In suburban Kansas City, a 24-inch PCCP pipe coming from a pump station under a freshly paved road, crossing a highway overpass and a set of railroad tracks was leaking and therefore lost water. Another issue to be taken into account when operator WaterOne was looking for renovation options for this line was the high amount of traffic running through this area. Thus, the district’s ability to close too many lanes was limited. Furthermore, the line is “just” a supplementary line for periods of high demand in the district. A 90-degree bend as well as two further 45-degree bends located in the middle of the newly surfaced road already excluded a considerable number of alternative trenchless technologies during evaluation. Dig-and-replace was likewise ruled out. WaterOne finally opted for Primus Line® as ideal solution: Not only can it navigate the bends, but also handle the line’s required high-pressure rating.
After arrival on site, just one single lane of traffic was closed in order to place the reel with the coiled 20-inch Primus Liner more easily. The liner was attached to a winch and pulled in at once over the entire length of 1,890 feet (~ 576 metres) in little more than one hour. After this, the installation team cut the material and reviewed the procedures for mounting the connectors. Inflation with air of a pressure of 15 psi (~ 7 bar) popped the tape around the liner and set it to its round form. Once completed, the two connectors were attached at both ends of the line, anchoring the Primus Line in place and reintegrating it with the rest of the system. A subsequent pressure test of 127.89 psi (~ 8.8 bar) reaffirmed the successful installation of the line.
The whole construction activities were finished in three days, so that the client saved both time and money by using the Primus Line® technology: The excavation pits covered only small areas offside the pipe’s track under the road and costs were also reduced by more than one million dollars.
WaterOne chose a challenging project for their first Primus Line® installation, but work was performed at a moderate pace with professional handling of the product. Primus Line themselves consulted the client, certified the client’s team for self-installation, delivered the materials and supervised the activities on site.
Despite inclement weather, the project was a successful case study of the strengths and unique capabilities of Primus Line®.
