The City of San Jose Water Yard Piping and Road Improvements Project was a six (6) year project aimed at managing the buried process piping at the San Jose-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility (RWF). V&A Consulting Engineers, Inc. (V&A) was entrusted with condition assessment aspects of this endeavor. The combined scope involves the assessment and improvement of over 40,000 linear feet of buried piping assets, including raw sewage, primary effluent, secondary effluent, sludge (RAS and WAS), and other wastewater process piping.
V&A conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the process pipes, ranging from 8 to 120 inches in diameter. The materials of construction included cast iron, ductile iron, steel, and reinforced concrete pipes. Field investigations involved confined space entry (CSE), visual investigation, and non-destructive testing. The assessment methods included visual investigation with photographic documentation, multi-sensor inspection (MSI, consisting of LiDAR, sonar, and video documentation), closed-circuit television video (CCTV), concrete sounding, pit depth measurement, concrete penetration measurements, concrete surface pH testing, and surface-penetrating radar (SPR). Employing various assessment methods, the assessments aimed to obtain physical condition data on the buried piping assets. Addressing crown corrosion issues resulting from biogenic corrosion, V&A measured depth, width, and location to quantify the extent of damage.
The outcomes were consolidated into a comprehensive condition assessment report, providing insights into assessment methods, findings, recommendations for rehabilitation or repair, and overall pipe condition ratings. This multi-year project, with a total value exceeding $3.2 million, highlights V&A’s commitment to preserving the infrastructure.
