Erie County Industrial Development Agency (ECIDA), Bethlehem Steel Rail Improvements Phase II Project: Overcoming Challenges Associated with the Localized HDPE Lining of A 54 Inch Diameter Pressurized Waterline for Cooper E80 Loading

摘要

The EClDA's Bethlehem Steel Rail Improvements Phase II Project located in Lackawanna, NY recently completed relocation of existing trackage on the 1,100-acre former Bethlehem Steel Plant site as part of the agency's revitalization plan. Track work consisted of retiring an existing rail yard, rehabilitation of an existing yard to restore lost storage capacity and construction of a new 2,200-foot track to improve rail operations on the site. Design and construction of the new track proved itself challenging given the corridor traverses a 54-inch diameter watermain which is oriented longitudinally and would require protection for the new track to pass over it as it was not built to withstand railroad loading. The project to protect the watermain was initially bid proposing to use split steel casing. All bids received exceeded the estimate and were dismissed. Stakeholders had the design team investigate use of internal lining systems commonly used to strengthen and rehabilitate gravity sewers and stormwater culverts. Lining systems like this while common for non-pressurized (gravity) lines, their use in pressurized environments is still in the infancy stages and much less common for watermains of this diameter. Plans developed offered interested bidders the option of using either a Cured In-Place Pipe (CIPP) liner or a High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) liner. A lone contractor submitted a bid opting to install an HDPE liner. Though the HDPE liner was selected as the contractor's preferred method, there was still an extensive amount of collaboration required for the project to be successfully completed.