The investigation into the sagged gas pipeline that caused many problems last year along the A2 motorway near Eindhoven has been completed. The gas pipeline threatened to sag after the soil underneath was washed away by a leaking pump installation. Research commissioned by the De Dommel Water Board had to show what exactly the cause of the leak was, but now it appears that this cannot be determined.
On March 13 last year, a gas line at the Professor Holstlaan in Eindhoven threatened in Breken. This led to many problems in the area. Due to the risk of explosion, the A2 and N2 at the High Tech Campus were closed for hours, resulting in a large traffic chaos. Only two days later the gas pipeline could be opened again.
The subsidence was caused by a nearby broken pump installation. He was temporarily placed there for work on the sewer. But that pump installation started leaking and with many liters of water the sand rinsed under the gas pipeline. As a result, the gas pipeline was exposed and threatened to crack.
The De Dommel Water Board had researched the cause of the leak. It is clear that the nearby pumping installation has been leaking for half a day. The precise cause of the leak cannot be determined with certainty, the researchers report. The necessary information is missing for this.
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Researchers do indicate possible causes, such as a loose bolt connection or that the pipe system was sensitive to distortion by, for example, vibrations.
The water board has reached an agreement with contractors involved in the pump installation ‘in good consultation’ about the settlement of the damage. Those who pay for the damage leave the water board in the middle.
In this video we explain how the pump was a threat for the gas pipeline: