AFC Hydrants and Valves with ALPHA Joints Offer Time Savings and Efficiency for Somerville, Massachusetts
AMERICAN Flow Control, AMERICAN Ductile Iron Pipe, Water and Wastewater
How does a contractor navigate the installation of new water and sewer mains in a neighborhood with heavy traffic, narrow roadways and extensive existing underground infrastructure? The answer is the ALPHA™ restrained joint by AMERICAN Flow Control.
Construction on the Spring Hill Sewer Separation Project in Somerville, Massachusetts, began in 2022 and is expected to continue through 2025. The project involves the installation of 172 American-Darling hydrants and AFC Series 2500 resilient wedge gate valves with ALPHA restrained joints as well as more than 16,000 feet of AMERICAN Ductile Iron Pipe in sizes 4 to 30 inches.
The contractor P. Gioioso & Sons (PGS) had used ALPHA valves and hydrants on a previous project and was impressed with their time savings and efficiency. When PGS was awarded the Spring Hill Project, Project Manager Joe Gioioso and Project Superintendent John Gioioso, co-owners of PGS, reached out to E.J. Prescott (EJP) in Middleton, Massachusetts, about using ALPHA again.
“Because of their previous use, PGS knew the value of ALPHA’s time saving technology and how it lends itself to efficiency for their crews,” said EJP Senior Project/Account Manager David Hamilton. “PGS requested the owner and consulting engineer use ALPHA valves and hydrants for the entire water main scope of this project.”
The ALPHA restrained joint is available on AMERICAN’s Series 2500 4- to 12-inch resilient wedge gate valves and American-Darling and Waterous fire hydrants. Developed by Romac Industries Inc., the innovative design of the ALPHA joint restraint allows it to be quickly installed by one person and uses only one stainless steel bolt, versus up to eight bolts on each end of a standard mechanical joint valve. A key feature of the ALPHA design is the low installation torques.
“For us, with the ALPHA valves and hydrants, the one bolt system really makes it easy, especially in tight trenches where space is limited,” John Gioioso said.
Somerville’s Spring Hill neighborhood is currently served by a combined sewer system that collects wastewater and stormwater runoff in the same pipes. With this project, the city is working to upgrade these systems by installing new storm drains that separate stormwater from the existing combined sewer. In addition, the project involves street safety improvements and green infrastructure throughout the neighborhood. (Green infrastructure includes planting trees as well as using drainage features that mimic natural processes.) The project is one of several the city is implementing to reduce water pollution, address flooding and modernize the city’s infrastructure.
Work on the Spring Hill Sewer Separation Project is taking place day and night with multiple crews during all hours of operation. “A project of this magnitude requires a lot of coordination by PGS and was a part of the selection criteria for subcontractors and vendors,” Hamilton said. “E.J. Prescott and AMERICAN are excited to be a part of this carefully selected project team.”
