April 2014, Vol. 69 No. 4
Newsline
CASE Construction Equipment has entered into a strategic partnership with Leica Geosystems to provide machine control technologies – both factory installed and aftermarket – throughout its line of construction equipment.
The United States and Canada will require annual average midstream natural gas, crude oil and natural gas liquids midstream infrastructure investment of nearly $30 billion per year, or $641 billion total over the 22-year period from 2014 to 2035, a new study finds.
Protecting underground utilities and utility damage prevention is a shared responsibility.
Underground Imaging Technologies (UIT) LLC, A Caterpillar Affiliate, announced that Nicholas Zembillas has joined the UIT Advisory Board as the executive director and chairman.
In February, an underground pipeline near Alexander, ND, that was struck and damaged leaked about 400 barrels (one barrel equals 42 gallons) of crude oil, authorities said.
Exports of U.S.-made construction equipment dropped 25 percent in 2013 compared to the previous year for a total $20 billion shipped to global markets, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), citing U.S. Commerce Department data it uses in trend reports for members. All world regions recorded declines.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued its annual inspection plan under the Site-Specific Targeting 2014 program to direct enforcement resources to workplaces where the highest rates of injuries and illnesses occur.
McElroy announced the addition of a new distributor that will sell and service the company’s fusion machines in Northern Africa.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will hold a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH) May 7-8, 2014, in Washington, D.C.
Bob DeRoma, Interplastic Corp.’s senior vice president, announced the launch of the 2014 Scholars Award Program sponsored by Interplastic Corp. in affiliation with the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA).
The Bureau of Reclamation has announced $44.3 million in funding for water infrastructure projects throughout the West that will support a variety of efforts including: providing financial and construction assistance for rural water projects; addressing infrastructure to maintain system reliability and safety; restoring aquatic habitat; continuing the Bureau’s focus on water-related activities to support tribal nations; meeting the increasing water demands of the western U.S.; and supporting activities that increase water resiliency in the face of drought consistent with President Obama’s Clim
The Underground Construction Technology International Conference & Exhibition is now accepting program proposals for its industry-leading Educational Program. The sessions provide information readily beneficial to an audience of contractors, owners and consulting engineers. The program is an interactive forum to share perspectives, present ideas and explore issues for the construction and rehabilitation underground piping infrastructure via both trenchless and open-cut methods.
Equipment Spotlight
Reduced/zero tail swing excavators by Bobcat, Sany America, John Deere Construction, Hitachi, Volvo, Case, Doosan Infracore Construction America, Caterpillar, Hyundai Construction Equipment Americas and Kubota.
<strong>Pro-Tec Equipment</strong> Pro-Tec Equipment introduces its line of lightweight Pipeline High Clearance Arches. Designed with pipeline crews in mind, these arches, when paired with eight-feet tall aluminum or eight-feet tall lightweight three-inch steel trench walls, provide 72-inches of vertical pipe clearance, while still allowing crews to use smaller sized machines. 800.292.1225, <a href="pro-tecequipment.com">pro-tecequipment.com</a> <strong>Efficiency Production</strong>
Lining systems by MaxLiner, IPR, National Liner, LMK Technologies, RS Technik, Applied Felts, SAERTEX multiCom, CIPP Corporation, Fibrwrap Construction, Inliner Technologies, Reline America, Masterliner, Perma-Liner Industries, Insituform, Miller Pipeline, Danby, Sekisui SPR Americas and SWP-Systems GmbH.
New Products
The new Tier 4-compliant Doosan DX63-3 and DX85R-3 excavators have been upgraded with a number of conveniences that provide operators with higher-precision controls, greater force and overall enhanced productivity.
Doosan Portable Power has introduced the XHP1000 portable air compressor meeting Tier 4i emission regulations.
Atlas Copco has launched a new, highly energy-efficient centrifugal compressor range which saves up to 7% on specific energy at full load and up to another 9% at part load.
Completing a cast-in-place project that measures 46-feet wide by 39-feet long by 35-feet deep near the shores of Lake Michigan is a challenging project in and of itself. Now add in the challenge of being in the middle of an active British Petroleum (BP) refinery, and you have the unique situation that Superior Construction Company Inc., of Gary, IN, found themselves.
The SR Series submersible pumps are specifically designed for municipal and industrial applications.
TT Technologies’ new winch boom is designed to aid in reversible pipe bursting operations.
Dual pressure Tier 4i-compliant air compressors from Doosan Portable Power — P425/HP375WCU, HP450/VHP400WCU and P600/XP535WCU — are cutting fuel costs by an average of 10 percent over previous models. A thermostatically controlled clutch-driven cooling fan, which engages only when required by higher operating temperatures, helps maximize fuel efficiency on the new models.
Features
Designed specifically for lower-clearance applications, John Deere introduces the 8-foot tall, economical 204K and 304K Compact Wheel Loaders.
Gradall Industries, which designs, manufactures and supports Vacall products, recently announced that Southeastern Equipment Company was named the top performing Vacall dealer in the United States.
It’s an everyday occurrence on the job. Whether you are the contractor, the inspector or even the engineer you may have to get in a trench. Most of us don’t give it a second thought and get the job done. Trenches however, are a dangerous environment and accidents can occur quickly and often without warning. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) states that fatality rate from trench related work is 112 percent higher than general construction work. A basic knowledge of trenching and the dangers it presents is essential to staying safe.
