| The schedule was tight enough when Jefferson County, Alabama, began work on a sewer project in early 1997. If that wasn’t enough, timely completion of the work was essential for satisfying a somewhat maniacal breed: golfers. With the help of AMERICAN Ductile Iron pipe, however, the county put the ball in the hole.
The $10.6-million project, Phase II of the Patton Creek Trunk Sewer Replacement, was needed to replace an undersized line built in the 1950s that had fallen into disrepair. Much of the old sewer was located under the fairways, tee boxes, and greens at Hoover Country Club in the Birmingham suburbs. To expedite construction, and for safety reasons, a decision was made to close the golf course for a year while construction was in progress. To minimize the shut-down period and money paid to the club for lost golfing revenues, Jefferson County provided early-completion incentives to the contractor, Ellard Contracting Co. of Birmingham. The result: An eagle, of sorts. Work on that portion of the project was completed two months ahead of schedule. When the overall project is completed in early 1999, the relocated sewer line will be easily accessible for proper maintenance, it will provide capacity for future development, and it will minimize extraneous flows entering the system through cracks and leaking joints. Along with Ellard’s efforts, AMERICAN’s product quality and responsive Customer Service Department were instrumental in the project’s success. AMERICAN supplied 6,300 feet of 54-inch Fastite ® pipe and fittings and 3,300 feet of 48-inch Fastite ® pipe and fittings for the job. Rod Hawkins, project manager for F.W. Dougherty Engineering and Associates in Birmingham, said AMERICAN piping "brought durability and flexibility" to the installation procedures on the job. "Of course, we feel that using ductile iron enhances the design life of the line, and we were impressed with the gasket performance," he said. "We feel AMERICAN Ductile Iron pipe allowed us an advantage in completing the job in a timely manner." "The greatest thing about using AMERICAN pipe is that you know you will receive the highest quality pipe 100 percent of the time," said Ron Wilson of Jefferson County Environmental Services. "AMERICAN consistently supplied quality pipe for this project and other county projects and always has done so in a timely manner," Wilson said. "The construction of this project required several field changes and special pieces that AMERICAN supplied quickly, thereby minimizing the contractor’s down time. Their engineering capability and other support services also ensured that field changes were made in a manner that met or exceeded expectations." "Customer service support was critical to our success, and AMERICAN provided us with excellent Customer Service personnel," said Ellard Contracting Co. Project Manager Drury Ellard. "AMERICAN kept us supplied with whatever we needed at the critical points of the job." AMERICAN piping, Ellard said, was ideal for this job. "Because of the limited access, we were able to store the pipe in a central location and shuttle it to the point of installation, which was usually a creek bottom," he said. "Field conditions required an odd assortment of large-diameter bends, short pieces, and special deflection joints and welded outlets. AMERICAN was excellent with just-in-time deliveries. We never missed an opportunity to lay pipe because of a material shortage." |
Workers lower a piece of AMERICAN Ductile Iron pipe in a deep-trench installation. The pipe’s superior strength and load resistance make it ideal in such situations.[Photo by Bill Carson] |
An installation crew readies another piece of AMERICAN piping for installation in front of the Hoover Country Club’s club house. This particular site runs along an edge of the golf course that, according to initial project plans, was to be closed for 12 months during construction of the line. Timely deliveries and the field adaptability of AMERICAN products contributed to the work’s completion two months ahead of schedule.[Photo by Bill Carson] |
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"The greatest thing about using AMERICAN pipe is that you know you will receive the highest quality pipe 100 percent of the time," said Ron Wilson of Jefferson County Environmental Services. Here, a crew prepares to install another piece of the highest-quality pipe.[Photo by Bill Carson] |
| Owner: | Jefferson County Environmental Services |
| Project: | Patton Creek Trunk Sewer Replacement, Phase II |
| Engineers: | F.W. Dougherty Engineering & Associates, Birmingham, Alabama |
| Contractor: | Ellard Contracting Co., Birmingham, Alabama |
| Material: | 6,300 feet of 54-inch Fastite ® pipe and fittings and 3,300 feet of 48-inch Fastite ® pipe and fittings |
| Sales Representative: | Bill Carter |
| Customer Service Representative: | Lori Fant |
© 1998 American Cast Iron Pipe Co.
