New technology has contributed to M. Tucker & Sons’ recent success on a Yarra Valley Water project.
Darren Tucker, Director of M. Tucker & Sons says the collaboration represents progression of an industry, and its regulators commitment to embracing new technologies.
As part of the contract, the company, which specialises in drainage maintenance, completed corrosion protection installation works for Yarra Valley Water in Park Orchards, Victoria, utilising UV maintenance hole rehabilitation technology.
“We thoroughly enjoyed the entire process,” Tucker says.
“From tender submission and post submission interview through to installation and completion, the communication was transparent with safety and environmental awareness being discussed throughout.”
The technical challenges of these maintenance hole rennovations were numerous as the four structures were located in environmentally sensitive areas.
Tucker says the team relined these four by utilising the BB2.5 vertical UV glass reinforced plastic (GRP) liner. The purpose of the liners was corrosion protection as the mainline was recording very high levels of hydrogen sulphide gas (H2S) up to 400 ppm, as the line was being fed by pump wells that were installed as part of the Yarra Valley Water Community Sewer Program (CSP).
The liners were cured utilising a purpose-built light source. Flow channels were relined via hand lamination of GRP glass sheet and resin, and exiting steel core steps replaced with GRP ladders.
For Tucker, the most challenging element throughout the delivery of this project were the weather conditions, with 60 mm of rain recorded for the week of installation some special care and consideration was required.
“Weather was the main challenge,” he says. “The expectation of the customer and the residents around impact to grassed surfaces was high. All equipment was moved around site on mud mats, and without building a temporary track of the mats, no shading of the grasses occurred over the works period, as such all expectations set were achieved, in relation to protection of surrounding grassed areas and also the quality of the installations.”
As one of the largest Victorian government-owned retail water corporations, Yarra Valley Water provides water and sewerages services to over two million people in Melbourne’s northern and eastern suburbs.
The Yarra Valley Water team commended M. Tucker & Sons professionalism and efficiency.
“The project was overall very successful in identifying a new technology in which has minimal impact to customers with a reduced footprint when compared to traditional relining works,” shares Yarra Valley Water.
Tucker says with the deepest maintenance hole being 5.5 m, the team needed to handle significant awkward loads in sensitive areas usual crane trucks were not an option.
This was achieved using the smallest possible crane, so the ground pressure was significantly reduced, and all expectations for Yarra Valley Water were met.
“As the built environment around us increases to encroach on the service areas, we find it’s much harder than in the past to dig out and replace infrastructure,” he says.
“Low footprint process like UV mainlines and maintenance hole relining technologies are important,” Tucker says. “The UV product was viewed favourably on this project, and we were able to safely access and work in these environments, while we reduced disruption to the user and public.”
For more information visit www.mtuckerandsons.com.
This article featured in the June edition of Trenchless Australasia.
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