Subsurface Utility Imaging (SUI) has been identifying, marking, tracing, mapping, cleaning and inspecting underground utilities since its founding in 2010, but it was recently called in for a unique project. An old warehouse in upstate New York had been wasting away, largely vacant and unused until an engine manufacturer signed on to lease the entire facility. However, before moving in, a remodel was required, including an evaluation of the vast network of sanitary and stormwater conveyance piping underneath the warehouse.
SUI’s team cleaned and inspected 5,000 feet of sanitary and stormwater conveyance piping and logged the findings in WinCan asset management software. In accordance with NASSCO PACP requirements, WinCan provided structural and maintenance scores for each completed pipe segment. The scoring for each ranged between one and five, where one is the best condition requiring no action and five requires immediate action. SUI created a list of pipes with scores of four or five, each one of which would need to be addressed before the warehouse could reopen.
Many of the pipes in question were buried deep—eight to ten feet beneath the ground and under a foot of concrete. Digging each one up would be a massive undertaking, but lining the pipes would also be costly and slow. Additionally, both options would require SUI to refer the client to another contractor—something they wanted to avoid. Searching for a more efficient in-house alternative, the SUI team remembered Quick-Lock, a point repair solution they had seen in action at past trade shows. The company already had close ties with Envirosight, Pipeline Renewal Technologies’ (PRT) sister company, and their trusted Envirosight sales partner referred them to a PRT rep. The resources provided by PRT’s sales rep helped SUI convince its customer that Quick-Lock’s trenchless solution was the right choice for the extensive point repairs needed at the facility. “Everyone is in the mindset that they have to dig up or line damaged pipes, that’s all that they know,” explained Robert Korosec, Co-Principal at SUI. “But once we educated the client about Quick-Lock, they gave us the go ahead.”
SUI’s team had never installed a Quick-Lock sleeve before, so PRT provided them with everything they needed to deploy the technology. The PRT rep made sure they had the accessories and equipment necessary and drove to the warehouse to lead the demo and training himself. “He was hands on, he helped us out, and he answered questions along the way,” said Korosec. Well aware of the time-sensitive nature of contracting work, the rep was also able to fit the training into SUI’s schedule. The process was easy to learn, and the team was soon ready to get started. Together, they installed four sleeves that same afternoon of the training.
In the following days, SUI installed nearly 20 more Quick-Lock sleeves. Using Quick-Lock allowed the team to tackle rehabilitation needs outside of its normal scope. “Without Quick-Lock, we wouldn’t have been able to help our client ourselves,” explains Korosec. “We would have had to refer them to a lining contractor,” which would have added an extra step and cut into SUI’s revenue.
Since the completion of the factory renovation project, SUI has been educating its existing clients about the benefits of Quick-Lock. They frequently travel with a clear demo pipe to show off how the sleeves work, and it’s catching people’s attention: Not only is the point repair solution easy and fast, clients appreciate that sleeve installation is less disruptive to water systems. “Assuming flow is relatively low, you can put it in and seal it and be in and out. There’s no cure time, and you don’t need to plug off the line,” said Korosec. “The more we talk to clients, the more people are interested. It’s just a matter of education.” And as SUI moves forward with a wider range of pipe management projects, its making sure to spread the word.
To learn more about Quick-Lock, visit our product page or contact our sales team for an on-site demo:
