SAK Construction, LLC (SAK) announced today that it was selected by Trenchless Technology Magazine as a winner of their prestigious 2020 Project of the Year award. SAK, a national pipeline rehabilitation and tunneling services contractor, won the “Project of the Year – Honorable Mention” prize recognizing outstanding work performed on the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) Multiple Sewershed Package 2A rehabilitation project in San Antonio, TX. Winners were announced on Thursday, September 24th as part of “World Trenchless Day” and will be featured in the magazine’s October issue.
Trenchless Technology Magazine is considered one of the most respected publications in the pipeline rehabilitation industry and each year recognizes the industry’s best with awards for Project of the Year as well as Person of the Year, which was previously won by SAK co-founder and industry icon, Robert Affholder. The company reviews projects from around the world and chooses winners based on Technical Advancements, Technical Complexity, Milestones and Records, Interaction and Cooperation, and Industry Advancement.
“We are extremely proud and honored to receive this distinguished recognition for our hard work,” stated Tom Kalishman, chairman and CEO at SAK. “We strive to be the best and find a solution to every challenge we encounter. Being creative and developing unique solutions is a core part of our culture.”
The SAWS project, part of the EPA consent decree program, was the largest rehabilitation project in SAWS history and consisted of the rehabilitation of six different sections of pipeline totaling approximately 16,500 LF of existing pipe. Utilizing Cured-In-Place Pipe (CIPP) technology, SAK was tasked with repairing the aging sewer line and installing a new system to manage the flow of potentially 54 million gallons of water per day.
SAK’s ability to SOLVE any pipeline rehabilitation issue was on full display as they were faced with not only the sheer size of the milestone SAWS project, but also executing a unique new design that would entirely change how the system would function. Working with SAWS and project engineer CDS Muery, an engineering firm based out of San Antonio, SAK was able to install a new flow plate design, the first of its kind for SAWS, to give SAWS the ability to efficiently manage the massive amounts of flow funneling through San Antonio’s water system and avoiding the potential for destructive backups. As a direct result of the success of this solution, other US metroplexes with similar issues are planning to incorporate the design incorporated on this project.
“Our crews are amazing!” stated Brian Ackerman, SAK’s Project Manager on the SAWS project. “Not only did they handle this record-breaking project, but they also pivoted and tackled four separate unplanned projects that came up for SAWS.”
Based in O’Fallon, Missouri, and with regional offices in Baltimore, Maryland; Sacramento, California; and Nashville, Tennessee, SAK is actively expanding across the U.S. The company solves the challenge of maintaining and restoring aging water and sanitary infrastructure for the municipal, energy and industrial markets. With industry leading experience and a commitment to service excellence, SAK is a trusted partner helping customers worldwide renew, protect and expand their pipeline infrastructure.