Features
Emergency rehabilitation brings back Baltimore’s Back River outfall interceptor
Baltimore's Back River Outfall Interceptor underwent emergency rehabilitation due to severe damage and deterioration. The project involved advanced techniques and collaboration between Boyer Inc. and Ulliman Schutte Construction to restore the 1907 structure.
Purdue University students gain industry insights at UIC 2024
Held in Oklahoma City, the annual conference provides a platform for attendees to share the latest research findings, technological advancements and best practices, thereby promoting the development of the underground infrastructure industry.
Rehab Technology selection guide
This comprehensive listing provides an invaluable resource in researching availability and specifications of key rehabilitation equipment/materials for the underground infrastructure industry.
Drilling under the LSU campus
A groundbreaking project at LSU utilizes horizontal directional drilling (HDD) technology to install two 1,600-foot HDPE pipes, modernizing the campus's chilled water supply and return systems while minimizing surface disruption.
Inside Infrastructure: 8th DCA/AGA workshop bolsters communication, cooperation
The 8th annual DCA & AGA Workshop, held in Kansas City, brought together 140 industry representatives and featured discussions on pipeline safety, workforce development, cybersecurity, and legislative challenges, highlighting the critical importance of collaboration in the gas distribution industry.
Tech Tips: Documenting quality lateral lining installations
(UI) — With CIPP lining of mainline sewers becoming more and more accepted by system owners and utilities, greater attention is being paid to the opportunities to reduce infiltration and inflow (I&I) by utilizing CIPP lining for laterals.
26th annual directional drilling survey: More fuel on the fire
As the fiber market continues to burn bright, so does the utilization of horizontal directional drilling. The small rig market’s appetite and need for HDD is again demonstrating remarkable consistency in 2024 according to the exclusive results of the annual Underground Infrastructure HDD Survey.
Restoring power to Minnesota’s northwest angle
To reconnect the northernmost community of the continental U.S. and surrounding areas, the REC team had to plan and execute a project that included complicated underwater installations and transporting the necessary drills, cables and parts to complete the job on the various islands.
Florida roots run deep for underground projects, storm preparations
SSUP focuses on neighborhood lines, typically located in customers’ backyards, where lines are most susceptible to trees and other vegetation. So far, FPL has finished more than 2,000 neighborhood projects across the state and undergrounded more than 150 neighborhood lines in Charlotte County.
CIGMAT holds 29th annual conference
More than 300 participants and 14 invited speakers attended the the University of Houston’s Center for Innovative Grouting Materials and Technology and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering,'s 29th annual conference and exhibition, representing owners, consulting engineers, material suppliers, contractors and academia.
Equappment: App built for better HDD, utility construction production
For three generations, Melfred Borzall’s focus has been on enabling better and smarter ways of installing underground utilities.
Fusion in paradise
Just south of Miami, in the tropical paradise of the Florida Keys, a McElroy TracStar 412 spent most of winter 2023 onsite, fusing high-density polyethylene (HDPE) for a massive residential water line to service one of the area’s gated resorts.
CIPP rehabilitation of pressurized pipelines
It is well known that CIPP has been around for over 50 years, primarily being used to rehabilitate gravity sewer pipelines. In the 1980s CIPP was introduced for low pressure sewer applications, and late in the 1990s began to emerge for water main and higher-pressure force main rehabilitations.
Trenchers: Unsung hero of utility installation
Trenching, with its versatility and adaptability, remains a vital method for utility installation across various terrains and conditions. The wide array of trenching machines and attachments available today allows for efficient and effective utility installations, from small residential projects to large-scale industrial applications.
Sewer maintenance: Myth-busting, best-practice training
Sewer maintenance is an ongoing challenge for cities and municipalities. Moreover, gaps in best-practice training can cost public works departments unnecessary time and expense in labor, water and energy costs when cleaning sewer lines.
Harnessing advanced technologies for underground engineering success
Underground construction endeavors are intricate, demanding meticulous planning, execution and risk management. With billions of dollars invested and millions impacted annually, the stakes are monumental.
Insights and trends: Latest developments in utility and communications construction
The beginning of 2024 is shaping up to be just as dynamic as we had expected going into the year. The election stage is set for November, the Federal Reserve is trying to thread the needle between fighting inflation and making the “soft landing,” and most distressing, we all witnessed a terrible tragedy in the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
Inside infrastructure: Safety debate continues to address new, controversial subjects
Every four or five years, multiple committees in Congress undertake the responsibility of reauthorizing the nation’s pipeline safety program and the federal agency that oversees it.
