The Plastics Pipe Institute (PPI) Municipal & Industrial Division presented AGRU with a 2023 Project of the Year Award for its role in the South Claiborne Project in New Orleans.
[Georgetown, South Carolina, June 1, 2024 —] AGRU America, Inc. (“AGRU”) has been awarded the Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI) 2023 Project of the Year Award for the Municipal & Industrial Division. Each year, the PPI membership reviews and votes on Project of the Year and Member of the Year for each of the five PPI divisions: Building & Construction, Drainage, Energy Piping Systems, Municipal & Industrial, and Power & Communications.
“This year, there were a very diverse group of projects submitted,” stated PPI President David M. Fink in a recent press release. “It is amazing the vast variety of innovative undertakings that can be accomplished with our members’ products in addition to those helping to improve our nation’s infrastructure.”
The PPI awards were presented during the group’s annual worldwide meeting held in Florida, May 13 – 16, 2024, with 348 members attending, which included 70 first-time attendees—a new record number.
“My team is thrilled to bring back this award for the company,” said Natasha Argujio, Vice President of AGRULINE at AGRU America. “We could not have achieved this without help from many departments, including technical, production, shipping, and operations. We also thank our distributor, Choice Supply Solutions, and partners for ensuring the success of this project.”
The South Claiborne Project in New Orleans featured an AGRU innovation. The project engineers utilized an installation method known as compressed fit, which uses existing infrastructure as a framework for installing a new pipeline and minimizing local disruption. AGRU expanded its production capabilities to include 30” and 48” (DIPS) SDR 17 solid-walled HDPE pipes to support this installation method, coordinating with Murphey Pipelines and CMG Pipelines, who handled many aspects of the installation. Especially important to this low-lying section of New Orleans, which is also prone to differential settlement, was the pipe’s corrosion resistance, flexibility, durability, and lower seismic susceptibility than other piping materials such as concrete or steel.
The South Claiborne Transmission Main Project was completed in late 2023. Thanks to the compressed fit installation approach and HDPE pipes, project owners estimated an overall 25% savings compared with other methods.
“Natasha’s team continues to reach new milestones for AGRULINE in the United States,” said Robert L. Johnson, President/CEO at AGRU America. “While AGRU is known globally for its piping systems, we are a relative newcomer in the states. Earning two PPI Project of the Year Awards signals the quality of projects we tackle and our market’s confidence in AGRULINE Piping Systems. We are proud of this achievement and look forward to continued partnerships to help build infrastructure for a sustainable future.”
About AGRU America, Inc.
Since 1988, Georgetown, SC–based AGRU America, Inc. has been on a mission to build a sustainable future by developing innovative engineering plastics solutions and fostering relationships built upon the highest quality, service, and dependability. AGRU America is part of AGRU Kunststofftechnik GmbH, an Austrian family-owned enterprise in business since 1948. AGRU maintains production facilities in Austria, the United States, and China. AGRU solutions, including state-of-the-art products such as AGRU geosynthetics, concrete protective liners, pipes and fittings, and semi-finished products, are sold in over 100 countries on six continents from over 150 distribution sites. Learn more about AGRU America at https://www.agruamerica.com.
About The Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI)
The Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI) is the major North American trade association representing the plastic pipe industry and is dedicated to promoting plastics as the materials of choice for pipe and conduit applications. PPI is the premier technical, engineering, and industry knowledge resource publishing data for use in the development and design of plastic pipe and conduit systems. Additionally, PPI collaborates with industry organizations that set standards for manufacturing practices and installation methods. Learn more about PPI at https://www.plasticpipe.org.
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