Advanced Drainage Systems Wins Plastic Pipe Institute’s Project of the Year

The Plastic Pipe Institute’s (PPI) Drainage Division has awarded its 2022 “Project of the Year Award” to Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (ADS) for their new warehouse project in Greencastle, Pennsylvania. Plastics Pipe Institute is a major trade association representing all segments of the plastics piping industry. As an association, PPI focuses collaborative efforts to accumulate data, concentrate facts and target resources toward advancements in applications and increases in widespread usage. Each year the membership reviews and votes on the Project of the Year for each of the five PPI divisions – Building & Construction, Drainage, Energy Piping Systems, Municipal & Industrial, and Power & Communications.

Mike Huebert, ADS’ EVP of Sales, said of the award, “With a project of this size, it’s a true testament to successfully navigate the project management requirements to meet customer expectations and construction timelines.  This takes significant collaboration both internally and externally with the designer, distribution partner and contractor.  I couldn’t be prouder of our team, well done to all involved and special congratulations to the Northeast Region for bringing home the project of the year.”  

With the goal of protecting the environment, a new facility with a 1.5 million sq ft building made the decision to use five large underground stormwater storage systems. The system required watertight capabilities due to the karst topography and created the area of some 83 acres. As one of the largest sites in Franklin County, this project used over 17 miles of ADS® N-12® Dual Wall HDPE Pipe to construct the underground detention beds.

“Having been involved in this project since Day 1, it’s amazing to see how it all came together,” said Vincent O’Brien, Territory Sales Manager for ADS. “Over the course of nearly a year, we worked extremely close with the site contractor to help them design material handling equipment for 60” diameter pipe and fittings, providing technical assistance, and being on site week after week to make sure materials and installation went as smooth as possible.”

N-12 pipe is certified to meet or exceed the requirements for:

• CAN/CSA Standard: B182.8 and BNQ 3624-120
• American Association of State Highway (AASHTO) Load Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) specifications
• ASTM 3212 lab test
• ASTM F2487 infiltration/exfiltration test
• Type S pipe under AASHTO specifications M 252 and M 294

Specified for culverts, cross drains, storm sewers and other types of new and rehab projects, N-12 pipe has a smooth inner wall for optimum hydraulic flow and a corrugated exterior for structural strength. N-12 pipe can support H-25 live loads with 12" minimum cover for most pipe diameters. Sections are joined with an integral bell and spigot that create a watertight connection with a factory-installed gasket--no extra couplers needed.

“The size and scope of the project along with the high visibility of using HDPE pipe and its features and benefits are among the many reasons that this earned the Project of the Year honor,” explained David M. Fink, PPI president.  “The project shows how the use of HDPE pipe can protect the environment, lower greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the number of truck loads as a result of nesting the lightweight pipe.  Plus, the pipe can be installed quickly with minimum crew and without heavy machinery while providing the owner with a lower installed cost versus other types of pipe or structures.  There is also the fact that HDPE pipe can be made using a high amount of post-consumer recycled HDPE material, taking single use HDPE bottles, for example, and turning them into pipe that will last for generations”.

ADS is the largest plastic recycling company in North America using 600 million pounds of post-consumer plastic every year.

Additional information can be found at www.plasticpipe.org and www.plasticpipe.org/drainage.