Fixing a 19th Century Sewer with a 21st Century Solution: A Case Study for Geopolymer Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation

摘要

The City of Joliet owns and maintains 2,200 linear feet of 48” x 24” limestone arch sewer that was constructed in the 1860s. This sewer was one of the first sewers built in the City to service the growing downtown area. This critical piece of infrastructure was identified for rehabilitation in the City’s five-year rehabilitation program developed in 2016.The City retained RJN Group to conduct investigations to determine the scope of rehabilitation needed and rehabilitation methods. Upon review of available technologies including cured-in-place-pipelining, spiral wound lining, structural polyurethane, and geopolymer the City decided to specify a geopolymer product. Geopolymer is a spray-on application that was determined to be best suited for the odd sized arch shaped sewer. Other advantages of geopolymer include self-bonding properties, corrosion resistance, renewed structural integrity, and a small footprint during construction.The project was completed in the heart of downtown Joliet in the summer and fall of 2017. The process included multiple phases: cleaning and televising, investigation of service lines, abandonment of old service connections, installation of geopolymer, and rehabilitation of manholes. In order for the project to be successful, significant coordination was required with local businesses, the Will County Courthouse and IDOT.In the presentation the City & RJN Group will review the selection process and discuss lessons learned. Attendees will learn about this emerging technology and the benefits of its use. The project was successfully completed this past fall at a cost of approximately $1.1 million.