Complex Lining Project Meets (almost every) Challenge in Queens, New York
April, 2023; by: Mario Carbone, Progressive Pipeline Management
This summary contains excerpts from the article published in the Spring issue of TRENCHLESS FOR GAS INFRASTRUCTURE.
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After a big lining project, I often go back to the site and think about what went well and any lessons learned that we could apply to future projects. I was standing on the corner of 134th Street and 97th Ave. in Queens, New York City. Cars were parked on both sides of the one-way street. There was a constant hum from cars and vroom from the trucks two blocks north along the Van Wyck Expressway. Overhead was the intermittent high-pitched whir of plane engines as they fly in and out of JFK airport 2 miles to the South. PPM was tasked with remediating an underground gas main that traversed over 1 mile in this densely populated, heavily trafficked urban area.
The 24” cast iron National Grid gas main pipeline underneath 134th Street was lined using the Starline® Cured-in-Place-Lining (CIPL) technology. The 1.3-mile project extended along 134th Street from 97th Ave. and the Van Wyck Expressway all the way to 116th Avenue. PPM’s advanced leak repair technology is a trusted strategy enabling gas utilities to comply with the PHMSA PIPES ACT regulations for reducing methane emissions. CIPL technology is integral to National Grid’s long-term strategy to manage leaking infrastructure.
Tackling Leak Prone Pipe with a Turnkey Solution
This section of cast iron gas main in Queens is part of National Grid’s strategic mandate to rehabilitate over 100 miles of leak prone pipe throughout New York and New England. Taking advantage of the 100+ years of additional life that the Starline CIPL restores back into their aging infrastructure, National Grid’s Leak Prone Pipe is being lined and rehabilitated. PPM and Hallen Construction, National Grid’s primary contractor, deliver a turnkey solution that has been a cost-effective and critical alliance for National Grid’s Leak Reduction Program.
The dense, urban neighborhood in Queens has modest single-family homes, apartments, and tree-lined sidewalks. Along the sixteen-block stretch is a Sikh temple, a used car lot, a 24-hour grocery store and a few local bars and restaurants.
This was a complex project. 1.3 miles is quite long for a CIPL project. The 24” main under 134th Street changes direction multiple times with zigs and zags. Every joint where a length of the cast iron pipe connected to the next length of pipe was leaking. PPM needed ten pits for the lining and two additional pits for the gas shut off, an essential step in the CIPL process.
When we talk about lining projects, engineers often ask, ‘how long did it take?’ On paper, the planning, excavation, cleaning, pipe preparation, lining and completion took approximately four months. But that is not completely accurate. It really took five decades, which is as long I have been in the gas pipeline business. The relationships with Hallen, National Grid and PPM were built on trust and competence across several decades. We execute complex lining projects successfully, safely, and cost-effectively, because we have an alliance that is focused on a single goal, successfully eliminating leaks from existing gas mains.
an extraordinary alliance
I have had the privilege to know and work with Hallen and National Grid almost the entire 52 years I’ve been in the gas industry. The combined expertise encompasses the best of rehabilitation technology, pipeline construction, gas engineering and distribution practices. Our training took place on these streets of New York, and the northeast.
Hallen has been in business for ninety-five years. Hallen and National Grid, formerly Brooklyn Union Gas, have been working together since the early 1970’s. I’ve known Hallen since I started out at Brooklyn Union Gas. As PPM’s construction management arm of the turnkey operation, Hallen handles the excavation, the pipe work, paving and putting it all back together. The crews support PPM with manpower, traffic control and offer invaluable input at every stage.
“We speak the same language. Whatever PPM or National Grid needs for the project, it will get done. Our partnership operates from a deep level of trust while at the same time being open to new ideas and solutions.”
Most of PPM’s engineering team was at one time part of the National Grid ecosystem. We learned the gas industry the old-fashioned way, starting at the “Brooklyn Union Gas School of Hard Knocks.” They gave us shovels and put us to work in a ditch. I loved every minute of it. Brooklyn Union Gas (BUG) ultimately became National Grid. I worked my way through National Grid and “retired” after 35 years. I “unretired” twenty years ago to join David Wickersham at PPM.
“ Our alliance with Hallen Construction and the Turn-Key CIPL program for National Grid is an industry first. It demonstrates proven value and showcases our companies’ mutual commitment to excellence. We offer CENTURIES of experience in gas system engineering, gas construction, excavation, safety and pipeline rehabilitation in a single offering.
This experience and partnership enables PPM, with Hallen, to synchronize all aspects of pipeline rehabilitation seamlessly from initial project design to final restoration.”
step one - planning
Once National Grid had identified that this pipe would need to be rehabilitated, their engineers provided drawings and specified the sections that we were to line. We studied every detail, collaborated with our internal teams, and designed the Gas Lining Layout (GLL). The GLL maps the entire project laid out from the gas perspective and the lining perspective. The location and details of the lining pits and gas shutdown pits were identified along 134th Street and 97th Street. Our operations team led by Tom Nestoras weighed in on the execution and safety protocols.
When we presented the Gas Lining Layout to National Grid, we talked through the geographic location of the ten pits that were required to support the lining. National Grid has a gas feed system that regulates gas services in the neighborhood. By redirecting the service to an alternate main, they ensured that service to their customers was never interrupted during the project. Gas shutdown procedures and pits were also reviewed.
The GLL worked perfectly…..on paper. However, when we walked the site with National Grid and Hallen to see the exact sites for excavation, we realized that we had not fully considered the impact that one of the pits would have on traffic at a key intersection. Hallen recommended we move that specific pit about 25 feet to minimize the traffic impact.
Lining Compared to Traditional Trench and Replace
National Grid could have opted not to install a CIPL in this 1.3-mile-long section of gas main. Upon closer analysis, however, this would have been a more daunting challenge. To ‘trench and replace’ would have meant excavating over every connecting joint within the scope of the project. That would have required 580 individual pit openings. Each pit requires a road permit. The pits are large and sheeted because the pipe is large in diameter. There would have been a pit every twelve feet along the 1.3-mile section of pipe. Not only would the hard costs have been astronomical, the carbon footprint and environmental impact of pulling all that soil out of the ground and then having to replace it all again is unthinkable. Furthermore, the entire project would have taken about two years to complete. Rehabilitating the pipeline with 12 pits total was the most sensible option.
“ PPM and Hallen are crucial to National Grid’s Leak Reduction Program. Rehabilitating leak-prone pipe permanently eliminates leaks and extends the life of reconditioned pipelines by 100 years. They support our strategy to reduce methane emissions, ensure safety and minimize the impact of excavations and disruptions to our customers.”
Download the full article: TURNKEY ALLIANCE MANAGES LEAK-PRONE INFRASTRUCTURE
About PPM: Progressive Pipeline Management (PPM) is a NJ-based, full service contractor that has been committed to improving the safety and longevity of pipeline infrastructure over the last 20-years. PPM offers the latest trenchless robotics and technologies to perform condition assessments and renew aging, damaged or leaking underground infrastructure on pipelines of all types and sizes. The Starline® Cured-In-Place-Lining (CIPL) technology is the only approved liner for natural gas pipelines and adds 100 years of new service life to the existing pipe while eliminating all methane leaks and emissions. The innovative solution has been installed in over 1 million feet of gas mains in 20 states.
