Contractor Crosses Washita River with a New "Horse" B & H Construction was responsible for boring up to 50 feet under the Washita River and pulling the 36-inch DIPS pipeline. McElroy equipment recently helped the City of Ardmore, Oklahoma install a 36-inch DIPS SDR 11 pipeline under the Washita River. Using directional drilling, the new water main was installed to replace a concrete main that had been washed away by the constant erosion forces of the river passing over the exposed pipe. Ardmore lies equidistant between Dallas, Texas and Oklahoma City. Home to approximately 24,000, the city relies on several reservoirs, a series of pump stations and three different water mains that cross the Washita River to bring water to the city. With additional stress added to the two other water mains, it was an easy decision to replace the washed out concrete main. The City of Ardmore’s utilities department turned to Oklahoma companies B & H Construction of Goldsby and PolyPro of Pryor to complete the pipeline and butt fusion operations for the 1,600-foot main. B & H Construction mobilized to a cow pasture just south of the Washita River in early April of this year. Having prepared for a traditional installation, B & H laid the pipe out with the anticipation of moving PolyPro’s MegaMc™ 1648 fusion machine to and from each pipe length’s end. While this is how many jobsites are laid out, in some cases there is a more productive way. Tom Cravens, owner of PolyPro, knew the more productive answer. “Productivity tools are a great asset,” said Cravens. “Time is money. If you can cut down on your time in the field, you’re helping everyone out. We’re able to use (the tools) to cut our fusion costs and pass that savings on to the customers.” Cravens suggested to B & H that they use a prototype MegaMc™ PolyHorse™. The MegaMc PolyHorse is a series of racks attached to powered pipe stands that allow a contractor to stage everything needed for pipe fusion next to the fusion machine. On site, the device held a day’s worth of fusion work. The MegaMc PolyHorse held up to eight 50-foot sticks of 36-inch pipe on the rack system that feeds to a dispenser device, and finally, to the powered rollers. One of the rollers has a powered track system that feeds the pipe into the fusion machine, making the butt fusion set-up and operation easier on the operator. In tandem, the two powered rollers of the MegaMc PolyHorse help maneuver a stick of pipe up to 34 inches vertically and 24 inches laterally. The device is designed for 20- to 48-inch OD pipes. Having all the pipe stored in one place freed heavy machinery to be used elsewhere on site. Having the lengths of pipe sitting out in the pasture for extended amounts of time, some of the pipes became oval having lost their round shape. The MegaMc PolyHorse helped align these out-of-round pipes by rotating them in the tracked roller, creating an optimal angle for the pipe to enter the fusion machine to be faced off and to have an easy-to-find high/low before heating the pipe ends and joining. The rotation ability of the tracked roller was something that was discovered during testing. PolyPro used a MegaMc 1648 rented from McElroy distributor Gajeske to fuse the 36-inch pipe together. McElroy pipe stands were used on the pull side of the fusion machine to help reduce wear and tear on the fusion machine. To understand a little bit more about how the MegaMc PolyHorse works, watch this short video on YouTube: Sincerely, Tyler Henning P.S. – Do you have an interesting job site that you would like to share? McElroy is always looking for fusion job sites where HDPE is being used and fused to solve an infrastructure problem. Contact Tyler Henning, public relations specialist at (918) 831-9286 or by email at thenning@mcelroy.com
	MegaMc™ 1648 The MegaMc™ 1648, like the machine used in Ardmore, is designed to fuse pipe sizes from 16-inch OD to 48-inch OD (450mm to 1,200mm). Not only does the 1648 butt fuse lengths of pipe, but the machine design allows for the fusion of most fittings without the need of special holders or the removal of the outer jaw. McElroy’s unique semi-automatic control system requires only one operator. Hydraulic power assists all fusion functions, including the complete operation of the jaws, pipe lifts, heater and facer. Mitered inserts are available for fabricating ells. The MegaMc 1648 also features: McElroy’s patented Centerline Guidance System for equal distribution of force around the joint. ISO-compliant industrial Teflon-coated heater plates Advanced facer blade design for smoothing facing of pipe and long life DataLogger® compatibility Hydraulic Clamping Serrated jaws and inserts to keep the pipe form slipping during the fusion process Hydraulic pivoting heater and facer Click here for more about the MegaMc 1648
	Alliance for PE Pipe Roadshow and Expo to Visit Ann Arbor, Michigan and Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Alliance for PE Pipe’s Roadshow and Expo is an outstanding opportunity to learn more about HDPE piping systems. Always staffed with industry experts, the roadshows are a great opportunity to bring questions with you and learn about the most responsible pipe infrastructure going in the ground today. Complimentary breakfast and lunch is available, as well as entry into an iPad giveaway pending a completed RSVP online at www.pepipe.org and attendance. For more information, download a flyer for the events here. Upcoming dates: Wednesday, September 14th – Ann Arbor, Michigan – Sheraton Ann Arbor Hotel Thursday, September 15th – Fort Wayne, Indiana – Courtyard by Marriott The Roadshow takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day, with presentations at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m.
