History of Polyurea Ever wondered what makes OBIC coating systems one of the most cost-effective, long-lasting solutions for the maintenance and rehabilitation of everything from manholes to tank linings? It is the result of extensive research, development and testing of polyurea chemistry. Uniquely designed to meet the demands of water and wastewater systems, OBIC polyurea products have numerous benefits including: They can be spray applied in various environmental conditions They are fast setting, requiring minimal downtime They are designed to maintain excellent abrasion and chemical resistance They can be customized to meet the unique needs of the structure They are environmentally friendly OBIC’s polyurea products are manufactured in an ISO 9001-2015 certified facility. Each specific product is formulated to maximize its performance based upon the particular application of drinking water, wastewater, stormwater or industrial use. The History of Polyurea Polyurea can be described as an advancement of polymer chemistry based upon the earlier chemical family of polyurethanes. This later technology, known as polyurea, is a plural component elastomer system that is used for coating, casting and sealing materials. Plural component elastomer systems have been understood for decades. Actually, the reactions forming the basis of polymers was discovered

No Two Jobs are the Same At OBIC, consistency is a word we say frequently. After all, our customers depend on consistent quality and services for all of their wastewater rehabilitation needs. What keeps our jobs interesting is that, though our products are predictably effective and long-lasting, no two jobs are ever the same.A municipal and industrial water and wastewater systems maintenance company, OBIC specializes in providing an alternative approach to everything from wastewater structure rehabilitation to potable water tank rehabilitation. Made of a flexible polymer that is environmentally friendly, OBIC coating systems are spray applied, making them ideal for structures of all shapes and sizes. Additionally, unlike alternative rigid products, OBIC’s flexible polymers won’t crack under the pressure of temperature changes or heavy traffic.WastewaterManhole RehabilitationThe United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates that there are 26 million manholes in the U.S. These manholes vary in age, construction and deterioration. Some examples of this variation includeMaterialsPrecast concreteCast-in-place concreteBrickConcrete blockStoneSize and shapeVarious diameters: 3’, 4’, 6’, 7’, 8’Various depths: some more than 100’ deepVarious shapes: round, oblong, rectangle, bell-shaped, offset cones, eccentric conesCharacteristicsWith and without stepsPipe protrusionsDrop bowlsWith and without benchesSurcharged manholesGravity flow manholesWastewater Treatment PlantsThe American Society of Civil Engineers

Case Study: Bay City Manhole Rehabilitation Bay City, Michigan, located near the state’s eastern shoreline, is a destination for vacationers interested in everything from antiquing to fishing and sailing. While the beauty of this historic city is unmistakable, its age was becoming apparent in the deteriorating condition of its sewer system. Similar to many municipalities across the country, Bay City’s manhole structures were made of brick, block and precast structures that varied in age. Over time, in some cases more than 50 years, leaks and deterioration began to jeopardize their structural integrity. In an effort to address these issues quickly and efficiently, an OBIC certified installer was called in to rehabilitate 170 of the city’s aging manholes. The Challenge The manhole structures in Bay City varied in age and condition. They were also once a combined system, which meant that some of the manholes had atypical shapes. As a result, each and every manhole presented different circumstances that influenced the preparation and installation of the OBIC Armor lining systems. In addition to the varying shape and condition of the structures, the manholes were spread across all areas of the municipality. The OBIC installers would need to adapt

Case Study: Smithfield Sewer Authority The Smithfield Sewer Authority was first introduced to OBIC Products through a Lunch and Learn demonstration hosted by Rusty Hesselschwardt from Advanced Rehabilitation Technology (ART). ART is OBIC’s flagship installer and leader in no-dig rehabilitation services. Benjamin Kutz, a professional engineer for the Smithfield Sewer Authority, was impressed by the demonstration and recommend that ART be hired to rehabilitate nine manholes in Smithfield Township, located in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. The manholes were located on Business Route 209 and Craigs Meadow Road. Both heavily traveled roads. To excavate and replace the manholes would not only have been costly, but it would also have created substantial traffic headaches for the duration of the project. Rather than taking on this massive replacement, the sewer authority chose to rehabilitate the manholes using OBIC’s lining system. This decision reduced the cost and minimized traffic disturbance while significantly extending the life of the structures. The Challenge Eight out of the nine manholes included in this project had severe corrosion to the concrete walls. Groundwater infiltration was occurring at pipe connections and joints in several of the manholes, and at least two had severe groundwater infiltration. To address these

Birthplace of Rock ’n Roll Makes Sweet Music With New Structural Rehabilitation Solution Memphis, Tenn., ran into a particular infrastructure rehabilitation challenge on the 1,420-foot Jack Carley Causeway line, serving President’s Island. A run of 15-inch VCP sewer main with eight manholes was compromised by age and H2S gas. Deep Problems One 50-foot-deep brick manhole required immediate remediation, for which Steve Lindsey of Jacobs Engineering Group oversaw a new approach. It was in catastrophic failure, mortar mostly gone and the bench missing. Cured-in-place pipe lining company Granite Inliner, unable to move their jetter through the bottom of this 48-inch diameter manhole, discovered the missing bench. They deemed this a safety concern, forbidding technicians re-entry until stabilized. Troy Reed of CTR Coatings was called in to examine the structure, documenting a huge problem. “We decided to reconstruct the bench with a fully structural repair method,” remembers Lindsey, “so CIPP crews could complete lining.” Unusually Difficult Conditions The location, just six inches from a truck loading dock in a floodplain just 3,000 feet away from the Mississippi River, created access problems and water inflow from high groundwater hydraulic pressure. This was a huge problem. The chosen structural solution—OBIC Armor 1000—uses a

