• Trenchless method will save valued spruce trees
CALGARY, CANADA, May 16, 2007 -- Insituform Blue, a division of Insituform Technologies, Inc., will renew 1,200 meters of a 12-inch water distribution main in Calgary, Canada.
The City of Calgary chose Insituform Blue's™ trenchless pipe renewal process in an effort to avoid the removal and replacement of a number of spruce trees along a 1200-meter water main. The trenchless project will make it possible to save 149 spruce trees that the city values at $717,000. Traditional "dig and replace" methods would have required cutting down the trees, which are valued not only for their price, but also their environmental significance.
Mike Luck, Capital Construction Coordinator for the City of Calgary, said, "These trees are among some of the most mature spruce trees in Calgary and are an important part of the local community." More than a dozen members of Calgary's Adopt-a-Park Program regularly water and maintain the spruce trees, according to Luck.
The boulevard that the trees line is a main thoroughfare for cars and pedestrians, giving access to Edworthy Park and the Bow River Basin, a large park and an environmental area, respectively.
The existing cast iron water main that is being rehabilitated was installed in 1956. Recent inspections using eddy current analysis have indicated significant deterioration. Although there have not been a substantial number of breaks in the past, rehabilitating the water main with PolyFlex™ will help to prevent future water main breaks and allow uninterrupted service to the high-density residential and commercial area.
The project, a partnership between Insituform Technologies, Inc. and the City of Calgary, will be completed in only four installations with the PolyFlex product.
The City has rehabilitated water pipe with other Insituform Blue products in the past including the Thermopipe and PolyFold™ trenchless water renewal products.
Insituform Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of technologies and services for rehabilitating water, sewer and other underground piping systems without digging and disruption. Insituform has operations and licensees in 40 countries worldwide. Insituform is headquartered in Chesterfield, Missouri and has manufacturing facilities in Batesville, Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee.
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