Posted on November 9, 2020
The Luce Bayou Interbasin Transfer Project (LBITP) was recognized by Water & Waste Digest as one of the Top Projects in 2020. Victaulic was honored to support Coastal Water Authority, BG&E, and Thalle Construction on this project with our mechanically grooved products and solutions for the Infrastructure market.
Water & Waste Digest Top Plant Award
Each year, Water & Waste Digest recognizes the best projects in the design and/or construction phases from the prior 18 months. The projects selected for this award exemplify innovative solutions to reoccurring problems, tremendous scale considerations, and outstanding coordination among stakeholders, contractors, designers, and utilities. The WWD Editorial Advisory Board, which consists of industry professionals and experts from utilities and manufacturers, determines the winners of the award.
Read more about the LBITP award recognition from Water & Waste Digest.
Overview of this Critical Infrastructure Project
In order to meet the anticipated demand increase while also shifting to utilizing surface water in Texas, the Luce Bayou Interbasin Transfer Project (LBITP) was developed by the Coastal Water Authority. The LBITP is a $318 million water supply project that includes a 500 MGD pump station (located on a 90-acre parcel), approximately 3.6 miles of pipelines, setting basin and maintenance facility, 23 miles of open canals to convey the untreated water to an outfall structure at Lake Houston. The LBITP will connect the raw water delivery, with treatment capacity, to the water supply for the region.
An important aspect of the LBITP is the pigging retrieval station that will be utilized for regular maintenance on the pipelines due to zebra mussels present in the water supply. The Luce Bayou pig retrieval station required installing three miles of dual 96” water transmission lines and the pigging retrieval station. The pig retrieval station is needed to withstand not only the forces of the day to day operations, but also accommodate the settlement presented by the terrain.
Victaulic’s Role in this Critical Infrastructure Project
Victaulic’s Texas Infrastructure Team has worked closely with all of the stakeholders in the Surface Water Supply Project, including the Coastal Water Authority, BG&E, and Thalle Construction.
The use of Victaulic’s grooved technology at the pigging retrieval station was successfully able to reduce the station’s footprint because the design of the flexible couplings can absorb the forces to the pigging system. Reducing the station size was achievable thanks to the specially designed Victaulic components, such as Victaulic’s Dynamic Movement Joints. By using the W257 joints, it was possible to achieve 4 inches of settlement in approximately 22 feet on this installation. Other methods would have required more than twice the excavation to install restraining devices, such as an M11 harness.
Victaulic’s solutions for the Infrastructure Market supported Thalle Construction’s efforts to deliver the critical pig retrieval station, with the ability to accommodate the forces and differential settlement, achieve the necessary footprint reduction, minimize safety risks, and provide reduced downtime for routine or untimely maintenance. Through the combined partnership efforts of all parties involved in the LBITP, the challenges were overcome and the ability for future expansion is now innate with the use of the innovative design.
