Our purpose is to help customers choose solutions which will insure that the process fits the application and do this reliably and cost-effectively. All information in this Case History will assist the engineer to reduce cost and minimize future maintenance costs. In addition, this field report will help the task of communicating that these are solutions in use today with proven track records.

Introduction

Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad faced a costly rehabilitation and rebuild is- sue in a section of their tracks. The Railroad had an existing steel bridge, approximately 20 feet in length, and existing concrete back walls. They wanted to eliminate the steel bridge entirely because the concrete back walls needed replacement and the steel bridge were showing signs of deterioration. If they removed the bridge, they needed to provide a means for adequate water flow for drainage.

The Solution Applied

In coordination with Bill McKillip, manager of Structures for Dakota, MN and Eastern Railroad and Industries, and Snap-Tite distributor, Paul Erikson, put a plan into place to remove the existing steel bridge and use Snap-Tite pipe to replace the water crossing for drainage. The railroad removed the old track and steel bridge components, while leaving the existing concrete backwalls in place. The area between the concrete walls was cleared of debris and a 50-foot section of 63-inch Snap-Tite HDPE pipe was placed in between the walls. The Railroad then back- filled the area around the pipe, replacing the tracks and wood ties to the original position. Since its introduction in the early 1990s the use of Snap-Tite for rehabilitation has steadily grown.

The Snap-Tite solution

The patented Snap-Tite system, with its unique double snapping closure, along with a gasket, provides a watertight seal and long-life reliability. It is also easy to install, since it typically weighs as little as 10 percent of concrete, ductile iron and clay pipes. There is no special training or specialized equipment required – and most jobs can be completed with a backhoe, shovels, a come- a-along and chains.

Upon completion, use of Snap-Tite for this rehabilitation project saved the Railroad thousands of dollars in labor and materials and eliminated a potential failure of an old bridge.