6707 Netherlands Drive Wilmington, NC 28405 O M 919 694 1114 *2005 512 789 9709 E m.epley@sonicsampdrill.com I www.royaleijkelkamp.com/en-us/ Mike Epley Drilling Sales Manager 18 AUGUST 2024 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Waterproofing a Wet Well Adapted from Information by Avanti International A few years ago, a new housing development was constructed in the Bahamas. The private utility company, which provides water and wastewater services to this part of the island, installed a precast wet well with an oversized pump station, anticipating much higher flows in the future since two more phases of the development were planned. The precast wet well is approximately 10 feet in diameter by 40 feet deep and surrounded by a high water table. Shortly after installation, groundwater began infiltrating the structure through the lower tiered riser joints. Over the span of a couple years, the defect continued to increase in size, causing a rise in infiltration volume - up to 120 gallons of water per minute. Due to the size of the structure and high water table, complete replacement or any excavation was going to be extremely expensive, time-consuming, labor-intensive, and very invasive to the community. The utility company and general contractor tried to form, pour, and set a hydraulic cement block over one of the leaks, but it also starting leaking shortly after. The team then researched technologies and discovered some solutions, but had trouble finding someone local to complete the work. In their searches, they came across Connecticut-based Savy & Sons - a fullservice contractor specializing in water and wastewater rehabilitation, coatings and linings, and infrastructure restoration. After initial conversations about the wet well situation, the Savy Team flew to the Bahamas to assess the problem. They quickly generated a game plan to ship equipment, materials, and crews down to the island to begin working on eliminating the groundwater infiltration. Upon mobilizing and entering the wet well, the Savy Team found four pumps were being used: two pumps from pump trucks, and two from within the wet well - one of which was malfunctioning. The water infiltration was entering the wet well so fast the three usable pumps couldn’t keep up with dewatering. Once the fourth pump was fixed, 99% of the water infiltration was able to be pumped out so cleaning the structure for rehabilitation could begin. Multiple options were discussed and it was determined the best application for this project was injection grouts designed to stop leaks, stabilize soil, and control groundwater. When considering products, Avanti’s AV-275 Soilgrout™ was chosen. AV-275 Soilgrout is a low-viscosity, moisture-activated, polyurethane resin designed to permeate soils and react quickly with moisture to bind together and waterproof loose granular soils, stop high water flows in belowgrade structures, and fill voids. Once cured, AV-275 forms a dense, impermeable, rigid soil/grout matrix that withstands wet/dry cycles. Due to the water infiltration rate being so high, AV-219 Fibrotite™ (also known as Oakum) was used to pack the defect of the heaviest gusher that was spraying water “like a fire hose.” This slowed the infiltration enough to allow for a safe work zone. The Savy Team then proceeded to injection grout at all riser joints, pipe penetrations, and any other weak points to fully seal the structure. Around 30 gallons of AV-275 was used to permeated the soils around the structure and fill the voids, creating a waterproof barrier around the wet well. It was the middle of August and temperatures were extremely high, but with extra safety precautions taken, the job took just three, twelve-hour days to complete. WTR Mfg., Scree Atlan Inc. en & ntic E-mail: atlantic@ce Atlantic-Screen.c Manufactu 302-684-3197 Manholes j Clear PVC Pipe j Inline Chemical Mixers j ell Rehabilitation Produ jW e.net com urers 7 ucts Milton, DE 19968 142 Broadkill Rd ½” - 24 ranging f Perforated of Slotted Fax: 302-384-0643 more! MUCH And j Bailers Sampling j Locking Caps j Filter Sock j Bentonite j 4” from d Pipe dand 3
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