American Augers’ catch-rig technology speeds up intersect drilling process
To streamline the collaboration of two HDD rigs efficiently working together, American Augers developed what it calls “catch-rig” technology. The system is ideally suited for river crossings and long-distance bores that require a lot of time, machines and prep work on the trail pipe at the exit hole.
Fiber Broadband Association reports NA hit highest annual FTTH growth record
The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) recently announced results of its 2023 North America Fiber Provider Survey. Performed by RVA LLC Market Research & Consulting (RVA), the research concludes that 2023 set a new record for the highest annual FTTH growth; nine million homes were newly passed by network operators last year alone, according to Mike Render, RVA founder and CEO.
First look: Vermeer introduces RTX1250 trencher
Vermeer introduced an improved version of the RTX1250 127-horsepower ride-on trencher tractor that accepts multiple attachments. This updated model has received significant improvements, including enhancements to the tracks, axles and plow retention pins, to optimize productivity in challenging working conditions.
Damage prevention and safety: Turning awareness into action
Surveys and studies reveal that professional excavators/contractors are highly aware of Common Ground Alliance’s (CGA) 811 initiative that requires they (as well as landscapers and homeowners) contact their state’s OneCall Center so underground utility lines are identified and marked before breaking ground.
Western sanctions impacting Russian underground infrastructure
The Russian sector of underground infrastructure construction is potentially in a serious crisis. The ever deepening shortage of funding and the lack of technologies are posing a threat for implementation of many investment projects and planned modernization of existing infrastructure.
Annual MVP awards luncheon to be held March 19 at UIC
Russ Ford, a senior associate at Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam Inc., will be honored as the underground infrastructure industry’s Most Valuable Professional (MVP) at a special luncheon on March 19, 2024, at the Oklahoma City Convention Center.
Unearth powerful education, networking opportunities at UIC 2024
The most anticipated conference dedicated to the installation, rehabilitation and asset management of the underground infrastructure is almost here. Join your peers Tuesday, March 19 to Thursday, March 21 at the Underground Infrastructure Conference (UIC) in vibrant Oklahoma City, Okla.
HDD Reunion, Hall of Fame celebration to be held at UIC
The biannual Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) Reunion and HDD Hall of Fame celebration will be held on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at the Oklahoma City Convention Center in conjunction with the Underground Infrastructure Conference (UIC).
PCCA takes workforce development, damage prevention efforts to the States
The PCCA has fought for increased funding for rural broadband and electric power, fewer regulatory roadblocks, faster permitting, damage prevention, workforce development, and more. But in 2023 and now into the new year, PCCA is taking a more active role in the states, especially when it comes to workforce development and damage prevention.
North America 2024 Pipeline Construction Outlook: New LNG Terminals Lead Call for More Pipelines
It comes as little surprise to those in midstream that during the past year, we have continued to see LNG initiatives garner more attention than pipeline projects. However, terminal construction drives new pipeline construction.
Challenges of repairing rural water lines in urbanizing areas
To make repairs, the BCWA team has primarily relied on trackhoes (backhoe loaders) and mini excavators. However, in some environments, using these common equipment fleet staples of most rural water associations can potentially cause additional damage that will need to be addressed.
Funding still flowing despite economic headwinds, challenges
The last two years in America’s municipal infrastructure industry have seen tremendous increases in project activities driven primarily by significant boosts in government funding. If you happened to be a consulting engineer, contractor or manufacturer/supplier, business has been good. Now, 2024 has the potential to be a great year for many in infrastructure.
- Intrepid Fiber breaks ground on fiber optic network in Superior, Colo.
- Excavator collides with I-95 overpass in Henrico, Va., causing multi-vehicle crash
- Shrewsbury, Mass., expands sewer inspections and cleaning efforts
- Construction worker killed in trench collapse near Prosperity, S.C.
- Two workers rescued after hours trapped in Mich. trench collapse
- WES tunnel boring machine retrieved from Oregon river after seven-month project
- Illinois overhauls Peoples Gas pipeline program, mandates focus on high-risk pipes
- Ameren Illinois to invest $140 million in natural gas pipeline replacement program
- Charlottesville, Va., to begin work on 24-inch water line for Rivanna River crossing
- Mass. governor slams Trump for ‘dangerous delay’ of $50 million in lead pipe replacement funds