The versatility and capability of the static pipe bursting method continues to accelerate thanks in large part to contractors like Murphy Pipeline,Inc.,Jacksonville,Fla.,that continue to push the method to achieve better,more effective results. A recent project in Livonia,Mich.demonstrates this point.With a population just over 100,000,Livonia is the eighth largest city in Michigan. Its average daily water demand is approximately 16 million gallons for its 38,000 residential,commercial and industrial users. As typical with many communities in the Detroit area,Livonia's infrastructure was constructed in 1940s,50s and 60s and is beginning to deteriorate. A majority of the system was composed of cast iron and ductile iron pipe.The city of Livonia needed to replace approximately 23,000 feet of its undersized and deteriorated 6- and 8-inch cast iron and ductile iron water mains and the installation of about 4,000 feet of new main. This aged and undersized system had a history of breaks,along 14 different streets.The engineering firm developed construction contract documents that allowed the trenchless and traditional approaches to bid against each other,thereby allowing the bidding process to determine the most cost-effective means of replacement. Static pipe bursting with pre-chlorinated pipe proved to be the low-cost alternative. During the method pressure and disinfection testing are completed above ground,eliminating the installation of a temporary water distribution system,as well as the significant excavation associated with the traditional open-cut approach. Murphy Pipelines,Inc. was awarded the project.The project in Livonia was the largest pre-chlorinated static pipe bursting project ever completed in North America.
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