HDD
2015 Large HDD Rig Census
When horizontal directional drilling (HDD) professionals discuss the size of an HDD rig, they typically refer to the maximum pullback force the unit can develop. The most common industry standard for a large directional drilling unit is defined as having a minimum of 100,000 pounds of pullback force..
New Ditch Witch Backreamers Improve Uptime In Challenging Conditions
Ditch Witch, a Charles Machine Works Company, has released a new line of backreamers to help underground construction operators improve productivity in specialized soil conditions and installations. Sandhog HD Designed for sandy and soft soils, the Sandhog HD (heavy duty) backreamer combines aggre..
WaterTAP Announces Better Best Practices Initiative
The Water Technology Acceleration Project (WaterTAP) has launched its Better Best Practices Initiative. Better Best Practices is a series of collaborative projects that seek to continuously improve water management and leadership in Ontario by addressing challenges that can represent barriers to th..
p-CAT Quickly Tests Thousands Of Feet Of Pipe To Identify Hot Spots
Hydromax USA and Detection Services have come together to deliver p-CAT, a low-cost, non-invasive, non-destructive, reliable and safe solution for pipe condition assessment, while the system is in operation. Often described as a pipe screening tool, p-CAT can quickly test thousands of feet of pipe ..
New Water Research Foundation Reports Showcase Utility Innovations in Water Conservation and Energy Recovery
The Water Research Foundation (WRF), a leading sponsor of research supporting the water community, has published two projects on innovative methods to pursue water conservation and energy recovery. The water conservation technology project (#4227) explored the use of “smart” irrigation controllers t..
VersaReam Features Quick Change Blade System
Bit Brokers International’s patent-pending VersaReam, is a bi-directional, expandable/interchangeable blade PDC reamer. With versatility that allows drillers to change the size of their reamer by simply changing blades, VersaReam drills three to five times faster than the traditional roller cone rea..
HDD Rescue, Proprietary System Frees Pipe String Stuck During Backream
Long, deep directional drills beneath bodies of water are challenging for horizontal directional drilling (HDD) contractors with the equipment and personnel able to perform this type of work, and each project has elements that set it apart from others. Bobcat Contracting LLC recently installed 18,0..
Melfred Borzall adds new transmitter housing for mini drill rigs
New to Borzall’s housing line-up is a 2.5″ diameter housing that is compatible with Borzall’s new line of 3.5″ blades, as well as small OEM blades. Made for mini drills with up to 10,000 lb. thrust, this housing is smaller, shorter, and lighter to make those service bores quick and easy. Manufactur..
St. Louis Gets an Upgrade: Laclede Replaces 235 Miles of Pipelines
Like many utilities operating in urban areas, The Laclede Group is faced with aging infrastructure. The company is tackling this challenge head-on by undertaking a major upgrade to natural gas distribution systems operated by its three subsidiaries: Laclede Gas in St. Louis, MO, Gas Energy in Kansas..
HX-1TRN Quick Connect From Hunting Is Cutting-Edge Downhole Solution
As part of its continuing commitment to cutting-edge downhole solutions for the horizontal directional drilling (HDD) industry, Hunting’s Trenchless Division introduces the revolutionary HX-1TRN quick connect. This product requires just a single, 360-degree rotation to fully connect or disconnect tr..
DCA/AGA Workshop Dives Into New Issues, Workforce Development
The Distribution Contractors Association (DCA) and American Gas Association (AGA) recently held the Third Annual DCA/AGA workshop in Chicago. The workshop has grown in interest, attendance and in the range of issues addressed by a host of panels and speakers. These sessions discussed ways to improve..
Mitsubishi Electric and Sembcorp Industries to Testbed Ozone Backwashing Energy-Saving Membrane Bioreactor
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation will collaborate with Sembcorp Industries Ltd in late-stage testing of its Ozone Backwashing Energy-Saving Membrane Bioreactor (Eco-MBR), a new technology for low-energy wastewater treatment and water recycling. According to Mitsubishi Electric, initial tests have sh..
PG&E Tests Safety Drones For Infrastructure Inspections
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced its current testing of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or drones, to enhance the safety and reliability of its electric and gas services. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorized PG&E’s use of drones to assist with electric and gas infra..
Interceptor Condition Assessment Program Spurs Environmental, Economic Benefits
The Fort Worth (Texas) Water Department earned a 2016 Texas Environmental Excellence Award – the highest environmental honor in the state – in the category of Innovative Operations/Management for its Interceptor Condition Assessment Program (ICAP), This new technology allows for more effective inspe..
American Water Receives 22 National Awards for Excellence in Water Quality
American Water Works Company, Inc. has been awarded 22 Partnership for Safe Water awards. The awards, which recognize water treatment facilities that have achieved higher than required water quality standards, will be presented during the 2016 American Water Works Association Annual Conference in Ch..
Side-by-Side HDDs Prove Effective On Gas Line Replacement Project
By Rita Tubb, Executive Editor Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) began work in September 2014 to replace two aging natural gas pipelines that cross Cache Creek near the town of Capay, CA. In September 2015, The HDD Company completed two horizontal directional drills (HDD) on the project, replacing the ..
