December 2011, Vol. 66 No. 12

Rubber tire trenchers from Astec Underground, Vermeer, Ditch Witch and Mid America Trenchers. <strong>Astec Underground</strong>

Scientists at the University of California, Riverside’s Center for Environmental Research and Technology have received a $2 million contract for a study of hybrid construction vehicles.

Common Ground Alliance (CGA), the stakeholder-run organization focused on protecting underground utility lines and the people who dig near them, announced it has completed two new safety videos that detail the five-step underground utility damage prevention process.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released three new guidance products to educate workers and employers about the hazards workers face in trenching operations. Unprotected trenches are among the deadliest hazards in the construction industry and the loss of life is devastating: since 2003, more than 200 workers have died in trench cave-ins, and hundreds more have been seriously injured.

CG/LA Infrastructure LLC, the world leader in infrastructure project identification and development, announced recently the results of its annual survey of public and private sector executives on the U.S. infrastructure market.

Kinder Morgan Inc. and El Paso Corporation announced in October a definitive agreement whereby KMI will acquire all of the outstanding shares of EP in a transaction that will create the largest midstream and the fourth largest energy company in North America with an enterprise value of approximately $94 billion and 80,000 miles of pipelines.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors with other national associations has filed joint Reply Comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), stating that local wireless citing and right-of-way management and compensation practices are not delaying broadband deployment.

Want to create nearly 1.9 million American jobs and add $265 billion to the economy? Upgrade our water and wastewater infrastructure. That’s the message of a new report released by Green For All, in partnership with American Rivers, the Economic Policy Institute and the Pacific Institute. The Rockefeller Foundation generously provided funding for the project.

Uni-Bell PVC Pipe Association is encouraging its more than 9,000 Facebook followers to shoot pictures of water main breaks or repairs in their local communities and submit them as contest entries to win an iPad.

McLaughlin Group Inc. has announced that Vermeer Corporation, along with Jeff Wage — a veteran professional of the underground construction industry — has made a minority equity investment in the company.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a commitment to using an integrated planning process to help local governments dealing with difficult financial conditions identify opportunities to achieve clean water by controlling and managing releases of wastewater and stormwater runoff more efficiently and cost effectively.

Insituform Technologies Inc. announced the completion of an internal reorganization whereby a new Delaware parent holding company, Aegion Corporation, has been created to provide corporate and administrative services for its operating subsidiaries (Insituform Technologies, The Bayou Companies, Corrpro Companies, United Pipeline Systems, CRTS, Fibrwrap Construction Services and Fyfe).

With the expansion in operating space, Agave Wire has added a brand new state-of-the-art extrusion line.

The new Cat D11T and D11T CD carry dozers are designed with refinements that include Enhanced Auto Shift, Dynamic Inclination Monitor, automatic climate control and available automated ripper control.

Ideal for the telecommunications and electrical utility industry, the Certa-Com Trenchless PVC product line has been expanded to include an 8-inch diameter SCH80 restrained-joint PVC pipe.

With single button operation and clear visual and audio guidance, the RD5000WL utility locator and transmitter, particularly suited for use in the modern water industry, is designed around ease of use.

Xylem Inc. the global water technology company which spun off from ITT Corporation in October, announced a new range of Godwin portable pumps featuring non-clog Flygt N-technology. The new range, called the Godwin NC Series, is engineered to deliver clog-free pumping for maximum uptime and effectiveness.

Advertisers from the print edition of <em>Underground Construction</em>, December 2011, Vol. 66. No. 12.

New Holland Construction has announced that in North America it will refocus on its strengths: the compact product lines for the landscaping, utility, residential construction and agriculture industries, among others.

Astec Underground and Trencor welcome two industry veterans to their management team, Charles Cunningham and Robin Zahn. Cunningham is the new vice president of sales and marketing for Astec Underground. Cunningham previously served as the central territory manager for American Augers.

It was the “political punt” heard around the energy world. Rather than making a final determination regarding the fate of the Keystone XL Pipeline project, President Obama effectively sidestepped making a decision. Instead, he opted for an unprecedented fourth environmental impact study that would explore alternate routes to avoid the environmentally sensitive Sandhills region and Ogallala aquifer in Nebraska.

The Third Annual Tulsa Pipeline Expo, held Aug. 29-31 in Tulsa, OK, welcomed almost 700 people and 86 exhibitors to an event designed to showcase Oklahoma’s leading businesses in energy, infrastructure and construction sectors.

Two Iowa underground construction contractors have teamed to establish a field tiling operation that has adapted global positioning system (GPS) technology to control grade of drainage “tile” they install in state corn and soybean cropland.

Pipe bursting is a proven method for replacing underground pipelines and is the only method of pipeline rehabilitation and replacement that can increase the size of an existing utility without trenching. This article will discuss the replacement of large diameter pipes.

A new, hands-on Skills Challenge will be the latest innovation featured in the 2012 RehabZone at the Underground Construction Technology International Conference & Exposition (UCT), Jan. 24-26 in San Antonio, TX.

Sherman & Reilly, long a leading manufacturer of equipment for installing power and communications cable, has introduced the first models of its new Revolution Series, a generation of equipment focusing on safety, ergonomics and efficiency.

The Distribution Contractors Association (DCA) held its first Professional Development Conference (PDC) Nov. 2-4, at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, TX.

The Federal Communications Commission is setting aside $300 million in 2012 as a down payment for phone companies in rural areas to build wireline broadband connections.