In June 2021, DHM was awarded the contract for an upgrade at the McConnellsburg Water Treatment Plant in Fulton County. While this wasn’t a huge project, it was the largest diameter water line project in DHM’s company history.
With 400’ of 48” ductile iron pipe and a little over 100’ of 12” pipe this was not your average underground utility project.
Materials were ordered in June 2021, and like so many other projects, delays were a problem due to supply chain issues. Finally, in November 2021 the first of the materials arrived at the jobsite. It seemed to take forever to get the remaining materials. Finally in late June 2022, the last of the materials arrived.
With materials finally available, Travis Carbaugh, Utility Foreman, and his crew were able to get the job started. They proceeded to do a great job with what proved to be very challenging pipe. One stick of 48” pipe weighs in at around 7,000 pounds. The fittings weigh up to 4,200 pounds and the mega-lug rings weigh in at 653 pounds each. The crew tightened 448 bolts on the 48” pipe with 2 1/4” nuts to 140- foot pounds, and another 136 bolts on the 12” pipe with 1 1/4” nuts to 90-foot pounds. Thank goodness for cordless impact guns or the guys on our utility crew would have really been feeling sore after this job.
Nationwide there are only a few thousand feet of 48” ductile that is installed anywhere in the country each year. The McConnellsburg project was the first time that 48” pipe has been installed in Fulton county. The successful installation goes to prove the DHM motto of “No job is too big for DHM”.
Congratulations to Adam Gress, Superintendent, and to Travis Carbaugh and his experienced crew for completing a very difficult job on time and under budget! Great work guys!