Published by The Centre for Advancement of Trenchless Technologies at Waterloo. Established in 1994, The Centre for Advancement of Trenchless Technologies (CATT) located at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada is a group of business, educational, municipal, industrial and federal representatives committed to the advancement of knowledge, techniques, materials, methods and equipment used in the Trenchless Technology.

Since 1994 FORMADRAIN has consistently proven itself as an effective option in repairing or replacing laterals (house sewers) or other underground pipes.

It has also been used in a variety of applications with great success.

The most obvious benefit of the system is that it can be installed without digging a single hole. The process utilizes a liner with an epoxy formulation that is inserted inside the existing pipe (it’s a pull in place system), but with minimal loss in diameter.

Another unique feature of FORMADRAIN® is that the new pipe, once installed, is injected with pressurized steam allowing for an incredibly short curing time: 35-45 minutes for Sewer Liner and 2 h for Industrial Liner.

Wide-Ranging Applications
With FORMADRAIN^® practically any kind of pipe-related issue can be solved: elbows, transitions from one diameter upsize, laterals, point (spot) repairs and even “Ys” and “Tees”.

The company developed a new “mandrel” (rubber sleeve used in the process) that is small enough and of sufficient flexibility to be inserted into a standard cleanout, while having the ability to expand 200% in diameter, once injected with steam. It must also withstand steam pressure at 20psi.

The materials used in the process are of the highest quality and include Fibreglass, Epoxy and polyethylene.

The FORMADRAIN^® Liner is NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) 14 certified.
The liner’s mechanical properties (flexion and tension) exceed the minimum standards of ASTM F1216 by five times.

This is an important advantage for smaller pipes in that a thinner wall thickness can be used while maintaining substantial strength and longevity.

CATT performed 13,000 hour creep tests on FORMADRAIN from which a value of the long term (50 years) Modulus of Flexural Elasticity of FORMADRAIN Liner was determined.

This data is of importance to accurate design of the FORMADRAIN Liner thickness according to ASTM F 1216.
Steam curing allows for excellent quality control during the installation process, as well as producing a liner with an elevated chemical resistance which would not be possible without a controlled heat source.