March 2009 Vol. 64 No. 3

HOBAS pipe’s high strength-to-weight ratio, smooth surface and flush, push-together joints are ideal for sliplining.

In order to educate the buyer on what factors to consider when purchasing a mud system Kem-Tron has created the Buyers’ Guide to Mud Recycling & Mixing Systems.

SiteTec Mix units range from 70 ltr/min to 2,500 ltr/min for both sales and rental.

Ameron offers both round and non-round, segmental section, gasket joined, Bonstrand RPMP for the slipline rehabilitation of deteriorating pipe applications.

A2 Liner provides economical cost savings over cured-in-place pipe – up to 50 percent depending on the installation.

Why just line your failing sewers when you can slipline them with a new Vylon Slipliner Pipe?

Increasingly, sliplining of compromised water pipelines with Fusible PVC is becoming the preferred method of rehabilitation for water lines in congested suburban centers.

Z-Shore is designed for wider excavations.

According to statistics published by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), U.S. construction equipment exports totaled more than $20.7 billion for 2008, a 20 percent gain over 2007.

As California’s drought worsens, Escondido city officials are considering exploring a new technology that transforms sewer water into clean drinking water.

Insituform Technologies Inc. plans to acquire The Bayou Companies and Corrpro Companies Inc. for a combined $216 million, which the company plans to finance with debt and through a public offering.

When it comes to the promotion of rehabilitation technology, the tireless efforts of Joseph G. Majdalani have earned him the honor of Most Valuable Professional for 2009 from the Gulf Coast Trenchless Association and <em>Underground Construction</em> magazine.

The year 2008 proved to be another strong year of growth and expansion past the nation’s borders for the North American Society for Trenchless Technology (NASTT), reports Piero Salvo, who completed his two-year term as NASTT chairperson at the end of January.

The economic stimulus package passed by Congress and signed by President Obama on Feb. 17 will unleash a national flood of wastewater and drinking water construction funds with the $4 billion and $2 billion emergency appropriations for the federal Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs).

Immigration attorney Elise Healy cites a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report that as of January 2007, there were estimated to be 7 million illegal Mexican aliens in the United States, up from 4.7 million from 2000.

The population of the city of San Antonio has quietly grown to make this pleasant south Texas city the second largest city in the state and seventh largest in the U.S. With a population of more than 1.3 million, San Antonio ranks just behind Houston and ahead of Dallas in population.

Over the past several years, foreign-born workers have played an increasingly important role on most types of construction projects, including utility construction.

The 36-600 NG Horizontal Earth Boring Machine from American Augers features: DEUTZ F6L914 114-hp turbo diesel engine...

Rain for Rent was recently recognized by the Institute for Family Business (IFB), at the annual Family Business Award ceremony in Fresno, CA.

To help boost equipment uptime, Case Construction Equipment is expanding its toll-free customer assistance hotline – 866-54CASE6 (866-542-2736).

Utility contractors will enjoy the benefits of CertainTeed’s 3-inch diameter Certa-Com conduit system.

A new global horizontal directional drill (HDD) undersea crossing record has been set in terms of pipe diameter, pipe weight and length of crossing in Saudi Arabia.

Dexter + Chaney’s Spectrum Construction Software has launched a Resource Scheduling module to help construction companies more efficiently utilize their equipment and employees.

The Doosan DX350 crawler excavator will replace the current DX340.

The Fly Cutter is recommended for use during directional drilling operations in clay and sand soil conditions.

Ballantine offers a complete line of backreamers for nearly all ground conditions.

The Ditch Witch directional drilling product line is the only brand on the market that covers all major systems.

The HammerHead TriHawk I drill bit is an aggressive horizontal directional drilling cutting tool for drilling in soft rock conditions up to 8,000 psi.

The RockReamer is a versatile, cost effective hole opener for HDD – cutting downtime as easily as it cuts rock.

INROCK’s new XTM Mud Motor was designed to increase the torque capacity of the drive shaft and bearing assembly.

The Ogre stacked plate reamer is made for hard soil conditions including shale, sandstone, caliches and cobbles.

