recorded them. When comparing the old and new pipeline, measurements showed that flows are greater in the new pipeline than in the old one, as the new pipes are of larger diameter than the old ones.
Pressure increased in the new pipeline, which is a consequence of the larger pipe diameter and greater flow, as well as new pipes, as the old ones experienced pipe breakage and failure of house connections, resulting in pressure losses, which was most noticeable in the summer months when water consumption was increased. He showed the differences between flows and pressures in graphs he prepared based on records of flow and pressure monitoring. In his diploma thesis, he reached the conclusion that pipe material also greatly affects flow. In old pipes, due to internal pipe roughness, limescale accumulated, which slowed flow.
In the new pipeline, he anticipates that these difficulties will not occur, as limescale accumulation is prevented by a fine cement lining on the inner side, due to which the pipes do not have a rough surface and therefore limescale does not accumulate on the pipe wall.
Module, programme and stories.
Your diploma project for a real company.
A diploma thesis at Academia solves a challenge from a company – often the one where you do your 800 hours of placement. Read about the Gradbeništvo module or book a consultation.