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Municipal Water Utility
  • Erosion & Corrosion
  • Protective Coatings & Linings
  • Valves, Pipes, & Fittings
  • Water & Wastewater

100-Year-Old Riveted Water Main Rebuilt In Place

Client: Municipal Water UtilityIndustry: Municipal / Potable Water
100-Year-Old Riveted Water Main Rebuilt In Place

Challenge

A riveted steel water main roughly 100 years old and about 6 ft in diameter had corroded badly across a 20 ft underground run. External corrosion had pitted the shell deep enough to feel by hand, with metal loss concentrated along the riveted seams and lap joints where water tracked and sat. Replacement was not feasible — the line sits underground in a confined vault with no room to pull and re-lay pipe of that size — and the city could not shut the water supply off, so any repair had to be made live, in place, with zero downtime.

Belzona Solution

Rumford Industrial Group repaired the main in place with Belzona. The full 20 ft section was prepared back to a clean, profiled surface, with the pitted areas and riveted seams worked out by hand so the composite could key into sound metal. Deep pits, undercut rivet heads, and seam loss were rebuilt with Belzona metal-repair composite, and the whole shell was then coated with a Belzona erosion- and corrosion-resistant protective coating over every rivet and lap. Once that coating was in place, the section was over-wrapped with Belzona SuperWrap — the red laminate and black finish seen in the photos — a reinforced composite wrap system that restores structural strength to the corroded shell in accordance with recognised standards such as ISO 24817 and ASME PCC-2. Scaffold was built around the pipe to reach the crown and underside, and the work was staged around the pipe circumference so the main stayed in service throughout.

  • Belzona 1111 (Super Metal)
  • Belzona 1321 (Ceramic S-Metal)
  • Belzona SuperWrap

Result

The century-old main was rebuilt, coated, and wrapped in about one week of on-site work, with zero downtime and no interruption to the city water supply. The repaired 20 ft × 6 ft dia section now carries a continuous corrosion barrier over the shell, rivets, and seams, plus a SuperWrap reinforcing laminate that restores structural strength — extending the service life of a line that could not have been replaced without a major excavation and shutdown.

Project Photos

Before: the 100-year-old riveted steel water main, about 6 ft in diameter, with scaffold set to reach the full 20 ft run.
Before: the 100-year-old riveted steel water main, about 6 ft in diameter, with scaffold set to reach the full 20 ft run.
Before: corrosion along the shell and riveted lap joints, seen from beneath the pipe.
Before: corrosion along the shell and riveted lap joints, seen from beneath the pipe.
Before: close-up of the pitted surface — metal loss deep enough to feel by hand.
Before: close-up of the pitted surface — metal loss deep enough to feel by hand.
Before: heavy pitting and seam loss around the rivet lines where water tracked and sat.
Before: heavy pitting and seam loss around the rivet lines where water tracked and sat.
The same area after the first Belzona coat — pits filled and rivet detail sealed.
The same area after the first Belzona coat — pits filled and rivet detail sealed.
Application in progress: composite worked into the prepared shell by hand, rivet by rivet.
Application in progress: composite worked into the prepared shell by hand, rivet by rivet.
Work staged around the pipe circumference from scaffold so the main stayed in service.
Work staged around the pipe circumference from scaffold so the main stayed in service.
Belzona SuperWrap applied over the coated shell — the red laminate is the reinforcing wrap system.
Belzona SuperWrap applied over the coated shell — the red laminate is the reinforcing wrap system.
Nearing completion: the rebuilt 20 ft run coated end to end and over-wrapped with SuperWrap.
Nearing completion: the rebuilt 20 ft run coated end to end and over-wrapped with SuperWrap.
After: the main rebuilt, coated, and wrapped in place — one week of work, zero downtime.
After: the main rebuilt, coated, and wrapped in place — one week of work, zero downtime.