System lines potable water pipes

Problem

A shopping center in Zanesville, Ohio, had a break in the copper water pipe running beneath the building and paved parking lot.

 

Solution

The contractor considered the length of the deteriorated pipe, its location, and the urgency of restoring service to the tenants, then selected the Neofit potable pipe lining system from Flow-Liner. Technicians lined 260 feet of 1-inch pipe and 20 feet of 3/4-inch pipe using one excavated pit at the curb stop and another at the building.

 

Result

The lining process minimized tenant disruption and restored service the same day. 800/348-0020; www.flow-liner.com.

 

Structural drain liner cures lift station problem

Problem

During the rainy season, Sarasota County (Fla.) Utilities hauled 1.4 million gallons of excess wastewater from a lift station to its Water Reclamation Facility in Venice to prevent overflows. Infiltration through broken and cracked pipe joints was costing the county overtime and hauling expenses while putting an unnecessary load on the treatment plant.

 

Solution

Nu Flow Technologies used its lateral connection liner to line the laterals from the city main to homeowners’ property lines. Root intrusion, infiltration, and exfiltration were common at these points in the system. Once workers completed the rehabilitation, the lift station was self-sufficient again.

 

Result

“We are seeing a great reduction of infiltration and inflow in the Hill View basin area,” says Rodney Jones, operations supervisor II with the utility. 800/834-9597; www.nuflowtech.com.

 

Single-pass hydraulic saw saves time

Problem

The City of Little Elm, Texas, needed to replace three underground valves on 20-inch mains. The in-ground pipes required the local utility contractor to make numerous wedge cuts using cutoff saws with circular blades. This was time-consuming.

 

Solution

The local ICS, PowerGrit distributor supplied an 880PG PowerGrit direct-drive hydraulic saw that allowed the contractor to work from one side of the main, safely and efficiently cutting through it in one pass. The saw continued working even when submerged.

 

Result

The contractor performed each cut in less than one-fifth the time it took with the cutoff saws. 800/321-1240; www.powergrit.com.

 

Pipe bursting helps cure I&I

Problem

Inflow and infiltration increased winter flow rates by five times the dry-weather rate at the Ross Valley Sanitary District in San Rafael, Calif. The district assembled a pipe bursting division as part of its trenchless repair campaign to replace more than 16 miles of aging sewer lines and adjoining lower laterals.

 

Solution

The district chose the compact M50 pipe bursting system from TRIC Tools to replace 6-inch vitrified clay mains with 8-inch high-density polyethylene pipe. A 14 gpm/5,000 psi trailer-mounted TRIC/WIT pump powers the ram with 48 tons of pulling force and 19.24 square inches of piston area. The equipment fits easily in easements and other tight places.

 

Result

The district estimated savings of 50 percent over open-cut replacement and a 40 percent reduction over subcontracting the work. 888/883-8742; www.trictools.com.

 

Horizontal directional drilling simplifies installation

Problem

An upgrade and expansion project at the James A. Loughlin Wastewater Treatment Plant in Wilmington, N.C., increased capacity to 16 mgd, but an existing 30-inch force main was permitted to only 12 mgd. The Cape Fear Public Utilities Authority put out a request for a second 30-inch parallel force main passing through a spongy right-of-way and under Smith Creek.

 

Solution

General contractor TA Loving and horizontal directional drilling subcontractor Environmental Crossings set a boring rig in the middle of the 2,600-foot-long alignment, then drilled and pulled in both directions. Close coordination among the parties overcame site complications. Finding 1,200 feet of layout space for the Smith Creek shot was a challenge, since the drill rod exited on a landlocked parcel with restricted access. The second run included crossing a railroad siding while pulling back 1,400 feet of 30-inch fusible PVC pipe from Underground Solutions.

 

Result

The project was successful. 858/679-9551; www.underground solutions.com.