Matheny, Steve

Steve Matheny, P.E., F. ASCE, has been a business consultant engineer for Logan Clay Products since 2016 where he has brought over 30 years of...

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About Matheny, Steve

Steve Matheny, P.E., F. ASCE, has been a business consultant engineer for Logan Clay Products since 2016 where he has brought over 30 years of technical experience and knowledge in the construction industry. Steve has consulted and been involved with multiple trenchless projects (Pilot Tube Method) and has authored several papers and presentations for the NASTT. Steve has also written several articles for the Journal of MSTT. He is consulting on numerous PTM projects throughout the Midwest and East Coast.

Matheny, Steve

Titles from this speaker

Lessons Learned: Sanitary Sewer Project Converted to Pilot Tube Method of Guided Boring

Abstract

The Pilot Tube Method (PTM) of Guided Boring is not typically top of mind as a value engineering option. But in this project in Burton, MI, PTM was used to change the originally specified installation method from open excavation crossing a two-lane asphalt roadway. In the end, the method change was economically advantageous, it avoided a good deal of collateral damage, and it was more efficient. We will dissect the project and review the Lessons Learned. The project was specified as an open-cut installation of approximately 308 linear feet of 8-inch PVC between two existing maintenance holes, at a maximum slope of 0.13%. The Burton sewer project was converted to a vitrified clay pipe (VCP) PTM installation due to ground conditions and a necessity to limit the size of the working footprint. The sewer was close to 30' deep and was routed under a popular two-lane road and between two houses. The contractor proposed using PTM so that the road was not disturbed and the massive disruption of an open trench between those houses was avoided. The contractor also proposed adding a maintenance hole in the middle of the run such that the laterals could enter this new maintenance hole. This was more efficient than tapping the pipe 30' deep for those laterals. The soils were worse than expected based on the Geotechnical Report. The soils actually encountered were a running, silty clay with little support. The contractor used a 60,000 lb. Link Belt 235 with a custom-built extendable stick capable of digging 31'. The jacking and receiving shafts were lined with sheet piling. Pulling a trench box through those soils would have been even more difficult than originally anticipated and would result in a lot of collateral damage. Due to space constraints of the project footprint, the contractor used shorter pipe lengths for installation of the sewer. This allowed the shafts (jacking and reception) to be limited to 13-feet diameter and avoided disruption of the two-lane street. The Lessons Learned on this Trenchless project will be beneficial for many Designers, Municipalities and Contractors.

This paper was presented at the WEF/WEAT Collection Systems and Stormwater Conference, July 15-18, 2025.

Presentation time

13:30:00

14:00:00

Session time

13:30:00

16:45:00

SessionConstruction and Project Delivery

Session number08

Session locationGeorge R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, Texas, USA

TopicCollection Systems, Pipe Failures, Trenchless Technology

Author(s)

Matheny, Steve

Author(s)S. Matheny1

Author affiliation(s)Logan Clay Products, 1

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Jul 2025

DOI10.2175/193864718825159861

Volume / Issue

Content sourceCollection Systems and Stormwater Conference

Word count14

Pilot Tube Method of Guided Boring over Soil Stabilization in the Great Lakes Basin

Abstract

This paper will present a project in Novi, MI where 300 feet of 10-inch sanitary sewer was installed over a Peat and Marl Zone using a trenchless stabilization process and the pilot tube method of guided boring (PTM). The study is a comparison between the originally designed 'open excavation' project and the value engineered project using PTM and grout injection for the Grand River Road project (adjacent to two busy thoroughfares and a Cadillac Dealership). In 1996, the City of Novi, permitted development of a 10-acre parcel which included a sanitary sewer line that was added to their existing collection system. Located in Oakland County, this installation was originally constructed using PVC Truss Pipe at cover depths ranging from 10 to 12 feet. Below the pipe, the soil consistency was layers of peat and marl. In 2006, the site was redeveloped with an additional 10-foot of fill added to the area above the sanitary sewer line. This surcharge load affected the flexible pipe / soil structure as well as the peat / marl foundation below the pipe zone; the result was a failed pipeline. A new sanitary sewer line was proposed, designed, and bid as a conventional open trench excavation with 'over-excavation' of the marl zone. Soil borings indicated the existence of a peat/marl zone within the sewer elevation (on the west end) and below that, was a 5-foot layer peat zone above a 7-foot layer of marl. Moving to the east, the marl zone was just 2 foot below the sewer invert. The initial bid design required over-excavation of the peat and marl, the addition of a geotextile wrap, and 1-3 inches of backfill with crushed stone. This foundation improvement was required for pipeline support using conventional open-trench installation methods. This paper outlines the soil stabilization and installation method of PTM used to replace the sanitary sewer. The project was originally specified conventional open-excavation and the Contractor value engineered the project using grout injection and then used Pilot Tube Method of Guided Boring install the sanitary pipe.

This paper was presented at the WEF Collection Systems Conference in Detroit, Michigan, April 19-22.

SpeakerMatheny, Steve

Presentation time

15:45:00

16:15:00

Session time

13:30:00

16:45:00

Session number4

Session locationHuntington Place, Detroit, Michigan

TopicConstruction, Sewer Repair, Replacement, & Realignment, Trenchless Technology

Author(s)

D. DiLegge

Author(s)D. DiLegge1; S. Matheny2

Author affiliation(s)DVM Utilities1; WEF Member Account2

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Apr 2022

DOI10.2175/193864718825158359

Volume / Issue

Content sourceCollection Systems

Word count15

Base text size -

Matheny, Steve

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