August 2010 Vol. 65 No. 8

The Big Texas Road Show, a seven-stop tour of Ditch Witch® dealerships in Texas, wrapped up in June after having showcased a wide range of Ditch Witch equipment to approximately 800 customers and potential customers.

News from Ritchie Bros., Wacker Neuson, Caterpillar, Komatsu, Utilicor Technologies, Ditch Witch Midwest, Driver Pipeline, LAN, ISCO Industries, Ernst & Young, Volvo and Takeuchi-US.

Sumitomo Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. (SCM), a leading manufacturer of hydraulic crawler excavators headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, has acquired full ownership of LBX Company (LBX) headquartered in Lexington, KY, from Case Construction Equipment.

Diversified manufacturer ITT Corp., White Plains, NY, has signed an agreement to purchase privately held Godwin Pumps, Bridgeport, NJ, for $585 million to expand its footprint in the global market for dewatering pumps and the rental market. Godwin is a leading supplier of automatic self-priming portable pumps used for drainage pump rental, services and sales serving the global industrial, construction, mining, municipal, oil and gas segments.

Advertisers from the print edition, August 2010, Vol. 65 No. 8.

PipeLine Machinery International (PLM), Caterpillar’s global pipeline equipment dealer, has recently teamed with LaValley Industries and is the exclusive distributor of the DECKHAND Pipe Handling System, for use in pipeline and directional drilling construction.

Install new gravity-flow sewer systems using horizontal directional drilling more accurately with Ditch Witch’s new OnGrade.

The WELDCRAWLER is a diesel driven welding dozer specially build for pipeline welding.

The new Road Razor ECO from Kennametal is the economical and ecological tool of choice for road-milling companies interested in improved performance and maximum value.

The PowerGrit Air Chain Saw is ideal for utility, municipal, construction and industrial pipe cutting applications. Cutting ductile iron pipe, cast iron pipe, PVC pipe, HDPE pipe, cured-in-place pipe is now safer, faster and easier.

Ashtead Technology has added advanced Ground Penetrating Radars (GPR) to its extensive range of rental non-destructive testing equipment.

Crowcon has expanded the capabilities of its Tetra:3 (T3) personal multi-gas detector with an additional toxic gas sensor for ammonia.

A new Wireless Echo system is the ideal solution for situations where two-man forensic teams must perform non-destructive testing in difficult infrastructure environments.

The Idle Guard 200 is a solid state, reliable timer that automatically prevents unnecessary engine idling in fleet and delivery vehicles.

EZ Grout Corporation/Wimag now offers a full line of lifting equipment including, hydraulic concrete pipe layers, pipe laying round grabs and hooks, pipe pulling devices, manhole setting clamps, piling setting clamps, wall panel lifting devices, manhole cover lifters, road barrier and bolder grabs, stone setting clamps, lintel setting clamps, vacuum lifting devices, marble and tile setting devices and more.

Pexco is introducing a line of marker products designed specifically for utilities. Pexco utility marker products include guy markers/guards for durable, high-impact and economical protections for exposed utility pole guy wires, dead end fittings and anchor rods.

An estimated 2.7 million television viewers across the country witnessed the climactic finish of the April 25 NASCAR race in Talladega, FL, as driver Kevin Harvick sped past a competitor to capture the lead in the final lap. For Shell, principal sponsor of Harvick’s high-performance car, the event represented a double victory. It reaffirmed the company’s decision to support Harvick and others on the Richard Childress Racing team, aligning Shell products with a winner on the track. And, it provided significant visibility for a critical pipeline safety message.

An Arizona company has developed a kit that converts hand-held gasoline-powered tampers to pneumatic tampers. Higher Innovative Solutions LLC (HIS), based in Peoria, AZ, offers kits for most major brands of gasoline tampers, said the company spokesman Clint Willis. The first kits were sold in the Phoenix area with orders from other parts of the country being filled by the manufacturer.

Choosing the correct nozzle (or nozzles) for a sewer cleaning job can be a daunting task for the uninformed. However, with a little bit of information and understanding of the task at hand, this process can be quite simple. The purpose of this installment of NASSCO’s Tech Tips is to provide the buyer and the end user a quick guide to the initial purchase and field usage of the proper sewer tool.

