January 2017 Vol. 72 No. 1

Contractor Profile by Jeff Griffin Senior Editor Vanessa Moreno parks her car inside a blocked-off construction area adjacent to a Bellaire, TX, street and makes her way past a large, deep pit flanked by construction equipment. She wears her regular go-to-work attire: jeans, hard-toed safety boots..

by Eben M. Wyman Gas distribution construction work is booming as local distribution companies (LDCs) continue to aggressively replace old cast iron and unprotected steel piping with superior polyethylene pipe. Transmission pipeline operators continue to build the necessary infrastructure to move t..

by Jeff Griffin Senior Editor Pipe laying equipment provides a vital role in the construction of the world’s pipelines, lifting and positioning assembled pipe and lowering it into trenches. Before the development of equipment specifically designed to handle lengths of large-diameter pipes, cranes ..

EDITOR’S NOTE: NASSCO just completed its 41th year and continues to set standards for the assessment and rehabilitation of underground infrastructure. As the association continues its phenomenal growth, this series profiles those who have made significant contributions and impacted the continued acc..

Dale Rudick, director of Houston’s Public Works and Engineering Division, discussed the department, current projects and its upcoming, five-year capital improvement plan (CIP) at the Dec. 7 luncheon meeting of the Underground Construction Technology Association Gulf Coast Chapter. As director, Rudi..

The Water Research Foundation (WRF), a leading sponsor of potable reuse research, has released interim results from the ongoing study, “Blending Requirements for Water from Direct Potable Reuse Treatment Facilities” (#4536). The objective of this project is to provide guidance for the appropriate us..

As contractors increasingly use 3D digital models and GPS technology when grading a job site, John Deere is joining forces with AGTEK − a leading provider of takeoff and 3D modeling software for the civil construction industry − to increase efficiency and ease the takeoff and modeling process across..

The Vactor HXX ParaDIGm, a compact vacuum excavator, was named a winner at the 15th annual Chicago Innovation Awards. The award was presented to Federal Signal Corporation, parent company to Vactor Manufacturing, the industry leader in vacuum excavators, sewer and catch basin cleaners and industrial..

After nearly 20 years in the construction equipment business, Jack Bolton has left Volvo Construction Equipment to start his own company. Red Beard Fleet Management Services, based in Asheville, NC, will confidentially and impartially offer construction equipment users four distinct cost-reducing s..

Henkels & McCoy Inc., a national utility infrastructure construction company, has opened a new Midwest Pipeline Division office in Monee, IL, providing the same services of all its Pipeline Divisions, with an emphasis on integrity management projects. “With boots on the ground in this important Mid..

The Water Council, headquartered in Milwaukee, WI, launched a groundbreaking commercialization initiative that will match manufacturers, utilities and the agricultural industry with promising water and water-related technology research and innovations for advancement into the marketplace. The ICE (..

The city of Houston is building the 16.5-mile Northeast Transmission Waterline as part of its Surface Water Transmission Program (SWTP) to meet the region’s projected 2040 water demand. Ultimately, the waterline will provide up to 96 million gallons per day (MGD) to the city and 269 MGD to local wat..

by Jeff Griffin Senior Editor Barbco has introduced two new underground construction products: the FlexBor system for addressing environmental issues associated with horizontal directional drilling (HDD) and auger boring; and TriBor, a hybrid machine incorporating capabilities of HDD, auger boring ..

Ditch Witch has introduced a new 40,000-pound pullback horizontal directional drill (HDD) model which is being promoted as an industry “game changer.” From the front to the rear, everything contained in the JT40’s streamlined profile is all new, said Senior Product Manager Seth Matthesen. “We’ve t..

It is not often that a federal regulatory dictate is good for one section of the oil and gas industry but bad for another. But the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which is part of the Department of Interior, manages to create that divergence with its November final rule which affects nearly 100,000..

The Jet Set Commander has revolutionized root foaming with its state-of-the-art, patented technology. Its touch screen controller makes root foaming simple and available at the touch of a button. The computerized system automatically mixes the two ingredients, foaming agent, water and air to deliver..

By Robert Carpenter, Editor-in-Chief Despite assurances for several years now by the President that our country’s economy was in great shape, I never bought into that. There always seemed to be a dark cloud following our markets. The November presidential election proved that many people of the Un..