A Triple Crown Win in Kentucky: Tightening Up Stormwater Connections with Kor-N-Seal Boots
Trelleborg’s Kor-N-Seal resilient boot connectors are a true “win-win-win” that the precaster can routinely offer for their customer’s projects.
The prestigious Triple Crown Country Club and golf community continues to expand in Boone County, Kentucky requiring expansion of the stormwater system.
- Products: Kor-N-Seal resilient boot connections used with precast stormwater structures from KOI Precast (KOI), together with ADS N12 pipe.
- Contractor: M&W Excavation Co., Inc. of Alexandria, Kentucky (M&W).
- Agency: Sanitation District No. 1 of Northern Kentucky (SD1).
- Project Engineer: Burling Engineering.
KEY DRIVERS
Although ASTM C923 compliant resilient boot connectors and corrugated pipe adapters were not specified as mandatory for the project, M&W knew from their experience to proactively request that the stormwater structures from KOI be supplied with such connectors and adapters. M&W recognized that such boot connections would simplify construction of reliable leak tight connections for the stormwater system.
Construction projects need to be win-win-win for all involved. On this project, Trelleborg’s Kor-N-Seal boots and corrugated pipe adapters provided the “Triple Crown Win” for the contractor, the precaster, and the end-user.
KEY BENEFITS
By turning to Trelleborg’s Kor-N-Seal flexible boot connectors, the contractor, M&W, wins in several ways:
- The costs for properly sealing the connections is fixed and predictable, as opposed to the numerous variables of a mortared joint
- Safety is enhanced as trenches can be backfilled immediately, rather than waiting for joint mortar crews.
- Scheduling and productivity are better controlled as there are no delays associated with joint mortar crews.
- The leak tight connection to the structure is established by the precaster under factory controlled conditions.
- The reliably leak tight joints reduce project risks associated with soil subsidence and surface potholing.
The Precaster, KOI, additionally wins:
- Resilient boot connectors are a value-added product that enhance the performance of precast structures.
- The contractor is more productive and competitive, and the end-user saves money. Trelleborg’s Kor-N-Seal resilient boot connectors are a true “win-win-win” that the precaster can routinely offer for their customer’s projects.
- Installing Trelleborg’s Kor-N-Seal resilient boot connectors is quick and efficient; the boot connectors can be installed into either cast or cored holes.
- With the option to core for the pipe connections, precast production volumes and staffing requirements can be better balanced across the seasons, thereby further improving plant profitability.
The project engineer, Burling, and the end-user agency, SD1, also win:
- Engineering “good practice” increasingly recommends resilient boot connectors. Rigid mortared joints are more likely to fail with pipe deflection or pipe movement during backfilling and over time. For these reasons, the consensus standards for ADS pipes, as used on this project, actually proactively mandate theuse of resilient boot connectors as the appropriate “good practice.” Whether already incorporated into standards and specifications or not, all pipe to structure connections (even with rigid pipes) will have improved performance over time with resilient flexible boot connectors, as opposed to rigid mortared connections.
- Leak tight joints are essential for life-cycle structural performance and for environmental protection. This applies equally to stormwater applications as it also does to wastewater applications.
- Increasingly, many agencies are requiring a higher level of joint performance to limit exfiltration of pollutants from a storm water system into the surrounding soils.
- Kor-N-Seal resilient boot connectors save money over mortared joints and remain watertight even with movement. With superior performance at comparable or lower cost, why wouldn’t an engineer choose to specify the higher performance that is only achieved with a resilient boot connection seal?
- Kor-N-Seal connectors also enable greater design flexibility for the engineer (with grade adjustments, location changes, and pipe size modifications).
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
For the contractor:
- Win more bids with the use of Kor-N-Seal.
- Provide better performance at lower cost, saving on man hours and equipment costs.
For the precaster:
- Provides efficient, cost-effective manufacturing along with a superior final product that can differentiate you against the competition.
For the engineer/end-user:
- Save on project costs while consistently achieving leak tight performance and extending performance life.
