City Emergency Sewer Repairs
Location
Charleston, MO
Owner / Customer
Private City Project
Engineer
Robinson Construction Company
Services Provided
Design-Build General Contractor
Contract Amount
$8M
Robinson Construction Company’s performance on our sewer line repair project has been outstanding. They came to our assistance when we were in an emergency situation due to the extreme flood in May 2011. The crews working here in town are doing a very professional job and working well to keep our citizens informed and in service. The City of Charleston is quite grateful for the work of Robinson Construction.
Project Summary
A city contacted Robinson Construction Company for an Emergency Sewer Repair project after area flooding caused several problems within the city’s sewer system. In April 2011, several major storm systems dropped record levels of rainfall on the Mississippi River watershed and as a result, the river swelled to record levels by the beginning of May, causing major flooding in many areas located along the Mississippi. The high ground water levels and correspondingly high ground water pressures caused ground water and sand to leak into the city’s sewer system, resulting in clogged sewers and structural problems with the sewer lines. In addition, the drifting sand formed cavities in the ground next to the sewer lines, causing the pipes to settle and crack. In some cases, major sections of the lines collapsed and became inoperable, causing settlement and safety issues in the streets. As most of the sewer line system was at least partially filled with sand, the traditional method of inspecting the sewer line for damage with a TV camera was not possible. The sewer lines had to be jetted with high-pressure water to remove the sand to allow an inspection camera through. The video recordings were reviewed and the line sections were evaluated individually for the appropriate repair solution. Robinson was forced to dewater and utilize sheet piling for trench protection due to the poor soils and high water table in the city. The city requested financial assistance from FEMA to repair the damaged sewer lines. Overall, the project included 20 repairs at various sites throughout the city in both residential and commercial areas.
