Mabey Inc.’s line of products, engineering and responsive support created a stable work environment for a new storage tank system in Cobb County, Ga. The facility addresses issues created by heavy rainfall and plays a significant part in the advancement of Atlanta’s infrastructure. But its engineers never envisioned using a bridge for trench work.
The Atlanta area of Cobb County made great strides to update and improve its infrastructure. The region also strives to solve a common problem for cities all over the U.S.: During heavy rainfall, the sewers become overloaded and the excess rainwater floods the rivers and streams. In Atlanta, not only do these flooded rivers and streams cause damage and pose a safety concern to residents, but the federal government also fines the local government when this happens.
The city decided on a storage tank system. A combined sewer takes excess water and sewage to an underground storage tank. The pit for one intake measured 102 ft by 57 ft and was 24 ft deep. Already a very large excavation, it was further complicated by the existing sewer line running diagonally through it. The reinforced concrete pipe ran 71 ft feet across the excavation—it was 60 in. in diameter and 10 ft clear of the bottom of the excavation. Weighing 150,000 lb, the pipe would fall without support, filling the hole with sewage. Potential for such a catastrophe in mind, it was crucial that a solution was found that would ensure the workers’ safety and protect the pipe from breaking.
Mabey came up with an innovative way to combine their shoring and bridging equipment. Mabey engineers developed a plan that not only shored the pit but also safely suspended the pipe above the ground. They used one of Mabey’s 73-ft span box truss bridge with chains hung from the bridge and under the pipe, holding it safely in place. Mabey’s line of products, engineering, and responsive support created a stable work environment as work continued in the advancement of Atlanta’s infrastructure.
