Florida water pipeline uses curved steel casing in microtunneling first
A new steel pipe joint designed to allow curved microtunneling alignments is being used for the first time on a Florida water pipeline project, offering an alternative to traditional straight-line trenchless installations in congested corridors.
Northwest Pipe Company said its patent-pending Permalok Radial Bending Joint (RBJ) is being deployed on the South Hillsborough Pipeline project, where steel casing pipe is being installed along curved paths beneath surface obstacles and existing utilities.
The project includes 5,764 ft of steel casing pipe and 18 underground crossings for Tampa Bay Water’s regional transmission system. Once completed, the pipeline will add up to 65 million gallons per day of conveyance capacity between a treatment facility east of Tampa and facilities in Lithia and near Balm. Tampa Bay Water is overseeing the project, with Garney Construction serving as construction manager and Huxted Trenchless performing the microtunneling work.
Unlike conventional trenchless installations that require straight alignments between shafts, the RBJ allows the casing pipe to follow a curved bore path. Project engineers said this capability allowed shafts to be placed within existing easements and rights-of-way, avoiding the need for additional access points that would otherwise be required.
According to the project team, the curved installation approach helped limit surface disruption and reduced the number of shafts needed across the alignment. The joint is designed to maintain structural integrity while accommodating gradual directional changes during microtunneling operations.
Industry observers note that curved steel casing installations could provide utilities and contractors with added flexibility on projects where space constraints, existing infrastructure, or environmental considerations make straight-line tunneling impractical.
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