The National Association of Sewer Service Companies’ (NASSCO) Board of Directors has selected Ted DeBoda, P.E., to succeed Irvin Gemora as executive director. In October 2009, Gemora announced his decision to retire effective February 2011. He purposely made an early announcement because he knew that it would take considerable time and energy to recruit the best candidate.

Brighton, CO, has a successful formula for growth. The community of 30,000 just outside of the Denver metropolitan area has added 750 new businesses since 1990 and is home to a wind turbine and nacelle manufacturing plant that will eventually employ 1,350 people. Part of the formula is a sound infrastructure that provides businesses with access to up-to-date facilities and services.

There is a flurry of activity among members of the International Pipe Bursting Association (IPBA) as the association accelerates efforts to promote the benefits of this versatile trenchless method for replacing failing underground infrastructure.

Handling pipe on construction jobs is a labor intensive, time-consuming and potentially-dangerous task, but one that is necessary on every water, sanitary sewer and energy pipeline project, as well as many utility projects where cable is placed in duct or conduit.

Crossbores continue to spark concern and controversy among utility providers and contractors engaged in underground utility construction. While no immediate solution to safety issues related to crossbores is in sight, clearly progress is being made.

UCT is once again welcoming guests to the Underground Construction Technology Association’s (UCTA) Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament to be held Monday, Jan. 23. All proceeds fund the UCTA’s college scholarship program.

<a href="http://undergroundconstructionmagazine.com/august-newsreel#meter">Smart metering gets boost from stimulus funds</a> <a href="http://undergroundconstructionmagazine.com/august-newsreel?page=2#tunnel">Tunnel will keep overflow sewage out</a> <a href="http://undergroundconstructionmagazine.com/august-newsreel?page=3#work">Improve workflows with civil engineering and stormwater modeling</a> <a href="http://undergroundconstructionmagazine.com/august-newsreel?page=4#injury">Three injured in pipeline explosion in Oklahoma</a>

Neff reaches Chapter 11 agreement with creditors; United Rentals expands safety training for customers; Finning sells Hewden rental business; RSC launches redesigned website; Maryland heavy equipment rental stores to get property tax relief; United Rentals extends partnership with “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

The Clean Watersheds Needs Survey (CWNS) 2008 Report to Congress summarizes the results of EPA's 15th national survey of capital costs to address water quality or water quality related public health problems. The U.S. EPA’s Off ice of Wastewater Management conducts the survey every four years, as required by the lean Water Act.

The Common Ground Alliance (CGA), an organization dedicated to protecting underground utility lines and the safety of people who dig near them, has partnered with The Home Depot to educate customers on the importance of calling prior to digging.

Demand for water and wastewater pipe in the U.S. is expected to rise 5.8 percent annually to $19.6 billion in 2014, exceeding 5.3 billion feet. Advances will reflect renewed activity in the residential building construction sector, the growing obsolescence of sewer and drainage systems and upgrades of municipal water systems. Copper pipe demand will rise at the fastest pace due to its close ties to the resurgent building construction segment.

<strong>McLaughlin</strong> The M-4500 series hydraulic boring attachments are available in three distinct configurations: M-4500, M-4500SS and M4500MS.

<strong>John Deere</strong> The Model 332D skid-steer loader is equipped with an 89-hp turbocharged 5-cylinder Deere diesel engine delivering 2,400 rpm. Patented vertical-lift boom with cushioned boom cylinders provide exceptional load stability, lift-height and reach.

When discussing the Underground Construction Technology International Conference & Exhibition with past attendees of varied backgrounds, many different reasons and perspectives are brought up as to what everyone likes best about UCT:

The BP Deepwater Horizon spill continues to have ramifications for pipeline safety even though pipelines -- neither gas nor oil -- had nothing to do with that Gulf of Mexico disaster. Nonetheless, "BP" is an entry point for Congress and others to show renewed concern about potential environmental accidents from all sorts of energy activities.