August 2019 Vol. 74 No. 8

Berkeley, Calif., gained its whacky reputation back in the psychedelic 60s and 70s. The last few years have seen a resurgence of that nonsensical behavior. The most recent example is an “all-electric” move by the city.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the final Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule, replacing the prior administration’s Clean Power Plan (CPP) with a new rule that empowers states to reduce emissions, while providing affordable and reliable energy for all Americans.

Subsurface utility engineering (SUE) is ideally knowing as much as possible about a subsurface project prior to starting the design process. SUE incorporates existing and emerging technology to identify, characterize, and map underground utility facilities.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced 10 winners of its 2018 WasteWise program, which encourages organizations and businesses to achieve sustainability in their practices and reduce select industrial wastes. For 2018, winners collectively prevented more than 356,000 tons of waste from entering landfills and saved their organizations more than $19.6 million in avoided landfill fees.

On July 16, Vermeer Corporation held groundbreaking for a monument commemorating the buildings destroyed by a tornado last July, while celebrating the strength of the Vermeer team, along with the growth and progress currently underway on the company’s expansive campus, commonly called the Vermeer Mile.

The Buried Asset Management Institute-International (BAMI-I) has teamed up with the city of Atlanta, Department of Watershed Management (DWM) to hold the fourth classroom format of the Certificate of Training in Asset Management (CTAM 100-400) course on Sept. 9-12.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was scheduled to release a proposed rule in August limiting the ability of states to delay or even prevent the building of pipelines, by delaying approval of water quality certifications required under the Clean Water Act.

House Democrats debuted the first, comprehensive pipeline safety reform bill introduced this session of Congress, containing several provisions opposed by both the intrastate and interstate gas transportation industries.

The Gold Shovel Standard program was established in 2016 to assist in efforts to protect the country’s buried utility infrastructure from accidental damage that can cut off vital services, is costly and poses serious safety risks to construction workers and the general public.

When horizontal directional drilling began to spread like wildfire in the late 1980s and 1990s, it was obvious that this disruptive technology was forever changing the face of utility and pipeline construction.

In February, CUIRE purchased a 330-kip actuator from MTS Company for its soil box testing of underground pipes. This actuator will be used for the NCHRP SAPL Project to develop structural design methodology for Spray Applied Pipe Liners (SAPLs) in gravity stormwater conveyance conduits through actual size soil box testing.

In its 30th year of operation, the Trenchless Technology Center (TTC) at Louisiana Tech University has decided to award the first Distinguished Alumni Award to Dr. Mo Najafi, director of CUIRE.

The most comprehensive and popular trenchless technology book available today, published in 2005 by McGraw-Hill, goes into its second edition in late 2020.

No Dig India Show (NDIS) 2019 will discuss core issues where trenchless technology can provide sustainable solutions for underground space, a most vital asset for any smart city and smart society. NDIS 2019 will be held Dec. 11–13 at Aerocity, New Delhi, India.

CUIRE Schools at UCT CUIRE held its 17th annual trenchless technology inspector training and certification schools on Jan. 28–29, at the Fort Worth (Texas) Convention Center in conjunction with the Underground Construction Technology (UCT) conference. This year’s program included two sessions focu..

In May, 42 construction engineering and management students, and members of the North American Society for Trenchless Technology Student Chapter at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) visited the construction site for the Mill Creek Tunnel in Dallas.

This summer, the 14th annual trenchless technology and pipeline construction course was offered at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Abu Abraham, P.E. Technical Manager Instituform Technologies   Robert  A. Carpenter Editor-in-Chief Underground Construction   Walter Chiang, P.E. Founder & Director CP&Y Inc.   Bruce Hollands Uni-Bell PVC Pipe Association   Aaron Houming Ni Asoe Hose Manufacturing Inc.   Julia J. H..

Interplastic Corporation, a subsidiary of St. Paul, Minn., IP Corporation, a specialty chemical company, named Univar Solutions as a new distribution partner in Eastern Canada.

The National Association of Sewer Service Companies (NASSCO) named Heather Myers to the newly created position of program manager.

Flyability, a Swiss company that has pioneered indoor inspection and exploration drones, launched a new generation of confined-space, inspection units: Elios 2.

ClockSpring|NRI, a Houston-based manufacturer of critical infrastructure, construction and repair products, and provider of associated engineering support and training services, acquired Milliken Infrastructure Solutions LLC, formerly a subsidiary of Spartanburg, S.C.-based Milliken & Company.

This month’s profile is of Steve Gearhart, currently chairman of CIPP Corp. He continues to contribute his knowledge and experience to NASSCO, WEF and other industry organizations.

American Augers has named the Brandt Group of Companies as the exclusive dealer for American Augers and Trencor products across Canada.

Lt. Col. Wendell L. “Buddy” Barnes, P.E., F.SAME, USA (Ret.), was elected as the 100th National President of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME).

Vacuworx announced promotions and new hires as it expands the marketing and strategy teams in support of global growth.

Efficiency Production unveiled the newest innovation in its industry-leading Build-A-Box Modular Aluminum Trench Shielding System.

John Deere’s new 850L dozer is designed to meet the demanding needs of today’s earth movers.