Webcasts

Sponsor: Ditch Witch 

As rights of way get more congested and job sites are moving into more urban areas, the use of vacuum excavators is increasing. Chris Thompson, Ditch Witch product manager, will address potholing and vacuum excavation best practices.

Sponsor: Vac-Con

Traditional methods of excavating are under scrutiny, especially in environments dense with existing underground infrastructure. It’s not always the easiest or safest to start excavating with a backhoe, even if locating has been completed.

So, what’s the solution? Hydro-excavation is a method that has been in existence for decades, but it’s finally making its presence and advantages known in the yellow iron industries. Join experts from Vac-Con and Ring Power Utility Equipment as they discuss the many benefits of hydro-excavation and how these machines add value to construction, utility, oil field, and telecommunications fleets.

Sponsor: SICK

Most metering stations are optimized to operate with the steady and constant conditions of natural gas, but what happens when you blend hydrogen along with the natural gas? In this webinar, SICK experts will cover the characteristics of hydrogen, the effects of hydrogen blending on metering, and how to overcome the measuring challenges presented by blending hydrogen into natural gas with ultrasonic meters. More specifically, how remote connectivity, diagnostics and use of gas quality indication (GQI) can help to improve operational excellence. Speakers will also share insights from a FLOWSIC500 hydrogen-ready pilot installation along with measurement results from a test bench with hydrogen blended gas.

Sponsor: Ditch Witch

Every HDD jobsite provides its own unique challenges. Whether it be drilling through solid rock, working within congested rights-of-way or having no good options for mud disposal, having the right equipment on the job can save you time and money. Cory Maker, Subsite, and Chris Thompson, Ditch Witch, will speak to many of these jobsite considerations and provide insights to assist contractors in getting the best ROI possible. Do you have the right sized drill? Is an All-Terrain drill a viable option for where you are working? Which type of tooling will allow you to put more product in the ground? How can a vacuum excavator support my crew? If you have ever asked these questions, join us for this discussion.

Sponsors: American Augers, Ditch Witch, Subsite Electronics and Trencor

With record-setting Federal monies now available for municipal, telecom and electric markets, underground infrastructure appears to have a very bright future not only for 2022, but for several years ahead.

Yet challenges and evolving market dynamics will also play a key role. Construction challenges such as disruption of the supply chain and worker shortages plague markets as they gear up for a busy 2022. Will the merger and acquisition market be active again? Will the latest Covid-19 variant, Omicron (highly contagious but lacking the bite of previous iterations) be only a brief market disruption? 

Political winds continue to gust in all directions as North American markets adjust to changes. What happens next with the U.S. economy is still a big question for construction markets. How will soaring inflation impact construction and rehabilitation efforts?

This presentation, led by FMI Managing Director Daniel Shumate, will include perspectives gathered from FMI’s networks of industry’s CEOs, owners and economists to convey impacts, outlooks and market updates. 

Opportunities clearly abound in 2022 but navigating through the rapidly-changing sea can be a rough ride if you’re not prepared. Don’t miss this highly informative and beneficial webinar!

Sponsor: Melfred Borzall

Are you new to the HDD Industry or have new employees that could benefit from a training on the fundamentals of HDD operations and tooling? In this webinar, HDD’s Founding Father Dick Melsheimer will teach with his son, Peter Melsheimer, the following:

• Fundamentals of HDD drilling technology
• Drill rig + tooling selection (and why it matters)
• Working with varying ground conditions
• Mistakes to avoid during a pilot bore
• Selecting and sizing the right backreamer
• Safety in HDD

All attendees will get a free gift at the end of the webinar!

Sponsor: Ditch Witch

Ditch Witch’s Cory Maker will be joined by Steve Sellenriek, President of Sellenriek Construction and Cole Shaefer, State Technical College of Missouri, Department Chair and Technical Instructor. This panel will discuss the need for qualified operators, how this project got started, how it’s going and where it’s headed. In short, a manufacturer, a contractor and a college are coming together to help assist with one of the industry’s biggest pain points: labor.

Sponsor: Ditch Witch

As the industry continues to evolve and underground environments become more complex and congested, understanding each role in the damage mitigation process becomes increasingly important. Everyone – from utility locating professionals to HDD contractors to equipment manufacturers – plays an important role in mitigating damage. When everyone works together and takes care of their unique responsibilities, crews are put in the best position to succeed and avoid often dangerous and costly damage. Webcast topics will include best practices and techniques for locating and exposing utilities, the role of GPS in data collection, and current trends in collection of underground data. 

Members of the industry are in this together. This comprehensive look at the damage mitigation process will help arm the attendee with the necessary information to keep crews safe.