August 2018 Vol. 73 No. 8
Rehabilitation
NASSCO Awards TTC Project to Measure Styrene, Compounds in CIPP
After a careful and thorough review of multiple responses to a request for proposals regarding cured-in-place pipe (CIPP), NASSCO accepted the proposal from the Trenchless Technology Center at Louisiana Tech University. The project will include a comprehensive evaluation of air emissions from steam CIPP installations and potential impacts on workers and surrounding communities. TTC will partner with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Engineer Research Development Center (ERDC) on this important study.
The project is Phase 2 of a larger study, and calls for measurement of styrene and other organic compounds at six CIPP installation sites, representing different pipe diameters (8 inches and larger) and lengths to capture variation in emissions. Measurements will be conducted before, during and after curing at the termination manhole, as well as various locations in the surrounding outside area and inside nearby buildings. Worker exposure will also be measured via personal exposure monitors. Dispersion modeling will be conducted to estimate compound concentrations at many locations for a wide variety of meteorological conditions. Measured and modeled concentrations will be compared to appropriate health-based action levels to determine if any potential health risks exist for workers or citizens in the surrounding communities.
Phase 1 was a four-month study focused on the review of published literature pertaining to chemical emissions during CIPP installations using styrene-based resins. That study, completed on April 6 by researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington’s (UTA) Center for Underground Infrastructure Research and Education (CUIRE), and the Institute for Underground Infrastructure (IKT) in Germany, found that existing studies do not adequately capture worker exposures or levels in the surrounding areas to which workers or citizens may be exposed. The team further determined that spatial variation of concentrations and variations in concentrations with different meteorological conditions are not well-determined.
Leaders
In late 2017, NASSCO formed a workgroup consisting of industry leaders to develop the requests for proposals for both Phases 1 and 2, and to select from the multiple responses to ensure the highest levels of integrity.
“As the NASTT representative on the workgroup for the CIPP Emission Testing project, I am delighted with the selection of TTC as the most meritorious candidate for this important research,” said Mike Willmets, NASTT executive director. “For nearly 30 years, TTC has contributed novel and significant work to further the advancement of the trenchless industry. This will be an exciting assignment with definitive results and will undoubtedly have a far-reaching impact on worksite safety.”
NASSCO Executive Director Sheila Joy also commented on the critical need to partner with other industry organizations for important initiatives such as this.
“One of my top priorities is to join forces with associations and organizations such as NASTT, WRc, WEF, NUCA and others so that we may have a unified voice and serve our industry to the best of our ability.,” she said. “TTC’s proposal to partner with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers demonstrates their understanding of this concept. We all share the same goal when it comes to the safety of our workers and communities, and this study is a perfect example of how unification will reveal the information we need to make smarter decisions for our industry as a whole.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
NASSCO, (410) 442-7473, nassco.org
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