June 2011 Vol. 66 No. 6

Insituform Technologies, Inc. announced June 27 that its subsidiary Corrpro Companies, Inc. is forming a joint venture in Saudi Arabia with Saudi Trading & Research Co., Ltd. (STARC).

Louisville, KY-based ISCO Industries was recently awarded a Texas Multiple Award Schedule contract for its culvert lining solution, Snap-Tite. The contract refers to high-density polyethylene (HDPE) Snap-Tite pipe of various standard diameter sizes, as well as Snap-Tite oval pipe for relining misshaped or oval culverts.

The United States’ demand for large diameter pipe – defined as pipe with a diameter of 15 inches or more – will rise 6.2 percent per year to $8.2 billion in 2015.

Pattern Energy Group LP and Samsung Renewable Energy, a subsidiary of Samsung C&T Corporation, announced that they have jointly acquired land from the Fargo Wind Project from Suncor Energy and a nearby wind development project from Northland Power.

The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has released a broad assessment of the costs and benefits to modernize the U.S. electricity system and deploy what has become known as “the smart grid.”

Natural gas explosions, electrocutions, power outages and damaged communication lines are all hazardous disasters resulting from sewer contractors clearing out unknown cross bored sewer lines.

To expedite delivery of its remanufactured products to equipment dealers throughout North America, CNH announced the opening of a remanufactured parts distribution center within its 260,000-square-foot CNH Reman operations facility in Springfield, MO.

John Deere Construction & Forestry was recently awarded the Common Ground Alliance’s (CGA) prestigious President’s Corporate Award of Excellence for promoting the Alliance and the 811 “call-before-you-dig” safety program.

Radiodetection has launched a new utility locator and transmitter with novel features suited for use in the modern water industry.

PolyPipe Inc. has introduced a new video featuring the technological advancements made in the manufacturing process of their polyethylene pipe.

<strong>G-Series Excavators </strong>The direct result of ongoing collaboration between excavator customers and Deere engineers, John Deere has launched three new G-Series Excavators featuring IT4-certified engines, more power and cab improvements to increase visibility.

The Trencor T1760 Mechanical Drive Chain Trencher features a newly styled sloped hood, extraordinary performance and the latest technology throughout its innovative design.

Ideal for large diameter and long reach pipeline crossings or utility construction projects, the American Augers DD-625 drill rig provides 625,000 pounds of thrust/pullback power and 80,000 foot-pounds of maximum rotary torque.

Ditch Witch has released its new 2450GR Ground Penetrating Radar system, a state-of-the-art radar designed to help subsurface utility engineers locate and detect utilities, including electric, water, sewer, gas conduit and piping, and communications cable.

Thanks to its parallel-lift linkage system, the Doosan DL200TC tool carrier is ideally suited to move pallets, pipe and other materials around jobsites.

Lincoln’s new personal protection clothing line, Red Line Welding Apparel, offers the ideal gear for welding in the field.

The ability to move easily from one jobsite to another makes the Doosan DX190W wheeled excavator ideal for public works departments as well as highway and utility contractors, subdivision and commercial developers and industrial firms with large, spread-out facilities.

Case Construction Equipment launched its new Alpha Series line of skid steers, introducing nine models.

The all new EDGE Post Pounder and Puller attachment for CEAttachments Inc.’s skid-steer loaders is the perfect attachment or for quick and cost effective installation and removal of property line fences with solid steel or wood posts.

Products and specifications from manufacturers of all kinds of pipe, compiled for your convenience.

The down-and-dirty details on everything from Auger Boring to Wheel Loaders.

STV has opened a new office in Williamsport, PA, making this the firm's fifth office in Pennsylvania and thirty-third office in the United States and Canada.

URS Corporation has acquired BP Barber, a privately held civil engineering firm specializing in water and wastewater infrastructure, headquartered in Columbia, SC. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Freese and Nichols, a statewide leader of engineering, architecture and environmental services, has announced its acquisition of Nicol & Associates, a Richardson-based provider of comprehensive engineering services to the oil and gas industry.

CertainTeed Corporation, through its parent company Saint-Gobain, is once again sharing top honors for its contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency.

Insituform Technologies Inc. has announced that David Kroon has been promoted to president, Corrpro Companies, a subsidiary of Insituform.

McElroy welcomes two new international distributors -- OPD Solutions of Norway and Gulf Services and Industrial Supplies Co., LLC of Oman.