The new DirectBore I – 13” rock bit is designed with the big drills in mind.

Sharewell’s heavy-duty LTX series of Lo-Torque Hole Opener is ideal for pipeline projects.

The T-Rex and the Diamond Cutter reamers are designed to help HDD operators efficiently pull product through tough ground conditions.

DINO-MUL is an aqueous torque reducer that contains naturally occurring lubricants.

CETCO’s innovative HDD drilling fluids and polymers keep operations running at peak efficiency.

As the distributor for INROCK Drilling Fluids, Drillers Supply offers a range of products at stock points conveniently located throughout North America.

M-I SWACO offers a complete suite of fully supported drilling fluids and solids control products and services to the drilling industry.

Horizontal directional drilling contractors have discovered the value of using quality Wyo-Ben drilling fluids.

DSI has released the Basic Tool Manager for the construction and manufacturing industries.

A new self-propelled, all-in-one robotic crawler/cutter/video system for reinstating laterals in newly lined sewer mains has been introduced to the North American market by Cosmic Top Hat, LLC.

When it comes to vacuum excavators, McLaughlin is always thinking ahead, and the introduction of its new low profile vacuum excavator is no exception.

A new spiral-wound pressure pipe has been introduced to the North American market for use in water and wastewater systems.

Vermeer is introducing a new laser-guided, grade-control pipe installation system that the company says has several design features not available on other on grade equipment currently available in North America.

To thrive in business for 150 years takes product innovation, sound business decisions, strong leadership, and first-class customer service; but most of all it takes dedicated employees and dealers.

The Global TAP (Trash Auto Prime) series of pumps are designed for handling large volumes of water and waste with solids.

Harold J. Mueller, 82, of Mueller Company and MRM Technical Group, passed away Feb. 16, in Tampa, FL.

John Deere has added the small frame CT315 to its compact track loader line, a 45-horsepower unit that already meets interim Tier 4 emissions standards.

One of the very first “Keystone Pipeline Vice President’s Awards” was presented to Pat Michels, president of Michels Corporation, for his company’s safety leadership and performance on the Keystone Pipeline Project.

The Mr. Manhole Cutter/Extractor is a tool the cuts a circular groove around a manhole frame and removes the frame and road over cut in one five- to 10-minute operation.

The MPR-6000 has the ability to mix, pump and provide large volumes of mud downhole for use with mud motors or large reamers.

The new fluid mixing system FM25 is a reliable, low-maintenance system for mixing the drilling fluid in HDD operations.

The Grundomudd portable bentonite mixing/delivery systems uses a Venturi mixer/filtration system to quickly mix bentonite and water into slurry.

The MX240 Modular Drilling Fluid Mixing System is designed to provide fast, efficient high-volume mixing of drilling fluid for larger-diameter and long-distance HDD applications.

Multiquip’s ST-2038P, ST-2037, ST-2047 and ST2047B are portable 2-inch submersible pumps designed for removing water from confined areas.

Kennametal Inc. has introduced new retainers for its line of TSC step-shank tools used on large-track trenchers.

Reed’s Feed Tap Drilling Machine is a waterworks tool that drills through ¾-2 inch pressurized ductile iron, cast iron, steel or plastic pipe.

With the backdrop of the nation's economy in a deep recession and concern of its negative effect on utility construction and rehabilitation projects, the annual Underground Construction Technology International Conference & Exhibition (UCT) held its first show in San Antonio, TX.

Gary Vermeer, founder and chairman emeritus of Vermeer Corporation in Pella, IA, died Feb. 2, at the Comfort House of Pella. He was 90.

Industry execs with good luck in Vegas might want to put some money down on President Obama eventually eliminating the “acting” adjective he put in front of the title of new FERC “Chairman” Jon Wellinghoff.

The stimulus posturing, debating and finagling is now over, a done deal. The dye is cast as to how the money is being allocated; now states/agencies begin the mad dash to grab their fair share of the money. About the only thing undecided at the Federal level is who is going to pay for all this . . .