Granite Inliner
www.granite-inliner.com | 812.865.3232
The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) invests millions of dollars each year in renewing storm culverts that run trans- versely under its network of federal and state highways as part of its highway construction program. Recognizing that a culvert failure could lead to roadway collapse, regular inspection and reha- bilitation is key to keeping the state’s highways moving.
INDOT’s preferred methods of culvert rehabilitation include cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) and high-density polyethylene pipe (HDPE) sliplining. In July 2019, Granite Inliner used CIPP to rehabilitate three aged corrugated metal culverts running under Interstate 65 near the Meadow Lake Wind Farm north of Lafayette, Ind. The project was valued at more than $300,000.
Inliner CIPP is a minimally invasive technology that is used to restore aging and damaged underground sewer pipes. A felt or fiberglass tube saturated with a resin and catalyst mixture is inverted or pulled into the host pipe, inflated tightly against the walls of the pipe, then heated with water, steam or UV light to cure the resin—creating a “pipe within a pipe.” Inliner CIPP gives pipes increased flow capacity due to the liner’s smooth sur- face, meeting or exceeding the product’s design life of 50 years.
Highway culvert installations can be a tricky business, with traffic speeds up to 75 miles per hour and limited space for mate- rials delivery and staging. Due to the large size of the culverts—the first was 221 ft long and 51 in. in diameter, and the second and third were 235 ft in length of 62-by- 37-in. elliptical-shaped pipes—the liners were delivered via semi truck, leaving the crews a tight area between the berm and the highway to offload the lining tubes.
This project utilized the air inversion installation method with steam curing. For the 51-in. pipe, a nearby farm access road provided a staging area for the steam-curing equipment, giving the crews plenty of space to perform the installation. A pre-liner was installed as a buffer to the existing tar coating and rough surface of the corrugated metal pipe.
Sam Byler was the project manager for Granite Inliner, with Wayne Alexander serving as the superintendent. T&T Pipe Renovations was the prime contractor.
“Granite Inliner is pleased to perform yet another CIPP installation for INDOT, a program that we have been involved in since its inception more than 15 years ago,” said Byler. “CIPP is an important tool for keeping Indiana’s travelers and goods moving safely throughout the state.”
