Current Issue: June 2025 Vol. 80 No. 6

As fiber installation accelerates across the U.S., some cities are banning HDD due to rising incidents of utility strikes and safety risks. This month's editor’s log explores how industry veterans and the HDDA are working to protect the future of directional drilling through safety, training, and a cultural shift.

Underground Infrastructure's 27th Annual HDD Survey shows strong fiber-driven growth for small and mid-sized drill rigs, while large rig activity is rebounding as pipeline work picks back up across the U.S. Contractors remain optimistic, despite continued labor pressures and rising competition.

In a complex HDD interceptor crossing, Amici Engineering Contractors used telescoping conductor barrels and pneumatic pipe ramming to navigate poor soils and ensure successful bore alignment. The 7,600-foot reclaimed water main installation along a waterway was completed with precision using multi-stage casing and reaming techniques.

A clean sewer system creates a healthier community. Sewer cleaners are used to efficiently remove blockages and prevent buildup. Breaking up blockages often demands a combination approach that includes the use of a boom.

To accommodate new residential development in El Paso, Texas, crews have been working for more than a year on a project to install a 54-inch sewer force main for El Paso Water. The plan was to complete the installation by hand tunneling – until complications necessitated the addition of horizontal directional drilling (HDD).

Surprisingly, it’s been more challenging than expected to prove to company owners that there’s value in correctly and safely performing horizontal directional drilling (HDD), observed Don Riggs, long-time owner/operator and HDD advocate. For the last two years, Riggs has served as HDDA’s inaugural president, and one of the top priorities of this new organization has been safety-focused education and training.

Brick masonry manholes made from clay or shale brick and laid with portland-cement mortar are still used in North America. Although typically historical, they are often found in manhole rehabilitation projects.

SIPP Americas has secured exclusive rights to distribute Resiline pipe rehabilitation products across North America, while Reline America adds Integrity Inspection Solutions to its installer network. Both moves aim to expand the availability of trenchless solutions for aging water and wastewater infrastructure.

Perhaps in an effort to convince Congress to lay off, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) just issued an advisory bulletin to promote the implementation of pipeline safety management systems (PSMS) by regulated pipeline owners and operators.

$227 million Garnet Valley water project advances in Nevada   The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) board has approved $227 million in construction contracts for a major infrastructure project that will support development at the Apex Industrial Complex in North Las Vegas.   The Garnet Valley W..

Subsite  Contractors can more easily and reliably run short shots of fiber lines and other underground utilities using the new M10 HDD guidance beacon from Subsite.. M10 is designed for use with compact Ditch Witch horizontal directional drills (HDDs) like th..