Trenchless Innovations was contacted by the building engineer of a 72 floor high-rise building with the goal of extending the lifespan of some newly installed cast iron pipes, which were showing deterioration due to sewer gas. Trenchless investigated the problem and recommended spray lining the pipes to make them new again.
Old cast iron pipes get new life at Legacy at Millennium with spray lining
The building’s parking garage is located on the 5th floor with an art institute located below it on the 4th floor. Drains from the parking garage run down through the floor and along the ceiling of the school on the 4th floor. The building engineers had experienced premature corrosion and failing of previously replaced cast iron pipes due to the effects of sewer gasses on the pipes. These sewer gasses resulted in sewer odors, and sometimes damage, from water leaking into the school on the 4th floor.
In a sanitary sewer, decomposing waste eventually turns into sulfuric acid. As a result, the upper portions of horizontal piping experience significant deterioration from the gasses. This deterioration often leads to sewer odors and/or leaking. Unfortunately, building codes would not allow for the installation or replacement of PVC pipes, so cast iron had to be re-installed.
Fortunately, Trenchless Innovations’ spray lining process allowed the inside of the cast iron pipe to be lined with an epoxy coating. This epoxy coating makes the newly installed coated pipe more resistant to the harmful sulfuric acids that ate through the old pipes.
The work needed to be completed during the summer months while the students at the art institute were on summer break. Trenchless Innovations worked closely with a team of plumbers to perform the work in a timely manner. To begin, the plumbers removed old sections of the 4” cast iron pipes and replaced them with new ones. Once the new pipes were in place, our team then spray lined the newly installed pipes with three coats of epoxy resin. Our epoxy coating gives the cast iron pipes a much better resistance to water and the harmful chemicals that damaged the previous pipes, thus extending the life of the pipes.
This is just another example of the many innovative ways Trenchless Innovations helps our many
customers!