The project was unique in two ways for the use of ERCP. First the 84″ equivalent ERCP which was specified for the project is not a common pipe size used by FDOT. Second, FDOT requires all storm drains to be watertight and tested to 5 psi per specification due to high water tables experienced in Florida.

David Medina, Rinker Materials Florida Concrete Pipe Operations Manager, was able to locate the 84″ ERCP equivalent forms at another Rinker facility in Middletown, DE. However, the form was for soil tight, not watertight.

The Solution

Since Rinker’s Apopka Florida pipe manufacturing facility is in District 5, Rodd Litchfield, Vice President of Sales for the Florida Region, and Chris Sampson, Rinker’s QAQC Manager, Florida Region, had to submit to FDOT District 5 in Deland via the General Contractor to accept the pipe as soil tight, not watertight even though the actual project was in District 4 in Fort Lauderdale. Chris worked closely with Jared Savage and Ken Shartle at District 5 on the FDOT acceptance requirement for a soil tight joint.

The 68″ x 106″ (84″ round) ERCP was strung along the future trench. The excavator in the background was installing the pipe starting at the canal.

Per FDOT, the minimum water test pressure for a soil tight joint is 2 psi. The pressure test was successfully completed at Rinker’s Pipe Plant in Apopka, FL where the pipe was manufactured. In fact, Rinker was able to exceed the 2-psi minimum using mastic gasket material for soil tight applications. Production was completed and the pipe was shipped to the project. There were 43 – 68″ x 106″, 51– 58″ x 91″ HERCP, and 32 – 24″ RCP, provided for the project, all 8 feet in length. The smaller diameter pipes had the FDOT standard watertight, 5 psi joint requirement.