Plumbing
Contractors Turn to Trenchless
Roto-Rooter Leads the Way
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The
Roto-Rooter Engineering Services crew installed three
1-inch copper water service lines, underneath a parking
lot, for the project in Snellville, GA. The crew
used a compact Grundodrill
4X HDD for the
longer section installations.
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by Jim Schill
Plumbing contractors
around the United States are finding that trench less
technology can help them improve their service offerings
while improving their bottom line. Roto-Rooter Services
is a prime example. Roto-Rooter Service Company is the
largest plumbing company is North America. The Engineering
Services division was created in Atlanta in September
of 2002 to provide trenchless replacement solutions
to residential, commercial, industrial and municipal
customers.
A recent project in Snellville, GA. highlights the extent
and effort that Roto-Rooter has placed on expanding its
repertoire from plumbing services to expert trench less
contractor. Dave Glazer, Director of Engineering Services
Atlanta, has been spearheading
the trench less effort at Roto-Rooter. He said, “The project in Snellville
required two trench less methods, horizontal boring and directional drilling.
It shows how far we’ve [Roto-Rooter] come in the last few years. Now we
have the ability to take on difficult projects and develop sensible, trench less
solutions for them.”
The water line replacement project required the installation
of over 1,200 feet of copper water service. For the project
Glazer’s crews used a Grundodrill
4X compact directional drill and a Grundomat P-65 piercing tool from TT Technologies,
Aurora, Ill.
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A
2 1/2-inch Grundomat 65-P was used to make the short
connections to each individual building. Shots with
the piercing tool ranged between 50 and 60 feet.
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Engineering
Services
Roto-Rooter was founded in
1935. Today the company boasts 540 offices nationwide offering
residential and light commercial plumbing services. In
2002, the Engineering Services division was created to
increase awareness and promote the use of trench less technology
throughout the company. Since its inception, the group’s focus has
been expanding the company’s core offerings to include
pipeline replacement and rehabilitation services. Dave
Glazer has been instrumental in that effort.
With over 32 years in the water and wastewater industry
Glazer has worn many hats. He has worked on the municipal
side and contractor side, as well as engineering and
consultant side. He’s been involved in the construction of everything
from tank washing systems to wastewater treatment facilities. Glazer is also
no stranger to trench less technology. He has been working with various types
of trench less equipment for over a decade, gaining his first exposure through
manhole replacement techniques. This industry veteran was chosen to head up Roto-Rooter
Atlanta’s Engineering Services division.
Glazer said, “We’re aiming to do some of the specialty trench less
projects that other people just aren’t able to do. We’re not trying
to compete with other contractors; we want to work with them. We want to be able
to take the projects that need to be done, but other companies either can’t
do or can’t afford to come in and do.”
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The
new 1-inch copper water services replaced
aging 1-inch polybutylene pipes. Disruption
was kept to a minimum through the use of
trenchless technology.
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Tools
of the Trade
One of the trench less tools
Engineering Services utilizes is horizontal directional
drilling. While the HDD market has seen a slowdown, directional
drilling continues to be a viable and useful technology
in many sectors. The water, gas and electric industries
continue to utilize the technology for “last mile” installations
and “street to the house” utility installations.
Service installations less than 300 feet have prompted interest in smaller drill
rigs. It has also heightened the interest in horizontal boring with piercing
tools, another trench less method Engineering Services uses.
According to TT Technologies Product Specialist Eddie
Ward, the development of smaller drills and the resurgence
of piercing tool usage marks two important trends in
the industry. He said, “With the lack of longer range, medium
diameter drill work, the industry has moved toward shorter, smaller diameter
installations, in tight working conditions. The technology in today’s smaller
drills has increased their capability and made them easier to use. This fact
alone allows entities like Roto-Rooter and other groups to utilize this type
of technology.
“On the piercing tool side, I believe the rediscovery so to speak is driven
be cost and efficiency. Contractors are remembering or realizing that these tools
represent tremendous value. They are extremely versatile and capable, as well
as affordable.”
Capability
is also a factor with the new compact directional
drills. With some “mini” drills
offering as much as 9,200 lbs. of thrust and pullback, the machines are able
to accomplish a wide range of installation tasks. According to Ward the drill
offers operational efficiency in terms of its vice cycling system as well. He
said, “A computerized Smart Vice system simplifies the drilling process
by automating the drill’s vice cycling operations. The operator has single
push button control of the function. That helps improve efficiency and speeds
up drill times. The vice is also self-centering, reducing wear and tear. The
operator can return to manual control with a flip of a switch.”
Ward continued, “These compact drills work well in residential areas which
makes them attractive to companies that have that residential focus. They can
be transported on a trailer pulled by a pick up truck and require minimal crews
to operate. The 4X’s special steel track with bonded rubber pads offers
excellent traction and durability while minimizing potential damage to concrete
and turf which is important in residential settings.”
On
the Job
The
Snellville project necessitated the replacement of over
1,200 feet of 1-inch blue polybutylene water services with
1-inch copper. According to Glazer the facility had been
experiencing trouble for quite sometime. He said, “The
work was being done at a medical center. Because it’s
a facility that treats patients, it cannot be without water
at anytime. The blue polybutylene lines had suffered several
breaks and leaks recently. With repair costs quickly adding
up, the property management group finally decided to have
the lines replaced.”
The entire project was done under a parking lot. Three services to three separate
buildings needed to be installed. Each service was divided into two sections,
a long section and a short section. Each long section ran from the water meter
to a designated point in the parking lot where a pit was dug. The corresponding
short section elbowed 90 degrees at that point and ran to the specific building.
Glazer said the project offered some extensive challenges. He said, “We
had several utilities to contend with. We had a major fire line that basically
ran down the middle of the project. We also had storm drains to contend with
underneath, as well as some electrical conduit from the light poles in the parking
lot. We made certain to map things out very carefully. And the whole project
came off without a hitch. That doesn’t happen every time, but it did here.”
The long sections ranged from 75 feet to 250 feet and ran down the center of
the parking lot. Glazer chose to directional drill those sections. However, instead
of drilling out and pulling back each pipe segment individually, the crew was
able to utilize a single bore that traveled through each pit. During pullback
a new section of copper pipe was added when the drill reached each consecutive
pit. With the three pipes in place, Glazer’s crew set to the task of boring
to the buildings.
The short sections ranged from 50 to 60 feet and ran perpendicular to the lines
that were installed by the Grundodrill. Glazer chose to install the short sections
using the piercing tool. Crews used a 2 1/2-inch Grundomat 65-P to bore from
the consecutive pits in the center of the parking to the corresponding building.
The project took approximately one week to complete. All of the boring work was
completed in a single day. The existing blue poly lines were abandoned and the
new copper put in service. Glazer anticipates more trench less work in the future
and the continued growth of Engineering Services.
Underground Construction, November 2003
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The Roto-Rooter
crews were able to utilize a single bore with the 4x to install all
three services. The bore ran went through each pit. During pullback
the crew added the next section of pipe when pullback reached each
consecutive pit. The connections to the buildings were then made
with a piercing
tool.
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