Penstock- Klamath Irrigation District

T BAILEY, INC. fabricated, coated and delivered approximately 786 LF of 119” diameter ½” thick steel pipe in various lengths ranging from 5’ L – 43’ L, including 3 elbow sections, 12 ring girders, 24 slide bearing / fixed bearing supports, trash rack structure and 215’ of catwalk.

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786 LF
PENSTOCK
120"
DIAMETER
305 TONS
OF STEEL

Penstock Project

T BAILEY, INC. fabricated, coated and delivered approximately 786 LF of 119” diameter ½” thick steel pipe in various lengths ranging from 5’ L – 43’ L, including 3 elbow sections, 12 ring girders, 24 slide bearing / fixed bearing supports, trash rack structure and 215’ of catwalk.

When the Klamath Irrigation District (KID) needed to replace the C-Canal Flume in Klamath County, Oregon, the project team needed a sustainable solution to meet the needs of the local farming districts, Indian Tribes and the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation. The existing flume, a 4,200 ft. precast concrete trough, had been operated and maintained by KID since 1955, and they were interested in finding a solution that would last just as long or longer. After weighing the pros and cons of different options, it was decided to utilize large diameter steel pipe for the replacement canal flume.

The water pipe would need to be 10 ft. diameter, with a steel thickness of 1/2 inch. The pipe would also need to be lined with an abrasion-resistant lining to combat the running water which contains glacial silt and other abrasive elements. Sections of the steel pipe were fabricated in Anacortes, Washington, and coated with an innovative coating and lining system.

Pipe exterior was prepared in accordance to SSPC-SP 6 Commercial Blast Cleaning. The pipe then received a three-coat system including a moisture-cured zinc-rich prime coat and a polyamide epoxy intermediate coat.

The exterior steel was then finished with a new high-performance and low VOC acrylic polyurethane finish coat formulated to protect exterior steel from UV light degradation.

The steel pipe interior was prepared to SSPC-SP 5 White Metal Blast Cleaning and was lined with a 100% volume solids abrasion-resistant ceramic epoxy coating. This “green” lining was applied directly to the steel by skilled applicators at the facility using plural-component equipment.

After being fabricated and coated, the steel pipe was transported to the job site and installed by the contractor with minimal impact to surrounding lands. Sections of pipe were welded and coated in the field – next to the existing concrete flume – to ensure complete protection of the steel. This phase of the project totaled 305 tons of steel.

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We’re designed to perform custom fabrication of heavy structural and plate products, and can directly ship oversized loads via barge, rail, or truck to your location.

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