	Are You Going to ICUEE? McElroy will be exhibiting at ICUEE in Louisville, Kentucky on October 4th through the 6th. ICUEE, the International Construction and Utility Equipment Exhibition, features more than 950 exhibitors at the Kentucky Exposition Center. One of the best shows for seeing machinery in job-like conditions, ICUEE offers indoor and outdoor exhibits of trenchless, drilling and pipelining equipment. McElroy will be at booth N1015, with a full staff of pipe fusion experts to answer your questions. http://www.icuee.com
	Our pictures this month come from Rusty Bogart, Utility III Crew Chief with the King County, Washington Solid Waste Division. These pictures are from a 24-inch landfill gas header that was being installed at Cedar Hills Regional Landfill in Maple Valley, Washington. The header stretches over a mile long and supplies methane to a landfill gas-to-energy plant where the methane is scrubbed down, pressurized and sent into a natural gas pipeline for consumer use. If you have photos from a jobsite, we’d love to see them! Yours may be chosen for the next issue of McElroy Connections. Simply email your photos to Tyler Henning, at thenning@mcelroy.com.
	Did you know that the Pit Bull line of fusion machines is 15 years old this year? Still great for fusing #HDPE http://ow.ly/61GFX Aug 12th #HDPE gas main work in Christchurch, UK. Love how the local newspaper refers to the pipe as "durable." #verytrue http://ow.ly/610t7 Aug 11th Check out the Plastics in Underground Pipes conference in Houston in Oct. Great speakers presenting! #HDPE PDF brochure: http://ow.ly/5Ux4h Aug 3rd Find out how #HDPE and a TracStar 412 helped a Colorado Springs water installation in this month's @TrenchlessTech mag. http://ow.ly/5UfRD Aug 3rd Learn how to fuse #HDPE in October. McElroy University has two operator qualification classes in Oct. Click 2 register. http://ow.ly/5Tk2z Aug 2nd McElroy's Latest Pipe Handling Tool. Click here Aug 2nd #HDPE is coming to the rescue in Austin! 42-inch pipe for a wastewater job under Lance Armstrong bikeway... http://ow.ly/5QMBR Jul 29th Did you know the McElroy Multi-Mc Heater is 25 yrs old this year? Still the industry standard after so many years!  #HDPE http://ow.ly/5PJ87 Jul 28th Let #HDPE and butt fusion help you bypass and offset seismic dangers. One Calif. city did. From @trenchlesstech magazine. http://ow.ly/5Klxj Jul 22nd Seeing #HDPE being used in more and more wastewater treatment plants, like this one in Alabama. From @trenchlesstech mag. http://ow.ly/5Klne Jul 21st Sometimes you need to buy, sometimes you need a reliable rental. That's why we created Certified McElroy Rentals. http://ow.ly/5J1qC Jul 20th Get schooled! McElroy University just added two more courses in October. Come train with the Pipe Fusion Experts! http://ow.ly/5Dz1A Jul 13th
	Alliance for PE Pipe WaterWorld  Water Tech Online North American Society of Trenchless Technology Plastics Pipe Institute