In a banner year for Formadrain Inc., the company that pioneered the technology of steam-cured CIPP is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
Formadrain was founded in 1994 by Gerard Marc-Aurele to address a need for a practical system to rehabilitate laterals without digging.
Marc-Aurele had been considering the development of a no-dig technology for drain repair since the 1970s, but the idea took sharp focus in 1981 during a mishap in downtown Montreal, Québec. While excavating for a lateral drain replacement at a restaurant, which happened to be located at the bottom of a slope, a clay pipe containing telephone and other communication lines was accidentally chipped. An unexpected massive rainstorm immediately followed and filled both the excavation and the duct with water causing the loss of thousands of telephone and other communication lines including those to hospitals, fire stations and police departments. Remediation cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Marc-Aurele thought there must be a way to repair drain pipes without digging under the infrastructure. Applying his ingenuity and years of research and development to the problem, Formadrain was born
One of Formadrain’s first projects was the rehabilitation of a 500-foot long 24-inch diameter clay pipe under rue Saint-Jacques between rue Saint-Laurent and Place d’Armes — a busy tourist area. The work was successfully performed in 1995 with no excavation and no disruption to vehicular or foot traffic.
Recognition of the Formadrain system was swift. In May of 1996, the Formadrain system received the J. Armand Bombardier Award for technical innovation by the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Science — an achievement that was highlighted in several science and commerce journals.
Through dedication, hard work and a relentless drive for improvement, Formadrain’s unique products evolved and were diversified with streamlined equipment. Formadrain now offers a line of premium epoxy resins: Formapox 101, Formapox 301 for industrial applications, and Durapox. Durapox — which has been referred to as “the miracle resin” — is the industry’s only steam-cured CIPP resin with a 60-day open time, according to a company spokesperson.
Company developments always had the same goal in mind: to provide Formadrain customers with quality products and service through on-site training and technical support of an ever-growing network of licensed installers throughout Canada and the U.S.
Over the last quarter of a century, Formadrain has been a leader in trenchless technology in an effort to bring cutting edge products and systems to the industry. It continues to invest heavily in research and development, according to the company spokesperson.
“We’re focusing on the future,” says Stephane Therrien, president of Formadrain Inc. “Combined with our unmatched level of customer support, Formadrain products and systems will continue to pave the way in no-dig pipe rehabilitation technology.”
To learn more about the Formadrain system of no-dig pipe rehabilitation, contact Bruce Stevenson, business development manager, at 1-888-337-6764 or bruce@formadrain.com.
