October 1, 2019

Teamwork is a key part of culvert rehabilitation

Standstill water in culvert.

Michels partnered with the city of Palos Hills, IL, to rehabilitate a deteriorating culvert. In recent years, city officials repaired sink holes in the road caused by rust and deterioration in the steel culvert.

The entire process was completed in about three weeks, consisting of two weeks of work by the city Public Works crew and five days by Michels. The city crew installed a wooden weir wall to stop Lucas Ditch water from entering the culvert, installed a temporary bypass of the ditch, dewatered the pipe, and cleaned it. The Pipe Services crew mixed 68,000 pounds of geopolymer mortar, hand-sprayed it to the desired thickness of 3 inches inside the 73-foot-long steel culvert, and repaired collapsed sections.

The work was completed in August when the ditch’s water level was at its lowest point. Watch the video.

Learn more about our sewer and water services here.

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