by Mike Fernandez

Flat Rock, MI., Summer 1998 - The City of Flat Rock in Southeastern Michigan awarded a contract to DeAngelis Contractors Inc. of Woodhaven, Michigan to provide the diverse work needed at their $2 million Aspen St. extension project. The challenging job consisted of installing 2200 lft. of 12 inch diameter watermain pipe which required two river crossings, 1000 lft. of 12 inch diameter sanitary pipe to depths of 25 ft., and 2000 lft. of 24 inch diameter storm pipe. The job also required the construction of two bridges with 1500 sq. yds. of poured-in-place concrete, and 11,000 sq. yds. of 8 inch thick concrete pavement.

The pipeline is being installed to provide water and sewer service to a new High School and new 300-lot subdivision. The bridges and streets will provide road access. It is no coincidence that DeAngelis Contractors installed the underground utility systems and provided the land balancing and landscaping for the new High School. They are also slated to provide the same type of work for the subdivision. DeAngelis has an exceptional safety record and their standard of quality has remained high throughout the various projects.

On Site Personnel

The Aspen St. project’s on site personnel included Superintendent Andy Fairchild, Crew Foreman Warren Reynolds, Engineer’s representative Russ Witman from the Charles E. Raines Co., and the City of Flat Rock representative Bill Battendorph.

The Right Tools for the Job

This formidable undertaking required various types of equipment to complete the job properly. DeAngelis chose to use a Cat 350 backhoe, a Cat 950 loader, a Cat D8 Dozer, a Cat 12H, Cat 627F Scrapers, and an Efficiency Production, Inc. 824 HT8 Trench Shield.

Trench Shield Meets Job Requirements

Since production and protection are important issues to consider on a job of this size an Efficiency Production Trench Shield measuring 8 ft. in height and 24 ft. in length was used to reduce the amount of excavation, increase pipe productivity, and insure safety in the trenches. As stated by DeAngelis’ Sales Engineer Mike Harrison, "The trench shield’s good strength to weight ratio made it compatible with the Cat 350 excavator and was very easy to use." Crew Foreman Warren Reynolds added, "We owned a homemade trench box that was very heavy because of all of the welding it needed to keep it together. We decided that if we were going to dig 20 ft. deep we needed a good quality trench box. Now we use Efficiency’s box for all sanitary pipe installations."

Trench Shield Used for River Crossing

DeAngelis applied the trench shield for installing the pipeline across Silver Creek. The stream was dammed upstream with a cofferdam made of dirt and stone. The installation of the pipe posed an additional challenge as the 20 ft. trench ran tightly against an existing bridge. The trench shield was maneuvered into place and it provided stability to the precarious site. The job progressed smoothly and was completed within a day.

Confidence Factor Increases Production

An equipment operator’s experience and a pipe installer’s sense of safety in a deep trench enables them to concentrate on the task at hand rather than the threat of injury. Rod Kuefler, who installed the pipe, affirmed his confidence when he said, "The trench box saves my life first of all ... when I’m in the trench I don’t have to worry about anything." Reynolds agreed, "Safety is the most important thing ... our workers would tell us we were crazy if we told them to get in some trenches without using a trench box."

A safe crew is a productive crew which translates into profits when the job is finished. Pipe productivity is increased, man hours are reduced, and OSHA fines are avoided. DeAngelis Contractors, Inc. chose the proper equipment for their efficient and successful work in the City of Flat Rock.