PPI announces award winners

PPI Building & Construction Division Project of the Year, the University of Chicago Residence Hall and Dining Commons.

Irving, Texas — The Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI) announced this year’s winners for its Members and Projects of the Year Awards Program at its Annual Meeting. All entries submitted were reviewed, evaluated and voted upon by PPI members who hold leadership roles within PPI’s Divisions.  Winners were selected based on outstanding service contributions to the industry, and exceptional achievements showcasing beneficial uses of plastics in pipe applications.  In total, four projects and five individuals were honored. PPI is the major trade association representing all segments of the plastic pipe industry.

PPI Building & Construction Division Project of the Year

The University of Chicago Residence Hall and Dining Commons project used 300,000 feet of REHAU PEX pipe for the hydronic radiant heating and cooling systems in three. The project is being considered for US Green Building Council LEED Gold certification. Stations of pre-fabricated PEX tubing circuits and manifolds were assembled on-site in centralized locations in order to reduce the installation time and keep up with floor-by-floor construction.  The project followed an approach designed to meet Energy Use Intensity (EUI) in the low 50s. This target represents a 41 percent reduction for energy usage, eliminating 1,920 metric tons of CO2 emissions a year.

PPI Corrugated Plastic Pipe Division Project of the Year

In Pointe-Saint-Charles, Quebec, Canada at a new commercial complex, the contractor built a complete storm sewer system using more than 5,500 linear feet of Soleno’s corrugated high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe.  The installation occurred under a 300-space parking lot and was able to comply with the municipality’s requirements, while other pipe materials could not.  Chemically inert HDPE pipe does not react with contamination in the soil which was found on-site. The pipe is resistant to corrosion, abrasion, de-icing salts and vibration, ensuring the sustainability of the infrastructure.

PPI Municipal & Industrial Division Project of the Year

Failure of the force main which is the sole means of wastewater conveyance for the city of Miami Beach would be disastrous.  It could potentially discharge millions of gallons of raw sewage along the urbanized corridor of one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.  Installation of a 54-inch IPS DR-17 bimodal high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe was chosen with technical assistance, fittings and fusion services provided by ISCO. The highlight of the fusion operation was joining two 1,650 foot strings of pipe during the pullback process. The use of HDPE pipe made horizontal directional drilling feasible, saving time and money for the city.  It also enabled the busy residential and tourist area to remain open during construction of the line.

PPI Power & Communications Division Project of the Year

More than 8,700 feet of different sizes of Southwire SIMpull Cable-in-Conduit (CIC) was utilized in this installation to hook power up to multiple housing units in this small, western Texas town. The ground was trenched and multiple runs of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) CIC were laid next to each other. The CIC reduced the total cost of the project and sped installation. Subsequently, Southwire documented the installation on social media which educated contractors, installers and engineers, many of whom had zero knowledge that such a product existed, or knew of information about the benefits and features of CIC usage.

PPI Member of the Year Winners

The PPI membership also selected the following individuals for special recognition.  This process involves members recognizing other members – peers respecting peers – for individuals’ extraordinary efforts to improve our nation’s infrastructure and to advance the industry.

Building & Construction Division — Mark Clark, Codes and Standards Engineer for NIBCO, was acclaimed for his activities within the Building and Construction Division as Chair for several technical groups, and for serving as chair of the Research and Development Project team.

Corrugated Plastic Pipe Division — John Kurdziel of Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. was honored for his years of service, guidance, leadership and technical contributions to PPI and to the industry.

Municipal & Industrial Division — Gerry Groen of Uponor Infra Ltd. and Harvey Svetlik of Georg Fischer Central Plastics LLC, Municipal & Industrial Division, both received tributes for their participation and service in numerous  leadership roles within PPI on research and technical committees, and for lifetime contributions to the industry collaborating with groups including but not limited to ASTM International, AWWA, ASME and FM Standards.

Power & Communications Division — David Hukill of Chevron Phillips Chemical Company was acknowledged for his work in development of data and values for the use of plastics, conduit, and contributions as the Division’s Communications Chair.

According to PPI President Tony Radoszewski, “Every year, members’ involvement increases, and their knowledge and influence significantly enrich the industry. Their influential acceleration of PPI programs and their efforts to advance plastics overall ultimately extends reach and educates end users and specifiers that smarter solutions are available which can benefit all humanity.”