Armoured was proud to partner with the City of Wilmette, Illinois, on a major infrastructure initiative. They are undergoing a three-year sewer relining and manhole rehabilitation project. It’s a significant undertaking, both in scale and in the number of locations that need repair. But what makes this project unique is the use of egg-shaped sewer pipes.
The History of the Egg-Shaped Sewer Pipe
With the dawn of the United Kingdom’s Industrial Revolution, in the mid-1800’s, cities were growing, as was the need for a proper waste management system. Joseph William Bazalgette was tasked with constructing London’s first sewer network. With this, “the egg shape found it’s place in civil engineering history.”
This shape was revolutionary because it’s “incredibly strong when under compression and, by turning it upside-down, it closely resembled a V shaped channel, causing water velocity to increase at low flow rates helping in the removal of solids which would have been left behind in a circular sewer.”
Meanwhile, in Wilmette, IL, the Ouilmette family had sold their land to investors from Europe. The area was also in growth mode and sanitation was a key challenge for them to solve. The investors, familiar with Bazalgette’s work, began constructing their own sewer network using egg-shaped pipes, which are still in use today.
Today’s Modern Egg
Fast forward 175 years, and these iconic egg-shaped pipes now need repair and replacement. Armoured was contracted to engineer a specialized finish carry car. This beast of a machine was intentionally overbuilt with extra power, enhanced utility, and rugged, oversized tires to handle the conditions of the job today and in the future.
How Armoured Can Help
These are the types of projects that Armoured was built for: big, industrial, and dirty. If you’ve got a project that needs our expertise, let us know.