Burloak Water Purification Plant

Challenge

The construction of a water intake line 1.4km out into Lake Ontario composed of 1800mm diameter concrete pressure pipe was necessary. The pipe had to be connected at the shoreline to a tunnel and water had to be piped a further 1.3km inland to the Burloak Water purification plant in Oakville.

Solution:

An alternative solution proposed by the design engineer combined a tunnel with a marine pipeline in the lake. The combination allowed for a shallower tunnel and reduced the depth of the access shafts. Munro supplied 1100m of 6 m long, 1800mm diameter C301 concrete pressure pipe and fittings.

Munro custom designed a chamber to connect the pressure pipe intake line to the tunnel. The chamber incorporated steel bell and spigot joints for a watertight fit. Munro worked with H & R Hydro-Pull to introduce Hydro-Pull technology. The Hydro-Pull used pressure differentials between the inside and outside of the pipes enabling the contractor to assemble the pipe with jointing times between 4 to 6 seconds.

Outcome:

As a result of the alternative concept, the city saved more than 6 million dollars from the base bid. The work was completed on a tight schedule of 30 months.