Formadrain is celebrating 25 years in 2019 of being a pioneer of the revolutionary technology of steam-cured CIPP.  

Developing a no-dig technology for drain repair was not a new thought for Gerard Marc-Aurele when he founded Formadrain in 1994. In fact, he began thinking about it as early as the 1970s. The problem took a sharp focus in 1981 during a mishap in downtown Montreal, Quebec. 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 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 had to be a way to repair drainpipes without digging underneath infrastructure. After two years of intense research and development, Formadrain was born.

One of Formadrain’s first projects was the rehabilitation of a 500-foot-long-24-inch-diameter clay pipe under rue St.-Jacques between rue St.-Laurent and Place d’Armes, a very 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 1996, the Formadrain system received the J. Armand Bombardier Award for technical innovation by the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Science.

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 is the industry’s only steam-cured CIPP resin with a 60-day open time.

Company developments always had the same goal in mind: to provide Formadrain customers with the best products and unparalleled service through on-site training and technical support from an ever-growing network of licensed installers throughout Canada and the U.S.

Over the last quarter century, Formadrain has been a leader in trenchless technology to bring cutting-edge products and systems to the industry. It continues to invest heavily in research and development.

“We’re focusing on the future,” says Stephane Therrien, president of Formadrain. “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, contact Bruce Stevenson, business development manager, at 888-337-6764 or bruce@formadrain.com.