Associations

NASSCO Standard Bearers: Harold Kosova

This month, NASSCO honors Harold Kosova and his many contributions to the rehabilitation industry. Kosova was born in 1935 in Chicago and graduated from DeVry Technical Institute. His career began at National Power Rodding Corp. in 1960 and continued until he retired as president in mid-2014. Nation..

AEM Launches Competition to Address $3.6 Trillion Infrastructure Problem in America

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) today announced the Infrastructure Vision 2050 Challenge— a three-phased, crowd-sourced competition to award a total of $150,000 in prizes for innovative ideas to overhaul the crumbling infrastructure that Americans rely upon to move people, materials..

DCA Continues To Expand Influence

Members of the Distribution Contractors Association (DCA) will gather in Naples, FL, Feb. 15 – 20 for the association’s 55th Annual Convention. DCA Chief Executive Officer Rob Darden expects more than 400 members and spouses will attend the annual convention at the Naples Grande Beach Resort situate..

Earn CEUs/PDHs at UCT!

Earn CEUs/PDHs at UCT by attending the UCT primary education program  as well as seminars and workshops hosted by industry partners, Monday, Feb. 1 through Tuesday, Feb. 2. These programs will be held at the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel. Advance registration is necessary as seating is limited. Take ..

Industry Coalition Addresses Workforce Challenges

The Distribution Contractors Association (DCA) is forming a multi-industry alliance to recognize and assess problems in relation to workforce capacity challenges faced by the energy construction sector, where instability is expected to strain the financial resources, leadership and personnel within ..

NASSCO Standard Bearers: Michael Burkhard

EDITOR’S NOTE: In 2016, NASSCO will celebrate its 40th year of setting standards for the assessment and rehabilitation of underground infrastructure. As we look forward, we also look back to those who have made significant contributions and have impacted the continued acceptance and use of trenchle..

Contractor Workforce Standardized Training

Training Contractor Workforce Top Priority At the first-of-its-kind Distribution Contractors Association/American Gas Association (DCA/AGA) Utility Contractor Workshop in Chicago, presenters and attendees were single-minded in their focus on one goal: to ensure the growing contractor workforce has ..

Sheehan Construction’s Riess elected INGAA Foundation chairman

The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) Foundation’s board of directors elected Robert A. Riess, Sr., president and chief executive officer of Sheehan Pipe Line Construction Company, as its new chairman. Riess will serve a one-year term which began on November 7, 2015. In 2004, Ri..

Senate Hears About Inadequacy Of Gas Transmission Proposal

Don Santa showed increasing frustration with the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) continued failure to move forward with important pipeline safety regulations. At Senate hearings on Sept. 29, the INGAA chief said that gas transmission pipelines are hesitant to make e..

INGAA launches America’s Energy Link campaign

In response to the heavy natural gas pipeline development across the U.S., the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) and the INGAA Foundation, its research sector, have launched a campaign focused on educating American consumers on the benefits of natural gas and natural gas pipeline..

Gas Technology Institute

Gas Technology Institute (GTI) has announced that Dr. Ganesan (Subbu) Subbaraman has joined GTI as the first member of the newly launched Fellowship Program. Subbu comes to GTI from Aerojet Rocketdyne (AR), where he spent almost 15 years managing programs for commercializing new products and servic..

CIGMAT Report

by C. Vipulanadan, PhD, P.E., professor and director, Center for Innovative Grouting Materials and Technology (CIGMAT) and Texas Hurricane Center for Innovative Technology (THC-IT), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Houston The focus of CIGMAT research is on ener..

October 2015 News Shorts

OSHA Approves Maine As Newest State Plan Protecting State And Local Workers Maine has recently been approved by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as the newest State Plan responsible for protecting the safety and health of state and local government employees. The Maine State..

NASSCO Standard Bearer: Gerhard “Gerry” Muenchmeyer

EDITOR’S NOTE: In 2016, NASSCO will celebrate its 40th year of setting standards for the assessment and rehabilitation of underground infrastructure. As we look forward, we also look back to those who have made significant contributions and have impacted the continued acceptance and use of trenchles..

Rehab News for September 2015

AWWA reports water infrastructure renewal still biggest concern The Clean Water Council provided a summation of the AWWA 2015 State of the Water Industry Report quite succinctly in their online newsletter, Clean Water Weekly. The state of water and wastewater infrastructure and how to finance crit..

News shorts September 2015

AEM releases new Underground Utility Awareness video “Everyone has a part to play” to help ensure underground utility safety and damage prevention. That’s the message of a new video and related online and print resource from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). “Contractors, manufactu..

Study finds methane emissions lower than EPA estimates

As reported by Don Santa, INGAA president and CEO, the Environmental Science & Technology journal has released a report finding that methane emissions from the natural gas transmission and storage sector are 27 percent lower than the federal government’s estimate, based on the average estimate from ..

