The Moon Street storm drain in Albuquerque, N.M., is used to transfer storm water from the South East Mesa to the AMAFCA I-40 flood channel. Before renovations, the last 3,000 ft was a surface drain, traversing the Los Altos Golf Course and dumping into the I-40 channel.
The city of Albuquerque wanted to install 3,000 ft of storm drain, which eliminates the surface drain and replaces it with a subsurface drain. The city needed a storm sewer product that was a functional, cost-efficient alternative to reinforced concrete pipe (RCP).
SRPE Solution
DuroMaxx steel-reinforced polyethylene (SRPE) from Contech Construction Products Inc. was the chosen solution for the pipe because it was the only alternative that could provide the necessary strength and durability of RCP. With strong 80-kilopound-per-square-inch steel reinforcing ribs and pressure-rated polyethylene resin providing the durability, it was the ideal combination. The city also preferred a uniform system that consisted of both SRPE pipe and SRPE manholes, as opposed to reinforced concrete manholes.
DuroMaxx pipe is lightweight and can be handled easily and installed quickly, often eliminating the need to use heavy construction equipment. The outside diameter is smaller than that of other conventional pipe materials, resulting in less trench excavation. The two main cost drivers to install water conveyance products are manpower and machinery, and DuroMaxx provides the opportunity to save in both, resulting in less overall spending.
Installation & Feedback
The longer lengths and easy joint assembly are a couple of the SRPE solution’s installation advantages.
“The easier handling and installation of the large-diameter DuroMaxx storm drain pipe enabled us to increase productivity, which translated directly to cost savings,” said John White of Salls Brothers Construction Inc.
Contech designed a 96-by-48 tee manhole with an access ladder, and the city accepted it as a standard specification for this project. All of the manholes weighed less than 1,000 lb and took less than 30 minutes to install. The fast installation resulted in tremendous installed cost savings over RCP.
“The installation was quite impressive in relation to the quality of materials, field-applied jointing of the pipe and roundness of the pipe,” said New Mexico Department of Transportation Div. Director Jimmy D. Camp, P.E.
