CDM completed emergency repairs on a 102-inch ruptured water main, conducted a failure investigation and risk assessments, and was retained to provide long-term improvements to the pipe under a design/construction management-at-risk approach. CDM used an innovative carbon fiber lining to rehabilitate the prestressed concrete cylinder pipe. The fabric was applied in layers on the pipe's interior walls, creating a thin "pipe within a pipe" with a high tensile strength and little effect on the pipe's hydraulic capacity.
Advantages over pipeline replacement or steel liners include relative speed and ease of installation, minimal disruption to the community during installation, and relatively low costs compared with excavation and replacement in an urban area.
The project won a Grand Award from the American Academy of Environmental Engineers in 2000 and a water/wastewater "Project of the Year" award from the International Concrete Repair Institute.
CLIENT: Providence Water Supply Board
LOCATION: Providence, Rhode Island