Denso protects buried pipe and fittings in Ontario light rail system

Denso’s corrosion protection and sealing products are trusted in applications across the globe for good reason — they offer reliability in many challenging conditions. It’s why the Denso Petrolatum System was selected to protect the buried ductile pipe and all of the fittings in a new light rail system currently being constructed in southern Ontario.

The project

The municipalities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge have experienced rapid growth and development in recent years. As a result, it was decided that a more advanced public transit system was necessary to connect the three municipalities, which have a combined population of more than 500,000.

This new light rail transit system, called ION, began construction in August 2014 and is expected to be operational in early 2018. Once completed, it will span 37 kilometres, have 19 stations and be environmentally sustainable, with 14 of the rail cars being electrically powered. The system will tie together with re-aligned bus routes and connect other established public transit systems like GO Transit and VIA Rail trains.

The challenge

The work has been slow and challenging, as excavation in the heart of these century-old cities unearths many unexpected finds, from old rail lines to sanitary systems unmarked on any map. The materials of construction have also been varied because designers have had to contend with contaminated soils, which put PVC piping at risk, and instead use hundreds of metres of new ductile iron piping and metal fittings.

With a project as grand as this, and with a price tag of over $790 million, corrosion prevention was a major concern for this new infrastructure.

The solution

The designers of the development enlisted Denso to provide the Denso Petrolatum System to protect the buried ductile pipe and all of the fittings — both direct buried as well as within chambers. They are confident that the Denso Petrolatum System will protect the municipal infrastructure for generations to come.

To learn more, contact Denso North America.

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