To some contractors and
municipal engineers sewer
pipe deflection can be a bad
word. In fact, Ultra-Rib® performs
well as a result of its natural
deflection characteristics. Instead of
cracking under the loads common in
deep burial sewer applications, the
pipe deflects slightly, shifting the load
to the surrounding bedding and redistributing
it to absorb the weight, forming
a stable and leak-proof system for
decades without the need for maintenance
and repair.
A project in the Township of
Strathroy-Caradoc, outside London,
Ontario, illustrates a municipality’s
trust in Ultra-Rib. To support a boom
in commercial and residential growth,
the township needed trunk services to
an industrial area during the reconstruction
of a major street. The township
awarded the $3.6 million contract
to Blue-Con Inc. for the 525mm sanitary
sewer.
Joe Haasen of Blue-Con chose
Ultra-Rib for its cost-effectiveness,
his confidence in its ability to deflect
the weight of the 32 feet burial depths,
and for its strength, high flow rates
and tight joints.
The township’s Environmental
Services Manager, Tony Slabon, said
this pipe allowed installation at relatively
flat grades to service the large
area, while still maintaining self-cleaning
velocities. The light weight
of the pipe allowed it to be safely handled
in the confined space of the
trench box. The longer laying lengths
resulted in fewer joints, helping to
keep the project on budget.
Three years later, in 2004, a video
inspection revealed that the system
was performing exactly as designed.
