The sanitary sewer system was made up of 30 to 40 year old cast iron pipes buried 15 feet underground and included 380 feet of 6 inch mainline, 140 feet of 4 and 5 inch mainline as well as 21 lateral connections.
Leaks were occurring in the system at the joins between main and lateral lines, which were causing subsequent ground water infiltration and exfiltration. The system was also experience frequent backups.
The pipes were first cleaned before a seamless structural liner was pulled into place restoring the system. When a lateral sewer line met the main sewer line, lateral connection liners were pulled into place.
The aged piping system ran 15 feet underground through the middle of the mall and it was feared that the decomposition of the pipe may have caused it to collapse. A pipe collapse would have been much more inconvenient as repairs would have to be undertaken using traditional open-cut methods.
Article continues below…Patrons of the Westfield mall in Florida were able to continue shopping by day as restoration works took place at night over a two month period.