ASCE to Recognize Dr. Tom Iseley as Distinguished Member

In October, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) will recognize David Thomas (Tom) Iseley, Ph.D., P.E., Dist.M.ASCE for his contributions to the trenchless technology industry at ASCE’s 2015 Distinguished Member Induction Ceremony held during their Annual Convention, Oct. 11-14, in New Yo..

San Diego to Host WESTT No-Dig

The 11th Western Regional No-Dig Conference & Exhibition will be hosted by the Western Society for Trenchless Technology (WESTT), along with media partner Underground Construction magazine, from Oct. 26-27 at The Declan Suites San Diego in San Diego, CA. Attendees can join with contractors, enginee..

KorTerra To Integrate One Call

There are more than 20 million miles of underground utilities in the United States, reports the Common Ground Alliance (CGA), an organization committed to preventing damage to buried utilities. The number increases every day. In spite of the efforts of CGA, owners and operators of utility services,..

NASSCO Standard Bearers – Bill Shook

<em><strong>EDITOR’S NOTE:</strong> In 2016, NASSCO will celebrate its 40th year of setting standards for the assessment and rehabilitation of underground infrastructure. As we look forward, we also look back to those who have made significant contributions and have impacted the continued acceptance and use of trenchless technologies. This is the eighth installment in a series of articles exploring the history of NASSCO through the eyes of industry leaders. In 2016 NASSCO will celebrate its 40th year of setting standards for the assessment and rehabilitation of underground infrastructure. As we look forward, we also look back to those who have made significant contributions and impacted the continued acceptance and growth of trenchless technologies. This month we have the honor of highlighting Bill Shook, president and founder of APM PERMAFORM, and his contributions to our industry. Bill served on the NASSCO Board for many years, including serving as NASSCO’s President in 2006. In 2011 Bill was awarded the NASSCO Select Society of Sanitary Sewer Sleuths Award which is a high honor as each member is chosen by peers in the industry. We are grateful for Bill’s generous past and ongoing contributions to help NASSCO set standards for the assessment and rehabilitation of underground infrastructure and to ensure the continued acceptance and growth of trenchless technologies.</em>

Halderman Welcomed Into NASTT Hall of Fame

In front of 350 people, including his family, friends and peers, Ron Halderman accepted his induction into the National American Society for Trenchless Technology (NASTT) Hall of Fame, Class of 2015.

DCA Creates Position Paper On Cross Bore Mitigation

<em><strong><em>EDITOR’S NOTE:</strong> The Distribution Contractors Association has taken the initiative to address cross bore issues as they relate to the underground construction community. The DCA Government Relations Committee, co-chaired by Greg Dahl of ARB and Dave Wizniewski of Vermeer, led the effort to create a position paper on this safety issue of critical importance not only to the gas distribution industry, but all aspects of underground work.</em></em>

NASSCO Standard Bearers – Joan Stone

<em>EDITOR’S NOTE: In 2016, NASSCO will celebrate its 40th year of setting standards for the assessment and rehabilitation of underground infrastructure. As we look forward, we also look back to those who have made significant contributions and have impacted the continued acceptance and use of trenchless technologies. This installment in the series features Joan Stone. It is the sixth installment in a series of articles exploring the history of NASSCO through the eyes of industry leaders.</em>

Derek Potvin Leads NASTT In The Right Direction

NASTT (North American Society for Trenchless Technology) continues to keep its commitment to grow the trenchless industry by remaining true to the society’s core values of education and training all the while establishing new initiatives to lead the society forward as it prepares for the future.

PLCA Partners With Unions To Address Industry Needs

A primary responsibility of the Pipe Line Contractors Association (PLCA) is negotiating labor agreements and administering collective bargaining labor contracts with the international unions representing crafts whose members are active in pipeline construction and maintenance activities.

INGAA President Lauds House Approval Of Pipeline Permitting Bill

Don Santa, president and CEO of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, today lauded the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of Representative Mike Pompeo’s legislation (H.R. 161) to improve the natural gas transmission pipeline permitting process:

PACP 7.0 Includes Many Updates In User-Friendly Format

Over a decade ago, the National Association of Sewer Service Companies (NASSCO) established a standardized data collection protocol for closed-circuit television (CCTV) pipeline inspection called the Pipeline Assessment and Certification Program (PACP).

NASSCO Standard Bearers – Jim Raulston

<em><em>EDITOR’S NOTE: In 2016, NASSCO will celebrate its 40th year of setting standards for the assessment and rehabilitation of underground infrastructure. As we look forward, we also look back to those who have made significant contributions and have impacted the continued acceptance and use of trenchless technologies.</em>

Stuart Tillery Guides NASSCO Through Another Active Year

NASSCO (National Association of Sewer Service Companies) continues to have a positive impact on the nation’s sanitary sewer systems by establishing and improving standards for the assessment, maintenance and rehabilitation of underground infrastructure.