September 2019 Vol. 74 No. 9

Say what you will about the Sierra Club, but its membership includes some dedicated and hard-core people. Historically, they are regularly willing to risk life and limb, endure hardships and suffer all kinds of abuse to achieve their goals. Of course, most rational people question those goals, let alone their tactics. Also, are the often, physical risks and hardships the best way to influence the public? I think not.

Directionally drilled intersects – two drill units drilling pilot holes from opposite ends of a planned bore path that intersect – are not unusual today, but hardly could be described as routine. The complexities of an intersect and consequences of failure deter most horizontal directional drilling (HDD) contractors from entering this highly specialized market.

Two 300-foot bores, 17 feet deep, through 44,000 psi of basalt – all at a 0.75 percent grade. It’s just another day’s work for Logan Kallwick and his crews.

LRL Construction recently completed a project to replace a failing 6-foot-diameter corrugated steel drainage pipe under a busy two-lane U.S. Highway 101 in Manzanita, OR, a scenic, seaside village on the Pacific Ocean in the northwest part of the state.

Avanti International introduced the AV-500 epoxy line to its portfolio of injection solutions used to stabilize soils and rock, restore structural integrity, stop leaks and control groundwater. The product offering consists of..

Pushing or pulling new PE pipe into a host pipe using winches, slings on a backhoe bucket or plain brute strength is slow, labor intensive, potentially dangerous and risks damaging the PE pipe. PLCS’s Pipe Handler easily grip..

Eighteen years ago, a small group of members who had been active participants in the annual Underground Construction Technology International Conference & Exhibition (UCT) were looking for a way to emphasize the importance of the emerging rehabilitation industry.

Environmentalists are broadening their opposition to natural gas transportation beyond pipelines by opposing the shipment of liquid natural gas (LNG) on rail cars. Energy Transport Solutions, a Florida company, has applied to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) for a special permit to send 100-plus large tank cars of LNG through Florida on their way to ports for delivery overseas.

The Senate is looking to pass bi-partisan water infrastructure bills aimed mostly at providing funding for dams, irrigation and water conservation, and rejuvenation projects in the Western U.S. under the auspices of the Bureau of Reclamation, an Interior Department agency. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) introduced the most prominent of three separate bills called the Drought Resiliency and Water Supply Infrastructure Act (S. 1932).

House Democrats and Republicans have had trouble agreeing on a pipeline safety bill so far this year, but a second bill faces no such problem. The House Energy & Commerce Committee passed the Pipeline and LNG Facility Cybersecurity Preparedness Act by a voice vote in mid-July, a few weeks before the House left for its August/September work period.

United Rentals has opened registration for its 2019 Total Control & Innovation Conference. To be held Nov. 11–13, in San Antonio, the event brings together construction and industrial professionals, and the latest innovation and leading-edge technology.

John Deere’s new 7,500-square-foot facility in Coal Valley, Ill., is part of the Construction & Forestry Training Campus and includes three classrooms that can be used separately for training purposes or combined to hold more than 250 people for larger events. In addition, nearly 4,000 square feet of covered canopy space provides outdoor training and equipment walkarounds.

Sure Shot Holdings LLC, parent company of Sure Shot Drilling, acquired four Colorado-based utility service companies: DrillTech Directional Services, Pinnacle Development, BAS Rentals, and A to Z Cable Construction. DrillTech Directional Services Inc., now known as DrillTech LLC, is a market-leadin..

Volvo CE received a second consecutive Sourcewell contract in the heavy construction equipment category.

The 344L High-Lift option offers John Deere compact wheel loader operators increased height and further reach for dumping or stacking, general construction or landscaping and snow removal tasks.

Toro enhanced its TRX walk-behind trencher line with two new models that are designed for exceptional performance, serviceability, ease of use and operator comfort.

Hy-Tech Engineered Solutions introduced the ATP MAGNUM FORCE Industrial Air Impact Tools, featuring the highest torque outputs and power-to-weight ratios available today in the ¾-inch, 1-inch, and 11⁄2-inch drive class of tools.

US Hammer has developed a line of gas-powered jackhammers, including the Gas Breaker GB-70 and GB-90 for small, medium and large jobs.

The Toro Company announced it is realigning the organizational structure for its underground construction businesses after the recent acquisition of Charles Machine Works.

A Louisiana technical college has received a $1 million donation from TC Energy to enable students to gain hands-on pipeline experience at its new “pipeline academy.”

U.S. municipal water and wastewater utility bills grew at an inflation-adjusted 3.6% during the past year to an household average $104 per month, according to a new index that has raised concerns about both affordability and regional volatility.

Utility operator NiSource Inc. said it agreed pay $143 million to resolve class action lawsuits brought by residents and businesses that suffered losses caused by a series of gas explosions in three Massachusetts communities last year.

Flint, Michigan, became a destination city during the 2016 presidential election for candidates to deliver messages about the environment, water quality and urban policy. That trend has continued as the 2020 election closes in.

Aegion Corporation has announced that its subsidiary, Insituform Technologies, LLC, has been awarded a $5.7 million wastewater pipeline rehabilitation contract in Montgomery, Ala.

John Deere said it is helping address the widespread shortage of service technicians, especially in rural areas, through a new Registered Apprenticeship Program it is making available to its dealers.

A natural gas explosion destroyed a Southern California home, killed a gas company worker and injured more than a dozen, authorities said.

The EPA recently issued a proposed rule to implement Section 401 of the Clean Water Act intended to streamline the approval process for permits that are often an obstacle for pipelines and other infrastructure projects.

Epiroc, a productivity partner for the mining and infrastructure industries, donated a COP 1238K rock drill to the Excavation Engineering and Earth Mechanics Institute (EMI) at the Colorado School of Mines.

Jim Barbera, of East Canton, Ohio, passed away at age 79, on July 8.

Longtime underground construction and trenchless industry professional Davis Yates passed away July 2 at the age of 51.