EIV Capital and Partners Commit $100 Million to H2O Midstream
H2O Midstream, LLC has secured an initial funding commitment of $100 million, with investments from EIV Capital and co-investments from several of EIV’s institutional partners, as the company pursues oil and gas opportunities related to water infrastructure throughout North America. “We see a treme..
Field Versus Shop Repairs, Maintenance For HDD Rigs
Underground Equipment Maintenance: 3rd In A Series Owners and operators of horizontal directional drilling (HDD) equipment recognize the importance of keeping equipment in good operating condition. Well- maintained drill rigs perform better, are more productive, less likely to break down and mainta..
Vermeer Kicks HDD Training Into High Gear
It’s well-documented that the construction industry is facing a severe labor crisis. Due to the strength of several core markets requiring dramatic increases in workforce, the underground utility infrastructure market is desperately seeking new skilled employees, particularly horizontal directional ..
Case Releases Preventative Maintenance Tool Systemgard Fluid Analysis Kit
Case Construction Equipment has released the 4-in-1 Systemgard Fluid Analysis Kit – a preventative maintenance tool providing a picture of fluid and internal system conditions without the need for users to dissemble the machine. The kit monitors system cleanliness and filtration efficiency, which a..
It’s A Start: Training Programs Emerge To Meet Needs Of Industry's Workforce
by Robert Carpenter Editor-in-Chief Since the inception of horizontal directional drilling (HDD), a dearth of training programs has resulted in on-the-job, on-the-fly training by contractors. While such training is not necessarily a bad thing, during the first golden age of telecom construction it ..
Labor, Rates, Communication Highlight HDD Roundtable Discussion
The 2016 Horizontal Directional Drilling Roundtable, hosted by Underground Construction magazine in conjunction with the annual Underground Construction Technology International Conference & Exhibition (UCT), was held in Atlanta earlier this year and brought a spirited discussion about issues and op..
MyMaintenance Joins Growing List of John Deere Mobile Applications for Construction Professionals
The new John Deere MyMaintenance mobile application takes preventative maintenance and repairs to the next level for construction maintenance managers. The app enables users to view and document maintenance intervals by calendar date or by machine engine hours right on the jobsite or in the workshop..
Cradle Boring Makes A Comeback
Installing pipeline across the United States, once a booming business in the 1960s, slowed in the late 80s and 90s. Today, thanks to the discovery of shale oil and gas, it’s back – and so is the cradle boring machine. In fact, there has been a dramatic increase in pipeline projects worldwide in rec..
McElroy, Innovator Of Pipe Fusion Equipment, Announces Launch Of Website Redesign
McElroy, a manufacturer and innovator of pipe fusion equipment, announces the launch of its newly redesigned website – mcelroy.com. The new fusion website boasts an inviting, informative and mobile-friendly interface with an easy-to-use design, while providing even more machine and fused piping sys..
New Heath ODORATOR 2 Records Odor Levels In Utility Gas Stream
The Heath ODORATOR 2 offers the latest state of-the-art technology in a handheld, portable, electronic, GNSS based audit system. This instrument is used to evaluate and record the odor levels within a utility’s gas stream with respect to actual test locations. Natural gas (methane) and propane are t..
Toro Dealer Opens Doors In Houston
The Toro Company announced the expansion of C&O Equipment Company, a trusted equipment dealer of Toro products, to a new location in Houston. The new, strategic location offers Toro’s full product lineup including directional drills; ride-on trenchers; concrete and masonry equipment; compact utility..
Locates Critical For Triumph’s Port Of Houston Project
The capability to carefully control and guide the path of an underground pilot bore is what has made horizontal directional drilling (HDD) a primary method of installing underground utilities. Indeed, HDD often is the only practical and, in some instances, the only possible way to bury pipe, conduit..
Fluor Foundation Grants $1 Million To University of Houston College of Technology
Fluor Foundation, the philanthropic organization of Fluor Corporation, presented $1 million to the University of Houston (UH) College of Technology for the establishment of the Fluor-UH Industrial Construction Management Education Partnership, focusing on research and professional development. An..
Google Fiber Plans Expansion In Several Cities With Pending Deals In Many More
by Robert Carpenter, Editor-In-Chief Google Fiber is a remarkable story and the tale keeps growing. At the recent Power & Communication Contractors Association annual convention, one of the speakers included a senior representative in charge of the Southeast U.S. construction. When I asked what the..
- HDD industry faces challenges as cities push back on fiber drilling disruptions
- 2 workers killed, 1 injured while working on sewer line in Mobile, Ala.
- $5.3 billion, 516-mile pipeline to connect Texas to Arizona through New Mexico
- Tunnel boring continues under Chesapeake Bay for $3.9 billion HRBT Expansion project
- Judge approves construction for key portion of $485 million pipeline in Larimer County, Colo.
- New products: Latest industry developments
- 31 workers rescued after LA tunnel partially collapses
- Ohio Supreme Court rules sewer line location isn’t a ‘defect’ in property dispute
- Faulconer Construction begins rock blasting for water pipeline project in Charlottesville, Va.
- $5.3 billion, 516-mile pipeline to connect Texas to Arizona through New Mexico