Mega Lug Restrainers

main man

We use mega lugs for all water main fittings, including bends, offsets, tees and valves. I was recently made aware that one foreman is not properly installing the megalugs on valves because, he says, there is no need to tighten the wedges since there will be no lateral forces on the pipe at the valve. I think the mega lug is important here because there may be longitudinal forces when the valve is closed that could cause the water main to blow out of the joint.

Has anyone else run across this problem? What are your thoughts?

Thanks (first-timer here!)

Attached Images

 

Cole

Nothing to add to your questions, but just wanted to welcome you to the site!

Welcome!

__________________
Tulsa's Leader in Outdoor Living Construction | Facebook | Tulsa Pergola Builder | Tulsa Outdoor Kitchens

dayexco

that all depends...megalugs might be nice if you have to make a repair on a main 20' away from the valve, and have the capability of leaving the other side of the main hot, minimizing the amount of people affected by the outage.

__________________
someday, i'll be as patient as Nick.

denick

Welcome Main,

That sidewalk artist just never gets tired of coming up with those drawings does he.

__________________
Nick

"Every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving" Albert Einstein

dayexco

wrong thread

__________________
someday, i'll be as patient as Nick.

pinerider

MM, we use restrained joints on all fittings we install, especially valves, due to the forces you mention. We use solid sleeves instead of couplings when we have to replace a piece of pipe so we can use restrainers on the the sleeves. We have another foreman who looks after a different area that doesn't use joint restrainers. I try not to work in his area....

pogmothon

why use mega lugs if your not tightening the wedges just us regular flanges their cheaper

TMatt142

Seems to me most state and county work (at least up here) require Mega-lugs on everything new. So I guess either way you look at it. If mega-lugs are required, then you at least better install them properly in case something does happen!! CYA I guess. Doesn't matter if they work or not, If your guy there was such a brilliant water hydrologist, he wouldn't be installing watermain. Personal opinions aside in this business....Install things the way they were meant to! I know on bends with mega-lugs, we still pour thrust blocks behind the bend. According to the people who manufacture mega-lugs, they should hold without thrustblocks....but we still pour them and state and Counties still require them to be poured. I'd always opt to overdue things when it comes to watermain rather than cut corners. Tends to save a lot of wet feet later!

Tim Doyka

I agree with the other poster if you are paying for the mega lug gland why not tighten it up and use it. Just a waste might as well use a regular gland. Has anyone used the new retainer gland and gaskets like a compression fitting for copper service line? similar to a mega lug except no bolts around the gland to tighten into the pipe.

stateplumbers

I agree with you 100% do it right the first time, over kill means it will stay dead. Way to go. Henry And Sons Plumbing & Heating Inc

Earthworkssdu

I wish I was working in your area, We enjoy the rewards from other contractors knowing more than the manufactures!

Little

Here are my experiences with mega-lugs. About 4 years ago now we did a job in central jersey, another company outbid us on the water on the job we were doing the sitework on. Now, the rear of the job had an office max and another large retail building and at the rear of that a very large detention pond with 8ft retaining walls all around it with a ramp that led down into it on one end. The company had installed the main about a month earlier or so, and had stubbed up to the rear of the office max and ended with a valve. One morning i come in and do my usual ride around to check on everything before we begin work. I come around the back and I cannot believe my eyes. The valve had popped off the main dumping gallons and gallons of water over the entire wknd. It washed out all under the entire rear corner of office max's footing (4ft of wall up only at this point) and had blown out about 100 feet of our retaining wall and filled the bottom of the pond with 4ft of soil down the ramp. Ok ok, and it turns it the company used megalugs, they used impact guns and snapped the nuts off alright..... the wrong way. Must have had the impact gun in reverse.

Now to show the strength of the megalugs, we performed a test on a piece of pipe with caps on both ends held on by only megalugs, no rods nothing and pumped the line up to 300lbs. Nothing, not a drip. Pretty amazing.

__________________
Commercial Construction, Central Jersey