The American Public Works Association recognized the US 13 Force Main Rehabilitation project with an Honorable Mention for the 2021 Mid-Atlantic Chapter’s Project of the Year award in the category of Environment $5-$25 Million.
The honor was announced during a virtual awards banquet held earlier this year.
A 24-inch pre-stressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP) force main was constructed in 1974 to convey sewage flow to the Kent County Regional Resource Recovery Facility in Delaware. The pipe has experienced point failures resulting in damage to nearby roadways and properties that required emergency repairs. Its alignment follows US Route 13 within the existing median, turn lanes and travel lanes through a highly congested area in Dover. The county worked with KCI and state officials to develop a solution that repaired the force main while minimizing impacts along the corridor. Engineers recommended sliplining 15,000 linear feet of existing PCCP with DR-25 fusible PVC pipe. With this approach, the existing, failing PCCP pipe serves as a casing pipe to facilitate the rigid pipe installation while minimizing excavation. Detailed construction sequencing had to incorporate work zone preparation, staging, pipe preparation, installation, and unique maintenance of traffic requirements. Extensive community outreach and rapid response to changing field conditions during construction further helped the team successfully rehabilitate this critical force main and extend the lifespan for the county’s existing sewer collections system.
