Stoneham, MA

MWRA, Spot Pond

Scope/Solutions

SGH developed an emergency repair for a 48 in. dia. prestressed concrete cylinder pipeline penetrating the concrete core of the Spot Pond Dam. The pipe was cracked at the penetration point due to ground movement at a nearby bend in the pipeline.

SGH developed emergency repairs to reduce the risk of pipeline burst and stop leakage during a very short window of pipeline down time. We then designed a permanent repair for the pipe going through the dam core. Highlights of our work on this project include the following:

  • Inspected the pipe at its interface with the shore face of a wall
  • Performed finite element soil-structure interaction analyses of the pipeline, which indicated that the pipe leakage was caused by differential movement of the pipe and thrust block
  • Designed external and internal emergency repairs, including immediate installation of circumferential post-tensioning tendons to strengthen the pipe and prevent pipe rupture under pressure along with installation of a continuous inner seal system to stop the leak
  • Designed a permanent repair with a specially designed closure piece that would allow pipe movement relative to the wall

Project Summary

completion-date

1998

Completion Date
Solutions
Failure Investigation | Repair & Rehabilitation
Services
Structures | Advanced Analysis
Markets
Infrastructure & Transportation
Client(s)
Massachusetts Water Resource Authority
Specialized Capabilities
Repair & Strengthening | Buried Infrastructure

Key team members

Rasko Ojdrovic
Rasko Ojdrovic
Senior Principal
Mehdi Zarghamee
Mehdi Zarghamee
Senior Principal