LPS’ FlexSleeve enabled their client, OEC, to win a prestigious Innovation Award for the COPASA Sistema São Francisco 28″ diameter water pipeline in Brazil. OEC improved productivity by 28% on the project by using FlexSleeve to protect the interior of the joints from corrosion.

The parent company of OEC, Novonor, recognized FlexSleeve as the most innovative solution of 2021 out of the dozens of major construction projects under Novonor’s umbrella.

The contractor and water agency became aware of FlexSleeve part way through construction, and qualified it for use by performing weld and hydrostatic pressure tests. Prior to that personnel were entering the pipe to apply an epoxy paste over the exposed steel on the interior of the joint.

Not only was quality an issue due to poor surface preparation, the contractor was far behind schedule due to the slow process of hand-coating and inspecting the joint patches. Once FlexSleeve was qualified it was used for every fourth joint from that point on and the project got back on schedule.

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