December 2016 Vol. 71 No. 12
Rehabilitation
The city of Memphis, TN, like all major cities across the U.S., is faced with aging infrastructure that requires constant attention and proactive initiatives for upgrades and rehabilitation. In September 2012, the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Tennessee Department of Environm..
Cretex Specialty Products General Manager Lee R. Haessig has announced that industry veteran Dave McArthur has joined its management team as regional manager. Cretex is a leading provider of mechanical internal and external manhole frame-chimney seals and related manhole rehabilitation products. Mc..
Business
Glen Barton retired in 2004 after nearly 43 years of Caterpillar service. Starting as a college graduate trainee and rising through the ranks in numerous marketing, general management and executive positions, he left a legacy of leadership at the company. “Under his leadership, Caterpillar fully em..
Efficiency Production, a leading manufacturer of trench shielding and shoring equipment, has added Singapore-based United Shoring Specialists to its international dealer network. “The construction industry in Southeast Asia is one of outdated excavation safety equipment,” said Raul Felman, Efficien..
Guy Leslie has joined Trio Vision LLC as vice president of sales to help develop the manufacturer of closed-circuit television inspection equipment and grow its portfolio of regional, national and global accounts. Leslie brings a wealth of experience within the wastewater and water management indus..
New Products
To provide horizontal directional drilling (HDD) operators with the power and performance to conquer any job, Ditch Witch, a Charles Machine Works Company, has introduced Tier 4 emission standard upgrades to the JT60 and JT60 All Terrain directional drills. With new Tier 4 engine upgrades, these dr..
Bit Brokers International is proud to introduce its new and improved line of HDD matrix PDC bits. Matrix PDC bits are a combination of both steel and carbide. The higher the carbide-to-steel ratio is, the greater the quality of the bit. Bit Brokers’ matrix PDC bits now have the highest carbide cont..
The latest John Deere equipment to be updated to meet the needs of today’s contractors includes the production-class 470G LC excavator and K Series-II utility wheel loaders. The 367-horsepower 470G LC now comes fully loaded with an EPA Final Tier 4 13.5L diesel engine and automatically cleaning die..
McElroy has launched a new series in its long-proven TracStar line that is more functional and efficient than ever before. The TracStar Series 2 for medium diameter pipe now shares a common vehicle that is interchangeable with the 28, 250, 412 and 618 fusion machines for 2-inch IPS to 18-inch OD the..
Features
With more choices than ever in the ground penetrating radar (GPR) market, and with more end-users looking to get their hands on such an effective technology, it’s important that first-time customers know what to check off their shopping list. Here is a list for newcomers of the most important consi..
Trade magazine articles and online content about maintaining trenching equipment often focus on the digging components of the machine. Certainly, failure to maintain trencher drive and digging chain and teeth limits productivity, can cause excess wear of tractor components and risks costly breakdow..
Web Exclusive
The 2017 Underground Construction Technology International Conference & Exhibition (UCT) is taking its benchmark education program to the Fort Worth Convention Center, Jan. 31-Feb. 2. Presented by Underground Construction magazine, UCT is the largest event in the United States focusing on undergroun..
The Great Lakes Protection Fund and American Water Works Association have launched The Water Utility Energy and Efficiency Challenge, an innovative program which engages water operators in a competition to reduce the emissions sourced in their energy generation. The competition is aimed at connectin..
Equipment Spotlight
Rain for Rent has introduced the SiteMax line of portable trash pumps by PowerPrime Pumps into their rental fleet. These patent-pending pumps, capable of pumping up to 3,000 gallons per minute and 3-inch solids, feature standard sound attenuation, and are ideal for many pumping applications. The ult..
The Vermeer RTX750 Ride-On Tractor is powered by a 7-horsepower, Deutz TD2.9L4 diesel engine, has a max torque of 192 ft-lb and operator ear rating of 91 d(B)a. When equipped with rubber tires, the RTX750 is 72 inches wide, with a max transport speed (forward/reverse) of 5 mph. If difficult ground c..
The Toro Pro Sneak 365 offers powerful plowing in a compact, maneuverable package — perfect for installing drip irrigation lines, electrical cable or other utilities in tight spaces. The narrow tire configuration, which spans 36” in width, allows for passage through gates or other obstacles, and the..
Gorman-Rupp engine driven trash pumps are the perfect solution for sewage bypass operations, construction site dewatering, hydraulic fracturing and all your other tough pumping applications. Gorman-Rupp’s priming assisted pumps feature a positive priming and sealing system that virtually eliminates ..
Newsline
Ditch Witch, a Charles Machine Works Company, hosted its 14th annual international customer event at the Ditch Witch Barcelona Support Center in Spain. As one of the largest underground construction events in Europe, 320 customers attended, representing 24 countries across Europe, the Middle East an..
The tradition continues as Aries, Avanti and Logiball join forces to bring hands-on demonstrations of equipment performance, and test and seal process of injection grout for compliance with the NASSCO/ICGA Operating Standard, Jan. 11-12, at Avanti International in Houston. Catering to those who spe..
Under a definitive merger agreement, CenturyLink will acquire Level 3 Communications Inc. in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $34 billion, including the assumption of debt. The combined company will have the ability to offer CenturyLink’s larger enterprise customer base the bene..
The Hydrostatic Stress Board (HSB), an independent, technical-based group of voluntary industry experts, operating under the auspices of the Plastics Pipe Institute Inc. (PPI), recently announced that its website section has been reconstructed and expanded to expedite the listing request process, an..
General
The steady growth of fiber optic cable deployment in the United States steadily continues with more and more households and businesses being directly connected to fiber. While newspaper headlines often announce big carrier plans to bring fiber to an increasing number of cities, fiber to the home (..
Washington Watch
Interim regulations from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) on natural gas storage facilities are imminent. They are not likely to be terribly controversial since PHMSA says they will be based on two industry voluntary standards: API Recommended Practices 1170 and 117..
Editor's Log
By Robert Carpenter Editor-in-Chief That’s a common question being tossed around not only domestically, but internationally as well. There are endless considerations with not much more than a vague concept of an answer right now. From social issues to immigration to terrorism, Trump has spewed rhet..
- Tunnel boring machine ‘Clack-A-Mole’ nears one-third completion in Oregon outfall project
- Explosion in underground PG&E vault leaves one dead in Richmond, Calif.
- Tennessee pipeline gets initial FERC approval despite environmental concerns
- Sinkhole in Texas town accrues over $800,000 in sewer rehabilitation costs
- Water and Sewer Damage Awareness Week highlights infrastructure challenges
- Wisconsin proposes new PFAS drinking water standards to align with federal rules
- Elgin, Ill., joins EPA drinking water initiative to accelerate lead pipe replacement
- GasTracker Accurately Locates Plastic Gas Pipes
- Union County, Ga., breaks ground on $20.5 million fiber broadband expansion project
- TDEC unveils $191.2 million water infrastructure investment across Tennessee