The City of Arlington, Texas, faced the challenge of replacing a damaged clay sewer line in a way that would minimize disturbance to the affluent neighborhood surrounding it. This presented a challenge since grand old trees and landscaping stood so close to the sewer line that the overgrowth of their roots was a major factor in the sewer pipe damage.
The Arlington Water Utilities Department also wanted to use a pipe product that would perform better in the neighborhood’s highly elastic clay-based soil, or “black gumbo,” which either drastically expands or contracts, depending on a season’s rain level.
Going on the success of a similar previous project, Arlington Water Utilities Project Engineer Brad Franklin, P.E., specified CertainTeed®) Certa-Lok™ Yelomine™ 8" SDR 21 PVC Pipe for trenchless installation.
“We had a really good experience with CertainTeed PVC pipe on a previous project and since this was our first project to utilize horizontal directional drill for sewer, we went with a sewer pipe that we felt would give us the best results,” Franklin said.
The City of Arlington hired contractor Gra-Tex Utilities of Arlington to install the new sewer line. Beginning work in December 2006, the Gra-Tex crew of seven was able to put in 2,800 feet of Yelomine PVC pipe through the open trench method, but the remaining 3,500 feet was installed with a Vermeer directional drill. The crew finished in early April 2007. The job ran smoothly, despite the very limited workspace, thanks to the trenchless installation method and easy assembly of the PVC pipe.
“Our experience with CertainTeed PVC pipe has been very positive,” said Don Kemp, President of Gra-Tex Utilities. “Our production time was reduced due to our use of Yelomine PVC pipe, and that is a very important aspect of our job.”
Certa-Lok Yelomine is suited for a broad range of piping applications, including trenchless construction, potable water, sewer and irrigation. Its joining system, which uses a high-strength spline with an elastomeric O-ring inside to connect pipe lengths, reliably holds the pipe together when installed and pressurized.
For more information on Certainteed and it’s products, visit www.certainteed.com.
