What Does
Asbestos Cement Mean?
Asbestos cement is a material that was used to manufacture pipes for water networks up until the 1980's. Asbestos fibers, cement and water are the components of this material, which was used extensively until the health hazards associated with asbestos became well known. Due to the aging asbestos piping infrastructure, many trenchless activities to repair and replace water pipelines involve working with asbestos cement material.
Trenchlesspedia Explains Asbestos Cement
Asbestos fibers have been identified as having major health and safety risks for workers and anyone who comes into contact with it, particularly when inhaled, causing asbestosis and lung cancer. When breaking up old piping that may contain asbestos cement through pipe bursting or Cured-in-Place treatment, it is possible for workers to be exposed to asbestos fibers. For this reason, investigations have been done to determine whether trenchless techniques are safe for rehabilitating old and leaking asbestos cement piping. Results show that trenchless techniques can be safely used to rehabilitate underground asbestos cement piping with minimal health risks and disruption to the area.