Bringing new life to a water main under a bridge in New Jersey

The Garden State Parkway (GSP) is a highway that connects New Jersey’s southernmost tip near Cape May with the New York state line. In the city of Irvington, an 8” drinking water main is running beneath a bridge spanning the GSP. This 230 feet (70 m) long main was shut down due to a leak. The first rehabilitation of the steel and cast iron pipe with a cured-in-place (CIP) liner, however, was unsuccessful. Therefore, the pipe was completely taken out of service until a long-term repair solution could be determined.

This solution came five years later in form of Primus Line®. Apart from other benefits, its flexibility was the most decisive argument in favour of its utilisation. The aramid-reinforced  liner is installed with a slight annular space and does not cure or adhere to the walls of the existing host pipe, enabling it to navigate the movements and vibrations of the bridge under live loads. It also moves with the temperature-related shifting of the bridge. The ability to elongate and the internal pressure rating arrived from the aramid fibre reinforcement is yet another benefit that makes it perfect for use in these types of applications.

The CIP liner from the prior repair work meant the inner surface of the pipe was clean and smooth, but represented a unique challenge due to a decrease in diameter. Despite this situation, the operating pressure of 150 PSI (10 bar) could be maintained and Primus Line® was installed in just two days. One day was taken to pull the Primus Line into the host pipe, while another day was used to install the end connectors and pressure-test the pipe. This bridge application illustrates the unique strengths of Primus Line®.

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