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SAK approved for bridge improvements in Frederick, MD

SAK approved for bridge improvements in Frederick, MD

Faster repairs and fewer dug-up streets

Technological advances are paving the way for faster improvements and fewer traffic delays as Frederick upgrades its underground infrastructure.

The city mayor and Board of Aldermen approved two contracts for projects related to sewer mains and bridge repairs, respectively, each of which will make use of trenchless technology.

The $1.4 million contract and corresponding $1.5 million purchase order to Am-Liner East will continue city efforts to reduce and eliminate inflow and infiltration from reaching its wastewater treatment plant, according to the report submitted by Chip Stitley, sewer collection superintendent.

Inflow comes from illegal sewer taps that direct groundwater from downspouts, sump pumps and other sources into the sewer mains. Infiltration is groundwater that seeps into sewer pipes through defects in the pipe systems. These additional flows make the wastewater treatment plant work harder on waters that don’t need treatment. Reducing inflow and infiltration lowers costs for the city.

The work will save the city money in the long-run by reducing the cost of treating sewage at the plant, currently about $2.14 per 1,000 gallons, according to the report. It will also help eliminate overflows, Stitley said on Thursday.

Sewage treatment may not be the sexiest topic, but the way trenchless technology eases the upgrade work is pretty cool.

It allows for upgrades and replacement of entire sewer pipes without tearing apart the roads above them at all. Instead, an expandable sleeve is inserted into the existing, leaky pipes, preventing future leakages with no above-ground digging needed.

It’s low impact, and fast. Stitley said an entire city block of pipes can be rehabbed in a few hours, as opposed to the weeks or even months it would take to replace the pipes through old-fashioned digging.

The city contract piggybacks on the contract awarded to Am-Liner in Howard County. The difference between the contract and purchase order amounts allows the project manager to address any manhole rehabilitation or excavation issues that occur during the work, according to the report.

Am-Liner bills itself as the leader in pipe rehabilitation using trenchless technology, according to its website.

City elected officials also greenlighted a $500,000 contract to SAK Construction LLC to use trenchless technology for improvements to a bridge off of Dogwood Drive. This will be the first time the city uses trenchless technology to repair one of its bridges, according to Mike Winpigler, the city street maintenance superintendent.

SAK gets green light for bridge improvements in Frederick, MD.

Monday, January 25, 2016

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