Arms & Cole has been a leading mechanical contractor in Michigan since 1895. Specializing in light/heavy commercial and residential projects, this company was chosen to select and install new valves for the Traverse City Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant in Traverse City, Mich.
After examining their options, Arms & Cole chose Victaulic plug valves for their easy installation and cost savings.
The Series 365 grooved-end eccentric plug valves incorporated into the Traverse City plant were simple to install and designed to ANSI/AWWA standards. They are manufactured to reduce total installation cost and materials handling, shorten maintenance downtimes, and compress project schedules.
Ease of installation
The Traverse City plant treats an average of 8.5 mgd with peak flows of up to 17 mgd. The facility has a long history in the area and was one of the first in the country to utilize membrane bioreactor technology in a wastewater treatment system. A 450,000-gal tank with eight equally sized compartments contains the membrane equipment.
Arms & Cole installed the Series 365 valves at the plant in the fall of 2004 and were satisfied with the ease of installation.
"With the tight locations where plug valves are often placed, we find the valve's weight savings greatly increase our installation efficiency," said Marko Vukasovich, project manager with Arms & Cole. "Also, a grooved product is advantageous in lift station retrofits where existing flanges are not two-holed with new equipment."
Todd Strockoz, a Victaulic project manager who worked with Vukasovich on the installation, agreed. "Series 365 plug valves are easier to lift and move around. In addition, the speed of installation due to a two-bolt system versus a 12-bolt system is significant," he said. "Using the Series 365 plug valves maintains the continuity within a grooved system."
Arms & Cole provided the piping drawings and worked to design detailed piping layouts, including fabricated and stainless steel headers. Victaulic ductile iron products such as the plug valves, couplings and fittings were utilized on the sludge and mixed liquor return piping lines.
The manufacturer also fabricated two 30-in. special tees to incorporate a valve shouldered by a flange in order to maintain the design. Layout fit was ensured by using CAD software to avoid any problems in the field.
