The size, strength and speed of installing precast concrete makes it a go-to material for wastewater systems, and one project in Illinois showcased all those properties.
A new Love’s Travel Stop in Illinois, near the Wisconsin border, needed a wastewater treatment system, but this wasn’t a run-of-the-mill system. The plans called for outlet water being used to maintain the building’s sprinkler system for fire protection.
The water quality requirements and size of the system lent itself to choosing precast concrete as the material of choice. Wieser Concrete Products manufactured several precast pieces for the project, including two 38,000-gallon bio-barrier tanks. They also produced a 10,000-gallon waste sludge tank, a 7,700-gallon trash tank, a 48-inch wet well and a 3,000-gallon water storage tank.
Photo courtesy of Wieser Concrete Products
Mark Wieser, P.E., vice president of Wieser Concrete Products, said it was the first large scale membrane treatment system they had completed with surface discharge.
“We installed all of the airlines and pump discharge lines inside of the membrane treatment tanks ahead of time so the contractor could plug and play once the tanks were installed,” he said. “We only had access to one side of the site, so the installation had to be coordinated perfectly with our trucking fleet, contractor and crane company to provide an efficient installation.”
Photo courtesy of Wieser Concrete Products
The efficiency of installing precast tanks was highlighted throughout the project with Wieser going from finalized drawings to a functioning system in less than a month. The entire installation was completed in just five hours, which included wrapping the tanks. Since the water is being treated and then used for sprinklers, the membranes and processes used in the system act as an impenetrable barrier for nearly all common pollutants.
“It was one of the best installations that we have been involved in,” Wieser noted. “The tanks were supposed to begin installing at 10 a.m., and the last truck was unloaded at 11 a.m. Everything was choreographed perfectly by each member of the team.”
The Wieser team drew high praise from Mike Stark of Stark and Son Trenching, who served as the installation contractor. This project was the first time they had worked with Wieser, and Stark said the experience will lead to the two working more together.
“People and manpower can either make or break a job,” he said. “Both teams worked together as though they had done it 100 times before. We’re very happy with all the parties involved.”
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