AGRU HDPE pipe used to help to create a new sewer main for Fort Lauderdale

History

In 2020, the City Commission of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, approved a $65 million fund for the design and construction of a 7.5-mile–long pipe that will serve as a redundant wastewater transmission line. The extended line would start from Coral Ridge Country Club Wastewater Lift Station and end at the G. T. Lohmeyer Wastewater Treatment Plant (GTL), providing improved infrastructure with redundancy, enhanced reliability, and improved services.

Problem

One challenge with the project was that some sections of the 7.5-mile-long pipe extension run near or along streets and roadways, as well as residential zones and neighborhoods. To help minimize the impact in these areas, a piping material capable of being installed using underground horizontal directional drilling (HDD) was required.

Solution

To overcome installation constraints, engineers used high-density polyethylene (HDPE) sewer pipes. In addition to being flexible and durable enough to support HDD, HDPE pipes are more corrosion-resistant and have fewer mechanical joints, which helps reduce long-term maintenance requirements. The piping system is also expected to improve the infrastructure’s resilience to rising sea levels and groundwater tables.

Two contractors, Murphy Pipeline Contractors and David Mancini & Sons, worked simultaneously to fast-track construction, with the northern portion handled by Murphy Pipeline and the southern portion handled by David Mancini & Sons.

Outcome

The new force main was completed without issue and set a record for one of the longest and largest HDD pressurized sewer pipe installations in the world, at 3,100 ft at OD 54. The installation required fusing about 23 pipe sections as it was being pulled underground.

This award-winning project was completed in 18 months.