HDD

Ramming In The Great White North: LTL Directional Drilling Conquers Cold Weather, Collapsed Culverts

Culvert replacement can be a tricky proposition. The existing culvert is usually in bad shape to begin with. Add in weather, remote location and difficult site access, and now you have the makings of a project that only a few contractors can tackle successfully. LTL Directional Drilling, a division ..

The Evolution Of Grouting Solutions

Injection grouting is described by its proponents as the first trenchless technology to repair leaks in underground pipes. First used for municipal applications more than 50 years ago, injection grouting has advanced to become the most economical and reliable method for controlling infiltration in ..

Do Manhole Rehabilitation Technologies Perform as Expected?

Spending for manhole structure rehabilitation has grown due to increased deterioration and collection system infiltration control. It is important to understand how the manhole structure functions, and how the deterioration and corrosion mechanisms are affecting the structures. Should the structures..

American Augers Introduces Electric Auger Boring Machine

American Augers has introduced a new electric auger boring machine (ABM), the 600,000-pound-thrust model 36/42-600E. “Because it produces no exhaust, there are many situations where electric power offers significant benefits,” said Richard Levings, American Augers director of product management. “..

Coach Turned Auger Boring Contractor Has Plays To Save Time, Resources

Basketball and auger boring are two completely unrelated topics unless Mike Boyd has a say in it. At the end of a lengthy career of coaching basketball, he knew he’d miss the excitement and strategy he left on the court. He took that dedication and applied it to his new contracting company, Three Po..

Georgia’s Mixed Geology Requires Unique Solution: Two-Headed Cutting Machine (1)

Can one machine tackle vastly different types of ground? That’s the problem a Georgia-based contractor faced. When beginning the installation of a new 54-inch-diameter water main in Cobb County, GA, which included three trenchless crossings through multiple ground conditions, Strack Inc. needed one..

Xylem: Improving Infrastructure Can Make Cities More Resilient

Xylem Inc. has released a whitepaper outlining strategies to increase the resilience of cities around the world. According to the United Nations, 66 percent of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2050, posing a distinct and urgent need to create more resilient urban centers, capable o..

Company Develops New Fiber Optic Installation Tool

Panduit has released a new tool for fiber-optic cable installers, the OptiCam 2.0 Termination Tool. The tool delivers an immediate calculated insertion loss, which improves productivity by shortening the time installers spend on the jobsite and increases contractor profitability by decreasing projec..

Utilities Technology Council Recognizes Individuals, Utilities at Awards Dinner

The Utilities Technology Council held its annual UTC Awards dinner last night in Charlotte at the UTC Telecom & Technology 2017 conference. The celebration dinner honored utilities and individuals who have shown extraordinary initiative throughout the past year. The 2017 UTC Award Winners are: I..

Infinera Validates Fiber Optic Cable Technology

Infinera has announced a successful subsea field test with Canalink across its subsea cable. The test, conducted with the Infinera Infinite Capacity Engine (ICE4) and featuring Infinera’s fourth-generation photonic integrated circuit, demonstrated the capability to upgrade the cable capacity 13-fold..

Company Launches New Fiber Optic Cable Technology

Pioneer Consulting, a company specializing in submarine cable consulting, has expanded its core capabilities by launching GoCable.io. This innovative cloud-based service provides a design platform for mapping, planning and analyzing new undersea cable systems. GoCable.io is an accessible, web-based..

Utilities Technology Council Launches the UTC Foundation

The Utilities Technology Council has launched the UTC Foundation at the annual Telecom & Technology conference in Charlotte, N.C. The UTC Foundation is a non-profit organization with the mission of sponsoring educational incentives and programs to attract, retain and support top technology and t..

Water Organizations Release Guidance Manual on Fostering Innovation Within Utilities

The Water Research Foundation and Water Environment & Reuse Foundation, in partnership with Birmingham Water Works Board and utilities from North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, have published a guidance manual for innovation based on successful programs in the utility and commercial sectors. ..

McElroy Releases Industry-First Outlet Fusion Tool

McElroy has designed the first all-in-one fusion tool for outlet fusion of polypropylene pipe — the Hornet™. The patent-pending Hornet helps installers maintain perfect alignment of the pipe and fitting for more efficient and accurate fusions with less time and strain compared to manual methods. “I..

Kubota, Texas A&M Announce Equipment Research Venture

Kubota Tractor Corporation and the Texas A&M University System today announced a strategic venture within its Research and Development program to test equipment performance in various applications within The Texas A&M University System on land and within its testing facilities. “In keeping with Kub..

