Replacement costs for any underground infrastructure can add up to a pretty penny that most municipalities or townships can’t afford. That’s why we were very proud to be able to help the Virgil Grissom wastewater district save potentially millions of dollars at the package plant, located behind the middle school in Virgil Grissom, Indiana. The package plant was a large steel structure that was beginning to deteriorate due to its age, showing signs of active groundwater I&I.
“Replacement costs would include buying the land for a new package plant, applying for permits for the project, having to dig out a place for the new structure and pour concrete, and having a new package plant built,” said Derrick Short, ART Business Development Manager for Indiana and Illinois. “Plus, then they would be left with the old one as an eyesore with a tank in the ground.”
Derrick had worked with the customer before and together they discussed options and an action plan. As an OBIC-certified installer, ART could stop the I&I of the package plant with industry-leading OBIC products and return it to like-new, all before the start of the school season.
We started the prep work in August of 2023 by sandblasting the 25’ diameter by 17’ deep package plant that had four different chambers. “The prep work was a little tricky due to the right next to school and sandblasting can be messy,” said Derrick. “In order to cut down on that, we used a wet blast using glass media and added in a rust inhibitor. Then we worked to stop all the leaks by drilling through the steel and using chemical grout 2262. We installed steel plate patching on some of the bigger holes by putting patches into the steel coating to adhere. Once it was rinsed, we had to remove all liquids and media with a VAC truck. The last step was to apply a primer.”
Once the prep work was complete, we applied the OBIC Armor multi-layer system to the package plant. Grey was chosen as the color of the coating so that it would match the steel underneath. When it was all said and done, we delivered a cost-effective solution that will stop degradation and enhance the structural integrity of the package plant for decades.
“The most impressive benefit of this 2.5 week project was the long-term cost-savings advantage as the customer did not have to purchase land or potentially spend millions of dollars in replacement costs,” said Derrick. “And with a 10-year labor and installation warranty on the OBIC Armor system, the package plant received a second life without the costs.”
We were able to help show our school spirit by completing the project before the new school session began and giving them peace-of-mind for that school year and beyond. In addition, the customer saw less run time on lift station hours due to the elimination of I&I issues.
ART is an OBIC-certified installer and can offer high-quality, cost-effective alternatives to the replacement of underground infrastructure. For more information, or to schedule a free, customized product demonstration, call 419-636-2684.