Installer Spotlight: Advanced Lining, LLC OBIC is excited to introduce the newest member of our installer network, Advanced Lining, LLC. Advanced Lining, LLC is a family-owned business located in Layton, Utah. Their service area covers Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Utah, where they offer a wide range of water and wastewater rehabilitation services. Advanced Lining, LLC was co-founded by Matt and Seth Huggins. Matt started working in the world of water and wastewater infrastructure in 2007. He has worked on a variety of successful and ongoing projects that include the acquisition, remediation and operation of private utilities in Montana and North Dakota as well as the founding and development of an operation and maintenance business. Prior to focusing on infrastructure, Matt earned a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Utah State University and a Master’s of Science in neuroscience from Stanford University. Seth Huggins started his work in water and wastewater infostructure in 2015. Additionally, he has over 20 years of business management. This experience includes 15 years of multi/unit facility experience and managing an organization of over 300 employees. Together, Matt and Seth lead a team of installers with over 15 years of experience in water and

Case Study: Union Terminal Station Fountain When most people think about water and wastewater rehabilitation, they think about manholes, pump stations and sewer systems. All of these are accurate, but it may be surprising to learn that OBIC products have a wide variety of applications that go beyond stormwater or wastewater system rehabilitation services. The Union Terminal Station fountain in Cincinnati, Ohio, is an example of the unexpected places OBIC products can be used. Project A once significant development in the history of Cincinnati, Union Station Terminal had long ago been converted to house the Cincinnati Museum Center. Built in 1933, the building was in need of significant repairs and restorations. When the Historical Society for Cincinnati began the project, they were also sure to include restoration of the building’s fountain in their plans. An iconic landmark, the fountain is rumored to be the inspiration behind the Hall of Justice in DC Comic’s Justice League. Unfortunately, after decades of use, it was also causing a lot of problems for the museum. Corrosion and exfiltration issues allowed water from the fountain to leak into the museum below. As the historical society began planning restoration of fountain, they reached

Case Study: Williams County Culvert When culverts have structural damage or deterioration, engineers are often faced with the difficult decision of delaying repairs or committing to the major cost of complete culvert replacement. The combination of budgetary constraints and the disruption of road closures during culvert replacements often force engineers to leave culverts in disrepair until the problem can no longer be ignored. Fortunately, OBIC’s spray applied lining system offers an alternative solution that enables engineers to repair severely damaged culverts rather than replace them. With OBIC, the life of the existing culvert can be extended by approximately 50 years. The spray applied lining also causes minimal disruption to traffic and is more affordable than replacing the structure. Challenge Williams County, located in rural northwest Ohio, was recently in need of a solution to repair a metal culvert with severe corrosion issues. The structure was a great candidate for rehabilitation. Although the culvert showed signs of severe deterioration, the flow channels and other areas had not yet reached 8% deflection. At that point, the culvert would have been determined to be failing and beyond repair. Fortunately, the county engineers recognized that rehabilitation would be a more cost-effective

Wastewater Rehab Challenges Aging sewer infrastructure is a problem facing the entire country. Systems put in place decades ago are beginning to deteriorate and become inefficient. For a long time, this was a major problem for cash strapped municipalities that did not have the budget for a total reconstruction of their damaged systems. Today, there are effective alternatives to total reconstruction that will rehabilitate damaged wastewater systems and extend the life of the structure by 50 years or longer. Advanced polyurea coatings are cost-effective and “designed to create highly elastic waterproof coating and lining systems that are resistant to chemicals and abrasions,” according to an article written by WaterWorld. The article goes on to say that “they are ideal linings for immersed surfaces and will resist hydrogen sulfide.” With the advancement in polyurea coating options to rehabilitate wastewater systems, it is easier than ever to maintain and prolong the life of an aging sewer infrastructure. This is increasingly important, because if left unaddressed, infiltration, corrosion and deterioration can lead to major challenges. Infiltration leads to rising costs A frequent issue facing wastewater structures is cracks in the concrete walls and damaged or missing gasket material in fittings

Rostraver Township Sewage Authority Selects OBIC Products for Manhole Rehabilitation Rostraver Township Sewage Authority in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, was struggling with finding solutions for an aging sewer system. One neighborhood in particular was dealing with flooding on streets and in basements every time wet weather events occurred in the area. When the Township Sewage Authority received a grant to rehabilitate the sewer systems, they chose an OBIC certified installer to work on several manholes in the affected neighborhood. Ann Scott, manager at the Rostraver Township Sewage Authority, was immediately impressed with OBIC products. “I was fascinated with the end result,” she said, “the ease of installation, the environmentally friendly product, the entire process!” Advanced Rehabilitation Technology was the OBIC certified installer that Ann worked with for the manhole rehabilitation project. “My experience with the installers was great,’ she noted. Levi Diehl and Jake Harrison were the ART installers who worked with Ann throughout the project. Their dedication to customer service, both with her and residents in the neighborhood, were what impressed Ann the most.  “I went over to the site after Levi and Jake had completed power washing the manhole,” said Ann. “They took their time and