It’s not every day you see a 72-inch water line being installed in Houston, Texas’ bustling downtown. But this was the sight for those visiting the area in spring 2025 The reason: the $2 billion George R. Brown (GRB) Convention Center expansion and a 72-inch water main located in the expansion area.
Construction crews needed to drill vertical piers for the convention center’s new basement garage, and the existing 72-inch line was in the way. The CMAR (Construction Manager at Risk) for the expansion project is Gilbane-FlintCo, and the owner is Houston First Corporation. The Engineer of Record is Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. Aurora Technical Services is a technical advisor for the project. Unlike traditional design-bid-build, early collaboration between the engineer and contractor is one of the key components of CMAR, and in this case, included collaboration with a pipe manufacturer.
With this 72-inch water main identified as a critical path item, work had to be completed quickly so the expansion project could begin. Reytec Construction Resources Inc. received a pre-construction design contract with the CMAR in late fall 2024 and was awarded the contract for the installation of the new relocated 72-inch water line in February 2025.
AMERICAN SpiralWeld Pipe in Paris, Texas, was selected to provide the 1,000 feet of 72-inch spiral-welded steel pipe for the water line replacement. Initially, ASWP was given a concept for what was needed and adjusted as project design progressed. Procurement, site design and manufacturing were happening simultaneously, and the need to get the pipe on-site to keep the GRB expansion on schedule created a sense of urgency.
The biggest challenges with the project were the tight timeline and the location. Reytec was given a deadline of August 31, 2025, to have the line completed, about seven months after they were awarded the installation contract. Events were also still taking place at the convention center weekly and crews had to reroute traffic in the area. In addition, existing underground utilities had to be worked around or relocated.
ASWP shipped the pipe to its fabrication facility in March and started shipping to the downtown Houston jobsite in early May. Reytec completed installation of the 72-inch pipe a week ahead of schedule at the end of August. The line was pressure tested and disinfected the following week, and the city put the water main back in service on September 2.
Completing this project ahead of schedule was a team effort, and everyone involved was happy with the work done. A project like this also speaks to the importance of having a local supplier when you have projects with short timelines. In this case, ASWP’s manufacturing and fabrication facilities are located in Paris and Crosby, Texas, respectively, which helped meet the critical deadline for installation.
The George R. Brown Convention Center expansion will create a pedestrian-friendly convention and entertainment district that is expected to increase the annual number of events by 30% and generate more than $20 billion in additional spending over the next 30 years, according to an analysis from Hunden Partners. It is designed to strengthen Houston’s position as the city of choice for entertainment and sporting events. Phase 1 of the project is expected to be completed in 2028.
