March 2013, Vol. 68 No. 3

Advertisers from the print version of <em>Underground Construction</em>, March 2013, Vol. 68 No. 3.

Mud mixing systems from TT Technologies, KEMTRON, Triflo Intl., American Augers, Vermeer, Mud Technology Intl., Straightline and Ditch Witch.

Drilling fluids and polymers from CETCO Drilling Products, Wyo-Ben, Baroid Industrial Drilling Products, and M-I SWACO.

Downhole directional drilling tools from Hunting Trenchless, American Augers, Radius HDD Tools, Melfred Borzall, Horizontal Technology, INROCK, Ballantine, Vermeer, Railhead Underground Products, Sharewell HDD Services, HammerHead Trenchless Equipment, Straightline, Condux Intl. and Ditch Witch.

HammerHead Trenchless Equipment has introduced a new cured-in-place pipe sewer lateral lining system for installing CIPP liners.

A new 27,000-pound pullback model has been added to the Ditch Witch line of horizontal directional drills.

Gene Suhr, a former director of water and wastewater engineering for CH2M HILL, died Jan. 27 in Vancouver, WA, surrounded by his family. He was 79.

The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) is encouraged by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent Memorandum committing to a dialogue with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, NACWA, and other key stakeholders on the financial capability of communities to meet their Clean Water Act (CWA) obligations.

Utilities are concerned about the state of their infrastructure, and these concerns are driving a need for greater use of asset management practices, according to preliminary findings released by McGraw-Hill Construction at the U.S. Conference of Mayors winter meeting in Washington, DC.

According to the latest forecast from the Portland Cement Association (PCA), there will be an 8.1 percent growth in cement consumption in 2013, significantly higher than the tepid growth projected in its fall 2012 report.

FMI Corporation, the largest provider of management consulting and investment banking to the engineering and construction industry, announces that they have implemented the Ethical Advocate hotline service as part of the organization’s Ethics and Compliance initiative.

The time to obtain required federal permits from agencies other than the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for interstate natural gas pipeline projects actually has increased since the passage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, a law with the stated intent to streamline and expedite federal authorizations for such projects, a new study by the INGAA Foundation finds.

The 58th annual Appalachian Underground Corrosion Short Course (AUCSC 2013) will take place May 21-23 at West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV.

On Jan. 3, a natural gas explosion leveled a house in Oklahoma City where about 14 people were evacuated from the area after the explosion; however no one was seriously injured or killed. Several surrounding houses were severely damaged and one home was a total loss.

On Jan. 22, Governor Dave Heineman of Nebraska approved a revised route of the Keystone XL pipeline through the state of Nebraska. In a letter to President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Gov. Heineman said that the new route avoided sensitive lands and aquifers.

Denso has just released two new features on their website, new Petrolatum Training videos and On-line Product gallery. The videos focus on the different methods of applying Denso’s petrolatum tapes on straight pipes and irregular surfaces.

Super Products has published an easy-to-read guide that provides a side-by-side comparison chart listing the defining characteristics, common uses and performance features of its complete line of Mud Dog hydro excavators.

Doosan Portable Power has enhanced several mobile generators with features designed specifically for the Canadian market.

Felling Trailers’ air ramp technology has increased in popularity among several of its trailer models for a couple of reasons. To start, Felling air ramps operate via an air bag system that works off of the same supply as the air brake system.

Building on the productivity of the Bobcat 700 and 800 frame-size loaders, significant upgrades have been made to the skid-steer loaders, compact track loaders and all-wheel steer loader. These changes incorporate greater machine performance through enhancements such as increased breakout and lift forces, better horsepower management, shorter cycle times and simplified display navigation.

The ALLU D-Series Screener Crusher Bucket attachment works with wheel loaders, excavators and skid steers to screen, crush, pulverize, aerate, blend, mix, separate, feed and load materials all in one stage—increasing the profitability and efficiency of pipeline construction operations.

In 2010, two pipeliners, Cody Martin and Joseph Wade, founders of Cadillac Coating Company, Blasting Heating Coating (C3 BHC), had a vision of a safer, more effective and environmentally sound way to sand blast pipe welds.

Dan Murphy, outgoing president of the Pipe Line Contractors Association and president of Precision Pipeline LLC, welcomed 628 delegates to the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale, AZ. This represented a significant attendance increase over the 2012 convention.

Government departments across the nation continue to address failing culverts that pose serious risks to state and interstate highways and city streets.

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is reviewing a draft of a proposed Standard Specification for Horizontal Directional Drilling which would ensure quality trenchless installations of underground pipelines and conduits.

There was a time in the mid-80s when business and other organizations began to discover that “cell” phones were more than a novelty -- they could be used to keep in touch with personnel in the field.

In a part of the country where rocky soils make underground construction difficult, Maine contractor Enterprise Trenchless Technologies, Inc. (ETTI) has built a solid reputation for successfully completing challenging horizontal directional drilling installations, many beneath bodies of water.

Major rehabilitation of old sanitary sewer systems is more or less expected, if unpleasant. Public works departments know that time takes a toll on all infrastructure and when sewers get to be more than 50 years old they are likely to show their age and need significant care.

Contractors involved in horizontal directional drilling (HDD) often must work through difficult projects, many with unexpected challenges. However, Oregon contractor Apex Directional Drilling has a history of seeking out complex projects that other HDD specialists are reluctant to take on.

I’ve been asked by many people if the main section of the Keystone XL Pipeline, from Canada to Oklahoma, will be built now that a revised route has been approved both by the state of Nebraska and TransCanada. The new route reportedly will avoid the most ecologically sensitive regions of Nebraska.

Separate regulatory and legislative developments could affect local government ability to afford water infrastructure projects. The Environmental Protection Agency is considering revisions to the agency's 1997 financial capability guidelines which dictate how hard the agency can press cities and counties to undertake expensive Clean Water Act projects such as sewer repairs.