Manhole risers are a fit for picturesque town

Problem: 

New Philadelphia, Ohio, population 17,000, is the county seat of Tuscarawas County. Keeping this old, picturesque town in tiptop shape is partly the responsibility of Brian Myers, wastewater superintendent. One of Myers’ responsibilities is the raising of city manholes to grade after roads are repaved or when manholes fail and need to be rebuilt or repaired.

Solution: 

Myers employed the pivoted turnbuckle. American Highway Products manhole risers are open, flexible rings of high-quality, galvanized steel with a turnbuckle that can be expanded or contracted with a screwdriver to fit snugly into original utility rims. They’re available in precisely sized increments to match any manhole rim diameter and any paving lift thickness needed to bring manholes exactly to new paving surface grades. The adjustable risers make it possible to raise dozens of manholes in a day, all while avoiding extensive traffic closures. They can take as little as 10 minutes to install, with no excavation or hot patching required.

Result: 

In 2019, the town installed 35 of the pivoted turnbuckle risers, including 25 on a single resurfacing project carried out by the state on New Philadelphia’s South Broadway Street. 888-272-2397; www.ahp1.com.

---

Seal system allows for trenchless culvert repair

Problem: 

A culvert in Watertown, Connecticut, had a significant water flow and erosion problem that led to culvert joint separation, invert deterioration, erosion issues and headwall damage. The erosion had undermined the outlet, which resulted in a disruption in water flow. With the age of the culvert, the inlet headwall was made with stacked stone. Over time, these stone headwalls can settle, weaken and start to lose structure. This culvert was located under a roadway that also has challenges with traffic control. The separating joints caused concerns with the above roadway being damaged by infiltration.

Solution: 

HydraTite seals from HydraTech Engineered Products were installed over the culvert joints for a permanent solution to the separated joints that were leaking and eroding the ground below the roadway. Five tons of large-diameter stone were placed over the existing outlet void to prevent further deterioration and erosion by restoring natural water flow. The stone headwall was encased in two layers of concrete to prevent further structural damage and environmental erosion. The job consisted of the installation of nine HydraTite seals that were 72 inches in diameter, placement of 5 tons of riprap, concrete patching inside the pipe and concrete casing of the inlet stone headwall.

Result: 

The solution enables a trenchless repair at a fraction of the cost of fully lining the pipeline. The sealed joints and repaired invert will restore the hydraulics and eliminate damage to the above roadway by preventing infiltration. All of this work was completed from the side of the road with minimal traffic disruption. The seal proved to be an economical in situ repair solution. 513-827-9169; www.hydratechllc.com.

---

Manhole and catch basin rehab accomplished without business disruption

Problem: 

Bay City, Michigan, was experiencing multiple failing sanitary sewer manholes and stormwater catch basins in a heavy-traffic area of its downtown business district. Cave-ins and heavy infiltration were present in most of the structures, and remediation of numerous issues needed to be completed in a short window of time with the least amount of disruption to the business community as possible.

Solution: 

Terry Killburn, sewer maintenance manager for Bay City, received a recommendation from Granite Inliner to contact Advanced Rehabilitation Technology (ART) about using OBIC Armor — a multilayer, fast-set, spray-applied polyurea trenchless rehabilitation solution from OBIC — to resolve the issues. Upon deployment, ART crews first removed debris and pressure-washed all the structures to be rehabilitated. Most required the use of dryers to remove all moisture from the substrate, and crews applied grout in the manholes or catch basins that were missing mortar or experiencing major leaks and infiltration. Once properly prepared, the installation team applied OBIC Armor at a thickness of 500 mils. Each structure required approximately three to five hours to complete, and OBIC’s product application process allowed for zero downtime. All of the assets for the project were renewed successfully within two months.

Result: 

Bay City’s aging downtown underground sanitary and stormwater conveyance system structures have been given an extended life span in excess of 25 years with minimal disruption to the community and lower costs than replacement. “The installers were top-notch and had excellent communication skills,” Killburn says. “Best of all, we didn’t receive any complaints from our business community during the project.” 866-636-4854; www.obicproducts.com.