A look at 30 years IKT

The origins

The fact that the structural condition of wastewater pipes was problematic and that Germany's sewer infrastructure needed to be renovated was impressively demonstrated by investigations using camera inspection technology, which was new at the time. In 1994, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dietrich Stein (responsible for the teaching and research area for pipeline construction and maintenance at the Ruhr University Bochum, which he had initiated), Dr.-Ing. Rolf Bielecki (Senior Construction Director of the Hamburg Building Authority) and Jürgen Wilms (Hochtief AG) took this as an opportunity to become active themselves and founded the pioneering Research Institute for Sewer Technology as an affiliated institute of the Ruhr University Bochum. The idea behind the institute was to support the obviously high need for rehabilitation with practice-oriented research and material tests on a real scale. The idea was to set up a large-scale test stand that could simulate sewer construction sites on a 1:1 scale. The founding fathers quickly met with approval from municipal sewer network operators, construction companies and product manufacturers. The NRW Ministry of the Environment also saw many advantages in founding the institute (including in the area of water protection) and provided the majority of the necessary funding. This is how the IKT - Institute for Sewer Technology came into being as a non-profit limited company based in Gelsenkirchen. After just two years of construction, it was able to start operations in the fall of 1994. Today, the IKT has almost 50 employees.

The IKT was involved in research in the field of pipe and manhole rehabilitation at an early stage. Its investigation of sewers rehabilitated with pipe liners was groundbreaking. For the first time, pipe sections that had been rehabilitated five to 15 years previously were excavated and tested. The wide range of results on the execution quality of pipe liners was highly recognized among experts. The IKT thus laid the foundation for its focus on “quality of sewer rehabilitation”, which continues to this day.

The business areas

Today, the IKT researches, tests and advises in the field of underground supply and disposal lines. The institute's areas of activity include testing new construction methods, product testing and basic research. Products and services that can be assigned to the field of underground infrastructure can be tested in terms of their applicability and durability as part of the IKT product test. The tests are usually carried out on the IKT large-scale test rig, the impressive centerpiece of the institute (18 meters long, 6 meters wide and 6 meters high), which makes it possible to simulate sewer situations with specific damage on a 1:1 scale and thus test products and methods for rehabilitation realistically. This can take place over many years (e.g. traffic loads, groundwater changes) in order to achieve reliable results. The results are passed on to municipal steering committees, which in turn make them available to the public and thus to all municipalities. The IKT has been able to consolidate its reputation as an independent institute, particularly through the Warentest projects.

The IKT uses two test laboratories for testing materials and construction products, which are recognized by the German Institute for Building Technology (DIBt). Hose liner samples can be tested there and treatment systems for wastewater streams (e.g. rainwater treatment systems, oil separators) can be examined. Manufacturing companies can have their products tested in the laboratory for DIBt approvals or on a product-specific basis in order to obtain the “IKT-Geprüft” test seal. In addition, the accreditation of the testing body was extended in 2021 to include infiltration elements.

Shortly before its 30th anniversary, the IKT was able to invest in state-of-the-art test rigs and equipment. Construction products can now be subjected to dynamic and temperature stresses. UV tests and weathering systems enable the examination of plastic products for above-ground infrastructure. The behavior, durability and operational stability of state-of-the-art materials can now be examined.

The construction of a test facility that enables the simulation of heavy rain events on a 1:1 scale is being planned, so that the IKT will also be able to investigate protective measures for heavy rain in the future.

Knowledge transfer, networking and internationalization

The IKT is also committed to passing on its knowledge from research and practice to the industry in more than 120 seminars, workshops, courses, in-house training sessions and conferences. The topics are determined together with municipal network operators.

In 2008, the IKT initiated the KomNetABWASSER municipal network of wastewater companies, which more than 170 municipalities have joined today to exchange information on all technical and operational issues relating to urban drainage.

The IKT is also active abroad: firstly, it runs a pipe liner laboratory for the BeneLux region in Arnhem (Netherlands), where training courses can also be held, and secondly, there is an IKT office for the UK to the west of London, which advises British network operators and coordinates overseas activities. In addition, the IKT has been part of the European laboratory network “Collaborative Urban Drainage Research Labs Communities (CoUDLabs)” for four years, within the framework of which water researchers from seven countries are working together on future issues of urban drainage.