The Irving, Texas-based Plastics Pipe Institute recognizes exceptional projects annually in the industry. In addition to Whisper Valley being named project of the year in the building and construction division, other 2019 honors went to:
• Terror Lake Basin Diversion in Kodiak, Alaska, in the drainage division.
For this project, a 1.2-mile tunnel of high density polyethylene pipe was constructed underneath Kodiak Island's National Wildlife Refuge to divert snow-melt runoff from the ocean to a hydropower-generating reservoir at Terror Lake.
When completed, the additional water flow will increase the amount of electricity generated by 33 million kilowatt-hours per year. That adds about 25 percent more energy capacity to the facility.
Work crews are installing corrugated StormTite, which is manufactured by Pacific Corrugated Pipe Co. in Newport Beach, Calif.
• Alaska Potable Water Line, North Pole, in the municipal and industrial division.
This project was launched after Alaska's Department of Environmental Conservation discovered sulfolane, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyls (PFAS) at North Pole, a suburban community near Fairbanks. To provide an uninterrupted source of water, a new HDPE potable water pipe line was installed. The pipe is pre-insulated with polyurethane foam so that it can deliver water during Alaska's harsh winters.
The pipe, which was supplied by Pipeline Plastics LLC in Westlake, Texas, also offers a durable, seismic-resistant supply line. With $255 million in sales, Pipeline Plastics is the No. 17 pipe, profile and tubing extruder in North America, according to Plastics News latest rankings.
• Overhead fiber optic installation in Estes Park, Colo., in the power and communications division.
This project brought high-speed broadband Internet to a community in the middle of the Rocky Mountains that is at an elevation of 8,000 feet. The Estes Park Power and Light department selected a fiber installation. The utility used Dura-Line's FuturePath Figure-8 Aerial microducts, which are factory bundled with a polyethylene oversheath. The multichamber pathway allowed crews to jet fiber the entire route without splicing, which saved $3.5 million in man hours.
With $445 million estimated in sales, Dura-Line is the No. 10 pipe, profile and tubing extruder in North America, according to Plastics News' latest rankings.