Underground Solutions and Mears Group Complete Record HDD Pull for Beaufort Jasper Water&Sewer Authority in South Carolina

Underground Solutions (UGSI) teamed up with Mears Group to successfully install 5,120 LF of UGSI's FPVC™ -- the longest single HDD pull of thermoplastic pipe in history -- beneath the Beaufort River. The installation of nearly one mile of Fusible PVC™ was completed on June 12 with no complications. The new pipeline will convey reclaimed water from the Beaufort Jasper Water&Sewer Authority (BJWSA) of Okatie, SC to the Secession Golf Club for irrigation.

Following completion of its new Port Royal Water Reuse Facility in 2006, BJWSA asked its consultant to investigate using fusible polyvinyl chloride pipe as a possible material to carry reclaimed water beneath the Beaufort River to the Secession Golf Club. BJWSA had considered alternative materials, including steel pipe and HDPE, but ultimately selected FPVC™ because it combined the best elements of those alternatives. Steel pipe has adequate strength to be pulled that distance, but is costly and requires elaborate corrosion control measures. HDPE, while corrosion resistant, is limited by its strength-to-weight ratio and its elastic nature when loaded in tension for extended periods. BJWSA selected Mears Group as the HDD contractor for the project.

Due to space limitations, the FPVC™ was fused in five separate lengths of approximately 1,000 LF each in preparation for the pull under the river. During pullback, after each 1,000 LF length had been partially pulled, UGSI fused on the next 1,000 LF section. Once the new joint cooled, the pull was resumed. The final joint was fused during a driving rainstorm. BJWSA's Assistant General Manager, Ed Saxon, was effusive: "The partnership of BJWSA, Mears Group, and Underground Solutions proved to be a great combination to achieve this record horizontal drill. We are extremely pleased with the performance of the FPVC™ pipe and look forward to many more successful installations for our water and sewer applications."