HydroFoamer is a mobile, self-contained robotic spray platform designed to rapidly apply rigid, closed-cell polymers—such as PU or PIR—around pipeline systems. By replacing traditional concrete thrust blocks and gravel backfill with engineered foam, the system radically simplifies pipeline construction in both remote and urban settings.

Originally developed for high-pressure GRP hydropower pipelines, HydroFoamer now supports a growing range of pipe materials (including HDPE and steel) and sectors such as oil & gas, water infrastructure, and hydropower.

What It Does

The HydroFoamer platform:

  • Precisely aligns and installs pipe segments using integrated inclinometer guidance
  • Sprays a high-performance structural polymer around the pipe
  • Digitally logs all installation and quality control data
  • Operates from a single truck and satellite robot platform with onboard foam, energy, and robotic control

A 10 km / 6-mile GRP pipeline can be installed in as little as 2 weeks, even in difficult terrain.

Functional Benefits

By spraying directly onto the pipe and surrounding native soil, HydroFoamer creates a rigid, load-distributing shell that:

  • Eliminates the need for imported or crushed gravel
  • Replaces concrete thrust blocks entirely
  • Protects the pipe mechanically and chemically
  • Reduces ovalisation and wall stress in thin-walled pipe
  • Enables the use of lighter or lower-cost pipes (e.g. HDPE)
  • Lowers overall project cost, emissions, and complexity

The result is a stable system that withstands axial and radial forces, resists environmental degradation, and performs across a wide range of soils and climates.

Academic & Technical Validation

“The commissioning of Lille Måsevann penstock proves that the method with PU-foam as backfill works on a full-scale project, both for construction and operation.”

Prof. Leif Lia – NTNU Trondheim

HydroFoamer’s method has been validated through a multi-year academic partnership with NTNU and technical consultancy support from iVest and Multiconsult.
Key highlights:

  • Three peer-reviewed master’s theses confirm performance across all risk classes
  • System declared fit-for-purpose by Prof. Lia, an internationally recognized expert in hydropower pipeline design
  • Demonstrated structural and hydraulic performance beyond predictive models during the Statkraft project in Northern Norway (2016–2018)

Proven. Practical. Portable.

The HydroFoamer method is already field-proven and academically endorsed. It now enters full-scale production, with commercial rollout expected by early 2026.

Whether used in hydropower valleys, desert pipelines, or oilfield corridors, HydroFoamer brings industrial precision to infrastructure delivery—anywhere in the world.

Documentation

You can download Professor Leif Lia’s 2018 presentation to ICOLD in Vienna from here.