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Steel reinforced polyethylene (SRPE) pipe is the latest product that has entered the already overcrowded flexible plastic drainage and sewer pipe market with manufacturers claiming to address several concerns that have plagued traditional profile wall high density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe. The marketers of SRPE pipe claim that this new product combines the high strength of […]
Every engineer should be keenly aware of the following relationship: RISK = Probability of Failure *Consequences of Failure Engineers involved in the design and construction of buried infrastructure should be especially aware of this relationship. Buried infrastructure includes storm sewers, culverts, sanitary sewers and watermains. All of these pipes are expected to perform as both […]
CBC Sudbury broadcast investigative reports by Megan Thomas and Markus Schwabe on deteriorated bridges and culverts on its show, Morning North, from October 29 to November 1. The four-day series, called Sudbury’s Big Fix, was informative and provocative. Sudbury’s Big Fix began with a look at the state of aging bridges and culverts in the […]
Design engineers of buried structures appreciate the need for a comprehensive geotechnical investigation. In addition to determining the soil conditions below the surface, it is vital that the groundwater levels, including fluctuations throughout the year, be verified during the design stage. While lightweight pipe materials such as corrugated steel or plastic are more prone to […]
Due to factors like climate change and intensified urban development, insurance claims in Canada from water damage exceed claims from fire, theft, and other natural disasters combined. This is compounded by the fact that the average cost of each home insurance claim is rising significantly because more homeowners are furnishing their basements as a living […]
Stories of motorists having near misses from sudden culvert failures and sinkholes within our highway infrastructure system have increasingly gained the attention of Canadians. As provinces already struggle to keep up with existing infrastructure that is reaching a 100 year service life, the premature failure of culverts that are in some cases less than 25 […]
Peel Regional Council heard nine delegations on July 5, 2012 concerning the Hanlan Water Project. Council was asked to decide whether to allow steel pipe supplied by Northwest Pipe Company from the United States as an alternative to concrete pressure pipe for the Hanlan Water Project. “We talk about free trade, but it really isn’t […]
A sanitary sewer project was released for tender by the City of London in early 2013. The sanitary sewer was designed using reinforced concrete pipe. However, the contract also included a trial section of 65 metres of 900mm polypropylene plastic pipe. The plastic pipe in question was offered free of charge by the Ohio based […]
When referring to sewers, sustainable infrastructure might get translated as the need for long-term pipe performance. For these underground pipelines, their ability to meet the desired design performance is highly dependent upon the support given to the pipe by way of its bedding and/ or embedment as constructed during installation. Sometimes, there is an implied […]
A corrugated steel culvert collapsed under the weight of a school bus in Rhome, Texas on Thursday January 26th, leaving the bus stuck with its rear in the air. Only four of the day’s 63 passengers were still on board at the time of the culvert collapse and the driver was able to get those […]
