Installing PreChlorinated Water Mains with Static Pull Pipe Bursting Systems in Fort Pierce, Florida

1
Installing Pre-Chlorinated Water Mains with
Static Pull Pipe Bursting Systems in Fort Pierce,
Florida
2
The State of Water Distribution Systems

• Encrusted
• Corroded
• Water loss up to 40
• Under capacity
• Poor water quality

3
Business Opportunity

• EPA estimates 750 billion dollars over next 20
  years
• AWWA estimates 1 trillion dollars over next 20
  years

4
Open Trench Water Main Replacement Projects?
Open trench method of replacement is becoming
more costly and less socially accepted.
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Pipe Bursting Pressure Pipe

• History
• Method was developed By British Gas and patented
  in 1980s for gas distribution rehabilitation.
• Success led to potable water crossover
• Pipe bursting without protection sleeve accepted
  along with pre-chlorination method in early
  1990s in the UK
• Widely accepted in Europe with more than
  60,000,000 feet installed in the past 16 years
• Great News!
• Pre-Chlorinated method of pipe bursting is
  accepted by Florida DEP in conjunction with the
  Florida AWWA in November of 2000

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United Kingdom - Pipe Bursting
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Pipe Bursting with Pre-chlorination Method

• A preferred method of water line rehabilitation
• Follows path of the existing utility (reduces
  potential for 3rd party utility damage)
• Easement issues and line separation limitations
  are reduced - the existing utility path is used
• Reduce excavation costs by up to 85
• Able to increase the pipe diameter
• Production Install up to 400 of pipe in under
  2 hours
• Pre-chlorination save cost and disruption of
  installing temporary services
• FL- No permitting required for bursting
  Classed as a line repair

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Pre-chlorinated Pipe
New service lines bored with piercing tools
Hydraulic unit pulls rod, expander and pipe
through existing line
Pin Joint Tooling
9
Pipe Bursting Setup Push out rod
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Pipe Bursting Setup Attach tooling and pipe
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Pipe Bursting Setup Pull back
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Project Considerations

• Preferred pipe material
• HDPE MDPE
• Fusible PVC in review process
• Improved flow rates
• IPS and DIPS size pipes
• Zero leaks
• Electro-fusion couplers for mains and service
  connections
• Butt fusion for connecting segments of HDPE above
  ground prior to burst
• Computer model of systems can be constructed

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Connections Fuse-on Pullers
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Butt Fusion and De-Beading
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ConnectionsElectro-Fusion Couplers
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Squeeze-off Tool
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Equipment Selection

• Static equipment is most common for water
  projects
• No-contamination of the new HDPE pipe
• Ability to pull ductile iron slitters and
  overcome repair sections
• Fast and simple equipment to operate

18
Equipment Selection

• High tonnage static pull back force
• 38 ton (2 6 pipe)
• 58 ton (4 8 pipe)
• 80 ton (4 12 pipe)
• 125 ton (6 20 pipe)
• Impactor assist for larger pipes
• Hydraulic power supply

19
Project Considerations - Upsizing

• Replace existing pipe with pipe providing
  suitable flow characteristics
• Reduce project risks of surface heave by limiting
  water projects to size for size or 1 upsize
  replacement.

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Flow Comparisons
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Project Considerations Pre-chlorination

• Proven methods saving time and expense
• Pipe is pressure tested and disinfected above
  ground prior to use

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Project Considerations Pre-chlorination

• Services are installed and ready to be
  reconnected the same day of construction
• No temporary services are required due to the
  pre-chlorination and testing of the pipe prior to
  installation

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Method OnePipe Bursting Water Mains

• Acceptable method by experienced city and
  contractor
• Pre - chlorination and testing conducted above
  ground, left to stand a minimum of 24 hours
• Flushed, and pulling head welded to pipe to keep
  ends sealed hygienically
• Pipe burst into place
• Super chlorinated swab is passed through the line

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Method OnePipe Bursting Water Mains

• After removal of swab, line is flushed and
  commissioned
• Pipe connected and flushed
• After flushing and commissioning, services are
  connected
• First of two samples taken
• 24 hours later, second samples taken

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Method TwoPipe Bursting Water Mains

• Acceptable method by experienced city and
  contractor
• Pre - chlorination and testing conducted above
  ground, left to stand a minimum of 24 hours
• Main line is flushed and sample one is taken
• 24 hours later, sample two is taken

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Method TwoPipe Bursting Water Mains

• When both samples have returned passed, a 14 day
  log will be posted to that pipe. (THIS PIPE IS
  NOW GOOD FOR 14 DAYS)
• If the pipe is not installed within the 14 days,
  the process is repeated.
• Pipe is burst into place
• Super chlorinated swab is passed through the line
• After removal of swab, line is flushed and
  commissioned
• Service connections are made to the main line

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Fort Pierce, FloridaCase Study
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Water Main Problems

• Received complaints regarding potable water
  clarity and low pressure concerns
• Cast iron water mains more than 65 years old
• New service line installations required
• Limited working space, easement issues, high end
  homes in neighborhood, heavy traffic making open
  cut not a feasible option
• David Mellert of FPUA contacted Murphy Pipeline
  Contractors re pipe bursting

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Fort Pierce, Florida Case Study

• 12,000 feet of new mains
• Crew of 8 completed project in 2 months
• Existing 6 cast iron pipe replaced with 6 HDPE
  pipe
• An average of 400 feet per day was replaced
• Estimated cost savings vs. open cut 30

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Pre-Chlorination

• Lines capped and disinfected with a hypochlorite
  solution

• Pressure testing

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Entry and Exit Pits

• Pits dug on entry and exit end of the pipe
• Rods passed from entry to exit pit in
  approximately 45 minutes

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Bursting Head and Expander

• Bursting Rig is attached to the bursting blade
  and expander
• Pre-chlorinated and sealed HDPE pipe are attached
  to the expander

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Hydraulic Static Pull

• Bursting blade is drawn through the existing
  Host pipe causing it to fracture
• Bursting expander then pushes broken pipe into
  the surrounding soil

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Rods Recovered at Exit Pit

• Rods are removed from the exit pit as pipe is
  pulled into place
• Mainline connections are made and services tied
  in
• For the next burst the exit pit becomes new entry
  pit

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Service Re-connection

• Small service excavations 4 x 4
• New services installed with piercing tools
• HDPE services are electro-fused to the main
  providing a 100 sealed connection

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Conclusions

• Pipe bursting potable water mains utilizing the
  pre-chlorination method is an effective method to
  open cut pipe replacement
• Allowed upsizing in place
• Minimized disturbance to the surrounding area

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Conclusions

• 12,000 feet of pipe replaced in 2 months with
  crew of 8
• Previous FL project performed by Murphy Pipelines
  received runner up project of the year
• Fort Pierce project received nomination for
  project of the year.

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Thank You