Sioux Falls Structural Relining Water Lines

Location
Sioux Falls, SD

The stretch of pipe along 41st Street had reached the end of its useful life and needed to be rehabilitated. The watermain was experiencing frequent breaks due to the corrosivity of the soil in the area. Corrosive soils lead to deterioration, significant breaks, and roadway damages. The ductile iron and cast-iron pipe were installed in the 1960s and 1970s without mortar lining. This led to tuberculation in the pipe which causes pressure loss and head loss. Rehabilitating the pipe provides more reliable water distribution with fewer breaks and maintenance shutdowns. The city opted to use trenchless construction as the method of replacement. Trenchless requires a shorter construction schedule than traditional open cut methods. It also has less impact on surrounding residents, businesses, and traffic.

Project Details

The project location was 41st Street in Sioux Falls between Sertoma Avenue and Marion Road. The rehabilitated pipe consisted of 2,700 LF of 20" ductile iron pipe and 2,300 LF of 16" transmission pipe that was replaced with 20" and 16" fused PVC pipe. The rehabilitation method selected was pipe bursting. The existing pipe was demolished in place and replaced with the new fused pipe. The pipe bursting machine was placed in the receiving pit on one end of the existing pipe. The new pipe was attached to the bursting head in the pit on the opposite end of the existing pipe. The bursting head pulled the new pipe through while breaking up the existing pipe. This was the first watermain bursting project in Sioux Falls and the longest burst of 20" ductile iron pipe in the United States at 400 feet.