Shaw Pipeline

OEM mods allow upsize of 40-foot stretch of sewer pipe beneath busy downtown intersection

Challenge
Upsize 40 critical feet of 8-inch clay sewer main to 14-inch HDPE beneath a busy downtown intersection, without resorting to excavation.

Solution
We significantly modified our M100 puller to fit inside a standard manhole cover ring, and to provide sufficient support for the pull by spreading the load against the cylindrical inner manhole wall. Puller also had to operate above ground, outside the manhole. We designed and fabricated special extenders for the pulley base socket, into which the puller fits during normal use. The M100 was assembled inside a 9-foot deep manhole in the busy intersection of Balboa Street and 42nd Avenue, with seven feet of extension off the base. No concrete cutting or jackhammering was done prior to setup, to preserve maximum integrity of the manhole base. The bursting head had to stop outside the manhole, then the pulling unit was removed so the wall could be opened to allow entry of the bursting head and new pipe.