SEKISUI CHEMICAL CO., LTD. (President: Naofumi Negishi, hereinafter called "Sekisui Chemical") has won the 6th (FY2013) Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Prize, “Junkan no Michi Wastewater System Prize.” The award giving ceremony was conducted on September 10.

１．About the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Prize, “Junkan no Michi Wastewater System Prize”

The Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Prize established “Iki Iki Wastewater System Prize,” in FY1992 with the aim of promoting greater understanding and interest in the wastewater system.

Given the changes in the situation regarding wastewater systems, and in aiming for the establishment of a sustainable, recycling society, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism released a new report titled “Wastewater System Vision 2100” in 2005. They proposed “Junkan no Michi (The Way Toward Recycling)” as a fundamental concept behind the wastewater system of 21st century society, and established “Mizu no Michi (The Way Toward Using Water),” “Shigen no Michi (The Way Toward Using Resources)” and “Shisetsu Saisei no Michi (The Way Toward Restoring Facilities)” as its three fundamental policies.

This prompted the renaming of the prize in FY2008 to the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Prize, “Junkan no Michi Wastewater System Prize,” and simultaneously resulted in the establishment of the four departments, the “Mizu no Michi Department,” “Shigen no Michi Department,” “Sustainable Activities Department” and the “Special Department.”

２．Details of the Prize

* Points to take note in the award

Sekisui Chemical has been promoting globally “SPR method,” a pipeline rehabilitation method, developed in collaboration with Tokyo Metropolitan Sewerage Service Corporation and Adachi Construction & Industry Co., Ltd.

Tokyo Metropolitan Sewerage Service Corporation has been cooperating with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in preparing the design manual and building ties with overseas governments to lead the way for Japanese corporations to spread the Japanese-originated technology “SPR method.” Furthermore, Adachi Construction & Industry Co., Ltd. has been developing a construction machine for international use, while Sekisui Chemical has been expanding the business overseas including the development and manufacturing of construction materials and execution of construction work.

The sewer line built in 1936 in Ansbach in Southern Germany had aged, requiring urgent restoration.

This region has numerous buildings of historical value, and it is also an area with a high concentration of residential houses, meaning that neither traditional methods of excavation nor conventional trenchless methods could be used, and they had been searching for a solution.

A subsidiary of Sekisui Chemical, SEKISUI SPR EUROPE, G,m.b.H. (Germany) proposed the SPR method of rehabilitating pipelines, developed in Japan, to AWEAN, a public corporation of the city, and succeeded in landing a contract in April 2013. All the work was completed at the end of July 2013.

■ The five reasons why the SPR method was implemented

Through the rehabilitation of old pipelines using the trenchless SPR method, we succeeded in reducing the burden on the lives of residents, the environment and historical buildings. We restored the wastewater system, which forms a vital part of the city infrastructure, and contributed to the stabilization of life in the city.

There are similar situations in numerous other countries in addition to Germany, including France, Bulgaria and Poland, and we are currently expanding our business widely.

３．Overview of the Construction Work

４．About Ansbach

<<For reference>> About the SPR method (SPR stands for Sewage (Spirally) Pipe Renewal)

The SPR method is a way of rehabilitating (reconstructing/renewing) old pipes by using rigid PVC made profile strip that is spirally wound into the existing pipeline. The edges of the profile strip are interlocked to form new pipe in the existing pipeline, and the annular gap between the spiral wound pipe and the existing pipe is filled with a special grout. The method can be implemented in pipelines whose diameter is from 250 ｍｍ to 6,000 ｍｍ, and it can also be applied to non-circular and curved pipelines.

The SPR method is also based on the world’s first, unique concept of “composite with existing pipe” to make effective use of the structural strength remaining in the existing pipe. It does not require to stop water flow during installation. For these reasons it dramatically cuts construction time, costs, and the impact on residents, society and the environment in surrounding areas, compared to methods that require excavation of roads.

Moreover, the SPR method won the 2005 Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Award in the “1st Monozukuri Nippon Grand Award” and the “59th Okochi Memorial Prize, Okochi Prize” in March 2013.