When the Birmingham, Alabama based company, Video-Industrial-Services (VIS) saw an increase in the critical defects observed inside the storm sewers of their customer’s municipal drainage systems and commercial properties; they looked to one of the most experienced manufactures in the industry for a solution. Strong Materials was ahead of the need, and had a specially formulated, a fiber-reinforced cementitious mixture designed for storm structure lining. So a year later, when the DOT discovered a failing Corrugated Metal Pipe (CMP) in an Interstate cross drain, Storm Seal was an ideal product to address the subgrade problem.
In 2014, A sinkhole appeared along the shoulder of I-459. The pipe’s failure had begun with flows carrying sand, rock, and other abrasives wearing away the asphaltic top coat and then the underlying zinc galvanized coating. The invert was heavily compromised along most of the pipes 500 - foot run, but was the worst where inlet structures or grade changes had made the flow more turbulent. Strong’s equipment allowed high strength grout to be pumped into the missing invert. Then Storm Seal applied in ½-inch lifts of Centrically Cast Concrete Pipe (CCCP).
The DOT had received multiple pipe lining proposals using different methods and materials, but the lower material cost and small construction footprint of fully cementitious solution was selected for its zero impact on traffic and overall value.
