IKT – Institute for Underground Infrastructure

Connecting North America and Europe – Leveraging our mutual strength

Posted 12. November 2014

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by William Busch, SR/WA adapted from Right of Way 01-02/2014 (IRWA) The thought of exporting and integrating our Association’s resources globally has economic and functional potential that is phenomenally exciting. As IRWA continues to expand its reach around the globe, the Association recently formalized a relationship with the Institute for Underground Infrastructure (IKT) in Germany, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between our two organizations. We have already…

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Handling of drainage-system water from private sites

Posted 12. November 2014

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The discharge of site and drainage-system water into the public sewer network is expressly prohibited in the majority of waste-water regulations in North Rhine-Westphalia. In many municipalities there are, nonetheless, numerous such drainage connections. How, then, should this issue be handled at local level? A guideline drafted by the IKT and the NRW Municipal Agency (KommunalAgenturNRW) provides orientation. There can be a range of reasons for connected water-drainage systems. It…

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IKT research project on optimising sewer cleaning

Posted 12. November 2014

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We drive our cars through the car wash only when they’re dirty – and that’s totally logical. But many operators of waste-water systems continue to clean their drains and sewers to a fixed schedule. IKT has conducted a research project into the optimisation potentials of optimising sewer cleaning strategies. Cleaning of sewers makes an important contribution to assuring the functioning of our drain and sewer systems, and accounts for a…

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Decentralised treatment of precipitation water using separation systems

Posted 12. November 2014

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Emissions-relevant requirements for treatment of precipitation water using the separation system are governed in North Rhine-Westphalia by the circular directive dated 26 May 2004 by the Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Agriculture, Nature Conservation and Consumer Protection (the “Separation Directive” for short). The “Decentralised treatment of precipitation water in separation systems – Implementation of the Separation Directive” research project successfully tested systems for decentralised treatment of precipitation water from Category…

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Managing the Crowded Underground

Posted 12. November 2014

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Who is responsible for our streets and roads? Who is entitled to lay pipelines, sewers and cables throughout our cities? Where in general do we find these pipes in the first place? After all, who is responsible for planning, construction and operation of our infrastructure? Claims for underground space There are many players claiming space in the underground, all with viable needs figure 1). In German cities, for example, the…

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Crowded Underground – soil and in-fill material requirements

Posted 12. November 2014

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Things are getting tight under our towns and cities! Germany has more than 2.7 million kilometres of supply and disposal cables and conduits installed underground. There are drains, sewers, gas, water and district-heating pipes, plus electricity and telecommunications cables under our streets and pavements. The use of underground space We must also add higher requirements for seepage drainage of rainwater, while streetside trees and other vegetation also demand space underground…

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