Northwest Pipe Company announced the first commercial deployment of its radial bending joint technology on a major Florida water pipeline. The solution enables steel casing pipe to follow curved alignments during microtunneling, improving maneuverability in constrained underground corridors. The debut application forms part of the South Hillsborough Pipeline, where the technology supports complex underground crossings. The project is led by Tampa Bay Water and is designed to increase treated water transmission capacity while minimizing surface disruption and construction footprint impacts.
Northwest Pipe Company is supplying more than five thousand linear feet of Permalok steel casing pipe for the pipeline, which includes multiple underground crossings beneath developed areas. The radial bending joint allows curved installation paths, reducing the number of shafts and enabling alignment within existing easements and rights of way. Construction management is led by Garney, with trenchless works executed by Huxted Trenchless. By supporting precise tunneling over longer distances, the approach reduces construction complexity, limits site disturbance, and supports efficient delivery of up to sixty five million gallons per day to existing and future water treatment facilities serving Hillsborough County while enhancing reliability, regulatory compliance, and long term infrastructure resilience across the regional supply network for growing Florida communities.
Why it matters
The deployment demonstrates how advanced trenchless technologies can reduce construction impacts while expanding urban water transmission capacity.
Source Attribution
Source: Northwest Pipe Company
