Can concrete pressure pipe be installed underwater?
Yes, a significant amount of concrete pressure pipe has been installed underwater in both freshwater lakes and rivers and in the ocean. Standard pipe lengths can be welded together in the manufacturing plant or on the jobsite to form longer lengths speeding up the installation process. An innovative installation technique known as “Hydro-Pull” is very commonly used to join the pipe underwater. A special “Hydro-Pull” bulkhead is pre-installed onto one end of the pipe length to be installed. This bulkhead has a small, high-volume pump mounted in the center. Once the diver has the length lined up with the previously installedlength, the pump is turned on which quickly evacuates water from inside the pipe. The resulting pressure differential created between the pipe interior and the exterior effectively “sucks” the pipe together.
