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Pipe‐Bursting Project Puts Failing Water Main Out of Its Misery
Author(s) -
Nagle Kevin
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
opflow
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1551-8701
pISSN - 0149-8029
DOI - 10.1002/j.1551-8701.2011.tb03070.x
Subject(s) - water pipe , bursting , host (biology) , pipe , high density polyethylene , engineering , geology , geotechnical engineering , forensic engineering , polyethylene , mechanical engineering , materials science , composite material , ecology , neuroscience , inlet , biology
This article discusses a project by Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) for replacing a deteriorating 24‐in. 2,500‐ft steel, coal‐tar‐ lined water main that runs below one of the city's busiest thoroughfares. Static pipe‐bursting technology, using a machine that could deliver up to 625,000 lb of pulling force, was used for the project. Specially designed bladed rollers were pulled through the host pipe by a hydraulically powered bursting unit. As the rollers were pulled through the main, they split the host pipe. An expander attached to the rollers forced the host pipe to open from the bottom, expanded the host pipe into the surrounding soil, and simultaneously pulled in new high density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe.