May 2014, Vol. 69 No. 5

Manhole and pipe coatings by Sauereisen, Raven Lining Systems, AP/M Permaform, 3M, SewperCoat Kerneos, Standard Cement Materials, Warren Environmental, Parson Environmental Products, Infrastructure Repair Systems and SpectraShield.

HammerHead Trenchless Equipment’s self-contained HydraLiner trailer packages are designed specifically for the needs of CIPP professionals to complete projects on time and within budget.

HammerHead Trenchless Equipment has signed an agreement with Picote Cutting systems to become a new North American distributor, thereby adding new capabilities to HammerHead’s existing lateral lining system offerings.

Sauereisen, a third-generation manufacturer of corrosion-resistant materials, welcomes Brian Wagner to its research team.

The city of Baltimore, MD, has awarded SAK Construction an $18.8 million contract to install more than 58,000 feet of small-, medium- and large-diameter cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) in residential neighborhoods in the Union Square area of Baltimore City.

In response to applications requiring upgrade or renewal of extended runs of large diameter pipelines using trenchless methods, Structural Technologies created the StrongPIPE Hybrid FRP system.

Radiodetection’s new range of precision locators builds on the high-performance and ergonomics of the RD7000+ and RD8000 platforms adding the ability to detect RF utility markers, also known as EMS or Omnimarkers.

Auger boring equipment from American Augers, The Robbins Company, McLaughlin, Akkerman, Bor-It Mfg. and Barbco.

Rock tools by Doosan, Vermeer, Railhead Underground Products, Underground Tools Inc., INROCK, Kenco, Ballantine, Mincon, Barbco, Bor-It Mfg., Ditch Witch, Sharewell HDD Services, Melfred Borzall, Radius HDD, StraightLine HDD, Armadrillco and Terra-Bore. <strong>Doosan</strong>

Padding/Spoils Handling by ALLU, Ozzie’s Pipeline Padder, Superior Mfg. and Felco Industries.

Track trenchers and rock saws by Trencor, Vermeer, Tesmec and Mid America Trenchers.

Robert (Rob) Allen McKim, Ph.D., passed away unexpectedly but peacefully in his sleep at the age of 58 on March 21.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress sent the White House a $12.3 billion water projects bill half the size of its last one seven years ago — before the economy sank into a deep recession that helped swell the government's debt and before lawmakers swore off cherry-picking pet projects for folks back home.

Brownwood, TX, is considered a pioneer in municipal trenchless construction because for the past seven years, the city has exclusively used static pipe bursting for sewer main replacements, doing all of the work with its own municipal maintenance staff and machinery.

Construction employers added 19,000 workers to payrolls in March, bringing industry employment to the highest level since June 2009, while the industry’s unemployment rate dropped to the lowest March level in seven years, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America.

A one-day conference and exhibit was organized by the Center for Innovative Grouting Materials and Technology (CIGMAT) and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Houston, on “Infrastructure, Energy, Geotechnical, Flooding and Sustainable Issues Related to Houston & Other Major Cities” at the University of Houston on March 7.

FMI, a leading provider of management consulting and investment banking to the engineering and construction industry, has released its latest whitepaper, “Skills Shortages in a Booming Market - The Big Oil and Gas Challenge.”

On Feb. 12, the Department of Transportation/Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) updated its Gas Transmission Integrity Management Enforcement Guidance for Sections 192.901 through 192.951.

On April 11, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced that the final rule to improve workplace safety and health for workers performing electric power generation, transmission and distribution work has been published in the Federal Register.

In 2016, NASSCO will celebrate its 40th year of setting standards for the assessment and rehabilitation of underground infrastructure.

Mears Group Inc. successfully relocated a raw water line for Skanska, Kiewit and Weeks, known as SKW Constructors, in 2013.

Texas-based Pumpco Inc. provides a wide variety of pipeline construction services, including new pipelines, maintaining and rehabilitating pipelines already in service, and retiring and removing infrastructure of pipelines being removed from service.

LMK Technologies has developed and introduced a technology that permits the simultaneous application for a single-piece of CIPP (cured-in-place-pipe) liner for the main pipe and multiple branch pipes.

Moody Gardens is a public, non-profit vacation and educational destination on Galveston Island, TX, utilizing nature to advance environmental research, conservation and rehabilitation, while providing interesting recreational opportunities.

Got utilities to bury in extremely hard, rocky conditions?

Last summer, Columbia Gas of Ohio faced a challenging pipeline installation project.

The location of the 69th Annual Power & Communication Contractors Association’s convention couldn’t have been better.

Swagelining was contracted to rehabilitate 5,300 feet of existing 30-inch cast iron water transmission main originally installed in 1927 in the city of Amarillo, TX.

CH2M HILL recently named Greg McIntyre as president of its Global Water Market in addition to Bernie Bullert who will serve as principal project manager for the Water and Strategic Consulting Team.

As part of the Texas Water Development Board’s ongoing efforts to promote awareness about water needs, the agency has launched an interactive website based on the 2012 State Water Plan (<a href="www.texasstatewaterplan.org">www.texasstatewaterplan.org</a>).

As reported in Water Online, the Massachusetts Senate recently cleared a major water infrastructure bill.

The White House wants to reduce funding for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), submitting a fiscal year 2015 budget request to Congress in March at $300 million below the level that lawmakers approved for the EPA for 2014.

The Arrow-Lock Sheet Lining System is designed specifically to provide rehabilitation for corroded, but structurally sound, concrete structures such as manholes, lift stations, digesters, primary effluent channels, sludge wet wells, primary sedimentation tanks, headworks and other such areas.

The WrapidSeal Manhole Encapsulation System consists of an engineered primer and a unique wraparound heat-shrinkable sleeve designed specifically to seal joints and prevent groundwater from entering a collection system.

LiquiForce’s unique junction liner installation process chemically and mechanically bonds the junction liner to the main pipeline and the lateral connecting pipeline to a home or business, resulting in a one-piece pipeline system that is impervious to infiltration or leakage.

Channeline SL is designed to make round slip lining simple.

Hendrix/Kerite Cable (The Marmon Group), a premier provider of high-quality underground power distribution products, announces its DUAL BLOCK product.

Trench Grader compactors make it possible to achieve a higher level of compaction and reach deeper into the soil.

Curlex Erosion Control Blankets are specifically designed to promote ideal growing conditions for grass seed, while simultaneously protecting topsoil from wind and water erosion.

Fully integrated with the company’s estimating software, On Screen Estimating Pro is a new product developed and offered exclusively by McCormick Systems.

The Bevel-Sert is patented and proven to improve ductile iron pipe water infrastructure (DIP) by greatly reducing the time and money spent on new installation and repairs, improving installation safety and reducing corrosion.

The Ditch Witch organization recently introduced their new Low-Profile Sprocket booms.

US Radar Inc., a leading manufacturer of subsurface imaging systems, has introduced the Quantum Imager, the world’s first ground penetrating radar system to use triple-frequency radar technology for locating and imaging objects at greater depths and with higher resolution than competitive single- or dual-frequency systems.

Advertisers from the print edition of <em>Underground Construction</em>, May 2014, Vol. 69, No. 5.

HOLT CAT, the Caterpillar equipment and engine dealer for South, Central, North and North East Texas, recently named Corinna Holt Richter as vice president, Machine Division Product Support Sales and Peter John Holt as vice president, Power Systems Division, Commercial Engine Sales.

Hobas Pipe USA has obtained recertification in accordance with ISO 9001 and 14001.

T. Baker Smith LLC (TBS) welcomes Gary N. Oradat, P.E. as engineering principal in charge for the greater Houston area and central Texas. His background includes tenure as executive director of the Coastal Water Authority, as well as 23 years of service with the city of Houston’s department of public works and engineering where he held numerous positions, including deputy director for engineering, construction and real estate and deputy director for public utilities.

The Ditch Witch organization has partnered with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) to develop a video that shares instructions for safe, productive operation of vacuum excavation equipment on the jobsite. Members of the AEM, including the Ditch Witch organization, recognize that more contractors are taking advantage of versatile, productive vacuum excavators, which are designed to minimize damage to utilities and contribute to a company’s overall damage prevention routine.

Dan Koziczkowski has been promoted to serve as Super Products’ vice president of sales and marketing.

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.

Ron “Tag” Tagliapietra, senior vice president for Michels Corporation announced his retired from the company.

I’ve received a variety of interesting comments and reactions regarding my March 2014 Editor’s Log entitled “Labor: Inhibitor To Growth?” That column discussed the ongoing shortage of skilled labor in the underground utilities/pipelines construction and rehabilitation industries. It created an interesting dialogue.

There appears to be bi-partisan support for legislation allowing LNG exports to more countries without the need for Department of Energy approval.