February 2017 Vol. 72 No. 2

Infrastructure Repair Systems Inc.’s patented trenchless Point Repair Systems come with liners of different weights and customized lengths. Four liner weight options exceed ASTM 1216 standards and have pre-measured epoxy formulated for summer or winter environments: Super Liner has multiple layers ..

The McElroy Manufacturing TracStar 618 Series 2 is a self-contained, self-propelled, track-mounted vehicle that handles nearly any terrain. It will butt fuse pipe sizes from 6” IPS to 18” OD, and its carriage now shares a common vehicle with the 28, 250 and 412 TracStar sizes. Powered by a powerful ..

A popular model in the 3- to 4-ton size class, the Bobcat E32 compact excavator provides unmatched power, excelling in a variety of high-load conditions — due to class-leading multi-function cycle times. The Tier 4-compliant compact excavator features a non-DPF engine solution, first-class operato..

Headquartered in Bethlehem, PA, Buzzi Unicem USA is one of the larger cement companies in the nation. For keyhole pavement repairs and backfill requiring limited downtime, Buzzi Unicem USA offers specialty products using CSA ultra-rapid hardening cement. The products are Ulti-Grout approved by GTI; ..

CUES, a leading manufacturer of closed-circuit television pipeline inspection equipment, has introduced an innovative new wireless manhole scanning technology called the SPIDER scanner. The SPIDER scanner is the only truly wireless, color, manhole inspection technology in such a lightweight and com..

By Tom Fuszard Communities and sewage districts looking to save on repairs to leaking laterals are finding chemical grouting a great option. For pipes that are structurally sound, it is often the best method to use. Sugarloaf Township, IL, used this process and discovered that the project paid for ..

Toro The Toro Company has named Rick Rodier vice president of Sitework Systems Business. Rodier has been with Toro since 1987 and has held a variety of operational, marketing and business management roles, most recently as general manager of Sitework. He was also named the 2017 chairperson for The ..

Felling Trailers conducted its fourth online auction of to benefit a non-profit organization − this time the American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA). To bring awareness of and support to the ABTA, Felling Trailers manufactured a FT-3 drop deck utility trailer, one of its most popular trailers, and ..

Martin Herrenknecht was awarded the Werner von Siemens Ring during a ceremony at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. Martin Herrenknecht, engineer, founder and leader of Germany-based Herrenknecht AG, received the prestigious Werner von Siemens Ring, an award that recognizes ..

PPG has reached an agreement to distribute several wastewater infrastructure-repair products manufactured by Sauereisen, a leading global producer of corrosion-resistant materials for industrial applications. Products PPG will offer include: RestoKrete substrate resurfacer No. F-121, a water-res..

Xylem’s Godwin Field Smart Technology (FST) and Godwin PrimeGuard 2 controller provide contractors with crucial pump operating data from a remote location that can significantly reduce or eliminate the need for expensive, onsite personnel to monitor pumps manually. Xylem’s Godwin PrimeGuard 2 is a ..

Laurini Officine Meccaniche launched its new Hammer crusher for roadbed and backfill. Adaptable to many kinds of terrain, the machine is equipped with a sturdy crawler truck capable of working on steep slopes with up to 70 percent gradient. The 440-horsepower Caterpillar engine meets EPA Tier 4 Fin..

RIDGID’s new PEX-One 12V Battery tool is changing the way contractors install PEX. At five pounds − 30 percent lighter than other battery-powered tools that can make press connections on PEX − and with a compact design, PEX One is an easy, one-handed and accurate way to make press connections anywh..

Melfred Borzall’s FastBack is a new system for direct pullbacks without removing the drill head or installing a backreamer.  FastBack is a complete system and ideal for fiber installation, where access and space is often a concern. It enables the driller to do several bores a day and allows for mult..

Ring-O-Matic’s new compact vacuum excavator unit, FT150, gives rental agencies and startup contractors an economical, versatile hydro-excavator to use on job sites too small for typical vacuum-excavator rigs. It is also well-suited to the entry-level contractor needing a versatile, yet economical, h..

The latest Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) report released in October 2016 by the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) contained the good news that efforts to reduce accidental damage to the nation’s underground utility infrastructure and build awareness of the free 811 service are making significa..

  In late September 2016, rising waters of the Cedar River initiated a state of emergency in Cedar Rapids, IA. Memories were still fresh of the great flood of 2008, the worst in the city’s history. The Cedar River crested at 31 feet, which is 19 feet above flood stage, inundating more than 1,000 d..

The American Pipeline Contractors Association (APCA) closed out the year 2016 stronger than ever and with a high level of optimism for the energy policies of a new president and administration. “Over the past 12 to 18 months, APCA members were involved in building the majority of new natural gas in..

After experiencing an uptick in municipal sewer and water infrastructure spending in 2015 and budgeting for the trend to continue into 2016, America’s municipal personnel were, for the most part, sorely disappointed. But municipal personnel are anything if not resilient, and there is a strong antici..

Sound regulations dictate work hours and required equipment decibel ratings in residential and commercial neighborhoods. The rules vary by country, state and municipality, which can make it tricky for contractors to stay on top of the current guidelines. These regulations are already affecting contr..

The Army Corps of Engineers turned back efforts by environmental groups to limit availability of nationwide permits (NWPs) that pipelines use when they want to build facilities that cross streams and tributaries but cause insubstantial environmental damage. The Corps issued its revisions to 50 NWPs ..

The Water Research Foundation (WRF), a leading sponsor of innovative research supporting the water community, has published a new report to help utilities assess several new and emerging capital financing alternatives. The report indicates that while new options may help, utilities still need suffic..

Glen Barton, former Caterpillar Inc. chairman and CEO, died Oct. 24, 2016, in Peoria, IL, at age 77 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 positi..

New Jersey American Water is investing more than $5.8 million in approximately 20,800 feet of new (ductile iron) pipe to replace water mains that were installed as far back as the 1920s. Construction and street restoration will be completed in the spring and summer of 2017. “With the installation o..

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the new Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program that will provide long-term, low-cost credit assistance in the form of direct loans and loan guarantees to creditworthy water projects. WIFIA provides another option for ..

by Robert Carpenter Editor-in-Chief Before the November presidential and congressional elections, remember how all the so-called financial experts and talking heads kept telling America that if, by some fluke, Donald Trump was elected president, the stock market would plummet, the economy would slo..