Editor's Log
Bright Spots and the MVP is …
These are treacherous times indeed for the underground infrastructure markets.
Atomic Anniversary, Politics & Perspectives
The political landscape in America was forever changed with the development of the atomic bomb and its subsequent use to end World War II. Our landscape looks set to dramatically shift once again.
Renewed Growth in a Pandemic World
August is upon us and already there are those lamenting a lost 2020, calling it a year of failure. Granted, to date, 2020 has been a year of sickness, a year of protest, a year of violence, a year of lunacy. However, I don’t buy that it has been a year of failure.
Editor's Log: Neglect and Consequences
To say it has been a rough decade for Pacific Gas & Electric, one of the largest energy utilities in America, is an understatement. Between 2010 and 2020, PG&E has endured a series of events, primarily self-inflicted, including convictions of malfeasance that would break most major corporations.
Changes in a Viral World
Unquestionably, the Covid-19 virus changed our way of life; much of our work practices changed accordingly and dramatically, as well. No doubt, that change applies to various underground infrastructure markets as well.
Waiting for The World to Reboot
The world has survived many horrific pandemics for thousands of years. No doubt we’ll survive this latest attack on the human race by the merciless microscopic coronavirus army, and we all pray the toll in lives will not continue to climb. What it will do to the long-term, worldwide economy and our way of life remains to be seen.
Reunion and Reflection
In late 2018, a germ of an idea was floated about that turned into a true gem of an idea – how about having a reunion for the horizontal directional drilling industry?
Municipal Funding, Reality and Candidates
This issue of Underground Construction contains our exclusive Sewer & Water Municipal Survey and Forecast. Information for the annual article came from our own survey and research combined with data from industry consulting expert FMI and our Washington D.C. correspondent Stephen Barlas.
Interesting Times
It seems like the more things change for underground infrastructure markets, the more things stay the same. That’s why trying to get a handle on our industry outlook for 2020 remains a challenge.
Value of Knowledge
I recently attended the annual meeting of the Industry Advisory Board for the Trenchless Technology Center (TTC) at Louisiana Tech University. It’s something I’ve been involved with for decades and thoroughly enjoy. Networking with industry experts, learning of cutting-edge research and discussing a..
HDD Memories to the Future
If you are involved in the horizontal directional drilling industry, by now you’ve probably heard about the first-ever HDD Reunion (HDDR) being organized by industry personnel and Underground Construction magazine. HDDR 2020 will be held in conjunction with the annual Underground Construction Technology International Conference & Exhibition (UCT) in Fort Worth, Texas, Jan. 28-30.
Zealots Seek Change Through Propaganda
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.
An Apparent Absence Of Common Sense
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.
HDD Reunion
In the “good old summertime,” family reunions abound. Meeting at a park, campground or Grandma’s house, Great Uncle Fred enthralls us with tales from the “old days” and Aunt Betty passes on family cooking secrets. Brothers and sisters, scattered across the g..
Survey Says: Clear Sailing for HDD
The 21st version of our exclusive HDD survey profiles a healthy industry rife with opportunities for growth. Cynical observers may point out that the bubble must burst sometime, but short of a major economic crunch, our data reflects the belief that most HDD markets will remain strong for several more years.
Give Them What They Ask For
When an energy source is extremely economical, much-more environmentally friendly and readily available, common sense would dictate that you encourage development of that source. But sometimes common sense and reality prove to be dramatically different thing..
Welcome to Our New Home (Page)
Sometimes updating your home is a good thing. And sometimes completely scrapping the old home for a new one is a great thing. Our completely new website was designed to meet the evolving needs of the underground construction and rehabilitation industries.
Farcical and Other Lost Words
EDITOR’S LOG Robert Carpenter | Editor-in-Chief Words are essential to my profession so I’m admittedly sensitive. But I sometimes wonder if technology is killing our written and spoken vocabulary? I recently read a report that claimed modern society is u..
Pipelines: Predicting The Unpredictable
by Robert Carpenter, Editor In Chief First, the bad news. It’s been about 17 months since oil and gas prices started their freefall. Prices for oil seem to have stabilized – for now – while natural gas remains in flux. But reports of dramatic oversupply, historic storage levels, poor international..
The Risk Of Narrow Vision
The sewer and water infrastructure industry has again been pushed to the rear of significance and importance by states desperate to maintain their road and bridge funding. Consequently, in the short-lived attention spans of politicians, sewer and water has shifted back to “out-of-sight, out-of-mind”..
- DeLa Express seeks FERC approval for Permian-to-Louisiana gas pipeline project
- OSHA penalizes Houston contractor over safety violations resulting in worker's death
- Fiber infrastructure has no known expiration date, Fiber Broadband Association research concludes
- Nevada OSHA fines Elon Musk's Boring Company over safety violations in Vegas tunnel project
- Damage prevention and safety: Turning awareness into action