Ecotone LLC needed to rehabilitate 96 linear feet of corrugated metal pipe as part of a contract in Baltimore County, Maryland. The challenge was that the twin 72-inch pipes passed under a county road that accesses an apartment community’s main office, and ran beneath its swimming pool amenity. The pipes had suffered extreme deterioration from prolonged exposure to constant running creek water and presented advanced deterioration and small voids, creating pipe failure concerns.

The single point of access to the community ruled out a traditional dig-and-replace method as a viable option, due to potential life safety impact with limited access by fire and emergency medical services. Opencut and several potential trenchless methods were also ruled out because an existing playground directly adjacent to this site presented dangers to children there. 

The solution

Pleasants Construction Inc. won the project bid as a cured-in-place pipe lining job using the Alphaliner 1800H UV-cured liner system. There were two segments of 72-inch corrugated metal pipe, each 48 feet long, to be lined.

Logistics challenges included that the creek ravine containing the pipes was located between the roadway and a CSX railway track. This culvert area was protected by a fence overgrown with weeds. This situation required some cut-in of a temporary work area for equipment and the liner crate, plus crew access. The crew also had to create an area to build their sandbag weir and to accommodate diversion for bypass pumping. Though an excessive rain event occurred the afternoon/evening before the install, no issues or delays were caused by the storm, thanks to proper site precautions taken by the crews.

Pleasants was able to meticulously clean and televise the pipes in preparation for the lining process. They spent the first day performing a televised line inspection and bringing in their hydrovac truck to pressure wash and clean the pipes. A second day was spent clearing debris and prepping the pipe’s interior surface. During preparation, crews were diligent in the safety of the general public and community, which showed curiosity about the ongoing work.

The weight of these resin-impregnated liners required a 40-ton crane to lift the liner crates off the truck and assist in setting them down in the crews’ work area. Crews successfully pulled the Alphaliner into place and introduced air into the liner for expansion into the failing host pipe. With less than 8% elongation, the Alphaliner glass-reinforced pipe product was a perfect solution for this project. Using the Reline America REE4000 Curing Unit, the liner was successfully cured in place without any impact to the surrounding community or existing creek flows.

Each pipe required a full day for installation and curing. A second day allowed for quality control testing and site remediation back to its former state. Throughout this process, bypass pumping was provided by the construction manager.

Within 48 hours of crews arriving on site, the pipes were rehabilitated and returned to service without any trenches or opencut excavation.

The result

Possible structural concerns, now and in the future, have been eliminated with the installation of the Alphaliner 1800H structural liner. Due to the success of the project with such limited disruption to the community, the local municipality has been utilizing UV GRP lining on other problematic sanitary collection lines, stormwater assets and failing outflow lines throughout the county.

Reline America is a leading provider of UV GRP pipeline rehabilitation technology, offering a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional pipeline repair methods. Reline America offers everything needed for pipeline rehabilitation under one roof — design, engineering, manufacturing, training and 24/7 support from its ISO 9001-2015 certified facility in Saltville, Virginia. Customized equipment and liners, factory-certified installers, coupled with a proprietary quality tracker system, make Reline America’s Alphaliner UV GRP liners easier to install.

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