How Manhole Repairs with CIPP Save Time and Money for Municipalities
The aging infrastructure of sewer and potable water lines affects more than just homes. Municipal maintenance requires cost-effective solutions to address sewer main and manhole repairs.
One alternative to conventional digging and replacement is cured-in-place pipe repairs. Manhole repair with CIPP can save cities and municipalities thousands of dollars each year in repair costs while also cutting downtime to a few hours per job.
Manhole Repairs: Conventional Options
Damaged and deteriorating manholes can result in infiltration, leakage, and environmental pollution, so viable repair options are important. While some issues can be fixed, others may result in more drastic measures.
Grouting
The first approach for damaged manholes is grouting. When cracks or leaks in the walls or joints cause water infiltration or leakage, crews can inject grout into problem areas to eliminate these issues.
Grouting can seal cracks caused by root intrusions, ground shifting, and joint issues. Grout can also fill voids adjacent to the manhole that occur due to weathering, erosion, or settling. With only a few hours needed to complete this type of repair, grouting is a fast and relatively inexpensive option.
But grouting can only address nonstructural issues, so the window to use it as a solution to manhole concerns is narrow.
Replacement
When grouting isn’t possible due to structural concerns, most manholes will need to be replaced instead of repaired. This process requires digging the manhole structure out, replacing the vertical with a new manhole, and then rehabilitating the surrounding ground or infrastructure. This is a costly and time-consuming process, but it allows these access points to remain in service when they are needed in a particular location.
Abandonment
In some cases, the cost and/or inconvenience of replacing a manhole could require abandonment instead. The access point is covered and sealed, the terminal is closed, and a new access point is installed in a more convenient location. The cost could be less than replacement, depending on the original location of the manhole, but it is still far more expensive than grouting.
Manhole Repair with CIPP
When these three conventional options aren’t feasible, manhole repair with CIPP is a perfect alternative. CIPP repairs are ideal for trench-free rehabilitation needs, whether it’s avoiding destructive digging or fixing problems that replacements simply delay from happening again in a few years. CIPP manhole repair offers similar benefits, and at a lower cost.
Structural Reinforcement
Cured-in-place liners provide structural improvements for pipelines, so manhole repairs with CIPP can offer more versatility than grouting. Once the resin is cured, a CIPP liner essentially replaces the structure of the original pipe. And repairs can last 50 years or longer, preventing future cracks and leaks that could occur again with grouting.
Avoiding Replacement and Abandonment
By offering structural support for manhole repairs, municipalities can avoid the higher cost of complete replacement or abandonment. CIPP repairs take far less time (as little as 4 hours from start to finish), and they cause only minimal disruptions to services and traffic.
Combining Grouting and Manhole Repair with CIPP
In the case of voids around the damaged manhole, technicians can combine CIPP and grouting to fill in the voids and reinforce the structural integrity of damaged manholes. This more comprehensive solution can help increase the service life of manholes even further.
Better Repairs, Lower Costs
Cities need alternatives for manhole repairs, and CIPP meets those needs. With lower costs than replacement and more versatile repairs than grouting, manhole repairs with CIPP are ideal for budget-conscious infrastructure projects. And by offering this service alongside other plumbing and CIPP repairs, your business can help cities and municipalities improve their communities without breaking the bank.
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