Jerry Shaw has been named the 2014 Most Valuable Professional (MVP) by award sponsors Underground Construction Technology Association (UCTA) and Underground Construction magazine.
The Pipe Line Contractors Association of Canada (PLCAC) is busy preparing for its 60th Annual Convention to be held at the Westin Bayshore in Vancouver, BC, May 11-15.
Underground utility construction today utilizes many “trenchless” construction and rehabilitation procedures that may greatly reduce the need to dig trenches or excavations to install and maintain buried infrastructure.
A national winter weather emergency may have slowed traffic initially for the 2014 RehabZone, but organizers were still pleased with the results of the annual event held in conjunction with the Underground Construction Technology International Conference & Exhibition (UCT) in Houston.
John Allen, outgoing president of the Pipe Line Contractors Association and president of Pipeline Constructors LLC, welcomed 625 delegates to the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa in Bonita Springs, FL.
The nation’s One-Call system is considered a vital element in on-going efforts to prevent damage to buried pipes and cables – a telephone call to 8-1-1 rings the nearest state One-Call center which arranges for utility providers who are members to locate and mark buried lines at a specified construction site.
With attendance soaring, the National Association of Sewer Service Companies (NASSCO) held their 38th annual meeting in February at the historic Marriott Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego, CA.
The Downers Grove Sanitary District (DGSD) is located in Downers Grove, IL, a community located 25 miles west of Chicago. The District serves 20,000 residential and business customers in Downers Grove and surrounding communities.
Working deep underground inside a large pipe or other enclosure requires specialized training, equipment, work procedures and safety practices.
The Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) Group of Binkley & Barfield Inc. (BBI) has established a systematic methodology to manage risk through the Quality Level A through D system (QL-A – test holes, QL-B – designation, QL-C – surface feature survey and QL-D – records information) as prescribed by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
Business
Geotechnology Inc., a leading provider of geotechnical and environmental engineering, geophysics, water resource management, materials testing and drilling services, has purchased a Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) Rig, becoming the only geotechnical services firm in the region to own such equipment.
LaValley Industries welcomes Craig Larson as the company’s Vermeer Account Specialist.
SAK Construction, delivering pipeline rehabilitation and tunneling solutions across the U.S., has opened a new regional headquarters at 1405 Benson Court, Suite C in Arbutus, MD 21227, a suburb of Baltimore.
John Thompson has been appointed as PFERD’s national technical sales manager.
The Gas Technology Institute (GTI)announced that the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) has renewed the accreditation for GTI Testing Laboratories to perform mechanical and chemical testing in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025:2005, the highest standard for competence of testing and calibration laboratories.
Robin Wolf has joined the management team of Cretex Specialty Products in the position of Eastern Regional Manager.
Advertisers from the print edition of Underground Construction, April 2014, Vol. 69, No. 4.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has approved the use of Advanced Drainage Systems’ (ADS) High Performance (HP) polypropylene (PP) pipe in 12 through 60 inch diameters for 100-year design service life applications in accordance with FDOT’s 2014 Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction, Section 948-7.
Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam Inc. (LAN) promoted Daniel B. McCausland, national director of business development, to vice president.
FLOWTITE fiberglass pipe (FRP), manufactured by Thompson Pipe Group, demonstrated its ability to withstand chemically harsh conditions by passing the city of Los Angeles’s pickle jar test.
Rehabilitation
When the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County (LACSD) were formed in the 1920s, the agency embarked on its first major project – the construction of the backbone trunk sewer of the Joint Outfall System (JOS).
The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) recently awarded CH2M HILL a contract to provide professional engineering services as part of an $880 million plan to restore the Everglades.
RJN Group Inc. is in the midst of a sewer rehabilitation and improvement design project in the Stokes Pump Station Tributary Area for the City of Hot Springs, AR, to assist with wet weather flows.
Aegion Corporation recently announced that its subsidiary, Insituform Technologies, has been awarded a contract valued at approximately $10 million from the City of Baltimore, MD.
The Oklahoma State Capitol sits on more than 100 acres in NE Oklahoma City.
LMK Technologies announces that the self-driven Schwalm Robotic pipe renovation system is now compatible with Sewer Pipeline Inspection Camera Systems resulting in increased pipe renovation capabilities at a reduced cost to contractors and utility owners throughout North America.
Washington Watch
President Obama has once again proposed significant cuts in funding to the federal government's main grant program supporting water infrastructure development at the local level.
Editor's Log
More and more each day we are seeing statistics reflecting what most of us in the pipeline industry already know: the economic impact of a booming energy industry – pipelines included – is primarily responsible for economic condition of the United States.
- OSHA cites Florida contractors for trench safety violations at sewer and excavation sites
- Cadiz to reuse steel from terminated Keystone XL pipeline for California groundwater project
- Lynchburg, Va., breaks ground on largest-ever Blackwater CSO tunnel project
- Biden-Harris administration invests $849 million in aging water infrastructure, drought resilience
- The EPA announces $6.2 billion in funding for Iowa and Kansas water infrastructure