Highlights of the High Life: Miami Beach’s Horizontal Directional Drill Case Study

The City of Miami Beach undertook the critical replacement of a 16-in. cast iron water main along 41st Street, addressing a key infrastructure vulnerability. This water main had been classified in the City's Water Master Plan as having a high probability and consequence of failure, signaling a significant risk to the integrity of the city's water supply system. As a result, it was prioritized for replacement as part of the City's Capital Improvements Plan, reflecting its urgency and the potential impact of a failure. In addition to this pressing concern, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) had planned a major bridge rehabilitation project that required the removal of the existing aerial water main. Given the intersecting needs of both projects, the City, in close coordination with FDOT, recognized the critical importance of ensuring continuous, reliable water service to the community. Considering these factors, the City and FDOT worked collaboratively to prioritize the water main replacement in advance of FDOT's other construction projects.