Slide Rail System Used for Storm Drain Upgrades

A Denver contractor installed a new storm drainage system that will improve water run-off control in the area. The project required a linear run of 108-ft, a width of 20-ft, and a depth of 24-ft. The Competent Person on-site classified the sandy soil as Type-C.

The project site was located 12-ft from an existing road and a foot from an active electrical box. The contractor required an open-span large area for the installation of a 12-ft by 14-ft box culvert. Additionally, the contractor needed to install 50-ft of 108-in pipe by micro-tunneling. The excavation cut would require a system that would secure the adjacent structures and provide proper support as well as sufficient clearance.

The contractor had extensive experience upgrading large-scale storm drainage systems and understood what challenges needed to be addressed. After carefully reviewing several protective systems, the contractor selected a slide rail system with rolling struts. A slide rail system is a popular underground safety system that can be housed to fit restricted span areas. For this project, the linear application used was composed of 6-bays and 5 rolling struts. Rolling struts are commonly used on linear applications and their main function is to provide support for the trench walls while providing the ability to adjust placement for vertical clearance according to an engineered plan. The slide rail and rolling strut system provided the workers with an open span area and the proper height clearance for the culvert installation. With the recent storm drainage upgrades, the municipality improved its distribution of water flow in the area and reduced the potential for future flooding. The contractor was extremely satisfied with the flexibility and efficiency provided by the slide rail system during the culvert installation.