Pipe bursting used in steel water main replacement
Problem: Incline Village General Improvement District of Lake Tahoe, Nevada, designed a water main replacement and fire flow enhancement project that included replacement of a 2,500-linear-foot steel water main distribution system. The project included replacing the existing 6- and 8-inch steel water mains with new 8-inch fusible C900 PVC pipe. Steel pipe was widely used in many parts of the western United States and was often cut and welded together as needed to circumvent boulders and tree stumps. This makes replacing the steel pipe extremely difficult.
Solution: Q&D Construction was contracted to perform the replacement through static pipe bursting with a Grundoburst 800G static pipe bursting unit from TT Technologies. These static bursting systems are able to burst/split and replace ductile iron and steel pipes, and can pull in a variety of replacement pipes included fusible PVC. During bursting operations, Q&D Construction instal
Steering head helps navigate
challenging ground conditions Problem
In November 2015, Kandey Company of West Seneca, New York, accepted the Rush Creek Interceptor Project. Spanning over 8,600 linear feet, crews will install a combination of 1,700 feet of gravity and force main sewer line that will be placed within a 48-inch steel casing by 2017. The massive pipeline is being installed in an abandoned industrial area, which has made for unpredictable and challenging ground conditions. Crews have uncovered abandoned foundations and unreported utility lines throughout the project.
Solution
To navigate the crowded underground, Kandey Company enlisted the help of the McLaughlin On Target auger boring steering system. The steering head allows contractors to control horizontal on-grade changes and also allows for lateral direction changes. The cutting path of the steering head is controlled by hydraulically actuated flaps that open and close to keep the head on the intended path. Its control station has a hydraulic power pack to control the movement of the steering head, and a built-in water level helps monitor grade throughout the bore.
RESULT By using an auger boring machine with the On Target system, Kandey Company was able to complete a 335-foot bore to install a steel casing in one pass. Even with grade changes that varied as much as 2 percent and the debris in the ground, the crew was able to adjust the steering to produce an accurate bore. 800/435-9340; www.mclaughlinunderground.com
ed a 4-inch HDPE temporary bypass water supply for affected residents. Soil in the area was hard, with sand, as well as large rocks ranging in size from 24 to 36 inches in diameter. Bursting runs averaged 400 to 500 feet in length and took approximately two hours to complete.
Result: Pull readings on the static pipe bursting unit on typical runs ranged from 125 to 200 bar. Numerous water services, fire hydrants and gate valves were removed and reconnected. 800/533-2078; www.tttechnologies.com.
Fused piping system solves sinkhole dilemma
Problem: Underground leakage from a faulty 6-inch clay pipeline — estimated to be 100 years old — was causing sinkholes to form on one of the original brick-lined alleyways in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. The city was forced to close the alley, which blocked public access, and the only access nearby workers had to their company’s parking lot. The need to rehabilitate the street was urgent.
Solution: The city’s sewer operations and maintenance crew replaced the 6-inch clay pipe with 8-inch high-density polyethylene pipe, which is joined through heat fusion technology to create a seamless, leak-free system. They used their in-house pipe fusion machine — a McElroy TracStar 500 — to fuse the pipe together. For the install, they rented pneumatic pipe bursting equipment from TT Technologies to break up the old pipe and make way for 337 feet of fused pipe, which was pulled in place with a HammerHead constant tension cable winch. This trenchless method allowed them to pull the pipe from manhole to manhole in a short amount of time without having to tear up a major street, which would have further disrupted traffic.
Result: Updating infrastructure with a modern HDPE pipeline has been a cost-saving measure that benefits the environment and creates much safer driving conditions. 918/836-8611; www.mcelroy.com/fusion.
Steering head helps navigate challenging ground conditions
Problem: In November 2015, Kandey Company of West Seneca, New York, accepted the Rush Creek Interceptor Project. Spanning over 8,600 linear feet, crews will install a combination of 1,700 feet of gravity and force main sewer line that will be placed within a 48-inch steel casing by 2017. The massive pipeline is being installed in an abandoned industrial area, which has made for unpredictable and challenging ground conditions. Crews have uncovered abandoned foundations and unreported utility lines throughout the project.
Solution: To navigate the crowded underground, Kandey Company enlisted the help of the McLaughlin On Target auger boring steering system. The steering head allows contractors to control horizontal on-grade changes and also allows for lateral direction changes. The cutting path of the steering head is controlled by hydraulically actuated flaps that open and close to keep the head on the intended path. Its control station has a hydraulic power pack to control the movement of the steering head, and a built-in water level helps monitor grade throughout the bore.
Result: By using an auger boring machine with the On Target system, Kandey Company was able to complete a 335-foot bore to install a steel casing in one pass. Even with grade changes that varied as much as 2 percent and the debris in the ground, the crew was able to adjust the steering to produce an accurate bore. 800/435-9340; www.mclaughlinunderground.com.
