Hydrostatic Testing

The final step before tie-ing in a pipe line assembly or pipe segment is the hydrostatic test. This critical test is usually done in a cramped trailer full of fittings and hoses. Midwestern Contractors wanted something better for their customers, operators and inspectors.

In Illinois late December through March are not pretty months. Wind, temperatures near zero or in the teens, snow and ice, all make conditions difficult for crews. An ongoing injection field project requires precise fitting and welding on thousands of feet of 6" to 12" pipe.

The project was meticulously designed and the piping runs totaled over 9,000' with most installed on racks and some underground. The purpose of the project was to install piping to carry butane from the storage field and into the refinery for processing and blending.

Product moving through pipelines, generates revenue that fuels pipeline transportation companies. As a preferred contractor, our customers recognize that we do our utmost to minimize downtime to their infrastructure. 

Speed to market can be an important consideration for a customer when construction or modification takes place on inservice piping. On one such project the operator had no choice but to replace 2,400' of aging pipe, drilled in, and in service, for many years.

Terminals and pipelines need maximum flexibility to satisfy their customers. More interconnects are being constructed and many pipelines have been made bi-directional to allow better movement of product and to take advantage of various points of production and refining.

When IDOT and the Tollway Authority decided to upgrade the Elmhurst Rd. interchange they did it in a big way by constructing a Diverging Diamond. This caused a lot of utilities to be moved.

December in Northern Illinois & Indiana usually brings freezing weather and light snow. This year has been different. 

A recent project awarded to Midwestern Contractors (MWC), involved the removal of temporary Black Diamond repairs to three bends where external corrosion was discovered. 

Pipelines and highway right of ways are natural partners. There is usually enough room for both to run side by side. 

During the 2014 construction season Midwestern Contractors (MWC) completed a large gas integrity project in Northern Illinois. This project included fabrication, piping modifications, launcher and receiver installations, valve installations and hydro-testing of line segments.