Godwin Pumps recently donated to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Gloucester County, NJ, that offer services to all youth aged 6 to 18, throughout the county. Godwin Pumps President Michel Bakhos, said, "As a large employer in Gloucester County, we are thankful to be in a position to support our surrounding community. This donation is one way we are able to show that support. Philanthropy and outreach are very important to our company, and we look forward to continued involvement with organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs."

David Gaboury, P.E. is the new president of ASFE/The Geoprofessional Business Association, a not-for-profit association of geoprofessional firms that employ some 150,000 individuals worldwide.

Kurt Lawson joins Mears Group as a senior director of integrity solutions. Lawson has over 25 years of experience in the field of corrosion and materials engineering.

Tommy Mazingo, P.E., recently founded Mazingo Engineering Inc. This consulting engineering firm, based in Houston, TX, specializes in civil engineering design and construction management.

The Uni-Bell PVC Pipe Association has launched a new website at www.uni-bell.org to inform the public and stakeholders about its industry and highlight the sustainability, cost-effectiveness and versatility of its products.

Advertisers from the print edition of <em>Underground Construction</em>, June 2011, Vol. 66 No. 6.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) appears ready to propose a new standard on silica exposure which would have a major impact on underground construction companies.

Officials from the Obama administration are discussing whether the administration should review the data being used to support a forthcoming Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) assessment that could label formaldehyde as a carcinogen in the wake of industry and other concerns, including a National Academy of Sciences (NAS) panel that criticized similar EPA claims.

Glendale Water & Power (GWP) hosted the Provincial Electric Authority of Thailand in April at Glendale Water & Power’s administrative offices. The Provincial Electric Authority (PEA) is the national utility of Thailand serving 13 million customers.

The city of Dubuque, IA, has agreed to pay a $205,000 civil penalty and spend an additional $3 million on improvements to its water pollution control plant and sewer collection system over the next three years to settle a series of alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act.

The McLaughlin Group has introduced two new cradle boring machines -- the first new models manufactured in this product category since the late 1960s.

What a difference six years makes. In 2004, Michels Directional Crossings set a horizontal directional drilling (HDD) industry record for its completion of two parallel 7,080-foot-long, 8-inch diameter steel high voltage transmission lines beneath the Cooper River in Charleston, SC.

While the overall market recovery for horizontal directional drilling appears to be improving at the mid-year point of 2011, many contractors are still struggling with sluggish economic conditions.

Mesa Verde National Park is located in the relatively isolated southwestern corner of Colorado, near Durango. More than 1,000 years ago, the area was home to Pueblo-dwelling people, and the park contains more than 4,000 archeological sites -- including 600 cliff dwellings -- which are among the most notable and best preserved in the United States.

When Gary Davidson, president and co-owner of DrillTech Inc., based in Clarksville, TX, reviewed the results of soil samples provided him by project owner, Regency Energy Partners, he felt confident the mainline natural gas pipeline project his company was hired to complete in Louisiana would be a fairly routine horizontal directional drill installation. At first glance, the only thing that Davidson felt may be somewhat of a challenge was the length.

Some of the most common questions owners and engineers have when considering pipe bursting are “what types of pipes can be burst?” and “what types of pipes can be installed by pipe bursting?” This article will provide insight into answering those questions as well as highlight some of the design and practical considerations that need to be accounted for on any pipe bursting project.

At one time or another, rock is a challenge to most contractors who do horizontal directional drilling (HDD). The degree of difficulty and the efficiency with which rock is penetrated involves many factors, including the size of the drill unit, method of drilling, downhole tools and the experience and capability of drilling crews.

The Sabine River Authority (SRA) of Texas was created in 1949 to equitably distribute the waters of the Sabine River and its tributaries. As part of this distribution, “We provide surface water to eleven industrial customers, such as Conoco and Louisiana Pigment, for cooling and processing,” says SRA Facility Manager Mike Carr.

H&H Enterprises is a HDD contractor specializing in rock with 15 years of experience working primarily in the Northeastern United States.

Increasingly, horizontal directional drilling contractors come from every walk of underground construction life. Gas and oil pipelines, telecom, electric and gas distribution were the early adopters of the technology. But as the rigs and affiliated add-ons/complimentary equipment evolved, other underground niches have steadily became believers in the technology.