California Utility to Use Echologics Leak Detection Technology

San Jose Water Company has selected Echologics’ EchoShore®-DX leak detection technology to continuously monitor its pipeline network to help the utility measure and reduce water loss. “This is truly a game-changing smart technology that will become a critical part of our water loss control program ..

Report: Utilities to Increase Investment in Smart Water Technologies

According to a new report, “US Smart Water: Defining the Opportunity, Competitive Landscape, and Market Outlook,”  from Bluefield Research, the U.S. municipal water sector is projected to spend more than $20 billion on software, data, and analytics solutions over the next decade. As a result, more t..

Chicago Utility Creates App to Respond to Incidents Impacting Waterways

As boaters and visitors flock to area waterways, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago is prepared to respond to local incidents impacting local rivers and streams. To alert the MWRD of odors, stream blockages and other environmental-related issues, the public is encouraged..

Report Touts the Benefits of PVC Pipe for Sewer, Water Projects

Sustainable Solutions Corporation has released the Life Cycle Assessment of PVC Water and Sewer Pipe and Comparative Sustainability Analysis of Pipe Materials, the first comprehensive environmental review of underground piping systems in North America. Based on a 100-year life cycle assessment metho..

Industry Leaders Launch Fiber Optic Sensing Association

The Fiber Optic Sensing Association, the nation’s first trade association dedicated to fiber optic sensing, launched today with a focus on educating industry, government and the public on the benefits of this cutting-edge technology. The organization was formed with the mission to provide great..

Utility to Put Sewer Biogas in Pipeline

NW Natural has agreed to work with the City of Portland to put renewable natural gas converted from the city’s largest wastewater treatment plant on its pipeline and into vehicles. In a vote yesterday, the Portland City Council authorized the construction of a RNG production facility at the Columbi..

Utility to Use Recycled Sewer Biogas in Natural Gas Pipelines

HONOLULU (AP) — Honolulu officials say they are moving forward with plans to sell biogas produced at the city’s sewage plant to Hawaii Gas Co. The gas company says it plans to spend about $5 million on equipment to clean the sewage plant’s biogas before adding it into their pipelines. It also wants..

ADS Introduces HPXR75 Stormwater Pipe Technology

Advanced Drainage Systems Inc. (ADS), a leading global manufacturer of water management solutions, has introduced HPXR 75, the latest breakthrough in stormwater pipe technology. The revolutionary design incorporates a corrugated polypropylene pipe with a smooth outer wall and oriented fiberglass re..

Vermeer Debuts Silver Series Drill Rod

HDD

Vermeer has bolstered its industry-leading line of HDD tooling and accessories with an additional drill rod. Building on the tradition of the acclaimed Firestick, the new Silver Series drill rod gives contractors a quality aftermarket drill rod at an economic price. Like other lower-tier options on..

IPEG Launches UTTO Virtual Reality Training Studio

IPEG Corporation, a Naples, FL-based developer of mobile products and locate equipment for the telecommunications, pipeline and utility industries, has launched its UTTO Virtual Reality Training Studio. This latest line extension of UTTO’s buried asset digital services creates an immersive, real-wor..

Water Research Foundation Releases New Report on Lead Service Line Lining and Coating Technologies

The Water Research Foundation has released a new research report on lead service line lining and coating technologies that says certain lining and coating technologies can effectively reduce or eliminate the release of lead from lead service lines. The report, Evaluation of Lead Service Line Lining..

EM, GPR: Complementary Damage Prevention Technologies

by Daniel Bigman, Ph.D. Damage prevention plays a vital role in underground construction. Identifying existing buried services prior to installing new ones is critical to maintaining site safety and limiting project costs. There are various technologies that assist in detecting and marking buried f..

Sanitary Sewer Overflows May Be Linked to Outdated Technology, Faulty Inspections

Electro Scan Inc. recently informed the California Environmental Protection Agency, State Water Resources Control Board, and the Office of Enforcement that sanitary sewer overflows experienced by California cities and counties may be due to reliance on older visual-based technologies and faulty insp..

World's Largest Tunnel-Boring Machine Reaches End of Long, Troubled Journey

SEATTLE (AP) — The world’s largest tunnel-boring machine broke through a concrete wall beneath Seattle on Tuesday to reach the end of its long, troubled journey, a milestone in a multibillion-dollar project to replace an aging highway hugging the city’s waterfront. Critics of the effort to build an..

Power-to Gas Tech Could Be Used in NatGas Pipelines, Increase Renewable Energy

In a partnership with University of California, Irvine researchers, Southern California Gas Co. earlier this week announced that new research on power-to-gas technology shows the technique holds the ability to dramatically increase the use of intermittent renewable energy. “The ability to increase ..