Educational

What are the Main Causes of Manhole Deterioration? After years of rehab and lining work spread across thousands and thousands of manholes, we are regularly asked about the most common issues of degradation we encounter. The two most common are inflow and infiltration (I & I) and corrosion. As discussed in previous blogs, I & I is a biggie because it affects treatment plant capacity. Corrosion commonly refers to Hydrogen sulfide (H2SO4) and MIC (microbial induced corrosion) that eat away at concrete manhole structures or the mortar joint of a brick manhole, causing considerable deterioration if left

How to Treat Manhole Inflow and Infiltration Issues Fast We all know infiltration when we see it – you open the manhole cover and there’s seeping water or maybe even rushing water. This groundwater is leaking into the system and ends up at the wastewater treatment plant, causing operational inefficiencies and higher costs for the community. So when you do see it, you need to know what is causing it and how to treat it FAST. We thought it would be a nice refresher to easily show the six main types of I&I in this illustration and

OBIC and NASSCO Partner for Manhole Rehabilitation Video OBIC CEO Dustin Schlachter is a member of the NASSCO Manhole Rehabilitation Committee. NASSCO is the source of education, technical resources and advocacy for the underground infrastructure industry. NASSCO and its 650+ member organizations set standards, promote trenchless technologies and protect our communities through the proper assessment, maintenance and rehabilitation of buried assets. OBIC was one of the sponsors of a video about manhole rehabilitation. Watch this informative and in-depth video to learn: How many manholes exist in the U.S. -- you might be surprised! The causes of deterioration

How to Protect Your Precast Concrete Manholes From Hydrogen Sulfide Corrosion Precast concrete manholes were first introduced in the mid-1950’s, and by 1970 were widely adopted as the preferred structure for manhole installation in sewer and drainage applications. Those 1970-ish manholes are now 50 years old (hard to believe!), which is probably close to the original, intended design life. It is common for the published ‘war-stories’ or case histories to be about ancient hand-hewn stone structures built by artisan craftsmen, and those manholes do exist in some of our oldest cities. But most of what we deal

Manhole Appreciation Day, Anyone?   Much like Rodney Dangerfield who “got no respect”, by and large manholes don’t get much respect either. They’re located under the street where they are run over millions of times per year by cars, snowplows, bikes, and pedestrians. They might even be buried in a right-of-way, or covered and lost entirely. Manholes definitely fall into the category of “out of sight, out of mind”. But have you ever thought about where our collection system would be without the manhole? While “man-way” sewer access dates back to ancient Roman times, something akin to

Common Sense, Good Sense, and Sewer Sense Common sense, good sense, and sewer sense are important attributes for those of you involved in the operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation of wastewater systems. It is simply common sense to acknowledge that the manhole and lift station parts of your sewer infrastructure that are 30 to 50 years old, which had an original design life of 30 to 50 years, are probably in need of some attention. In our experience, it is good sense to rehabilitate rather than replace those structures. Why? It will solve your problems with infiltration and

Culvert Lining Rehab Means Better Than New at a Fraction of the Cost OBIC is best known for its work around wastewater structures such as manholes, lift stations, and WWTP facilities that help municipalities mitigate their infrastructure issues. Another infrastructure issue equally “out of sight and out of mind” is stormwater culverts. Culverts installed 30 to 50 years ago are now failing at an alarming rate. Thousands of corrugated metal culverts are so significantly rusted and deteriorated that flooding or collapsed roads are very real possibilities and scenarios. A collapsed culvert is potentially a much greater problem

What are the Benefits of No-Dig Technology? The history of no-dig (trenchless) technology in the United States dates back to the mid-1970’s. OBIC’s owners have been in the no-dig business for nearly 20 years. It’s what we do. It’s how we think about wastewater rehabilitation. But just because we think that way doesn’t mean we shouldn’t slow down a little, review the basics, and “dig” into the benefits of no-dig technology. Instead of open cut excavation to gain access for repair or replacement of the structure, as the name suggests, no-dig allows for those repairs with minimal

Hidden Cost Savings with OBIC Wet Well Rehabilitation In previous blogs, we have talked about OBIC’S quick cure times providing a fast return to service. Where this benefit really manifests itself is the substantial cost savings provided for a wet well rehab project. A day in the life of a wet well rehabA typical 6’ diameter by 10’-20’ deep lift station can be fully relined by an OBIC certified installer in a single day. Depending on the circumstances, this can sometimes be done without bypassing. Below is a typical schedule for this type of wet well rehab project.8:00 a.m. OBIC

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Manhole Rehabilitation? Our team at OBIC has decades of experience in sewer system rehab, construction and operation. Our combined experience includes everything from collapsing sewer manholes to deteriorating pipes and everything in between. As a matter of fact, there is not much we haven’t seen, heard and rehabilitated. While we take pride in our accomplishments and enjoy telling stories of some of the most challenging projects we have tackled, we have also learned a lot over the years. It is that experience and knowledge that helps us to expertly mitigate the varying maintenance