Stormwater Management

Stormwater Management
Storm drain filter enables municipality to monitor illegal pollutants

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Storm drain filter enables municipality to monitor illegal pollutants

Problem: The cities of Key Biscayne and Coral Gables, Fla., experienced incidents of illegal discharges that were detrimental to local waters. Key Biscayne’s environmental manager had problems with contractors disposing of paints and solvents into adjacent storm drains. In Coral Gables, concrete trucks were disposing of unused concrete into storm drains. Both cases represent environmental crime scenes, and it was difficult to catch the perpetrators.  

Solution: Hydro-Cartridge filters from Advanced Aquatic Products International were installed in storm drains that were adjacent to construction projects in progress on Key Biscayne. Because the cartridges capture and hold liquid contaminants, daily monitoring showed that contractors were using the local storm drains as a dumping point. In Coral Gables, the product was able to prevent permanent damage from illegal concrete discharges, which had been plaguing the city for years and costing thousands of dollars to repair.

Result: The filters prevented hazardous pollutants from entering sensitive South Florida waters, and also led to the prosecution of the companies that had illegally dumped pollutants. 800/738-7646; www.hydro-cartridge.com.

Culvert reclamation project saves time and money, keeps traffic moving

Problem: The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) needed to repair a crumbling stormwater culvert under State Road 48 (Lancaster Pike). Built in 1970, the culvert carries Chestnut Run Creek water flow under the busy highway. According to state records, the reinforced concrete pipe was in poor condition, with severe spalling of the concrete, causing accelerated corrosion of the exposed reinforcing steel.

Solution: Instead of replacing the reinforced concrete pipe, DelDOT decided to insert a 100-foot-run of ADS N-12 WT HDPE 60-inch-diameter high-density polyethylene corrugated pipe from Advanced Drainage Systems. Five 20-foot sections of pipe were joined and slipped into place using a four-man crew and a backhoe. The integral bell and spigot enabled each section of pipe to be easily popped together, forming a watertight seal. The pipe meets or exceeds the requirements of the AASHTO M 294 materials specification, and can be specified for culverts, cross drains, storm sewers and other types of new and rehab projects.

Result: Sliplining eliminated the need to rip up and replace the original pipe, and reduced the planned five-month project to two weeks, plus avoided interrupting the 15,831 vehicles per day that travel on the four-lane Lancaster Pike. The pipe saved the utility more than $850,000. 800/821-6710; www.ads-pipe.com

Catch basin risers installed on challenging interchange project

Problem: The resurfacing of the I-64/I-255 interchange near East St. Louis, Ill., was an ordinary project with one unique feature. “Most years, we install maybe 10 to 15 catch basin risers for the whole year,” says project engineer Bob Germann. “But on this project alone, we installed a total of 100 catch basin risers.” The catch basins lined a barrier wall that separated access ramps from main lanes, which meant that crews working on the basins would be exposed to traffic. As part of the contract, lane closures had to be kept to a minimum and couldn’t be closed at all during peak hours, from 6 to 9 a.m. westbound and 3 to 6 p.m. eastbound.

Solution: Keeley & Sons has been using catch basin risers and manhole risers from American Highway Products since 2005. The risers were previously approved for use by the Illinois Department of Transportation and can be installed with hand tools in a few minutes per riser. Crews installed the risers after the binder course was laid and before the final paving lift.

Result: All 100 catch basins were raised to grade in two days, saving substantial costs and work time. 888/272-2397; www.ahp1.com.

Sealing joints stop soil migration in sewer pipe

Problem: Johnson and 11th streets in La Crosse, Wis., were scheduled for sidewalk, curb, gutter and pavement replacement. “We had observed pavement and ground settlement in the street, curb, gutter and adjacent grass terrace area,” says Steve Asp, the city’s assistant sewer superintendent. “There is a lot of flow during rain events because several other large stormwater pipes tie in to the manholes on either side of the 72-inch pipe. We suspected soil migration through the joints of this storm line and tried patching them with mortar several years ago, but the issues of settling continued.” The stress on the joints was due to the pipe’s 28-foot depth and the volume of flow during rain events. Asp looked into sealing the joints.

Solution: HydraTite Internal Joint Seal, distributed by Cretex Specialty Products, requires no excavation or water removal from the pipe, with minimal surface preparation, quick installation and a 50-year design life. The contractor, Infratech, installed seven seals in seven hours with a two-man crew in the pipe and one man on top. Access was limited through a 78-inch-diameter block storm manhole with a 24-inch frame and chimney opening. All of the seals, compression bands and tools required for the installation were lowered down through the manhole. The seal spanned any misalignment of the joints and formed an impenetrable barrier against further infiltration.

Result: The newly installed seals were effective in stopping the soil migration, even in very wet conditions. 800/345-3764; www.cretexseals.com.



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